Commercial pilots, can you take this flight:
Yeah, I need to go to Hoquiam (KHQM) tomorrow. Can you take me, wait around for an hour, and then bring me back? You won’t charge me for waiting around, will you? …Right, anyway, we need to go look at an airplane I’m buying. How much will it be and how long will it take? …Oh, and Bremerton (KPWT) is too far. Can you just come pick me up? I have a huge front yard, or could we meet at Tacoma Narrows (KTIW) and start from there so I don’t have to drive?…
This prospective client is a rated pilot (ASEL, Private). I didn’t end up taking the flight, for many reasons (too expensive, looming CFII check ride, bad feeling about what this guy would end up asking for since he kept adding demands as the call progressed…). But say I really, really wanted to go fly that day. Is there a way you could work the conversation to do a legal flight that would get him to HQM to do his thing?
This is a ‘Air Charter’ flight and unless you are a 135 operator, it can’t be legally done. Every pickup I’ve done has “a large yard” etc. – generally, they forget to mention the 10 degree slope, telephone ines / trees all around and there idea of large is 50 x 50′. We require a site inspection by the pilot in pickups (for a fee). Usually when they are hung up on cost, they will cancel anyway – seems to be the norm.