Illegal trip... need advice urgently.

[jebd7]

Hello,

My boss has assigned me a trip to fly a single engine aricraft this weekend, unfortunately I only hold commercial multi, not commercial single. (My boss is aware that I don't have the rating.)

It is pretty much "fly the trip or you're fired", what the heck do I do? If I quit or get fired it will be a very long time before I get a flying job again (only 1300 TT)

 

[Bill Mostellar]

If I quit or get fired it will be a very long time before I get a flying job again (only 1300 TT)

However, you'll likely never fly again if you get caught.

Before you decide whether or not to fly the trip, look for alternatives that remove the problem - swapping the trip with another pilot in your outfit who is SE rated, suggesting another aircraft for the trip, etc. I don't know the specifics of your company, so you'll have to investigate.

Finally, if your boss is willing to ask you to fly an illegal trip, he is probably doing illegal/wrong things in other areas which already put you and your career at risk. If he's looking for a reason to terminate you or make you quit, he'll find it. Do you really want to risk your life/career for him?

I wish you success!

btw - I don't have a single engine ticket either

 

[LR25]

What does the little man inside you say, usually your first instinct is the correct one.

Dont get busted for a jacka$$ that doesnt give a hoot about you.

The only person looking out for you is you, you are your first line of defence.

There will be other jobs.

 

[PRO AV8R]

Here is an idea: Is it possible to do the flight and not recieve compensation, I'm sure you have a private single. I know it is crappy to not get paid for working, but it would be worse to recieve some FAA action against you; and may be better than getting fired. (Or at least you can make it look like you weren't paid for it on PAPER). good luck.

 

[Illini Pilot]

just think, first this...what next?

 

[Huck]

Write up a nice letter to your nearest FSDO, and show it to him. Promise to mail it if he fires you.

This job sometimes requires that level of sand. You can earn your year's pay sometimes by sticking to your principles and accepting the consequences. There's lots of NTSB reports about guys that didn't. Find yourself a copy of the details of the Aaliyah crash, for example.

And if you fly the trip - it would be an airtight enforcement case - not "if," but "how much." No way to claim it was just a mistake.

 

[cjh]

Not being compensated monetarily is not by itself a solution. Also not logging the flight time would help, but bottom line is you're asking for trouble.

In addition to what others have already said, assuming you do the trip, is this guy someone you want holding that kind of information over your head? Probably not.

I've worked hard for my certificates, and I wouldn't let any jerk put them in danger. My personal opinion, I would look for a legal alternative as Bill suggested, and if I found none I'd walk before I'd do the trip. If I found an option that allowed me to fly the tip, I'd still be actively looking for other employment.

Best of luck.

 

[pilotyip]

Moondog

Read the Moondog Acadmey book

 

[105viking]

very simple solution

1. stealthfully break the single engine airplane, so that it can't fly. if you break it good enough, it should buy you enough time to get your SE add on. you really should have that anyway. better than breaking it, just take a few minutes and FIND a reason that it is not airworthy. i am sure that there is one, if you look hard enough. THEN type a similar letter to the one listed in a previous post to show the fsdo if your a-hole boss fires you for not flying an un-airworthy plane.

2. begin looking for another job asap.

how did you get into this mess? how did you get hired to do a commercial job which might include SE flights w/o out the proper certification. didn't your boss look at your credentials? if he does know you are not qualified and is insisting you make the flight, that sucks. i would quit over that, rather than do something that would put your career at risk. does your boss realize that his insurance would laugh all day long when asked to pay a claim on any accident that resulted from your proposed flight? he has liability in this too, and maybe if he understood that he wouldn't be pushing you to break the rules.

 

[CFICANFLY]

Did you think of just doing your single engine add on? I think it was the easiest check ride I had. That way you get to fly the trip, get paid, log it, & you now have an additional rating to boot. Just a thought...

'canfly

 

[cocknbull]

Here is an idea: Is it possible to do the flight and not recieve compensation, I'm sure you have a private single. I know it is crappy to not get paid for working, but it would be worse to recieve some FAA action against you; and may be better than getting fired. (Or at least you can make it look like you weren't paid for it on PAPER). good luck.

He would have to pay half the pro rated share of the flight.

It will be easier to explain getting fired for not flying than explaining why you lost your lincense after being ramped checked. Take advance from other pilots and get sick. Don't do the flight.

 

[cocknbull]

Write up a nice letter to your nearest FSDO, and show it to him. Promise to mail it if he fires you.

Huck has a solid option as well. However I would advise you to document case after case of mistreatment. The FAA is proactive as well as regulatory. If your school is important to the airport or local aviation community, you will be SOL. If you do not have hard facts than you will not be able to prove it. Also if you threaten the boss, he can set you up at a later date.

Many pilots that sit on interview boards have been in your shoes. They will respect you for doing what is right. They may not like the fact that you blew the whistle. They want people that will fit into the structure and not cause problems. Your boss can only answer questions like:

would you rehire this employee?
when was abc employeed?

If he starts trashing you you may be able to get the job and about $250,000.

Good luck
Drink Coors Light

 

[jebd7]

Welp,

I let on that if he forced me, I would quit, an option which my wife supported (pretty cool of her actually, she said "if it is a choice between doing something illegal and Burger King, we'll take the fry station, please")... had entertained the idea of taking the plane, flying it to the nearest FSDO, telling them what happened and the renting a car home.

Anyway, I think I am off the hook for the moment. I have no doubt I will on it again sometime soon.

Thanks everybody for the good advice, I really knew the only right answer, but it makes it easier to deal with to talk to other pilots about it.

 

[cjh]

So are you going to get the add-on?

 

[jebd7]

wish I could afford it. I am barely keeping my head above water right now. I would love to, it would certainly help out my employment prospects....

 

[cjh]

Why not hit your employer up to pay for it? After all, he would benefit as well.

 

[ksu_aviator]

Kansas - world's largest airport

Ha, if that is the case then I70 between KC and Goodland must be the world's longest runway at 2,106,000 ft.

 

[atpcliff]

Hi!

I was in the same situation. A local jump school wanted me to fly for them, and I told them I wouldn't until I got my add-on to me Comm or ATP (one was Helo, the other AMEL). They said a lot of guys did it-but I thought about what I would say during an interview.

While I was working on it, I got called by an airline for class, so I stopped training for it and still haven't got it. I think I'll do the add-on to my ATP, at some point, as that'll be easier than the add-on to my commercial.

Cliff
GRB