Lead Captain?

[XSWANN@240]

Hello,

For the past year I have been flying Part 91 for a 135/management company in the northeast. Within the company we have the usual management postion of Director of Op's, DOM, Chief Pilot, etc. I strictly fly one airplane and for one owner (a corporation). We have 3 pilots and that is including a "Lead Captain". The Lead captain position just seems redundant. Are Lead Captain position common in this indusrty? If so, what's this job usually entails?

I don't know much about corporate flying. Looking for some insight....

Thank you,

 

[ultrarunner]

Are Lead Captain position common in this indusrty? If so, what's this job usually entails?

I don't know much about corporate flying. Looking for some insight....

Thank you,

WTF is a 'Lead Captain'? Corporate flight departments just love titles. Can't be simple like the airlines...captain, first officer.

I don't even know what a Lead Captain is. Some of these corporate outfits call guys 'Senior Captains'. Which prly means they have been around long enough to retire, but won't. Guys who's butts you're supposed to kiss, heck, the names mean little. But if the guy is pulling his weight in crewing the plane, and you're staffed well, who gives a **CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED**tt what you call him.

 

[tG114]

Lead Captains

Lead Captains are the title given to the senior most captain of the group of people crewing an aircraft.

Many corporate jets have more than two pilots assigned to the aircraft due to the heavy volume of flying time racked up over the year. In one situation, there were five people assigned to the aircraft which bounced all over the world, 15-20 days per month or so. Instead of having one captain and four first officers, the company recognized that some of the "first officers" should receive captain's pay as they flew the aircraft when the senior most captain [the lead] wasn't flying or their seniority/flight time was high enough to permit them to be called captain too.

All the responsibilities of staffing the aircraft are the responsibility of the lead captain who is often the crew's representative to the operator. If it is a 91 account he/she would be the one to liase with the company's representative; if 135 he would report directly to the Chief Pilot/Director of Operations of the air taxi operator.

 

[501261]

I find that companies usually use a Lead/Senior Captain title as a way of paying someone more $$$.

 

[mavrck]

I wish that was true 501, take it from a Senior Captain. Its just a title they give you to make it look like you are important to them while they ask you to bend over even further.