Riding Bizjets

[MikeSamuel]

Is there any common ways of getting a ride on a bizjet/prop/any small commercial aircraft? I'd kill for a ride on a King Air, but don't know where to start...
Who should I speak to?

Thanks,

Mikey

[JB007]

Hello MS!

I would have thought getting a lift would be a bit of a problem unless you know the crew very well and can jump on a empty positioning leg.

These aircraft types are very expensive and owned by people who are usually worth alot more than the aircraft who don't really want people crawling all over it!!!

I started work at Leeds in Ops. with BE200 and Citations and was lucky enough to have alot of empty sectors between Leeds and Gamston to get rides in the RHS.

But getting a lift with pax was a huge no no !! These people were paying alot of money to have the privacy of their own aircraft not to have some sniffling 16 year old like me sat next to them!!!

There is a Lear 35 at Coventry - G-RAFT. The pilots are great, let a few of us sit in it while I was at ATA on groundschool - have a chat with them if your ever at the airport and see if you can have a look round - doubt very much you'd get a ride!

[Daifly]

Hi Mike,

Good work on your site - nice to see Wannabees supporting each other!

As JB said, it's pretty difficult getting a ride on a positioning sector.

Recent changes in insurance requirements are making single crew operation on "business jets" et al more and more difficult (though the BE20 will actually become a single crew aircraft under JAR (see, who says that Europe is making everything more difficult!)

I would agree though that getting yourself known is the way forward, from your profile I think you're doing A-Levels, in which case you might be able to get some part time work or some work experience. Certainly the only people who have flown with us, who didn't work for the company, were work ex people. At the moment though, with increased security, it's unlikely you'd get a flight - we're all just a little apprehensive (just common sense, not overeaction).

The Learjet at CVT is actually G-RAFF (sorry to correct a reggy mistake!), but I don't suppose they'd be too accommodating to an unsolicited approach either. What about going to Rangemile and asking them for some work experience? That said, I think they only operate two crew aircraft in any case? Perhaps someone could confirm.

Good luck with the licence though, it's the first step in an awfully long road, but at least you've got time on your side!

[JB007]

Phew!!!
Glad I got that reggie wrong - proves i'm not a spotter !!!! :D :D :D

[Daifly]

Just testing 007, just testing...

:p