PSA: Blackbird: Don't

[Autothrust Blue]

https://www.reddit.com/r/flying/comments/diz7ah
I suppose the Feds are getting up off their duffs and intend to start enforcing Part 135 against the Blackbird people. The ASI specifically warns against not being PIC of an illicit charter operation, which I guess is the avenue for enforcement.

 

[z987k]

The ASI specifically warns against not being PIC of an illicit charter operation, which I guess is the avenue for enforcement.

Which is horse crap. The FAA needs to go after companies harder than they do pilots.
For the most part pilots don't get up in the morning and think, I'm going to see how many regs I can break today. Maybe I can screw my ability to provide for my family for the next 10 years! Aircraft(airline/charter/whatever) management does, because there are no consequences for them.

Not related to part 91, but the FAA needs to start handing out suspensions to 135/121 certificate holders. 30(60 90, year, emergency revocation) days, no operations(no money) Not PICs. A company will get all the pilots in line really damn quick if their ability to do business is on the line.

 

[Crop Duster]

Anybody fly into Nassau regularly? Anybody ever met the dude who flies the N-regged light twins that fly between Nassau and S. FLA almost every day? Anyone talked to that dude? Anyone heard his story about how he is flying "friends" (3-6 of them) between Nassau and S. FLA almost every day? Anyone seen the "tips" those "friends" give the pilot every time he lands at Nassau?? ...

... I have.

 

[tiredcfi]

Which is horse crap. The FAA needs to go after companies harder than they do pilots.
For the most part pilots don't get up in the morning and think, I'm going to see how many regs I can break today. Maybe I can screw my ability to provide for my family for the next 10 years! Aircraft(airline/charter/whatever) management does, because there are no consequences for them.

Not related to part 91, but the FAA needs to start handing out suspensions to 135/121 certificate holders. 30(60 90, year, emergency revocation) days, no operations(no money) Not PICs. A company will get all the pilots in line really damn quick if their ability to do business is on the line.

Only if they can compel the certificate holder to pay their employees during the suspension period...

 

[z987k]

Only if they can compel the certificate holder to pay their employees during the suspension period...

I mean, my intention here is pretty much the opposite of that. A 90 day certificate suspension would bankrupt the vast majority of airlines.
And that's the goal. Break regs(at the direction of the certificate holder), or have your corporate culture such that the company's actions directly lead to deaths, don't exist.

It would entirely remove from existence probably 75% of all 135 outfits and certainly a number of 121. A couple Miami based ones come to mind. Hell, my airline comes to mind. If I lost my job tomorrow morning because the FAA shut us down, well. I'd honestly be pretty happy about it that the FAA grew a set and have no problem being collateral damage in that action.

 

[Autothrust Blue]

Which is horse crap. The FAA needs to go after companies harder than they do pilots.
For the most part pilots don't get up in the morning and think, I'm going to see how many regs I can break today. Maybe I can screw my ability to provide for my family for the next 10 years! Aircraft(airline/charter/whatever) management does, because there are no consequences for them.

Not related to part 91, but the FAA needs to start handing out suspensions to 135/121 certificate holders. 30(60 90, year, emergency revocation) days, no operations(no money) Not PICs. A company will get all the pilots in line really damn quick if their ability to do business is on the line.

I don’t disagree, for the same reasons that the IRS shouldn’t audit poor people. Now go call Steve and see if you can sort him out.

This is more of a “don’t work there” warning. And someone with a commercial is (or was - back in my day) required to know the difference between airman and air carrier certificate requirements, so...

 

[Oxman]

Which is horse crap. The FAA needs to go after companies harder than they do pilots.
For the most part pilots don't get up in the morning and think, I'm going to see how many regs I can break today. Maybe I can screw my ability to provide for my family for the next 10 years! Aircraft(airline/charter/whatever) management does, because there are no consequences for them.

Not related to part 91, but the FAA needs to start handing out suspensions to 135/121 certificate holders. 30(60 90, year, emergency revocation) days, no operations(no money) Not PICs. A company will get all the pilots in line really damn quick if their ability to do business is on the line.

They go after the easy target.

 

[Inverted]

It is a dangerous deal. I know about Blackbird, and from a pilot perspective, and even an aircraft owner perspective, the water is muddied at best. That is a world operated entirely by shades of grey.

 

[knot4u]

How dare they sully the nickname of the baddest ass airplane/program ever.

 

[CFI A&P]

Anybody fly into Nassau regularly? Anybody ever met the dude who flies the N-regged light twins that fly between Nassau and S. FLA almost every day? Anyone talked to that dude? Anyone heard his story about how he is flying "friends" (3-6 of them) between Nassau and S. FLA almost every day? Anyone seen the "tips" those "friends" give the pilot every time he lands at Nassau?? ...

... I have.

That guy is just one of a hundred pilots that do it. Unfortunately the FSDO isn’t looking too hard in to that

 

[Crop Duster]

FAA Says Blackbird Should Be Operating Under Part 135

The FAA last week released its official interpretation of the operating practices of Blackbird Air claiming the company is violating agency regulations by operating under Part 91 rather than Part 135.

www.flyingmag.com

 

[mightynimbus]

FAA Says Blackbird Should Be Operating Under Part 135

The FAA last week released its official interpretation of the operating practices of Blackbird Air claiming the company is violating agency regulations by operating under Part 91 rather than Part 135.

www.flyingmag.com

Operating under Part 134 1/2 sounds more accurate

 

[deadstick]

I’m curious...does anybody here use Uber or Lyft?

A year or so ago, i got an ear-full from a Chicago cabbie about these ops. The taxi companies have all these rules and regs they have to follow, such as there are certain places taxis can’t park/pickup/loiter, but the rude-share drivers have no such restriction.

 

[Crop Duster]

IFAIK, Uber is an ongoing criminal enterprise and has been, more or less, since its first operations in 2011.

Neither UBER nor LYFT will work on my phone given my phone's security apparatus; That should tell you something right there.

Nobody should have to learn anything from an affected first party Cabby. All the info necessary to make an informed choice regarding UBER has been readily available through disinterested third parties for almost a decade (although the rape stats have only much more recently become available). Sadly, most consumer "choices" are made based solely upon immediate transaction price, not inclusive cost.

 

[killbilly]

(although the rape stats have only much more recently become available). Sadly, most consumer "choices" are made based solely upon immediate transaction price, convenience based on immediate need, not inclusive cost.

FIFY

 

[Crop Duster]

FIFY

Nah, that's justifying the broken.

It's way more convenient to buy illegal drugs than to buy legal ones. It's real convenient to use plastic water bottles, and disposable everything... etc., etc., etc.

 

[killbilly]

Nah, that's justifying the broken.

It's way more convenient to buy illegal drugs than to buy legal ones. It's real convenient to use plastic water bottles, and disposable everything... etc., etc., etc.

Oh. Not saying it’s not broken, just saying the rationale is what it is.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Derg]

Operating under Part 134 1/2 sounds more accurate

That’s what we called that back in the day when I was a CFI.

Regularly the San Jose FSDO would call the flight school and pose as a potential customer with the “Hey, can I fly to Bakersfield? No? How about if we just call it cross country...”

”Hi Randy, say hi to everyone else at the FSDO for us, we’re busy, bye”

 

[z987k]

That’s what we called that back in the day when I was a CFI.

Regularly the San Jose FSDO would call the flight school and pose as a potential customer with the “Hey, can I fly to Bakersfield? No? How about if we just call it cross country...”

”Hi Randy, say hi to everyone else at the FSDO for us, we’re busy, bye”

Flight schools pretty much don't do this.
Individuals do quite a bit.

 

[Crop Duster]

That’s what we called that back in the day when I was a CFI.

Regularly the San Jose FSDO would call the flight school and pose as a potential customer with the “Hey, can I fly to Bakersfield? No? How about if we just call it cross country...”

”Hi Randy, say hi to everyone else at the FSDO for us, we’re busy, bye”

It's called Bay Tour, dammit! "Hey, kids! There's the Golden Gate, and on your left is beautiful Shafter field."