Pilots needed with big balls
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Joined: Nov 1999
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From: Location Location
Pilots needed with big balls
Any body out there prepared to pay for a type rating? Then read on:
What about a group of unemployed pilots (say 10 or so) stumping up 10k or so each to start an AOC air taxi operation with a navajo? One-off start up costs say 30k, deposit on aircraft mortgage say 50k, then, here's the REALLY good bit, you all train to fly the aircraft as an AOC pilot. You work out a roster to accommodate full-time jobs etc and manning an office so everyone who has a share gets to fly. Then here's the REALLY REALLY good bit, when you land that airline job, you can SELL your share to another wannabee, and they buy your right to act as one of the pilots. That's the airline job that you got because you bought a navajo, started an airline and flew loads of twin hours. I suggest expenses only paid, not salaries, but any profits get paid (bi-)annually as a dividend. If it all goes t!ts-up then start with the aircraft in a separate leasing company so it is ring-fenced, and all you lose is the 3k each start-up cost, which equates to about 8 hours flying time if you hired the navajo to hours build.
THIS IDEA IS SO GOOD I SHOULD SELL IT
In fact it's so good if I can find 9 other people with the balls to do it, I will.
Fanatical message over. If this is such a good idea why has no-one else done it?
And I have checked with a) A local company with an A to B AOC who will put the aircraft on theirs and maintain it, and b) A local 'flying god' who is prepared to act as chief pilot and check pilot.
What about a group of unemployed pilots (say 10 or so) stumping up 10k or so each to start an AOC air taxi operation with a navajo? One-off start up costs say 30k, deposit on aircraft mortgage say 50k, then, here's the REALLY good bit, you all train to fly the aircraft as an AOC pilot. You work out a roster to accommodate full-time jobs etc and manning an office so everyone who has a share gets to fly. Then here's the REALLY REALLY good bit, when you land that airline job, you can SELL your share to another wannabee, and they buy your right to act as one of the pilots. That's the airline job that you got because you bought a navajo, started an airline and flew loads of twin hours. I suggest expenses only paid, not salaries, but any profits get paid (bi-)annually as a dividend. If it all goes t!ts-up then start with the aircraft in a separate leasing company so it is ring-fenced, and all you lose is the 3k each start-up cost, which equates to about 8 hours flying time if you hired the navajo to hours build.
THIS IDEA IS SO GOOD I SHOULD SELL IT
In fact it's so good if I can find 9 other people with the balls to do it, I will.
Fanatical message over. If this is such a good idea why has no-one else done it?
And I have checked with a) A local company with an A to B AOC who will put the aircraft on theirs and maintain it, and b) A local 'flying god' who is prepared to act as chief pilot and check pilot.
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 1,692
Likes: 3
From: Domaine de la Romanee-Conti
Yeah ... then all you have to do is find a whole lot of rich punters that have a sufficient death wish, to want to get flown around single pilot in filthy weather, in a hot ship like a PA31, by a bunch of newly-minted 200 hour wannabes 
Oh yeah, and you also have to find an insurance company that will touch it with a 40 foot pole.
Seriously, if you run with a sensible minima for your navajo shareholder/pilots (say, 1000 hours TT, 100 multi IFR) then you might get somewhere, but I doubt that people with those kind of hours would be willing to sink the money into such an unproven venture when they could have a 737 rating for quarter the price. And if you're planning on using newbies, well, I can't speak for your relationship with your 'local sky god', but I would certainly make sure I was on good terms with the almighty if I was about to go pax'ing in the thing
Oh yeah, and you also have to find an insurance company that will touch it with a 40 foot pole.
Seriously, if you run with a sensible minima for your navajo shareholder/pilots (say, 1000 hours TT, 100 multi IFR) then you might get somewhere, but I doubt that people with those kind of hours would be willing to sink the money into such an unproven venture when they could have a 737 rating for quarter the price. And if you're planning on using newbies, well, I can't speak for your relationship with your 'local sky god', but I would certainly make sure I was on good terms with the almighty if I was about to go pax'ing in the thing
Last edited by Luke SkyToddler; 8th October 2002 at 05:15.
