Career flying Cirrus charter?

[homerwalter1]

Didn't have the ops spec for auto pilot in lieu of SIC?

Note item f:

§135.163 Equipment requirements: Aircraft carrying passengers under IFR.
No person may operate an aircraft under IFR, carrying passengers, unless it has—

(a) A vertical speed indicator;

(b) A free-air temperature indicator;

(c) A heated pitot tube for each airspeed indicator;

(d) A power failure warning device or vacuum indicator to show the power available for gyroscopic instruments from each power source;

(e) An alternate source of static pressure for the altimeter and the airspeed and vertical speed indicators;

(f) For a single-engine aircraft:

(1) Two independent electrical power generating sources each of which is able to supply all probable combinations of continuous inflight electrical loads for required instruments and equipment; or

(2) In addition to the primary electrical power generating source, a standby battery or an alternate source of electric power that is capable of supplying 150% of the electrical loads of all required instruments and equipment necessary for safe emergency operation of the aircraft for at least one hour;

 

[Starship]

Note item f:

§135.163 Equipment requirements: Aircraft carrying passengers under IFR.
No person may operate an aircraft under IFR, carrying passengers, unless it has—

(a) A vertical speed indicator;

(b) A free-air temperature indicator;

(c) A heated pitot tube for each airspeed indicator;

(d) A power failure warning device or vacuum indicator to show the power available for gyroscopic instruments from each power source;

(e) An alternate source of static pressure for the altimeter and the airspeed and vertical speed indicators;

(f) For a single-engine aircraft:

(1) Two independent electrical power generating sources each of which is able to supply all probable combinations of continuous inflight electrical loads for required instruments and equipment; or

(2) In addition to the primary electrical power generating source, a standby battery or an alternate source of electric power that is capable of supplying 150% of the electrical loads of all required instruments and equipment necessary for safe emergency operation of the aircraft for at least one hour;

Item f is referencing subsections 1 and 2. It's been authorized to fly single engine aircraft under IFR for passenger ops for quite awhile now..with just one pilot. Surfair, AirChoice One, OpenAir, Imagine Air all operate single engine aircraft under Pt. 135 carrying passengers with OpenAir and Imagine Air single pilot in the Cirrus. Not to mention all the sole-proprietor type ops up in AK doing the single pilot thing in Cessna's and Beavers.

 

[homerwalter1]

I wasn't the one who said anything about single pilot ops. The man wanted to talk about a life of Part 135 single engine charter. All I was trying to tell him is there are challenges because of limitations that are imposed. The useful load typically will be pushed. It is all charter, nothing new to the Cirrus. Weather will be an issue. Just as it is to most single engine charter. Caravans, PC 12s and TBMs and probably some Malibus execpted.
Would you recommend a life of single engine charter?
If you want to stay low and kinds slow at least do it in a single turbine or piston twin or better.

 

[mikecweb]

I wasn't the one who said anything about single pilot ops. The man wanted to talk about a life of Part 135 single engine charter. All I was trying to tell him is there are challenges because of limitations that are imposed. The useful load typically will be pushed. It is all charter, nothing new to the Cirrus. Weather will be an issue. Just as it is to most single engine charter. Caravans, PC 12s and TBMs and probably some Malibus execpted.
Would you recommend a life of single engine charter?
If you want to stay low and kinds slow at least do it in a single turbine or piston twin or better.

No, you said:

I operated my own Part 135 operation. Flying in singles is flying low, hence turbulence, can't fly IFR in a single with pax, small airplane, typically a small paycheck. And unscheduled charter is unscheduled. When I flew freight it was for UPS 6 days a week. Not great pay but I knew what I was doing 6 days a week.

Which has been stated above to be factually inaccurate.

 

[homerwalter1]

In most light singles. Does the Cirrus meet the reg?
I was doing my own 135 in an old Bonanza. I couldn't do any pax instrument with it. There are tons of VFR only single 135. I was tossing the Cirrus in that group. If its equipped and maintained to fly pax IFR the more power to you.

 

[Apophis]

I operated my own Part 135 operation. Flying in singles is flying low, hence turbulence, can't fly IFR in a single with pax, small airplane, typically a small paycheck. And unscheduled charter is unscheduled. When I flew freight it was for UPS 6 days a week. Not great pay but I knew what I was doing 6 days a week.

Really? You can't fly IFR in a single with pax? You better go call the FSDO, because we do this every single day. Maybe you didn't have the autopilot in lieu of SIC approved in your OpSpecs, but to say that a single engine aircraft can't fly IFR with passengers under part 135 is completely wrong.

Secondly, I work for the largest 135 operator of Cirrus Aircraft in the U.S., I have a 4/3 schedule, I rarely overnight, and I've only actually ended up flying on two of my four "on-call" days the past month.

Your experience isn't indicative of every Cirrus operator out there.

 

[Apophis]

In most light singles. Does the Cirrus meet the reg?
I was doing my own 135 in an old Bonanza. I couldn't do any pax instrument with it. There are tons of VFR only single 135. I was tossing the Cirrus in that group. If its equipped and maintained to fly pax IFR the more power to you.

§135.163 Equipment requirements: Aircraft carrying passengers under IFR.
No person may operate an aircraft under IFR, carrying passengers, unless it has—

(a) A vertical speed indicator;

(b) A free-air temperature indicator;

(c) A heated pitot tube for each airspeed indicator;

(d) A power failure warning device or vacuum indicator to show the power available for gyroscopic instruments from each power source;

(e) An alternate source of static pressure for the altimeter and the airspeed and vertical speed indicators;

(f) For a single-engine aircraft:

(1) Two independent electrical power generating sources each of which is able to supply all probable combinations of continuous inflight electrical loads for required instruments and equipment; or

(2) In addition to the primary electrical power generating source, a standby battery or an alternate source of electric power that is capable of supplying 150% of the electrical loads of all required instruments and equipment necessary for safe emergency operation of the aircraft for at least one hour;

 

[ctab5060X]

Sounds like his Bonanza couldn't meet the requirements of 135.163(f).

Obviously, the Cirrus can (as well as other single engine aircraft operating under part 135 in IFR)

 

[tlove482]

I hate that most people assume that everyone wants to end up at a Major one day. There are plenty of other options out there. Everyone has their own goals. Let's not try to force everyone into the stereotypical pilot career.