What rating would you need?

[steve wilson]

Can you please help me.

To work for an air-taxi operator flying a single engine aircraft capable of carrying 5 to 6 pax, what ratings would you need please? It would require you to fly in IMC and night conditions.

What would the cost be approx, UK based?

Thanks

Steve

[Shunter]

Basically you're looking at a CPL/IR with an SEP rating.

You don't say what (if any) experience you already have, but to go from nothing to being qualified for such a job you're talking the best part of £40k. If you were really committed and happy to live in a cardboard box in Florida for a year, coming home with a JAA CPL and FAA PPL/IR and converting your IR in Spain, you could probably knock at least £10k off that.

Whichever way you look at it, it's an enormous outlay which will only return a subsequent salary which is modest at best.

[shaun ryder]

Then after all that you would have to go and get a twin rating and some twin time. There are no 'single engine' air taxi operators operating six seat single engine aircraft. You might find that public transport flights require more than one engine.

[portsharbourflyer]

Well single engine air taxi work is permitted but it is limited to day VFR only, which in the UK is rather limiting, hence why no one does it.

To operate IFR and by night a twin is required for public transport ops, further to this 700 hours total time with at least 40 hours p1 multi IFR are needed for insurance (some concessions on this) but more often 1000 hours with 200 multi are often requested.

The single engine turbo prop manufacturers have been protesting for years to the single engine IFR public transport ban lifted, but there is a world of difference in the capability of a SET over an SEP.

A private owner may employ you to fly his SEP aircraft as long as you do not conduct public transport operations and this does open up a very grey area between what is a private operation and illegal AOC work.

[steve wilson]

Thanks for your replies. I have no flying experience but read the training and sponsorship threads with interest.

I was curious as to how much it would cost to train to a 'minimum' standard as a taxi pilot as opposed to tarining for the airlines with a frozen ATPL.

Im suprised that the cost differential is relatively speaking so small.

Regards

Steve

[madlandrover]

The training is pretty similar. Don't be fooled into thinking that single pilot IFR air taxi work is a "minimum" with airline work being a "maximum". Flying a twin alone in unfavourable conditions (eg turbulence, icing, sick passengers) and making all the decisions on your own can be every bit as hard as making those same decisions as part of a crew on a multi-engine jet airliner with all the kit, flying above the worst weather, and with cabin crew to help with the pax...

[shaun ryder]

Thats not what he said. Dont get your knickers in a twist over it.

[pipertommy]

So you could have a private owner rent out his aircraft to a customer and that customer rent in a seperate pilot (CPL/ME-IR) to fly that aircraft for them. I have heard this is legal and no AOC is required.

[redsnail]

all the decisions on your own can be every bit as hard as making those same decisions as part of a crew

Having done both sans the icing I can definitely say that single pilot IFR is harder than multipilot operations.

[snips]

Single Engine Air Taxi does exist and it usually of the form of Scenic Flights done on an A to A AOC.
You just need a CPL for this, but to venture more than 25 miles from base you need either an IR or a 400/500 hours experience.
Good interesting work if you can find it.