Originally Posted by
ShyTorque
Surely a professional (in the sense of doing the job for a living = paid) ferry pilot should also hold a CPL?
That's a good point, but it may be time to mention now, that holding a CPL (especially from what I've seen of many low hour UK CPL holders) doesn't necessarily prove someones ability to conduct safe, efficient and sensible flying along the lines of single-engine, single crew operations when you have to think for yourself and adapt in an ever changing envoironment. Evidently our hero Mr Ibbotson seems to have struggled on this occasion, but that's not the point I'm making.
When you have the likes of small UK operators not touching people with under 300 hours to fly single crew survey work etc, yet Ryanair will take you with a little over 200hrs, that goes some way to demonstrate how lacking our CPL standards and training really are - for single pilot operation. There are few people I would trust with say flying a family member across the UK in something like a PA28, and would be more inclined to have an experienced PPL whos been at it years take them, than some idiot who trained in Poland/Sweden on the cheap with all the bells and whistles and ticks in boxes who can't fly for toffee. Just my 2p worth as someone who's done a fair bit of single engine flying for private owners, given plenty of instruction, and am now working at a small UK regional.