91/135 Chief Pilot Job

[cart]

Would appreciate your thoughts/comments, please. I'm making the transition from 121 to 91/135. They're looking for a chief pilot. Management company has been in the business for over 10yrs and planes/pilots come and go. At the moment they have no planes and their chief pilot is leaving. This is a foot in the door for me. What am I getting into?! Is liability an issue (legal or license)? Salary? General scope of responsibilities? Thanks for your thoughts and advice.

Cart

 

[English]

Seems to me you have a big red flag waving in your face...they have NO airplanes?

 

[Otter]

Cart,

I have to agree with the previous reply....no planes!!! A 135 can only exist as long as it has planes, without exculsive use of one, and with inactivity the FAA will require an operator to surrender their certificate. HUGE red flag!!

Additionally, the DO and CP for a 135 operation DO have legal liability for the operation. The differences between 135 and 121 can be very drastic in how the FAA views accountability.

121, 135 and coprorate 91 are all aviation, but they are three very different worlds. Just because we might have experience in one does not make us qualified for every aspect of another facet.

This is not meant as flame bait.....merely an opinion.

 

[cart]

Master,
Thanks for your very cogent comments.
They lost their Hawker when the CP "stole" it and got the contract to manage it himself. They are getting another airplane soon so losing their certificate is not an immediate problem.

 

[Wiggums]

Are you going to be the CP on the certificate? Do you meet the requirements to be a CP under 135?

 

[Gulfstream 200]

WHOA!!

If they have no planes, what are you the chief pilot of????

run, run like mad...

 

[aroundtheblock]

Just make sure your flight time under 121 was as PIC. I was at the airlines for 8 years, most all of that was as SIC. When I came to 135 after I was furloughed, a chief pilot position opened up. I found out I didn't meet the minimums. Funny, over 10,000 hours, flying the Dash 8 and 737 for over 8 years, and they said a 23 year old 1500 baron night freight guy was more qualified. Oh well, I was just lucky to get out of 135. Good luck with it though.

 

[wingnutt]

I was at the airlines for 8 years...I found out I didn't meet the minimums.

if i recall correctly, theres no flight time requirement in hours flown, simply 3 years of PIC time within specified ops

 

[cart]

Thanks to all of you for sharing your thoughts.

I was lucky enough to get enough 121 PIC (USAir MetroJet) to qualify for a deviation (given 20yrs USN aviation management) I know it's been rough on lots of us---Iwent to Midway and they were gone within 5 mos! But let's all keep our chins' up---it's going to get better!
Happy Holidays, Alll...

 

[aroundtheblock]

Yes I did have 8 years at the airlines. 7 years 9 months SIC and 3 months PIC. Not alot of movement @ US Airways.