Pilots Assistant

[cessna24]

Good afternoon,

Does anyone know of any Beech King Air operators that use pilot assistants? I once flew with a company but they sold there aircraft and my services were no longer required. I only have PPL, IMC. Un-licenced line aircraft enginner by day job working towards my licence.

Thanks for your time

[eyeinthesky]

Cega at Bournemouth use pilot assistants.

Also Synergy at Fairoaks.

And Centreline at Bristol.

If you want to be paid for your time you will need a CPL. You will not be able to log of any of the time whilst flying under public transport rules but if you get yourself a type rating you can fly on non-public tranpsort legs and log the time.

[Treetopflyer]

LEA in Stapleford, as well...

[cessna24]

Thanks Treetopflyer, eyeinthesky, Thats useful. It was Centreline I assisted with. I shall write to those companys and enquire.

Many kind regards

[Prophead]

Hi

Could somebody please explain what being a pilot assistant involves? Ive never heard of that term before.

I posted a while back to see if there were any spare seats for a not yet qualified bizjet/air taxi wannabee. Im willing to do any lifting/cleaning etc. I'd just like to get an insight into this industry and real IFR flying.

Would a pilot assistant job be what i am looking for and can these be done as and when required rather than a full time job?

[youngskywalker]

The position of 'Pilot's assistant' is quite a historic one now. A good few years ago companies that operated aircraft like E110 or the Twin otter' single pilot (Air Uk, Business air, loganair etc...) employed Pilots assistants. I believe the usual requirements were to have PPL and IMC ratings. They were legally only really allowed to operate the radio, do the paperwork that sort of thing, I know that some good Captains would allow them to fly empty sectors. In those days the CAA would even allow you to log the time and some of it would count towards the CPL issue. Lot's of current airline Pilots started out this way.

You might still find the odd single pilot operator who will take Pilots assistants along to help with the radio. Great experience if you can get it.

[cldrvr]

That is because a PA is a glorified FA, without the legal remit.

[youngskywalker]

It was a full time paid position in the good old days! And I think they used to do a little bit more than fling the biscuits at the passengers!

[cldrvr]

A PA is not typed and is not to fly, period. If any operator condones that, they will not last long. If the guy in the right seat is typed, needed and required he should get paid, period.

[Arfur Feck-Sake]

FO and PA are completely different roles. FOs have responsibilities, PAs don't (other than to do nothing stupid). No disrespect to PAs intended.

[malc4d]

Ok........So, as far as l know....a kingair is a single pilot plane ( not the 300's ) and that some customers like to see 2 pilots ' up front ', there isnt a type rating needed, or a F/O ,..........l hold a CPL H/A signoff, so what am l, P/A or a F/O ????....:confused:
Should l look for a job, or a ride........?

Ps l think my original question was about getting F/O experience in a CJ 1

[youngskywalker]

Malc, here was my situation until fairly recently for what it's worth...

FAA CPL multi IR with a fair amount of twin time but relatively low total hours.

Corporate N reg King Air (UK based) employed me full time as a 'company pilot', well that was the job title but I guess I was really a co-Pilot/PA! The passengers of the company wanted two Pilots at all times.

They paid for me to do a Simulator and ground school type course completed on King Air 200 sim. (no actual type rating required under FAA)

The King Air is a single Pilot aircraft but we used a basic Ops manual that included multi crew SOP's so that we would have very clear and defined roles during the flight. I had to justify my salary and there is no point in carrying dead ballast just to make the passengers feel better! I was insured to fly the aircraft as P1 (initially under supervision) and we would take turns to operate sectors during the day. Many of my airline friends said that I was no more than a PA, perhaps legally that was true as somebody correctly pointed out earlier that I would have had no legal responsobilities should something have gone wrong. I used to take a little bit of offence at that remark as I saw myself as contributing far more to the flight than simply as a radio operator, but I guess I can see where they were coming from.

Eventually I found myself in the left seat without any supervision but sadly that came to an end when the company sold the aircraft!

If you can find this sort of work then grab it, who cares what they call you, I would have done it whether they called me a co-pilot, F/O, PA or as was more frequently the case a 'daft bugger!'

After 3 years of doing that I have lost count of how many countries and airports big and small in my log book. Priceless real world experience.

[backseat3]

I started as a pa at Capital in Exeter as a PA whilst doing aerial photog. found it very rewarding (although not financially) doing the radio and plog without the hassle of flying into uk and european airfields. It helped me to get a job as Capital took me on flying the chieftain and now the King Air. When I get a PA to play with now i know he/she will get a lot out of the experience. Most of them are rusty but within a cuple of flights are a valuable member of the crew.:D

[Captain_Scooby]

Interesting stuff. I have a question regarding this...

I've recently been flying as a safety pilot on a CJ2. On empty sectors, the Captain has let me fly it (I currently have an fATPL). As I'm now on the jobhunt, I make quite a big deal of this work on my covering letter... I also point out that I of my safety pilot experience, a few of those hours are as PF. Is this something that might be questioned at interviews in terms of legality? Would it be better to just leave the 'PF' bit off of the covering letter to save awkward questions later.

Cheers

CS

[Spam Up]

Hi.

I take it as safety pilot you are not rated ?

Unless you're rated I wouldn't mention it !

Spam Up