If this guy is from FTW don't do it!
There is a guy at FTW that has a Baron and he is in the wholesale auto business, flying from FTW to Shreveport, Alexandria LA, Hattiesburg MS, Houston TX, and a couple of small places in this region.
I had a friend who worked for him not too long ago, and this is what I heard.
A/C is not bad but, (TC, G430, Glass HSI, WX99, Autopilot that sucks) owner does not like to fix things correctly, looks for quick fixes on important parts.
Owner only has PPL rating and has been known to hire instructors for this position to train him, then only to get in the back and drink.
He does fly his own aircraft with out the Multi ticket and does fly in IFR conditions. He moves around on instructors just so he gets the jest of flying it, when instructors see that the Hobbs has moved since the last flight they question him about it and then they get fired.
He has only had the aircraft for little over a year.
Here is a situation that happened this last summer, and this is where my friend drew a line and quit.
At that time there were two instructors flying with the owner (not at the same time). PLT 1 (my friend) and PLT 2 who only did it when PLT 1 couldn't (that was NOT very often) were to take the owner and a friend to Wyoming. The owner had an RV with ATV and dirtbike set up that was going to need to be driven from TX to Wyoming. One of the pilots was going to fly the owner up and the other was going to drive the RV.
PLT 2 was not going to be able to leave early to drive the RV (obvious Drive time > flying time) up before the owner flies in. So PLT 1 gets the RV duty and PLT 2 gets to fly the owner. They were supposed to switch on the return leg.
PLT 1 arrives with RV in Wyoming and waits for the owners aircraft to come in. When the plane arrives, only the Owner and friend get out of the aircraft. PLT 1 looks confused at the owner about PLT 2 and the owner replies that at the last minute he couldn't make it. Then the owners non-pilot friend tells PLT 1 that he might need to contact the radio. PLT 1 not knowing what contact the radio truely meant asked the owner what the friend meant, that is when he found out the owner had went above 18,000 ft with out an IFR flight plan (he thought it was 19,000), and the controler wanted him to contact ATC when on the ground.
PLT 1 wanted to know why HE should call ATC and not the owner, and the owner replied that PLT 1 could handle it better than him.
At that point PLT1 did not know if the owner had used his name as PIC during the owners flight. PLT 1 said no to the call himself and the owner got real mad, and said we will handle it later. This eats at PLT 1. They got into the truck and were on the way to the cabin. As they were driving the owner and his friend started to smoke a big fat doobie with the windows rolled up, PLT 1 not wanting to be a part of this one rolls the window down and the owner gets mad.
PLT 1 Pulls off at a gas station and says I quit. Calls a cab and then calls ATC. Found out no name was used during that flight and he was clear.
Cab took him back to the airport and flew back home commercially.
He then filed a NASA report and hasn't looked back since. I am not sure if he called the FAA but I think he did. He hasn't heard anything yet but then again if the FAA wants to do something it won't happen right away.
This owner is nuts and I hope it is not him.
TXPILOT
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