Bell 407 Ferry Flight / Turbine Time Building

[HAHCM]

Will be positioning a Bell 407 from Tennessee to Idaho in late June. Terrific opportunity to build valuable turbine/cross country/mountain time inexpensively!

Approximately 10 - 15 hours of flight time. Cost is $400 per hour.

Aircraft will be returning late September for second opportunity.

For more information call (804) 226-3400.

[pilot#476398]

These "opportunities" keep coming up, and I can't help but ask, does anyone ever pay a pilot to ferry an aircraft?

[helonorth]

These "opportunities" keep coming up, and I can't help but ask, does anyone ever pay a pilot to ferry an aircraft?

The pilot that is given the ferry flight will be paid. I know some guys that ferry and then try to sell the other seat so they can get paid twice. Nice guys, I know. As for this ferry, there are probably much better ways to spend your $4-6000. It would be fun, but it won't do anything for your resume to have a few hours of 407 time on it. Paying for turbine time is a total waste of money, IMO. If you have an extra $5,000, I would find a pilot friend and split it on some cross country night time in the recip, going where you want to go, when you want to go. You would get a lot more for your money. Either that or save it for food (or beer) money for when you are instructing. You will need it.

Edited June 6, 2012 by helonorth

[aeroscout]

A lot of times the ferry fee being collected is never seen by the pilot. In all honesty, if the guy made the ferry fee quite a bit less, he would probably have pages full of takers.

[pilot#476398]

A lot of times the ferry fee being collected is never seen by the pilot. In all honesty, if the guy made the ferry fee quite a bit less, he would probably have pages full of takers.

 

The pilot may not see any of the "ferry fee", but is he still being paid by his employer to do the flight?,...and just who is paying that ferry fee? Another question is, why is the aircraft being ferried?

 

Yet another question would be, why are my posts still requiring moderator approval?

[Flying Pig]

I have absolutely nothing against companies making money or looking to recoup costs. But lets face it, the only people who pay for this stuff are kids who dont know any better and think 15hrs of 407 time in their books will make a difference. Like any employer cant look at that and decipher that you were along for the ride. Take that $6000 and build yourself 50+hrs of IFR/ XCtry/hood time logging approaches in 22 or 300, get your fixed wing add-on, etc etc. Unless you just want to ride in a 407 and hold the cyclic.

 

I have to imagine your responsible for your own food, lodging and return travel as well. I agree, paying for a turbine time us a waste of money.

Edited June 8, 2012 by Flying Pig

[BH206L3]

Better yet, go buy a rifle and go elk hunting come fall.

[Spike]

So…. The boss says to pick-up the Astar in Saddlesore Texas and fly it to Leftcoasterville California for a seismic job. In my mind, this should take a couple days so I’d prefer to bring someone along for the ride to keep me company… My choices are:

 

Bring a family member. It’s not often when I get to bring family along for a ride so this would be a perfect opportunity to do that…

 

Bring a friend. This would be the same as a family member but without the blood relation. However, after the flight, and that point forward, this friend would consider me as a family member…..

 

Bring a pilot. This could be a family member or a friend, either way; we’d share the flying and have some fun and share memories that will last a lifetime…

 

This is where the decision making can go a little haywire… My additional choices are:

 

Bring a stranger. Even though I teach my kids about “stranger danger”, I could ignore it just for this one trip. Besides, the dude I pick up in the Home Depot parking lot may speak enough English where he could teach me some Spanish which, by the way, is helpful in that part of the country….

 

Bring a stranger who is a pilot. Most pilots are responsible. Most pilots, that is… Therefore, it would be safe enough to consider a helicopter pilot who I’ve never met before as long as he or she doesn’t have personal hygiene issues… A helo certificate and the ability to fog a mirror will do…..

 

Bring a stranger who is a pilot and charge a fee for the flight. THAT’S IT! Out of all my choices this makes the most since…. Why? My family members hate me and I have no friends let alone family or friends who are pilots and, the last time I interacted with the dudes at Home Depot we ended up in a fist fight and, I never trust pilots I don’t know and if I’m going to have to trust a pilot I don’t know, he’s going to pay me for that trust.... And, I need a lot of trust to let a stranger go along with me… A lot…..

[eagle5]

If my boss wanted me to ferry an aircraft somewhere, and for some reason I didn't want to go alone (personnally I like the alone time) I would offer to take along one of my unemployed low-time buddies to share the flying,...free of charge!

 

...but that's just me.

Edited June 9, 2012 by eagle5

[jim_222]

If my boss wanted me to ferry an aircraft somewhere, and for some reason I didn't want to go alone (personnally I like the alone time) I would offer to take along one of my unemployed low-time buddies to share the flying,...free of charge!

 

...but that's just me.

 

I like your mentality,... buddy!

[SBuzzkill]

$400.00 an hour?! Might as well just put "you pay for fuel."

[Pohi]

On one of these ferry flights, if a person wanted to make a diversion from the little pink direct line, can they? For example, if they had friends or family that was a few hours out of the way and they wanted to give them a ride, is that typically a possibility? Or is it punch in direct on the gps and that's it?

[Mikemv]

To All,

 

For 25 years on my relocation flights for my employer/private individual bearing the expense of moving a turbine helicopter across the US, here is what I offered.

 

First I realized that the flight times from South Florida to California, Idaho or British Columbia and back were too valuable to waste by not having an up and coming CFI/CFII fly the routes.

 

I confirmed who would be flying with me, gave them airframe information for flight planning and all the sectionals and FDs with a suggested route, over night locations, etc. They were told to act as PIC and move the aircraft to the desired location and arrived on the requested date.

 

Did I charge for the flights in B206, B206L, B407 or EC120? Yes!

 

The helicopter flight time was FREE. I picked up meals and hotel costs enroute over the three or four days. What I charged for was my Instructor time($25-$100). Those of you that flew with me know that I only flew when you requested a short break. You got to fly 2,000 to 3,500 mile cross country and received a make/model and a RR 250 series or Turbomeca-Arrius transition. Most of you left with a Factory Pilot Transition notebook and a Turbine Transition Course book.

 

We did not vary from my schedule/route to visit your friends or relatives. You got to start the helicopter, run it up, depart and basically fly as PIC relocating a helo as a mission.

 

During the summer after the helo was out West but needed a shorter reposition, I would find local CFIs that got to do 4 to 6 hours free.

 

I felt I should be paid for my Instruction but that I could help develop pilots without gouging them for flight time and just holding onto a stick!

 

To the original post, $400 is ridiculous and much good advice has been given to not waste this money for "Turbine Time".

 

Of the 55 pilots that flew with me, so many have benefitted from an opportunity, advanced in many career positions and a few have even already retired.

 

If I can offer any advice about "Turbine Transitions", it would be to possibly attend a ground school but not pay for costly flight time. Yes, I do offer these ground schools occasionally and I do get paid for them.

 

Best Wishes,

 

Mike

Edited June 13, 2012 by Mikemv