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X121FO · 10-25-2009, 04:05 AM

As a light jet/VLJ mentor pilot, I have seen the ugly and not so ugly side of life in the "fast lane" of flying. My job is to satisfy insurance requirements for minimum pilot qualifications, provide flight training for the non-professional pilot-owner and perform PIC/SIC duties from the right seat. A typical flight for me is arriving an hour or so early to do the requisite preflight duties (the pilot-owner will usually arrive with his passengers just before departure) of weather brief, route planning, fuel requirements, filing, aircraft inspection, FMS programming, etc. Although he is capable, the pilot-owner usually is more interested in "flying the jet" than doing the mundane preflight duties.

Once in the air, it's my job to monitor and critique his flying and make the critical decisions that he is incapable of making or fails to make in order to comply with ATC and/or our clearance. Also I have to keep the unsuspecting passengers oblivious to the fact that a 600 hour pilot is occupying the left seat of the jet aircraft they are flying in. Typically my job becomes one of single-distracted pilot, and occassionally, we find ourselves a bit behind the aircraft due to his or my oversight. It's a constant struggle to not find ourselves in a pilot deviation moment out there due to the fact that we are capable of and do cruise at FL410, fly on both sides of the clock to Class B airports (Boston-Logan last month) as well as podunk uncontrolled 4000 ft coral runway airports in the Bahamas.

Just looking for insight or similar experiences from the forum. I know that once the hundreds of backordered VLJs are cut loose on the public there will more people in my shoes.

10-25-2009, 04:05 AM	#1 (permalink)
X121FO On Reserve Joined APC: Jun 2006 Position: CE-510, BE200 Posts: 17	Mentor/Training Pilot war stories As a light jet/VLJ mentor pilot, I have seen the ugly and not so ugly side of life in the "fast lane" of flying. My job is to satisfy insurance requirements for minimum pilot qualifications, provide flight training for the non-professional pilot-owner and perform PIC/SIC duties from the right seat. A typical flight for me is arriving an hour or so early to do the requisite preflight duties (the pilot-owner will usually arrive with his passengers just before departure) of weather brief, route planning, fuel requirements, filing, aircraft inspection, FMS programming, etc. Although he is capable, the pilot-owner usually is more interested in "flying the jet" than doing the mundane preflight duties. Once in the air, it's my job to monitor and critique his flying and make the critical decisions that he is incapable of making or fails to make in order to comply with ATC and/or our clearance. Also I have to keep the unsuspecting passengers oblivious to the fact that a 600 hour pilot is occupying the left seat of the jet aircraft they are flying in. Typically my job becomes one of single-distracted pilot, and occassionally, we find ourselves a bit behind the aircraft due to his or my oversight. It's a constant struggle to not find ourselves in a pilot deviation moment out there due to the fact that we are capable of and do cruise at FL410, fly on both sides of the clock to Class B airports (Boston-Logan last month) as well as podunk uncontrolled 4000 ft coral runway airports in the Bahamas. Just looking for insight or similar experiences from the forum. I know that once the hundreds of backordered VLJs are cut loose on the public there will more people in my shoes.