Anyone with experience starting a 135 from scratch

[twdeckard]

Its a casual question so don't put too much into the answer but my daydream fantasies involve being a one-man 135 day-vfr operation shuttling folks from Chicago to door county.

Aside from the obvious advice about the poor business sense does anyone have any first hand experience getting and maintaining a certificate?

You hear all sorts of negatives from folks at the airport but I wonder if you were adept at paperwork and didn't mind the check-ride regimen would it be that bad? I do hear that its preferable to "buy a certificate" which is not permitted, but somehow accomplished, if you are moving into a space eager to be vacated by a current holder.

 

[RotorAndWing]

Its a casual question so don't put too much into the answer but my daydream fantasies involve being a one-man 135 day-vfr operation shuttling folks from Chicago to door county.

Aside from the obvious advice about the poor business sense does anyone have any first hand experience getting and maintaining a certificate?

You hear all sorts of negatives from folks at the airport but I wonder if you were adept at paperwork and didn't mind the check-ride regimen would it be that bad? I do hear that its preferable to "buy a certificate" which is not permitted, but somehow accomplished, if you are moving into a space eager to be vacated by a current holder.

Yes, I've done one. It's a bureaucratic paperwork nightmare. You must make application, attend a seminar at the FSDO then be assigned a POI and a PMI as well as a PAI. Then you must file the compliance paperwork which is essentially going by each applicable FAR and answering each one by how you will comply.

Being a single pilot/single airplane operation I'm not sure if you need a manual (GOM) or an abreviated one. There are companies for a fee that will complete all the paperwork for you and you submit it. Once submitted the POI will go over it and send back parts he wants revised. Once all of that is completed (about a year to 18 months typical) then the airplane must pass a conformity inspection. Also you will need to designate a mechanic on your certificate. The airplane will be required to have complied with all Service Bulletins as well as any time limited components will have to fall in their service limit (engine OH as recommended by the manufacturer and propeller OH)

Then after that you will be required to take a Part 135 PIC checkride from the FAA. After all that you will be awarded a Air Carrier certificate.

While this whole process is going on you will be required to meet the insurance requirements before the paperwork is approved. At one point when I had my C310Q I thought about a single pilot/single plane 135 and called my insurance agent. My premium would have went from $2500/year to $12,000/year for the 135.

 

[wabower]

I've done all or part of four certificates, participated in a couple of sales of existing companies. It's a huge PIA, figure it will take a year at best and they will run you through more paper-chases and make-work drills than you thought possible. It's true that you can't buy a certificate, but you can buy the entity that holds it. Some hoops to jump through with that methodology as well, just different versions.

Its a casual question so don't put too much into the answer but my daydream fantasies involve being a one-man 135 day-vfr operation shuttling folks from Chicago to door county.

Aside from the obvious advice about the poor business sense does anyone have any first hand experience getting and maintaining a certificate?

You hear all sorts of negatives from folks at the airport but I wonder if you were adept at paperwork and didn't mind the check-ride regimen would it be that bad? I do hear that its preferable to "buy a certificate" which is not permitted, but somehow accomplished, if you are moving into a space eager to be vacated by a current holder.

 

[gprellwitz]

Might be easier to see about partnering up with an existing part 135 operation, adding your plane to their fleet, and getting on their certificate. Still a lot of paperwork, rules, and regulations, plus you have the risk of someone else having a measure of control over your dream.

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

"the certification process is not difficult if an applicant takes it one step at a time"...at least that's what they say here!

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

Companies to help you:

http://part135.com/CertificationGuide.html

http://www.usac.com/faa/index.asp

 

[gismo]

Its a casual question so don't put too much into the answer but my daydream fantasies involve being a one-man 135 day-vfr operation shuttling folks from Chicago to door county.

Aside from the obvious advice about the poor business sense does anyone have any first hand experience getting and maintaining a certificate?

You hear all sorts of negatives from folks at the airport but I wonder if you were adept at paperwork and didn't mind the check-ride regimen would it be that bad? I do hear that its preferable to "buy a certificate" which is not permitted, but somehow accomplished, if you are moving into a space eager to be vacated by a current holder.

Since you're not likely to make any money doing this, why not dispense with all the paperwork and associated headaches and just give the rides for free?