Hire a pilot to reposition by plane back to the states

[k9medic]

I have and will be making multiple trips to the Bahamas in my plane. With the current lack of security in the Bahamas, I have recently thought about hiring a pilot local to Fort Pierce to fly back with me to bring my plane back to the states.

The cost of my last trip basically doubled since I had my partner fly with me down, and he flew the plane back to home base. He then flew back to pick us up. Instead of 6 hours on the hobbs, we put 12. If I left the plane in Fort Pierce, I could cut off about 4.5 hours off the trip. That adds up.

What is the going rate for a pilot now-adays? I'm thinking a CFI maybe a CFII that is building time? Total round trip flight for him/her would be 5 hours give or take over two different days. To meet my open policy they would need 750 hours total time.

 

[WannFly]

There is a ferry pilot I used few years back, charges $300 a day + hotel, food etc. think he has about 3000 or more hours and that’s all he does. He is based out of Indianapolis and you would have to pay for his commercial ticket back and forth to where ever he is going to come and meet you. PM me if interested, I have no skin in the game

 

[Unit74]

Are you going to Abaco or Grand Bahama? If neither, I'm not sure where your trepidation is coming from.

 

[James331]

I have and will be making multiple trips to the Bahamas in my plane. With the current lack of security in the Bahamas, I have recently thought about hiring a pilot local to Fort Pierce to fly back with me to bring my plane back to the states.

The cost of my last trip basically doubled since I had my partner fly with me down, and he flew the plane back to home base. He then flew back to pick us up. Instead of 6 hours on the hobbs, we put 12. If I left the plane in Fort Pierce, I could cut off about 4.5 hours off the trip. That adds up.

What is the going rate for a pilot now-adays? I'm thinking a CFI maybe a CFII that is building time? Total round trip flight for him/her would be 5 hours give or take over two different days. To meet my open policy they would need 750 hours total time.

So..you want a time builder on the cheap to fly your plane into/out of a disaster torn area with few resources/facilities/security?

Riiiiiiiight


Are we hoping for a insurance payout? or just being cheap?

There is a ferry pilot I used few years back, charges $300 a day + hotel, food etc. think he has about 3000 or more hours and that’s all he does. He is based out of Indianapolis and you would have to pay for his commercial ticket back and forth to where ever he is going to come and meet you. PM me if interested, I have no skin in the game

For international post disaster relocation I’d expect you’d pay at least twice that for anyone who knows what they are doing.

Plus theres this

 

[alfadog]

I have and will be making multiple trips to the Bahamas in my plane. With the current lack of security in the Bahamas, I have recently thought about hiring a pilot local to Fort Pierce to fly back with me to bring my plane back to the states.

The cost of my last trip basically doubled since I had my partner fly with me down, and he flew the plane back to home base. He then flew back to pick us up. Instead of 6 hours on the hobbs, we put 12. If I left the plane in Fort Pierce, I could cut off about 4.5 hours off the trip. That adds up.

What is the going rate for a pilot now-adays? I'm thinking a CFI maybe a CFII that is building time? Total round trip flight for him/her would be 5 hours give or take over two different days. To meet my open policy they would need 750 hours total time.

I know a number of folks that fly to the Bahamas daily out of KLNA. At least five a/c (2 x Aztec, 2 x Cherokee 6, 1 x Beech 18). Nowadays ferrying a lot of relief supplies. I am sure one of them could carry an extra pilot over for you and return your a/c for a reasonable fee. PM me if interested.

 

[Skip Miller]

James, cut it out with the sour grapes. All pilots are cheap, yourself included. Who wants to spend money for not flying if there is a legal, FAA approved way to spend less? So what's your beef?

-Skip (holder of a PP-ASEL only, so I don't have a dog in this hunt.)

 

[k9medic]

I’m going in and out of treasure Cay airport.

About an hour and 15 minute flight from Fort Pierce. There is no issue at the airport other than the fact that there is no fence.

I personally would not want to keep my plane there overnight and come back a couple of days later to find the gas siphoned out.

Before the storm, there was no issue.

My thought would be to land in fort pierce and pick the Pilot up and take them with me to treasure. They would then fly the plane back.

For the return trip, I would have them fly out in my plane and pick us up.

I know when I was just cutting my teeth in the industry, I would have killed to have an opportunity to fly something and make a couple extra bucks on the side.

I won’t tell you what I used to do in an aircraft for less than 10 bucks an hour.

 

[alfadog]

I see that I misinterpreted what you are looking for. Why the two days? Can't they immediately turn around after dropping you off?

edit, Oh, I guess you are factoring in their coming back for you. Anyway, I am sure you can get someone to fly your a/c for $60/hr or less. Let me know if you need help finding someone.

 

[Skip Miller]

I won’t tell you what I used to do in an aircraft for less than 10 bucks an hour.

Wait! She charged $10/hour? Most of us have paid far more. Or did you get the quantity discount?



j/k -Skip

 

[James331]

James, cut it out with the sour grapes. All pilots are cheap, yourself included. Who wants to spend money for not flying if there is a legal, FAA approved way to spend less? So what's your beef?

-Skip (holder of a PP-ASEL only, so I don't have a dog in this hunt.)

Well is he just going to BS about being a relief flight?
There is a TFR, plus facilities and security are a concern, especially for a non local.
It’s extended over water ops, plus who knows if anything happens over there, in the best of times it was a iffy place to have a mx issue or something, now I wouldn’t even want to find out.

I’m sure you could find someone who doesn’t know any better to do it for CFI rates, however you’re risking skin, tin and ticket, but who cares, it’s not his cert being responsible for it, as people love to say “that’s what insurance is for”.

I try to save money best I can, I also know when you’re potentially going to spend a $100 to save $10.

Who knows, but this is being cheap at others expense at the best, and possibly doing something sketchy / illegal / dangerous at worse.

 

[JOhnH]

If I wanted to fly to the Bahamas anyway, would it be legal for me to help him without a CPL or CFI rating? I could fly over with him, return home. And fly back to get him. I would call it a vacation and it would include a common purpose. I don't know that the timing would work for me, but maybe for someone else?

 

[alfadog]

If I wanted to fly to the Bahamas anyway, would it be legal for me to help him without a CPL or CFI rating? I could fly over with him, return home. And fly back to get him. I would call it a vacation and it would include a common purpose. I don't know that the timing would work for me, but maybe for someone else?

Bring a bottle of water and call it "relief efforts". </cynicism>

 

[James331]

If I wanted to fly to the Bahamas anyway, would it be legal for me to help him without a CPL or CFI rating? I could fly over with him, return home. And fly back to get him. I would call it a vacation and it would include a common purpose. I don't know that the timing would work for me, but maybe for someone else?

For a vacation? It wouldn’t even be legal to fly yourself over there in your own airplane right now.

“
!FDC 9/5109 ZMA PART 1 OF 2 FL..SPECIAL SECURITY INSTRUCTIONS..BAHAMAS HURRICANE DORIAN DISASTER RESPONSE AND RECOVERY EFFORTS. PURSUANT TO 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) 99.7, SPECIAL SECURITY INSTRUCTIONS, AND 49 USC 40103 AND 41703, AT THE REQUEST OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE BAHAMAS ALL U.S. CIVIL AVIATION ACFT AND U.S. LICENSED AIRMEN ARE PROHIBITED WITHIN AN AREA DEFINED AS ...... SFC-6,000 MSL. THIS AIRSPACE IS RESERVED FOR SAR AND HUMANITARIAN FLTS. NO OTHER FLIGHT OPERATIONS ARE AUTHORIZED. EMERG PERMISSION TO ENTER THIS AIRSPACE CAN BE OBTAINED BY CONTACTING THE BAHAMAS NATIONAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY (NEMA) AT 242-322-6081 OR 242-322-6085 OR DIRECTLY WITH AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL IN NEW PROVIDENCE. FAILURE TO RECEIVE AN AIRSPACE / AIRPORT AUTHORIZATION FROM NEMA PRIOR TO DEPARTURE WILL RESULT IN DENIAL OF ACCESS INTO BAHAMIAN AIRSPACE AND AIRPORTS. STRICT ADHERENCE TO THESE PROCEDURES IS REQUIRED FOR SAFETY. VIOLATORS WILL BE SUBJECT TO ENFORCEMENT ACTION BY THE APPROPRIATE CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY. OPERATIONS ARE RESTRICTED TO DAY TIME VFR ONLY. NIGHTTIME 1909080030-1910012359 END PART 1 OF 2 !FDC 9/5109 ZMA PART 2 OF 2 FL..SPECIAL SECURITY INSTRUCTIONS..BAHAMAS HURRICANE OPERATIONS ARE NOT AUTHORIZED. AN AIRSPACE FLOW PROGRAM (AFP) WILL BE IMPLEMENTED DAILY, SUNRISE TO SUNSET, TO REGULATE TRAFFIC FROM THE UNITED STATES TO THE IMPACTED AREAS. PILOTS OPERATING FROM THE UNITED STATES MUST COMPLY WITH DEPARTURE TIMES ESTABLISHED BY THE AFP. 1909080030-1910012359 END PART 2 OF 2”

 

[James331]

I’m going in and out of treasure Cay airport.

About an hour and 15 minute flight from Fort Pierce. There is no issue at the airport other than the fact that there is no fence.

I personally would not want to keep my plane there overnight and come back a couple of days later to find the gas siphoned out.

Before the storm, there was no issue.

My thought would be to land in fort pierce and pick the Pilot up and take them with me to treasure. They would then fly the plane back.

For the return trip, I would have them fly out in my plane and pick us up.

I know when I was just cutting my teeth in the industry, I would have killed to have an opportunity to fly something and make a couple extra bucks on the side.

I won’t tell you what I used to do in an aircraft for less than 10 bucks an hour.

MYAT?

So you’re doing authorized relief effort?

 

[Checkout_my_Six]

Unless you don’t have the time. Those extra round trips will still be cheaper than paying a pilot with her expenses.

 

[MooneyDriver78]

You don’t mention the type of plane, insurance will require at least 10 hours in type.

 

[James331]

You don’t mention the type of plane, insurance will require at least 10 hours in type.

You’d also want to be listed and not just use the open pilot thing, because subrogation

Plus does his insurance cover entering a disaster zone for relief effort?

And if he’s not authorized for relief it’s a illegal flight, blowing through and landing in a TFR on purpose, how would his insurance or the FAA handle that if they were caught or something happened?

Do they have o2? A raft / over water gear? Wonder if a low time CFI has egress and open water training, I’d wager not.
How much cash on hand, because that’s a thing for over there pre disaster, I’d wager you’d for sure want at least a few grand cash on hand now.
What’s the plan if there is a mechanical issue while in the disaster area?


This isn’t like trying to find a hour builder CPL or CFI to ferry a PA28 from TX to CA or something.

 

[fasteddie]

Wouldn’t it be cheaper to hire some security on the island?

 

[k9medic]

As I mentioned, I have and will be making additional flights there. I already have the TFR waiver. They DO ask you when you land at MYAT for your TFR waiver information.

On my past trip, I brought over almost a half a ton of roof shovels, nails, tarps and a bag of hammers (had to laugh at that one though.) ON the return from MYAT, I flew out a Bahamian national. Customs in KFPR worked well with us but the FXE guys who are up there helping were not too friendly.

Shaving 4.5 hours off of the Hobbs adds up to the tune of about $600.
Figured I could give a budding commercial pilot some time outside of the pattern for $25+ bucks an hour. Easy way to make $75-100 per trip with minimal effort and get some free flight time.

Not to mention the return trip to the island could bring additional needed items.

I'm not gaining anything by flying down, bringing supplies and putting my butt on a roof. Call it being cheap or what ever you want but saving $600 every time I go down there is a big deal. That is money coming out of my pocket that basically evaporates into the air.

 

[Clip4]

I have and will be making multiple trips to the Bahamas in my plane. With the current lack of security in the Bahamas, I have recently thought about hiring a pilot local to Fort Pierce to fly back with me to bring my plane back to the states.

The cost of my last trip basically doubled since I had my partner fly with me down, and he flew the plane back to home base. He then flew back to pick us up. Instead of 6 hours on the hobbs, we put 12. If I left the plane in Fort Pierce, I could cut off about 4.5 hours off the trip. That adds up.

What is the going rate for a pilot now-adays? I'm thinking a CFI maybe a CFII that is building time? Total round trip flight for him/her would be 5 hours give or take over two different days. To meet my open policy they would need 750 hours total time.

I know a guy who will do it for free as long as you don’t mind him bringing a couple duffle bags back with him and landing at night in a remote location first.