what's your status as a pilot?

what's your status as a pilot?

  • Total voters
    121
I'm somewhat curious if anyone here or if you know of anyone who holds a commercial ticket WITHOUT an instrument rating.
 
well if you have the total time and want to do a job like dusting, pulling banners or whatever, it makes pretty good sense to get the restricted commercial.

Matt Michael (wby0nder) has a Commercial - Glider, no Instrument :)
 
Tony's idea makes sense. For a PPL who has plenty of time, do the comm first so you're still working outside more. That's a lot easier from going outside to inside and then back to outside.
 
I dunno. IMO, as a non IR non Comm pilot, my belief is that the IR makes you a much better pilot, and gives you the skills necessary to survive many more situations than the comm.
 
depends on the kind of flying. i doubt that an instrument rating will help you be a better crop duster. another thing is that training for your job is tax deductable. so if you get a commercial you can (i've heard) claim the instrument training money as deductable taxwise, as its work training.
 
I know a girl with a commercial no IR. She did it solely so she could do aerial photo work. If it's crappy she's not flying.

Now David, what happens if I am a CFI with a multi-comm. Which one do I pick? :)

Check boxes, not radio buttons!
 
KennyFlys said:
I'm somewhat curious if anyone here or if you know of anyone who holds a commercial ticket WITHOUT an instrument rating.
Click to expand...

It's pretty common in rotorcraft, since there are a huge number of helicopters which are certified for VFR only. Pt. 135 night flight requires a full six-pack but no IR.
 
tonycondon said:
depends on the kind of flying. i doubt that an instrument rating will help you be a better crop duster. another thing is that training for your job is tax deductable. so if you get a commercial you can (i've heard) claim the instrument training money as deductable taxwise, as its work training.
Click to expand...

Ummm - yes and no.

Training is deductible as a business expense if the education (1) maintains or improves a skillrequiredin the taxpayer's employment or trade or business, or (2) meets the express requirements of the taxpayer's employer, laws or regulations, imposed as a condition to the taxpayer's retention of an established employment relationship, status, or rate of compensation.

The training is nondeductible if the education is personal, even though it may maintain or improve a skill or may meet the express requirements of the taxpayer's employer. This includes education expenses that are (1) required of the taxpayer in order to meet the minimum educational requirements for qualification in the taxpayer's present employment or trade or business, or (2) qualify the taxpayer for a new trade or business.

I can't opine on the rules as to whether an IR would qualify you for a new trade or business. But as an example, a tax accountant could deduct the cost for a Masters in Taxation degree, but could not deduct the cost of a law degree, even though it would maintain or improve the skills in his or her profession, because it would also qualify him or her for a new trade or business.

Clear as mud!
 
EdFred said:
I know a girl with a commercial no IR. She did it solely so she could do aerial photo work. If it's crappy she's not flying.

Now David, what happens if I am a CFI with a multi-comm. Which one do I pick? :)

Check boxes, not radio buttons!
Click to expand...
Sorry Ed.
 
I was gonna suggest redoing the poll with checkboxes as well, then you need no "combo" options.
 
so you get your boss to say that if you dont get your instrument rating he will fire you, affecting your established employment status, then deduct the IR, right?
 
KennyFlys said:
I'm somewhat curious if anyone here or if you know of anyone who holds a commercial ticket WITHOUT an instrument rating.
Click to expand...
I've known two people who got the commercial without IR. One of them, I don't think has ever worked as a pilot. The other owned a skydive op. AFAIK both have since added the IR.
 
Poll seems to assume that ATP's all hold CFI with all ratings, and that ain't so -- I selected ATP but couldn't add my CFI without wiping out ATP. Perhaps splitting the CFI out from pilot certificates would have been more effective.
 
My DE told me he hadn't seen a lot of folks with these ratings <g>

Commercial pilot:
Airplane single & multi engine land; rotorcraft helicopter
Instrument airplane and helicopter

Best,

Dave
 
KennyFlys said:
I'm somewhat curious if anyone here or if you know of anyone who holds a commercial ticket WITHOUT an instrument rating.
Click to expand...

I did for about a year. It was the standard where I started flying to do it that way and I wasn't doing any of it for a career anyway.
 
Commercial pilot here, without the instrument rating. Started as a recreational pilot 8 yrs ago. Kept that for a while, as it fit my plane and flying preferences. Got a new plane, and got my private in it. In the meantime, I had accrued twice the experience requirements for the commercial ticket. So I got my comm this spring. Just the way things worked. I'd love to fly on someone elses dime, but it would be a big paycut to go towards the airlines, especially at age 40. Gonna finish up an IR this winter and CFI-II too. I've had one paying gig so far.
 
I know a guy with a commercial and no IR. He is a partner at a flight school and is the A/P. At the annual airshow he can fly planes for rides.

He thought it was weird too but just hasn't had the time to finish his IR.

Allan
 
eedetail said:
Commercial pilot here, without the instrument rating. Started as a recreational pilot 8 yrs ago. Kept that for a while, as it fit my plane and flying preferences. Got a new plane, and got my private in it. In the meantime, I had accrued twice the experience requirements for the commercial ticket. So I got my comm this spring. Just the way things worked. I'd love to fly on someone elses dime, but it would be a big paycut to go towards the airlines, especially at age 40. Gonna finish up an IR this winter and CFI-II too. I've had one paying gig so far.
Click to expand...

Wow! Recreational! YOU'RE THE ONE!

You do know that there are only 300-something Recreational pilots total? Hardly worth the paper the rules are printed on....maybe there's a page in the FARs for each pilot. ;)
 
KennyFlys said:
I'm somewhat curious if anyone here or if you know of anyone who holds a commercial ticket WITHOUT an instrument rating.
Click to expand...

I do.
Never seen a crop duster with much of a VFR panel, much less an IFR panel. Heck, I get excited when I have more than a working oil pressure and tachometer.
 
Greebo said:
I dunno. IMO, as a non IR non Comm pilot, my belief is that the IR makes you a much better pilot, and gives you the skills necessary to survive many more situations than the comm.
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Hey, a J3 cub and a Stearman made me a better pilot. The NTSB accident reports tell of a many IR rated pilots got real dead thinking their IR gave them the skills to fly in and around thunderstorms.;)
 
mikea said:
Wow! Recreational! YOU'RE THE ONE!

You do know that there are only 300-something Recreational pilots total? Hardly worth the paper the rules are printed on....maybe there's a page in the FARs for each pilot. ;)
Click to expand...

With a rating that rare, I might get one. Can an ATP get a recreational add on? :p
 
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