Originally Posted by
2StgTurbine
If this jet is going to be used for business, I would hire an actual professional pilot. Even in the professional pilot community, we encounter pilots we would classify as unsafe that slip through the cracks. Usually, those pilots have good intentions but never grasped some fundamental part of airmanship.
Both. Business and Personal. I'm trying to avoid the mistakes of the past as much as humanly possible and not Train or Time Build in the same manner that cause one to "slip through the crack" or perform in the cockpit like one who did. So, I'm researching how to put together a tailored Training program with a focus on safety and competence through developing good skill, knowledge and expertise by way of relevant actual (real world) Time Building experience - before allowing myself to go single pilot VLJ. Its looking like a 2-3 year program at this point.
I'm willing to spend the time, energy and effort to gain the experience required to not end up falling through the cracks. Of course, there are no guarantees. 11,000 hour pilots find themselves in trouble as well. I am willing to accept the inherent risk of flying, I know that's real and unavoidable. But, purely from a mathematical standpoint, I feel more safe in the air than I do my own car on the highway - where bad drivers are literally trying to kill me.
At least in the air, nobody is tailgating, cutting you off at close range, blowing by at 24 inches and twice the speed, or drunk, high on federally banned substances, high on OTC meds, flying-by shooting or basically just being a d-i-c-k in the air. Heck, I wish I could fly everywhere for that matter. From what I understand, there are some pretty level headed nice people in the air. So, I feel safe up there. Can't stand driving anymore. It used to be fun, driving. Not these days.
Originally Posted by
2StgTurbine
What that tells me is even if you devote your ENTIRE working life to becoming a professional pilot, you can still fail.
Yep. Nope, there are no guarantees in life. Truth.
Originally Posted by
2StgTurbine
Combine that with the pressures of needing to get the VLJ to CLE by 9:30 am for an important business meeting or flying the family to your vacation home after a stressful week at work will lead to poor decision making.
Yep. Nope, I've already made the decision that this is not how I'm going to conduct myself as PIC. I have accepted the duty and responsibility to myself, family, business associates and people on the ground to make solid decisions with respect to Time. Moreover, I'm in total control of my personal time, so I don't have the same pressures that other entrepreneurs might in that regard. If the weather is beyond my aircraft or my limits as a pilot, I have no problem re-renting a car, or calling the transportation service back for another pick-up and short drive back to the hotel for the night. I have no issues doing that at all. Those who fly with me, will also accept those conditions as well - or they are absolutely free to travel 121 or a 135 outfit willing to take the risk that I'm not willing to engage.
My business is all about Risk Mitigation. That's what I do at the core of my business. I'm looking for ways to reduce risk all the time. That's what my brain does naturally these days as a business person. As a Pilot, I doubt that will change one bit. In fact, the focus on risk mitigation as PIC will no doubt increase over that which I normally bring to business.
If I can fly with relative safety, then I can and will have fun flying. The fun will come naturally, just after safety.
Originally Posted by
2StgTurbine
99.99% of the time there is never a conflict of interest, but it only takes one time where the demands from the part of your brain thinking about your business will creep over to the pilot side of your brain. It can be difficult to detect that when you are flying by yourself.
Much appreciated, no doubt. Just not a factor. The business practically runs itself now. That's why I'm able to focus on this so intensely. On average, I'll require no more than 1hr per day to run my business. That leaves 23hrs for everything else including flying.
Originally Posted by
2StgTurbine
That does not mean you can't fly. By an L-39. They are cheap and a lot of fun. You can still challenger yourself and become a great pilot, but it will keep your fun hobby separate from work.
I appreciate the concern and I get it. Its a jet and you need competence to handle it single pilot RVSM. So, the deal is this. I'm approaching a new phase in my life where travel is going to take on a larger role for us. I have always loved airplanes and aviation since I was a kid, but could never do much about it. Now, I can. I can also spend the time necessary getting up to speed and becoming competent.
I've gone through the process of learning about Fractional Ownership, or just putting up with the hassles of 121, or even like you said, hiring someone else to do the PIC stuff. They each have their pros/cons. However, in the end, I decided to follow my original dream and get with the program of becoming VLJ single pilot ready. That does not mean that I'm jumping into anything. To the contrary, I realize that this is going to be a long journey towards VLJ single pilot and only when I and others most qualified to know, say that I'm ready.
I'm going to include the Professional input of others with far more experience as a jet pilot than myself, to help me understand what truly being ready means and when I have arrived at that stage. It may take 2 years. It could take 3 years. But, even if it took 5 years before I was ready, that's still fine with me. After the Time Building phase, I can still fly the VLJ with a Mentor Pilot until it became crystal clear that I was ready to strike out on my own.
Even then, the Mentor Pilot will still be in the cockpit backing me up for a few hours as a regular interval sanity check. In other words, I plan to implement a Currency Program into my own flying that will be far in excess of what the FAA requires for currency. I will also find myself routinely taking extra Training Programs for VLJ Single Pilots, Upset Recovery, Aerobatics just to keep limber and any Single Pilot Safety Conference I can get to. All of this will take place even after I've released myself into the wild as single pilot in a VLJ. I will always be engaged in something that renders me Current. That's the level of commitment I'm enforcing into my own flying.
I realize that I have a high (maybe even higher) level of responsibility as VLJ single pilot and I take that responsibility very serious. At the same time, I plan to have a lot of fun, too! Thanks for the concern and the post.
