What kind of pilot are you? (Poll)

What kind of pilot are you?

  • Professional pilot and/or instructor pilot - military

    Votes: 6 2.1%

  • Professional pilot and/or instructor pilot - nonmilitary

    Votes: 47 16.3%

  • I pilot a company airplane frequently but take care of business on the ground

    Votes: 9 3.1%

  • I can occasionally figure out a way for the business to pay for my flying

    Votes: 35 12.1%

  • My flying is almost exclusively pleasure and/or personal/family transport

    Votes: 192 66.4%
  • Total voters
    289
alfadog

alfadog

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alfadog
Curious about the makeup here of business vs strictly personal travel/pleasure.

Just to clarify what I am getting at here: if you look at your logbook over the last 90 days, pick the highest category that fits even a single occurrence. So if you provided nonmilitary flight instruction once in the last 90 days and were paid for that, choose the second category. That is probably the only way to deal with all the variable scenarios.

Copying this here for clarification purposes though I think folks are doing fine and I appreciate the votes and responses:
I assume all pilots enjoy flying and many use an airplane for pleasure and personal transpo even if military or nonmilitary pro pilots. The categories are not intended to be exclusive of that. Only the last category is exclusive of work-related flying.

And further:
Yeah, I see that I missed a whole category called perhaps "volunteer pilot on someone else's dime." (Which may or may not be the way you might describe it.) I'd still want to keep that last group for folks that pay the entire freight of their flying and would lean toward putting you in the second to last category (you figured out how to get someone else to put you in the pilot's seat - good on ya).

I'm sure you'all see where I'm going with this by now but just in case:
Sure, the wording is not perfect. But if you fly in the course of earning an income and take some or all of the flying expenses as a tax deduction as a business expense then, for the purposes of my poll, it is the same as if you flew for another firm or business either frequently or occasionally so categories 3 or 4, respectively. That's the best I can do at this point because I can't change the poll once it's created.
 
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I try to find ways for my employer to pay for my flying but have had no such luck.
 
There was really no option for mine, I'm an airline guy, but also have my own bird so obviously I fly more at work than at home but I fly my 182 every oppurtunity I get as well
 
Nearly all my time has been personal and training so far, but I recently got my Commercial and multi Commercial so hopefully soon that will be changing.
 
JustinD said:
There was really no option for mine, I'm an airline guy, but also have my own bird so obviously I fly more at work than at home but I fly my 182 every oppurtunity I get as well
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You fit the second category. I assume all pilots enjoy flying and many use an airplane for personal transpo even if military or nonmilitary pro pilots. The categories are not intended to be exclusive of that. Only the last category is exclusive of work-related flying.
 
MAKG1 said:
Hmm, I do a lot of CAP flying, which is none of the above.
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One of the first two, I guess. It is hard to anticipate every possibility but if you fly on someone else's dime then it is not the last.
 
alfadog said:
One of the first two, I guess. It is hard to anticipate every possibility but if you fly on someone else's dime then it is not the last.
Click to expand...

Not all CAP flying is free. Unless it's ordered by the Air Force or some other government agency, it's on my dime.

And it's a bit problematic for me to call it "professional flying" when I'm prohibited as a private pilot from accepting payment for my flying. It's also definitely not military despite the relationship with the Air Force.
 
MAKG1 said:
Not all CAP flying is free. Unless it's ordered by the Air Force or some other government agency, it's on my dime.

And it's a bit problematic for me to call it "professional flying" when I'm prohibited as a private pilot from accepting payment for my flying. It's also definitely not military despite the relationship with the Air Force.
Click to expand...

"I can occasionally figure out a way for the business to pay for my flying" then and please see my clarification in the opening post.
 
All but 2 of my flights last year were for work related trips. So far, the only person to vote option #3, I'm surprised.
 
coma24 said:
All but 2 of my flights last year were for work related trips. So far, the only person to vote option #3, I'm surprised.
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So you don't make money as a pilot but fly a company owned airplane? I'm intrigued.
 
So far all my trips are for fun/family travel. Would like to eventually fly for work, but that is a long way off.
 
coma24 said:
All but 2 of my flights last year were for work related trips. So far, the only person to vote option #3, I'm surprised.
Click to expand...

I guess there's two of us now... I do bring family along, but mainly fly for my business... which is not aviation-related.
 
Gucci Pilot said:
So you don't make money as a pilot but fly a company owned airplane? I'm intrigued.
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Not sure about him, but I'm guessing it's the same as me.

I own a business, which owns the plane, and I fly the plane. The business has no business involving aviation, but the plane is a tool to get the pilot (me) from point A to point B.

PS: I'd love to fly a DC-10.... that's badass.
 
Built an experimental....

Created a concept powerplant, designed, fabricated, machined, welded and manufactured all components.. Currently still in the testing stage ( R&D)... All flights are for endurance testing and proof of concept.....
 
alfadog said:
Curious about the makeup here of business vs strictly personal travel/pleasure.

Just to clarify what I am getting at here: if you look at your logbook over the last 90 days, pick the highest category that fits even a single occurrence. So if you provided nonmilitary flight instruction once in the last 90 days and were paid for that, choose the second category. That is probably the only way to deal with all the variable scenarios.
Click to expand...

No option for me, which I assume is not uncommon, where most (not "occasionally") of my flying to date has been on business, but not on a company plane.
 
RotorDude said:
No option for me, which I assume is not uncommon, where most (not "occasionally") of my flying to date has been on business, but not on a company plane.
Click to expand...

If you can charge your flying to a business expense then call it category 3 or 4 depending on frequency (your call).
 
rachelk.tailwinds said:
I try to find ways for my employer to pay for my flying but have had no such luck.
Click to expand...

My employer's travel policy specifically forbids use of private GA travel for company business. EVEN if we are not asking them to pay. If we're on the company "time", we're forbidden from flying GA. They are amazingly great on most things, but really backwards on this one.
 
N801BH said:
Built an experimental....

Created a concept powerplant, designed, fabricated, machined, welded and manufactured all components.. Currently still in the testing stage ( R&D)... All flights are for endurance testing and proof of concept.....
Click to expand...

See Post #19
 
N801BH said:
Built an experimental....

Created a concept powerplant, designed, fabricated, machined, welded and manufactured all components.. Currently still in the testing stage ( R&D)... All flights are for endurance testing and proof of concept.....
Click to expand...

Correction to my previous. Call yourself a test pilot (#2) or a #4.
 
I do a lot of flight instruction for our glider club but I'm not someone who's day-job is flying. Also do CAP Orientation rides for cadets. So I checked the last, "for fun" box, which is why I do it.
 
ljsuter said:
I do a lot of flight instruction for our glider club but I'm not someone who's day-job is flying. Also do CAP Orientation rides for cadets. So I checked the last, "for fun" box, which is why I do it.
Click to expand...

First post.....

Welcome to POA.

:cheers::cheers:
 
MIFlyer said:
My employer's travel policy specifically forbids use of private GA travel for company business. EVEN if we are not asking them to pay. If we're on the company "time", we're forbidden from flying GA. They are amazingly great on most things, but really backwards on this one.
Click to expand...
Mine's the same way. Which could lead to an ethical dilemma if I ever found myself being asked to go to one of the trade shows...
 
ljsuter said:
I do a lot of flight instruction for our glider club but I'm not someone who's day-job is flying. Also do CAP Orientation rides for cadets. So I checked the last, "for fun" box, which is why I do it.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I see that I missed a whole category called perhaps "volunteer pilot on someone else's dime." (Which may or may not be the way you might describe it.) I'd still want to keep that last group for folks that pay the entire freight of their flying and would lean toward putting you in the second to last category (you figured out how to get someone else to put you in the pilot's seat - good on ya) but ...

And big WELCOME TO POA!
 
My flying will be almost exclusively personal with the occasional business sales trip.
I have my CPA on board and he found caselaw to support me expensing my flight training through my business.
Now I need to figure out how to expense a new Cirrus SR22T... :idea:
 
You don't have a category for me, and a lot of other people. Ex-military pilot who still likes to terrorize people using airplanes.
 
Shepherd said:
You don't have a category for me, and a lot of other people. Ex-military pilot who still likes to terrorize people using airplanes.
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Sounds like pleasure flying to me :rofl:
 
This past year my consulting job has only been 22 miles from home, so my flying has been for pleasure and family travel. Prior to that I had a three year contract at a job that was 130 miles from home. I used my airplane to commute back and forth each week. I had a car at both my home airport and my work airport. Fortunately I received a per diem that covered my travel and hotel expenses.
 
ahkahn said:
Not sure about him, but I'm guessing it's the same as me.

I own a business, which owns the plane, and I fly the plane. The business has no business involving aviation, but the plane is a tool to get the pilot (me) from point A to point B.

PS: I'd love to fly a DC-10.... that's badass.
Click to expand...

Ah I'm pickin up what you're puttin down...

Mine is actually the military tanker, lot less seats:D
 
I fly for a living, but I would also like to fly for pleasure more. Thinking of starting a ferry pilot thing for my days off.
 
Most of my hours each year come from spraying crops. I also do a lot of flying as a contract pilot for various business types with their own airplanes, I also teach people how to fly an airplane with the little wheel in the back, and in the off season I ferry a lot of spray planes to new owners. I reckon that puts me in group 2.
 
alfadog said:
If you can charge your flying to a business expense then call it category 3 or 4 depending on frequency (your call).
Click to expand...

I know it's your poll, but I think I am not alone in my category of doing primarily business flying but not in a company plane, where all business flying is covered by the business. I don't see how any of your categories is not in direct (and important) conflict with this.
 
Gucci Pilot said:
So you don't make money as a pilot but fly a company owned airplane? I'm intrigued.
Click to expand...

Not that uncommon. Sequence usually goes like this:

1) Go to local airport as a kid, do what it takes to get a ride, instantly hooked.
2) Dream of becoming an airline pilot, with a flight attendant on each arm, and sign up for flying lessons first opportunity to put together enough money (paper route, bank of Mum, whatever)
3) Moment of epiphany - too many hours as bush pilot and region prop jock before the airlines might call, long haul flight attendants risk being high maintenance and any probability of owning your own airplane means you have to find a job in something that pays a LOT more than most aviation careers (can you spell "Cross Subsidy"?).
4) After securing PPL "temporarily" abandon flying to pay for college or other useful, profitable skill development.
5) Temporary abandonment replaced with semi-permanent abandonment of flying to pay for wedding, mortgage, kids ballet lessons, college fund and building a business.
6) Mix hard work, lots of coffee, sleepless nights and Lady Luck in equal amounts and business turns out to be reasonably successful (against all expectations of your mother-in-law).
7) Discover biz related regional airline flights, rental car windshield time, and small town motels are all equally detestable - have dim memory of learning to fly.

You know the rest of the story...
 
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