Ex-United Pilot Shines in GA Sector

Two years ago, Captain Cort de Peyster's career at United Airlines was awkwardly poised for a jolt or a farewell party.

He was turning 60, an age that once meant mandatory retirement for commercial pilots in the United States. Although he had been embedded in an effort to extend pilots' careers, the process was draining. Regulators eventually did adjust the retirement age, but by then, de Peyster was already onto new pursuits.

Today his career is operating at full throttle, and de Peyster says he has a completely fresh outlook. He is a captain with XOJET. How did he do it?

He simply hit the interview trail and met with various foreign commercial carriers and GA companies. His new career vision sharpened during an interview with XOJET. "One motivation was a quick movement to being a captain again,” he said.

Although other opportunities would have required de Peyster to re-earn his seniority through a more extensive process, XOJET put de Peyster on a fast track to captain status.

He also learned during the interview that 20 percent of an XOJET pilot’s job is flying and that 80 percent involves taking care of passengers and service planning. Today, he has an unpredictable international schedule that excites him. Customers are typically high-profile and intriguing.

"I have to be more autonomous in my career,” de Peyster said. "At first it made me a little nervous. I always worked under a union umbrella. You always had someone represent to you."

He said he was excited about XOJET's growth and had developed an acute awareness of industry issues that the Air Line Pilots Association buffered during his United career. His successful transition has triggered a wave of calls from commercial pilots seeking to start over in a sector that's short on union politics and furlough buzz.

"I absolutely love this company,” he added. “They are taking care of our employees and our customers."