How do I find a pilot?

W

wreckscars

Filing Flight Plan
Joined
Aug 26, 2015
Messages
11
Display Name
Display name:
wreckscars
Let's say I'm gonna buy a general aviation airplane, either a new Cessna 172 diesel Skyhawk, or have Velocity build me a Velocity V-Twin carnard. This aircraft will be for personal use and may have other civilian passengers in it with me.

How on earth do I find a qualified pilot?

I thought maybe tryin' to find an x-military fighter pilot---maybe a carrier-based Navy pilot, or an aerobatic pilot. I know that I want someone who can, well, "fly the hell out of an airplane," but where do I look, and how do I know? I'm assuming I'd look in the city where I'm gonna live, but the other part has got me. Alas, I'm lost.:dunno:

So, would someone please be so kind as to get me started?

Thanks so much
 
Pilot will have to be commercial rated to fly for hire.

Assuming you're not a billionaire, you realize by the time you buy a new 172 or most any new airplane and hire a pilot to fly it, you could fly yourself and your entourage first class for the rest of your life on the airlines. :dunno:
 
Yes, I do.
However; I have no interest in following the rest of the sheep. I have no interest in everything involved in flying commercial---It's a nightmare I choose to avoid.

Also, that's like saying Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg could fly first class for the rest of their lives, or they could drive a Ford Fiesta instead of a Mercedes. If you've got the money, why not fly solo, because the freedom is worth it. After all, you can launch and land either of those planes at just about any small airport. Besides, hundreds of thousands of people own their own aircraft---why are they not all flying commercial? Some folks just want their own gig.

Regardless, do you know of a starting point to finding a pilot? Perhaps a website or something?

Thanks again for taking the time to address this issue.
 
wreckscars said:
Yes, I do.
However; I have no interest in following the rest of the sheep. I have no interest in everything involved in flying commercial---It's a nightmare I choose to avoid.

Also, that's like saying Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg could fly first class for the rest of their lives, or they could drive a Ford Fiesta instead of a Mercedes. If you've got the money, why not fly solo, because the freedom is worth it. After all, you can launch and land either of those planes at just about any small airport. Besides, hundreds of thousands of people own their own aircraft---why are they not all flying commercial? Some folks just want their own gig.

Regardless, do you know of a starting point to finding a pilot? Perhaps a website or something?

Thanks again for taking the time to address this issue.
Click to expand...

We know of no websites for pilots. :no:












:lol::rofl::lol::rofl::lol::rofl:
 
You could drop by the nearest flight school and chat with the "boss" for potential contacts.
 
Or you could, say, hire a flight instructor to teach *you* to fly this airplane yourself. That's assuming you have the basic physical/mental capabilities to do so (which are nothing special) and can pass at least a 3rd class medical exam. (Depending on your "mission" and what you would require of the passengers, it might have to be a 2nd class medical exam and you might have to get a commercial pilot certificate, which is a bit more involved, but again, nothing special.)
 
grab a burger at the airport greasy spoon......Marge, the waitress, will know. :D

Betty-Murphy.jpeg
 
Last edited:
Check with the local charter company ,they may have a pilot who would be interested. Put an ad up on the local airport bulletin boards. Ex airline pilots are usually available .
 
Some trolling going on?

That 'ex-fighter pilot' or 'carrier pilot' may not be the best criteria for your assignment. Time in type and recency of experience likely factor in much more heavily, among other things.
 
To make this thread semi-productive:

IF you hold a commercial ticket, would you have any interest in being this guy's chauffeur in a 172 or Velocity?

IF so, what terms? Hourly, Salary, guaranteed minimum?

Might not be a bad question... come fly my plane when I need you to.

Of course, the troll comment is likely correct. But it's a thought for a retired guy to keep in the air.

To the OP - Call a fractional ownership company and empty your huge bag of cash there.
 
There are a bunch of webites that list pilot jobs. http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Pilot+jobs

Btw, if you are not interested in becoming a pilot and simply want to remove yourself from commercial planes when traveling and keep your passengers/guests happy, you really would be better suited for charter aircraft or something like netjets.
 
Last edited:
rolivi said:
To the OP - Call a fractional ownership company and empty your huge bag of cash there.
Click to expand...

If you have no interest in becoming a pilot yourself, the above is probably your best advice.

-Skip
 
sourdough44 said:
Some trolling going on?

That 'ex-fighter pilot' or 'carrier pilot' may not be the best criteria for your assignment. Time in type and recency of experience likely factor in much more heavily, among other things.
Click to expand...

Absolutely. No one who is interested in getting flown around is looking at Diesel 172s to fly them around, much less a Velocity Twin... knowing what a Velocity Twin is means you have some exposure to Aviation... even using the term General Aviation reinforces that as well.

Anyone truly interested would just use Google and get to https://www.findapilot.com/
 
OP, tell you what, pay for my Commercial rating and such, and I'll fly you around. That sounds like a decent retirement gig.
 
It's hard to take the post seriously. How can you not find a qualified pilot for a small piston aircraft? All the guys that are flying larger cabin class jets started in small piston aircraft, heck, half of them fly recreationally on the side.

Is there even a completed twin Velocity flying yet?
 
Erik1010 said:
It's hard to take the post seriously. How can you not find a qualified pilot for a small piston aircraft? All the guys that are flying larger cabin class jets started in small piston aircraft, heck, half of them fly recreationally on the side.



Is there even a completed twin Velocity flying yet?
Click to expand...


Just the factory model (which was for sale at OSH).


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Where are you located and where would you base your airplane?
 
Why is it hard to take him serious? I know of two executives/CEO's that own brand new Cirrus aircraft and have their commercial pilots on retainer part time that fly them several times a week for work. They choose to live father away from the city where daily driving would suck. The would spend more than the purchase price of the plane in one year if they went with NetJets.

They are both working on their PPL but neither are taking it serious or plan to give up their commercial pilots.

Is there a job board for commercial rated pilot needs?
 
Shawn said:
Why is it hard to take him serious? I know of two executives/CEO's that own brand new Cirrus aircraft and have their commercial pilots on retainer part time that fly them several times a week for work. They choose to live father away from the city where daily driving would suck. The would spend more than the purchase price of the plane in one year if they went with NetJets.

They are both working on their PPL but neither are taking it serious or plan to give up their commercial pilots.

Is there a job board for commercial pilot needs?
Click to expand...

Airlinepilotforums.com under part91/low time.
 
This can't be for real....OP I hate to burst your bubble but you're going to need a lot more than a 172 or velocity to replace the airlines.
Good luck
 
wreckscars said:
Let's say I'm gonna buy a general aviation airplane, either a new Cessna 172 diesel Skyhawk, or have Velocity build me a Velocity V-Twin carnard. This aircraft will be for personal use and may have other civilian passengers in it with me.

How on earth do I find a qualified pilot?

I thought maybe tryin' to find an x-military fighter pilot---maybe a carrier-based Navy pilot, or an aerobatic pilot. I know that I want someone who can, well, "fly the hell out of an airplane," but where do I look, and how do I know? I'm assuming I'd look in the city where I'm gonna live, but the other part has got me. Alas, I'm lost.:dunno:

So, would someone please be so kind as to get me started?

Thanks so much
Click to expand...

since velocity is a kit manufacturer and, does not have a certificate to build aircraft, and since a velocity is an EAB aircraft, there is no way they would build you one.

bob
 
OP, if you are truly interested in finding a pilot (your posts do sound a little like trolling so don't hold it against us if we doubt your intentions), just mention your location here and your Inbox will fill with PMs overnight.
 
Shawn said:
Why is it hard to take him serious? I know of two executives/CEO's that own brand new Cirrus aircraft and have their commercial pilots on retainer part time that fly them several times a week for work. They choose to live father away from the city where daily driving would suck. The would spend more than the purchase price of the plane in one year if they went with NetJets.

They are both working on their PPL but neither are taking it serious or plan to give up their commercial pilots.

Is there a job board for commercial rated pilot needs?
Click to expand...
A Cirrus is light years removed from a 172. This is like trying to hire a chauffeur for your Camry.
 
Guys?? Really?? No one has come up with the true answer??

Just stand next to your plane long enough and pilots will find you.

Or, better yet, go to a party. If there are any pilots there, they'll let you know.

Sheesh!!
 
I can do it.

Former Alaska bush pilot, flight instructor and ATP rated pilot.

$450 per day. Any ground time over 4 hours I will need a car plus hotel room. And a credit card or cash per diem for food.
 
Last edited:
I would pay to do this if I could bring a glider along with.
 
I think what the OP really wants is a fractional share in a small biz jet charter service. Planes with pilots are provided. It would be costly, but no more so than buying a new four place SEL and then paying a lot of standby time for a full time pilot. This is what the wealthy but not filthy rich people that want to do that type of thing do.

Plus, flying, as a passenger, from Houston to Vegas for an evening of poker is quite uncomfortable in a Skyhawk.

And seriously, just chartering a plane from your local FBO gets you exactly the same thing as originally proposed.
 
Last edited:
Unfortunately it sounds like the OP is looking airline dispatch rates from a small GA plane. Probably not a good plan unless you can accept not getting there when you want to for weather and MX issues.
 
wreckscars said:
Regardless, do you know of a starting point to finding a pilot? Perhaps a website or something?
Click to expand...

So you wish to own the aircraft, but have a qualified pilot be your "chauffeur"?

Not uncommon. I know of several set ups like this in my general area.

As stated, the pilot who you hire must have his commercial license.

If you're not familiar with types of license, this is the one where the FAA permits the holder to earn income while engaged with piloting an aircraft. The ones before this were Private Pilot and Instrument Pilot. These two licenses have a prohibition against earning money while operating an aircraft. Splitting costs is permitted (pilot and passengers pay their pro-rata share of expenses), but they cannot be paid in full for their time nor hired to be your pilot.


To find someone, start with visiting the airport(s) local to you. Go visit with the Fixed Base Operators (FBO's) at those airports, especially the ones that offer charter operations, and talk to the manager. Share with him what your thinking is and ask for recommendations.

Perhaps even talk to various pilots who are hanging about. Many of the commercial pilots I know found their current gigs through networking and listening for fresh opportunities. One I know of was working as a ramper for Business Air when the next time I talk with him, he's now the "on call" pilot for a group of doctors flying their Bonanza. Another I knew networked his way into piloting a business jet for a local oil/energy concern.


Finally, where are you currently located and where do you expect to be flying to? Perhaps there are folks here that are interested or might know someone who is interested.
 
Find a pilot who flies your kind of airplane. A fighter pilot flies fighters pretty well. But might really suck at a GA airplane, if he has no experience in them. Same-same for airline guys. The aircraft characteristics are very different, and don't translate well.

Anyway, leave the key to your airplane in a jar next to the plane; tie the jar down, too. A pilot will put his hand in the jar, grasp the key, but won't be able to pull it out with his fist wrapped around it. Check every other day or so, and you'll probably have caught a serviceable pilot.
 
This is a funny one if you're in my shoes, so I had to reply; however, Azure, I do appreciate your attempt to help me. Problem is, I'm full-blown bipolar and ADHD. There's no way I'm stable enough to fly an airplane!
 
Wow. I missed it, and I do apologize for that. I thought the Skyhawk 172 was one of the most successful aircraft ever developed and that with the new diesel engine it was even better. Also, I wonder if there's anything out there that's light years away from a Cirrus. Seems to me it's all relative. Also, I know an old lady who is worth right at 500 M dollars and has a young man take her everywhere she wants to go in her BMW. Is that the same as having a chauffeur for your Camry?

Come on. What the hell difference does it make if I wanna own a 172, a Learjet, a King Air, a Maverick SmartJet, or anything else as long as it's what I want? I don't even see how the statement you make is relevant to the question I asked.
 
wreckscars said:
This is a funny one if you're in my shoes, so I had to reply; however, Azure, I do appreciate your attempt to help me. Problem is, I'm full-blown bipolar and ADHD. There's no way I'm stable enough to fly an airplane!
Click to expand...

Just what every corporate pilot wants to hear from his potential employer and primary passenger.:dunno:
 
Thank you so much for stepping in and addressing the question, Anymouse. I was beginning to wonder if I had wandered into the lion's den. Yes; I'll go to the local airports in the surrounding area look for parties and pilots!

Thank you so much!!!!!!!!!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top