Ryan Huber: Mastering the G650 at a Young Age

On this episode of the Aviator Edge podcast, hosts Bud and a fellow corporate pilot sit down with Ryan Huber, a Gulfstream G650 captain based at Fort Lauderdale Executive (FXE). Ryan flew a rotational G650 job out of Cairo, Egypt for three years and now flies Part 91 in South Florida. The conversation tracks his journey from a kid watching airplanes at PDK (Atlanta) to jet captain—plus the realities of corporate schedules, networking, training, worldwide flying, and staying fit on the road.

Early Spark: From PDK Playground to First Flight

Ryan’s aviation story started young: weekend airplane-watching at DeKalb–Peachtree (PDK) with his grandmother, a Discovery Flight at age 10, and hours in Microsoft Flight Simulator. He earned his Private Pilot as a high school senior, then enrolled at Embry-Riddle. Unsure whether to pursue professional flying or aviation business, he met students contracting on small jets and realized he’d regret not chasing a jet career.

The Decision: Leave College, Accelerate at ATP

With tuition costs looming, Ryan left Embry-Riddle after freshman year to compress training at ATP Flight School (LZU – Lawrenceville, GA). He documented the entire process on YouTube—weekly updates that later helped other students understand the pace and sequence of accelerated training.

• Timeline: He arrived with a Private and completed Instrument, Commercial, CFI, CFII, and MEI in roughly five months.
• Why it worked then: examiner availability, stable weather, and consistent instructors.
• Today’s reality: the team notes DPE scheduling can add months in some regions, underscoring how logistics can define pace as much as proficiency.

First Jobs: Teaching with a Purpose and Networking by Design

After ratings, Ryan instructed at CAE Oxford in Phoenix and later Sawyer Aviation (Part 61) in Scottsdale. The move was strategic: he wanted to be near Part 135 charter jets and corporate operators. That proximity, and the relationships built on the ramp, opened doors to a CJ3 seat at Elante Air Charter—and then the phone call that changed everything.

A friend from Embry-Riddle called: a G650 assignment based in Cairo—45 days on, 45 off. Ryan said yes.

The Cairo Chapter: G650 Rotations and Long-Range Ops

The role was classic global corporate flying: long legs, international procedures, and complex planning. Sectors often ran 12+ hours (with augmented crews), using crew rest and careful duty management. The route map spanned the Middle East, Europe, and North America, including a memorable Tokyo flight with hours over Russian airspace (pre-war), near silence on the radios, and endless Siberian wilderness below.

• Aircraft: G650/G650ER, fly-by-wire, ~0.90 Mach, enormous fuel capacity in the wings (nearly 48,200 lbs on ER).
• Reality of “glamour”: yes, premium hotels (often the Four Seasons in Cairo) on rotation; also: long sits, jetlag, and the constant readiness to launch on short notice.

Corporate vs Airline: The Job is the Mission

The team compares lifestyles candidly. Airlines offer stability and streamlined logistics; corporate demands flexibility, initiative, and relationship skills.

• Corporate pilots handle flight planning, slots/parking (e.g., Super Bowl ops), customs, alternates, airport suitability, performance, and owner hospitality—often without a dispatcher safety net.
• The pressure to say “yes” is real; judgment is saying “no” when the runway, weather, or risk picture doesn’t meet standard.
• Success hinges on being professional in the cockpit and personable with owners, families, and staff—loading bags, stocking cabins, coordinating cars, and solving problems.

Schedules, Paychecks, and Career Crafting

Corporate schedules range from rotational (e.g., 45/45, 10/10, 14/14) to ad-hoc Part 91 calendars. Flying hours can be fewer than airline blocks—even while “on.” The tradeoff: pockets of extended time off that many pilots use to consult, instruct, contract fly, invest, or build businesses. Ryan dabbled in real estate wholesaling, leveraging downtime to develop a second skillset and income stream.

The Network Effect: Your Career is Who You Know

If there’s a single throughline, it’s networking. Nearly every major opportunity Ryan landed came via phone calls from friends and mentors—sometimes years after the first introduction.

• Practical advice: treat classmates and CFIs as future colleagues; maintain relationships; help people; be easy to work with. In this industry, reputation outruns résumés.

Fitness and Health: Sustainable Habits on the Road

A common pilot struggle: staying fit amidst travel, early shows, and hotel food. Ryan’s approach is minimalist and consistent:

• Keep it simple: short hotel-gym sessions beat zero sessions; walk the treadmill 10 minutes, do dumbbell presses, curls, lateral raises, core—done.
• Consistency > intensity: small daily wins compound.
• Protein focus, low sugar: achievable in most cities and FBOs.
• Day passes: when possible, buy a $10–$30 pass at a local gym for heavier sessions (legs, compound lifts).

Training and Recurrent: CAE, FlightSafety, and the “Real Checkride”

Ryan’s G650 type training included an initial at CAE Dubai (month-long, highly structured) and recurrent at FlightSafety Savannah and other centers. The hosts note some providers have shifted to checkride-like recurrent events—less “progressive coaching,” more pass/fail on a compressed timeline. The takeaway: arrive prepared; recurrent is increasingly standardized to airline-style expectations.

Global Perspective: 38 Countries by Age 27

Corporate flying delivered the travel Ryan dreamed of: UK, Spain, France, Italy, Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, and quick turns into Iraq—plus personal travel with his wife to Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Bali, Dubai. Exposure to vastly different places—Dubai’s futuristic skyline, Cairo’s density, and stretches of true wilderness—built gratitude and perspective. It also deepened his preference for experiences over things.

Weather, Performance, and the Florida Factor

Flying out of South Florida brings routine thunderstorm avoidance. With the G650’s high ceiling and speed, deviations are easy, but the discipline stays the same: don’t penetrate convective cells; plan routes and fuel for lateral maneuvers; keep passengers comfortable and safe. Taxi remains the “hard part” on big-wing business jets—wingtip awareness is everything, cameras or not.

Why Corporate (and Why It’s Not for Everyone)

The crew agrees: corporate is dynamic. It can be harder than airline flying because the pilot must be both aviator and operator—solving logistics, handling guest experience, and safeguarding risk boundaries. If you enjoy variety, ownership interaction, and creative problem-solving, it’s a fit. If you want predictable pairings, seniority-driven schedules, and dedicated support staff, airlines may be the better lane.

Takeaways for Aspiring Pilots

• Accelerated programs can work—if you bring relentless focus and plan for modern constraints like DPE availability.
• Choose instructing jobs strategically—be near the airplanes and operators you want to fly for.
• Say “no” when safety demands it—owners respect sound judgment.
• Invest in your network—classmates, CFIs, captains, dispatchers, FBO staff.
• Build durable habits—fitness, study, cockpit discipline. These compound like flight time.

Closing: A Career Built on Decisions, Discipline, and People

Ryan’s path—PDK playgrounds, ATP acceleration, targeted instructing, a Cairo rotation, and now captain on a G650—shows what intentional choices and strong networks can unlock. Corporate aviation has range: it can be Four Seasons layovers, 12-hour legs, or last-minute slots for major events. It can also be a platform for business ventures and a front-row seat to the world. For pilots who value variety, responsibility, and relationships, it’s a compelling runway.