Don't put your aircraft on Charter!

[ElCid88]

I went through this with my last company. Several 135/management companies swore that we would make a profit. I did the numbers and they just didn't add up so I asked the 135 company to guarantee us "X" amount of profit per month. Of course they wouldn't. So my company could see right there that the 135 company was full of it. What I have found over the years is that when your company starts asking about ways to off-set their costs on the airplane they probably can't afford it, and they either sell the aircraft outright or move down to something less costly. I am not saying this is your situation, but this is how it has always panned out for me. Hopefully you will find a plan that will work.

 

[Lownslo]

You better be aware of the upcoming changes in operational control that will severely handcuff your owner( op specs A008). It appears that all flights done with an aircraft that is on a 135 cert will have to be conducted under 135 regs.

Charge the owner a buck or two. Good to go.

 

[willNOTfly4free]

The pax you will carry will trash the interior, the airplane will not be available when the owner wants

I partly agree with this statement. The aircraft owner has to release his/her aircraft to be used for a chartered flight. This is done for every charter trip. It's not like the aircraft will be flying charters 24/7 without the owner's approval and/or knowledge.

As far as trashing the interior, I don't know about that. My company has several a/c on a charter certificate and a few that are not. You cannot tell by looking in the cabins which ones fly charters and which ones don't. And we even have an old MU300 with its original shag carpeted headliner.

 

[mike1mc]

There are some good points here and also some misleading ones. I agree there are some REALLY bad 135 operators out there, but there are also some decent ones that care about their owners. I don't understand why maintenance should be an issue. If the owner wants good maintenance then he should be ready to pay for it, end of story. Find a reputable management company to take care of the plane.

I will agree that putting a plane on certificate has its bad points as previously mentioned:

1) Additional hours on the airframe (could be bad when plane is sold)
2) Interior will be worn quicker
3) Scheduling conflicts (unless he has a schedule in advance).

As far as 135 Ops Specs A008, not all flights need to operate under 135, its just to make sure that the operator is in full control and not letting another company or individual call the shots. I think its about time the FAA made a stand on this issue. I would become familair with these changes as it may be a deal-breaker because of the things that will not be allowed (i.e. both pilots paid by the owner).

 

[WMUSIGPI]

How bout because the pilots don't want to give up the nice cushy corporate schedule for being on call all the time for a charter outfit, Being pressured to go rather than trusted with the decision not to, all for the same or probably even less than they were making.

 

[icefr8dawg]

Did you ever think about doing the certificate for the owner. Around here managment companies get $5,000 a month for an 800XP. If you managed the gig you could turn away all the annoying road shows and Peoria overnights for the good work. Also, all you need are the beginings of a certificate to not pay sales/use tax on the plane.

 

[mike1mc]

Did you ever think about doing the certificate for the owner. Around here managment companies get $5,000 a month for an 800XP. If you managed the gig you could turn away all the annoying road shows and Peoria overnights for the good work. Also, all you need are the beginings of a certificate to not pay sales/use tax on the plane.

This arrangement could work out very well. You (or the owner) choose the trips and the operator or management company oversees the operation. Be careful about the sales tax issue. Most states require that you just be on a 135 cert, but some require 50% charter.

 

[Freight Dog]

Did you ever think about doing the certificate for the owner. Around here managment companies get $5,000 a month for an 800XP. If you managed the gig you could turn away all the annoying road shows and Peoria overnights for the good work. Also, all you need are the beginings of a certificate to not pay sales/use tax on the plane.

Actually, you can get away without paying the sales tax if more than 50% of your trips are out-of-state. Just be very meticulous and account for every hour when you submit your tax exemption paperwork.

 

[Publishers]

Depending on where you are, getting your own certificate can take a year or more. The world of 135 for jets especially has really changed over the last three years.