Hop A Jet

[NJAowner]

What does anyone know about an outfit called Hop A Jet from Ft. Lauderdale. NetJets has me on a sell off to this vendor in the next few days. I need to know whether to decline and insist on a NJA plane even though I will need to change my times.

Thanks very much. Please feel free to PM if you do not want to post in public.

Fly safe.

 

[Ace-of-the-Base]

What does anyone know about an outfit called Hop A Jet from Ft. Lauderdale. NetJets has me on a sell off to this vendor in the next few days. I need to know whether to decline and insist on a NJA plane even though I will need to change my times.

Thanks very much. Please feel free to PM if you do not want to post in public.

Fly safe.

I think they're part of the same company that had the fatal crash recently in Colorado. I remember reading that Jet Alliance out of TEB and hop-a-jet are afiliated. Otherwise I know nothing about them.

Ace

 

[CUEBOAT]

I know they lost a lear 55 last august at FXE, rolled off the end after touching down 1/2 way down on a 3000 ft runway during a TS, pilot accepted the visual when it was 3miles vis at best. Aside from the poor choice of the capt to use the little runway, he had no one to talk it over with since he was the only pilot onboard. There was a mechanic for moral support i suppose.

 

[Dizel8]

"he had no one to talk it over with since he was the only pilot onboard.'

Single pilot in a Lear, no kidding??

 

[notenuftime]

I used to work out of FXE, and as far as I know Hop-a-Jet is supposed to be a good operation. As far as the 55 going of the runway, the "mechanic" was a newly rated comm,multi pilot who was going to be brought on as an F/O, he was making his first 55 landing on a wet 4000 foot strip, because the 6001' runway was closed for repaving, The Capt should have known better, but as far as I know neither of them will be flying for a while.

 

[LJDRVR]

Hop-a-Jet has a good reputation, if their facilities are any indication of their safety culture, you're in good hands.

As with any 135 operator, you should ask some questions when you meet the crew.

When is the last time you had simulator training?
(Within twelve months is the only acceptable answer.)

May I see your FlightSafety pro card or Simuflite 61.58 card?
(If either is unable to produce the card, don't get on the airplane.) Pan Am/Simcom training doesn't count.

Ask to see the aircraft discrepancy logbook. Are there any deferred items? Are there more than one? (Convenience items don't count, such as ashtrays or stereos.) Do you see multiple maintenance entries that read: "Could not duplicate" or "Ops checks OK"?

Does your company provide initial and recurrent CRM training? How long is the class? (Initial should be at least one day) Who provided the training?

Who is your operation's Director of Safety/Safety Officer? What mechanism is there available to report hazards to that person? (The phone doesn't count)

If you don't get a warm fuzzy from the crew based on the above questions, walk away. One last thing, Is the jet dirty on either the outside or the inside? If it's filthy, walk away.

Without an expert to help you navigate the nuances of what's appropriate, the questions above should help seperate the bottom-feeders from a reasonable operation.

It mostly comes down to karma. You don't have to be an aviator or a safety expert to know when something just doesn't look right.

P.S.- Wyvern approval means nothing.

Feel free to drop me a PM if you have any questions

 

[English]

May I see you FlightSafety pro card or Simuflite 61.58 card?
(If either is unable to produce the card, don't get on the airplane.)

Wait a minute...I don't agree with this statement here at all.

I don't carry my FlightSafety card. I'd feel like a dweeb if I did. But I have simulator training every six months. Using your criteria, my passengers should do an about-face before getting on my aircraft because I don't carry a piece of paper in my wallet.

 

[LJDRVR]

Sorry English, I'll clarify:

There are way too many bottom-feeders whose website and sales staff tout "simulator-trained pilots". Often these organazations instead, provide in-house training, replete with pencil-whipped classes, and a short hop in the airplane with a profit-minded check airman as a substitute for spending money to do it the right way. (Simuflite or FSI)

The only thing a customer has to go on other than your word, is that little card. Not all of our peers are as honest as you. Perhaps I should amend my advice to say that when scheduling the trip, the lead passenger should request that the crew arrive with their cards.

PS- I'm a dweeb, I carried a Simuflite card next to my certificate for years.

 

[chperplt]

Using your criteria, my passengers should do an about-face before getting on my aircraft because I don't carry a piece of paper in my wallet.

What do you mean you don't carry your card????

 

[transpac]

May I see you FlightSafety pro card or Simuflite 61.58 card?
(If either is unable to produce the card, don't get on the airplane.) Pan Am/Simcom training doesn't count.

My observations:
1. Flighty Safety's pro card program is rather hit or miss. I've been going there for recurrent for years. But, I seldom actually receive a card unless I complain to their coordinator. Several others have voiced the same complaint.

2. My experience with Simcom/PanAm training has been very positive. I thought their Lear initial course was superior to any of the four initial type rating courses I've been through at Flight Safety.

 

[HMR]

Good post LJDRVR. Very similar to the speech I gave my GF when her job required her to fly charter.

P.S.- Wyvern approval means nothing.

I worked for a bottom-rung PT135 operator. Our CP would either pencil whip flight times on the Wyvern form or, worse yet, send one of our "qualified crews". Like most bottom of the barrel co.'s, the high time guys were some of THE WORST pilots you could imagine (that's why they were still at an entry level job). They need to come up with a better system.

 

[Ill Mitch]

May I see your FlightSafety pro card or Simuflite 61.58 card?
(If either is unable to produce the card, don't get on the airplane.) Pan Am/Simcom training doesn't count.

What's wrong with Pan AM?

 

[NJAowner]

Thanks

Thanks to all of you -- public and PM.

Fly safe.

 

[Jump Pilot]

P.S.- Wyvern approval means nothing.

Unless you are trying to get a job. Thats when Wyvern supercedes two personal recommendations and flying with two company pilots.

 

[Coolhans]

Quote: Ask to see the discrepancy logbook?!

WTF? I'll do that next time I fly on a 121 carrier as a pax. I wonder how far I'll get?!

And don't tell me that all 121 operators are top notch.

 

[LJDRVR]

Quote: Ask to see the discrepancy logbook?!

WTF? I'll do that next time I fly on a 121 carrier as a pax. I wonder how far I'll get?!

And don't tell me that all 121 operators are top notch.

As a paying customer on a $2000 an hour 135 charter, you better believe you'll be provided the logbooks if asked. Totally different dynamic than the herd that rides on the scheduled carriers.

I never said 121 operators were better.

 

[Groundpounder]

I'm at the same airport as Hop a Jet, and they are pretty good, from what I've seen. They do alot of flying for NetJets, and they have been around for a long time. The Lear 55 overrun is the only accident I know of, and that makes them even with Southwest, right?

 

[CUEBOAT]

and that makes them even with Southwest, right?

I guess you can say they are even with southwest, but with about 3 million fewer flight hours.

 

[LearAv8r]

The Lear 55 overrun is the only accident I know of, and that makes them even with Southwest, right?

Hop-A-Jet is owned by AirCastle and if memory serves me right they were involved with the Challenger crash recently in Colorado. Not to mention the Challenger that tried to turn off the runway early in FXE a few years back too, colapsed the nose gear. So they may be up a couple.

 

[hawkerflyer]

Hop-a jet is owned by Air Castle ? Unless there was some recent deal that I missed, that one is news to me. The Challenger that overran in TEB was in fact owned by and registered to HAJ, but they did not operate it.

 

[Ace-of-the-Base]

Hop-a jet is owned by Air Castle ? Unless there was some recent deal that I missed, that one is news to me. The Challenger that overran in TEB was in fact owned by and registered to HAJ, but they did not operate it.

I think you mean the Montrose accident (hard to keep track). Relationship is murky, but I've heard they are owned by the same company. Here is an exerpt from one report:

Ownership of the jet that carried Ebersol is further muddied, registration records at the Federal Aviation Administration show. The jet is technically owned by Hop-A-Jet, a Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.-based company. Mike Harvey, a Hop-A-Jet official, acknowledged that his company owned the aircraft but said it was leased to Jet Alliance.

 

[hawkerflyer]

Yes, It was the MTJ mishap aircraft that I was referring to.