superjet said:
I read a while back (somewhere) that CFI's could be air taxi operators or there was something in the works for a new reg in regards to this. Anybody know anything about this or ever heard of such an idea. Let me know I couldn't believe it.
Remember the rule: if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
In this case there *is* a basis to the rumors you've heard. but it's still in the too good to be true category.
The basis is this: About 3 years ago, Some guy named "B.W. Creighton" "issued" an "NPRM" ( Silly me, I thought it was the FAA who issued NPRMs) that proposed the regulations be amended so that anyone who held an instructor certificate would be allowed to provide day VFR charter service within 300 nm without a 135 certificate. This "NPRM" got a little bit of bandwidth on Landings.com and Avweb.com.
http://www.avweb.com/news/atis/181612-1.html
Nobody took it terribly seriously, particularly the FAA.
Interesting facts about B W Creighton (read Avweb link):
A search of the Butte College website makes no mention of Creighton.
A google search for his book "IFR made easy" returns no hits.
A search of the FAA pilot database for "Darryll Benson" (pilot since 1965) who wrote the "pro" opinion on Avweb returns no certificates issued to Darryll Benson.
A google search for Darryl Benson returns no hits for the aviation articles he "occasionally writes"
When this "NPRM" was discussed on another aviation forum, two posters, named "Benson" and "Wolfe" (hmmm where have we seen the initials B.W. recently????, where have we seen the name "Benson" before?????) posted insulting ad-hominem attacks on one poster (who happened to be the author of the "con" view psted in Avweb), Both "Benson" and "Wolfe" were posting from the exact same ISP address.
Somone more cynical than me might conclude that Creighton is a rather unstable delusional individual, possibly afflicted with multiple personality disorder, who is in the habit of making up ficticious persons to support his views.
I, of course, believe that this is all just a series of unusual and unrelated coincidences.
Yes, I have too much time on my hands