Air taxi pilot requirements
 

Apologies if this is in the wrong forum, but it seemed the logical place to ask for advice/information. Don't worry it isn't duplicated!

I like many others am en-route to a CPL/IR, but am unlike many, like the idea of starting my career in the thick of the UK Air Taxi network.

The only problem is that as far as I can see, the CAA/JAA have pulled a fast one and for single pilot passenger ops I would need in excess of 700 hours experience.

Are single pilot ops the norm? Are there any multi crew air taxi operations? I can't off hand think of any single or twin aircraft carrying a dozen or less passengers that would require 2 pilots.

How can I get into this line of work?

TIA

Obs cop

By banging on doors and visiting people!

There are few operators of anything smaller than a Kingair who operate with two pilots. It simply isn't economic to take up 25% of the revenue earning seats in a Seneca with another pilot!

You will probably find that most operators will require 250 hours twin time as an insurance requirement before you can captain a public transport flight. However you might be lucky enough to get one to let you sit right seat on empty or light legs or position aircraft for them.

Don't expect a great deal of money, however. Going rate for freelance Captains of the starting stuff (Seneca etc) is £100 - £150 a day.

Thanks Eye.

Hmm helping position aircraft, now there's a thought, best get banging on some doors then.:)

is there a list of air taxi companies? I cant seem to find one and ppjn.com dont seem to cover air taxi.



--edit--

Ah sugar i just found one! incase anyone else would like it its at;
http://www.ppjn.com/tcontactlist.html

:O

yep there sure is,

http://www.ppjn.com/teurope.html

It's the link at the bottom of the page.:ok:

Obs cop

With regard to the 700 hours required for single pilot, public transport flights. Does anyone know where this is documented, I've searched high and low and cant find it anywhere. Is it just a rumour or perhaps a misinterpretation of the old hours requirement for the self improver route.

worzel

When I was in the single pilot air taxi game a few years ago, the 700 hour requirement was written into the ops manual. i.e. it was a CAA approved (mandated?) company requirement. Not sure what the requirements are now with JAA though.

On the other hand would it be sensible to crew a (relatively) poorly equipped low performing light twin such as a Seneca I into some fairly basic airports and crap weather in the middle of a European winter with a pilot fresh off a CAP 509 course with only 250 hours under their belt?

Air taxi pilot requirements
 

worzel
The 700 hour limit is defined in the JAR-OPS 1 manual Subpart N. Paragraph 1.965(a) reads :-

(ii) When operating on a multi-engine type under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR), the pilot has a minimum of 700 hours total flight time on aeroplanes which includes 400 hours as pilot-in-command (in accordance with JAR FCL) of which 100 hours have been under IFR including 40 hours multi-engine operation. The 400 hours as pilot-in-command may be substituted by hours operating as co-pilot on the basis of two hours co-pilot is equivalent to one hour as pilot-in-command provided those hours were gained within an established multi-pilot crew system prescribed in the Operations Manual.

Hope this answers your question. Under the old CAA OPS you used to be able to air-taxi with just 200 hours, but this new reuirement came in with JAR.

Asymmetric
Thanks. I was sure that there was something about 700 hours somewhere. I suppose I'd better keep building those hours then.

worzel

So does that mean then that if someone gave me the keys of their own privately owned seneca or seminole and asked me to fly them and their mates say from Oxford to Brussels and back once a week that I cant do it???

That wouldnt require an AOC and therefore it wouldnt be defined as Air Taxi?? And my measly small hours would okay??

If I cant do it what else can I do other than Instruct, pay for my own type rating or pray???

Any advice or words of wisdom appreciated

No reason why not. It's a private operation, not AOC. 700 hours limitation does not apply.

I operate Seneca AOC ops with 400 hrs. The 700 hour rule is possible to overcome, but to be honest at 400 hrs the pilot would need to be known to us, and be one of the better ones. Single pilot ops is not for everyone, and just because you have a commercial license does not mean you have the skills to jump in a Seneca and take it to Sweden in the middle of the night in winter.

Phil

Ah, but Phil, the skies are so wonderfully crystal clear over Scandinavia in winter ;) :cool: Well, except when it's snowing, that could be a problem, and the wind, that's never down the runway, and all that water to cross, can't survive long in that........... :ok:

Just to add to Phils post.

I now have 800 hours TT with approx 90 hours multi time, have also been lucky enough to have built some time and experience in the RHS (300 hours).

If any one thinks they can do the job with 250 hours think again, my first trip in the right hand seat was an eye opener, had about 500 hrs at the time. To be honest I started to feel at home with the job after 100 or so hours in the RHS.

My advice to anyone interested in this line of work would be to knock on doors, see if you can get some experience in the RHS and also see if the type of work is what you are looking for.

Flying F

FF

You're right, I had nearly 280hrs when I started single crew air taxi ops!!

It was a fantastic experience, my first flight after completing the training was Edinburgh - Heathrow with 9 punters in a C404. Yes, it was a baptism of fire and you had to learn quickly.

Phil makes a very good point about having a licence that qualifies you to do this type of work and being actually able to do it. His analogy of flying across to Sweden on a dirty, dark winter's night sends shivvers down my spine. I recall doing just that (well, actually Oslo in Norway) in a C310, below 10,000', no weather radar, coasting out off Aberdeen and bouncing around in the weather with the hail lashing the screen and the boots struggling to keep pace with the ice. Character building it certainly was.

I often remember wanting to ask someone's opinion about what they would do in various situations, but there was no-one to ask so you made decisions yourself based on the info and limited knowledge available. Was I safe? In a strange way, possibly more safe than some more experienced guys as I was extremely unlikely to take any risks at all, always erring very definately on the side of caution. My old chief pilot used to say the dangerous ones were the guys who had done a year or two and had now started to think they had seen pretty much all of it! That, of course, would include me when I got to that stage. I only did 18 months before moving on to something much bigger which I still don't know enough about to get too dangerous............!!!

I must admit, looking back, I think I did a good job, but hindsight and a lot more experience do make me wonder about the wisdom of such operations with so few hours. I can't argue too vehemently against the rule change requiring 700hrs, but there again, 700hrs of what? When I had 700hrs I had 450 twin IFR single crew. There are plenty of 'good' guys with 250hrs and plenty of 'shabby' 700hr guys too. I don't necessarily think that 700hrs experience (most likely gained in single engine aircraft) with just a couple of 'twin renewal' hours after initial twin rating issue make a pilot better equipped for this demanding role. Rules is rules though.

Good luck to all you aspiring air taxi pilots. I loved every minute of it. Honestly.

PP