Have you ever...
 

I was just wondering if anyone has been asked by management to do things that you think are unsafe or are flat out illegal? How did you handle the situation?

Things like flying over gross, flying non "certified into known ice airplanes" into ice, taking off into below minimum weather, flying altitudes that there is no chance in hell of holding the MEA OEI, Not using ox in non-pressurized airplanes at altitudes above whats required, flying IFR into airports that have only a GPS IAP (/U). Being asked to exceed duty times etc? Is that stuff common in 135?

Sweet thread zbow, interested to see how this turns out.

flying altitudes that there is no chance in hell of holding the MEA OEI - That is legal and why we have drift down charts

flying IFR into airports that have only a GPS IAP - Again, legal, even if there is NO approach. See "Cruise" clearances: Cruise clearance. An ATC clearance issued to allow a pilot to conduct flight at any altitude from the minimum IFR altitude up to and including the altitude specified in the clearance. Also authorizes a pilot to proceed to and make an approach at the destination airport.

It's apparently pretty common. I was working on a presentation on the FAA enforcement process for a WINGS program. I was having dinner and a beer with one the FAA attorneys who prosecutes enforcement actions. I asked him if he had any suggestions for "must cover" topics.

He asked me whether there would be any Part 135 pilots in my audience. When I told him there would, he told me that pilots who fly contrary to regulation, particularly in aircraft that should be squawked due to unairworthy conditions, was #1 in his book.

My life is more important then any job. If it's not safe, i'm not doing it. If it's not legal, I'm not doing it either. I've spent to much time and money on my ratings.

Yes, many times with different operators. I got out as quick as I could. No, I wont share any stories in a public forum.

Never been directly told to do anything illegal, but if you're a 135 pilot, particularly a cargo pilot, you know that at some companies dispatch has a way of forgetting certain things and leaving it to you to remember them.

Noy: Ask your attorney pal what a pilot is supposed to do when given a totally fictitious weight and balance from a load crew. Go back there and weigh it all himself? Is the FAA going to get my job back when I get fired?

I'm sure a good attorney will get you a nice chunk of change though.

Nope. He's not insensitive to the predicament. That's why he suggested I mention it in my talk.

Ultimately you are going to make a decision based on your evaluation of two risks:

• getting fired
• getting caught by the FAA, having a violation on your record, and then getting fired (after all, your boss was completely innocent of your rule violation http://fc03.deviantart.com/fs43/f/20...e_by_J_n_x.png.

and balance that against your personal integrity.

It's illuminating when a pax looks at you just prior to picking up from a oil rig and tells you: " I know for a fact that this chopper will pick up 3600lbs. "
I was in a Bell 206B3 with a 3200 lb max T/O wt.

This was in reference to my delays earlier when trying to mix pax and bag combos to get folks out to their rigs from the shore. All of the 'expert' oil rig hands that "had more time in choppers than I did" also looked down on you when you used a checklist because they thought you didn't know your job.

Amazing.
Those types of 'INDICATORS' popped up too frequently for my taste.

Buh-BYE!