Originally Posted by DCTCLM
he would like to have his family and friends as passengers. Some of those, especially his wife, would like to have a qualified, experienced 'safety pilot' there in case any medical issue were to arise
In that case, then, the type of aircraft is not relevant (unless he is flying is a single-seater). Does he take a 'safety pilot' when flying MEP + pax? Or when flying SEP, if rated? I am not questioning his prudence, I am just questioning the entire concept of 'safety pilot' as (in the UK) it is not an FCL requirement. I have encountered individuals who do not possess a valid medical yet believe they are entitled to fly PIC as long as they take along a fully qualified 'safety pilot'. I have also encountered private KingAir operators who require 'older' pilots to be accompanied by a lesser qualified 'safety pilot' 'just in case'. I wonder about the consequences if the qualified pilot 'keeled over'. If a 'safety pilot' is really required on an SPA BE200 why not operate the aircraft 'multi-crew' and be done with it?