Bringing a new business jet to market involves a whole team – but at the front of the sale is the demonstration pilot. Tom Sifford does this job for Raytheon Aircraft
How did you get involved with aviation?
I fell in love with the idea of aviation when I first flew with my father almost 40 years ago. We flew the Beechcraft T34A and I remember him handing over the controls to me. It was a real adrenaline rush – I still get that same buzz, if not more, when I am demonstrating the latest Beechcraft aircraft, the Premier IA.
My aviation career began for real in 1969 after graduating from the US Army Rotary Wing Aviator Course. This was followed by a combat tour of duty in Vietnam in 1969 and 1970.
While I was in Vietnam I qualified as an instructor pilot. I enjoyed my army career, which lasted a full 22 years, and during that time I served in numerous standardisation and training positions. When I left the military I got involved in working with a charter operator and in June 1993 I joined Raytheon Aircraft.
What does your job involve?
I reckon I have the best job ever. It entails demonstrating both the King Air and Premier product lines. The Premier IA is the largest and fastest single-pilot business jet in the world. It has all of the great things you would expect from the Beechcraft brand as well as the power of a clean design jet. My job is to fly the aircraft on demonstration flights at air shows or events and to hand over the aircraft to new owners and operators and demonstrate the capabilities. When you know how good the performance is as well as how the economics work, you take great pride in showing the aircraft off.
Where are you based?
Because the Premier and King Air aircraft have customers all over the world, I expect to be travelling quite a lot. The Beechcraft headquarters are in Wichita, but I live in Indianapolis and commute to wherever I need to take the aircraft from and to. There is a great flexibility and Raytheon has been great about that.
What is your advice to young people hoping for a career in aviation?
My advice is for them to obtain a diverse educational background in as many subjects as possible, and pursue an internship position with an aviation employer.
I found my time with the military was tremendously useful, particularly in preparing for many different eventualities. You need to be flexible to work in this industry.
Source: Flight International
