Ferry Pilot

PUpilotdave

PUpilotdave

New Member
I have recently been calling aircraft dealers around the DFW area in search of possible jobs ferrying aircraft, within the U.S., while I am home from school over the summer. Does anyone have any experience doing this kind of work and have any advice they can give me? I currently have about 340 hours.
 
I put an ad in a pilot classified website. I got a few hits. I ferried a 152 from Camarillo, CA to Bentonville, AR. I had about 120hrs at the time. I also got a request to ferry a 152 from FL to Turkey, a Twin engine tail tragger from Guam to Alaska ( I declined both of them)
 
I knew the guy who organized all the ferries down to Australia - that would be a great gig for the summer. You could build 40 hours per week.
 
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Does anyone have any experience doing this kind of work and have any advice they can give me? I currently have about 340 hours.

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Just a little. Be ready to be asked to fly some seriously junky airplanes. Be prepared to put your foot down and refuse to fly said airplanes. 10 hours in your logbook isn't worth your life or a violation. Other than that, 340 is probably a little low for anything but single engine, fixed gear/trainers. Complex/high performance airplanes normally require either time in type, or enough complex/HP time to satisfy the open pilot insurance requirements.


Btw, Viper548...how did you get a Commercial w/ 120 hours?
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Few things scarier than a low time pilot flying across the vast expanse of the Atlantic or Pacific in an overloaded piston single! I wouldn't do it now! Personally, I prefer as many turbines spinning out on the wing as possible.
 
I know they do it in 3s, incase someone goes down they can direct people to the wreckage. It does have the element of risk, however it does sound fun.
 
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Be ready to be asked to fly some seriously junky airplanes. .... Other than that, 340 is probably a little low for anything but single engine, fixed gear/trainers. Complex/high performance airplanes normally require either time in type, or enough complex/HP time to satisfy the open pilot insurance requirements.

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I did some ferry flying for dealers & brokers. Even for trainers/singles 350TT is very low for a ferry pilot. The guy I flew for required 750TT to meet insurance mins just to fly a C172! You will be lucky to find a broker/dealer that can insure you at that TT. Your best bet is to create a resume and business cards (free at Vitsaprint.com) and go to all the brokers/dealers in your area and chat them up. You can find out exactly what TT they require and make contacts. Then when you get the mins, they may call you when they need someone. Networking is everything.

Also, seeing as the planes are being sold to new owners or other dealers the aircraft are usually in pretty good shape. The only POS planes I had to relocate were the odd exception being relocated to a maintenance or paint shop for work so they could be sold.
 
From most the places I have called it seems like they require either 500 or 850TT. Its dissapointing to have spent so much time and money on getting everything up to my CFII rating and now not being able to find any job.
 
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From most the places I have called it seems like they require either 500 or 850TT. Its dissapointing to have spent so much time and money on getting everything up to my CFII rating and now not being able to find any job.

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What about using that CFI/CFII?
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I put an ad in a pilot classified website. I got a few hits. I ferried a 152 from Camarillo, CA to Bentonville, AR. I had about 120hrs at the time. I also got a request to ferry a 152 from FL to Turkey, a Twin engine tail tragger from Guam to Alaska ( I declined both of them)

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How do you ferry a C152 (or other piston engine with about the same range) across the Atlantic?
 
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How do you ferry a C152 (or other piston engine with about the same range) across the Atlantic?

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Put in ferry tanks and go north: Maine, Newfoundland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway. Or something similar along that route.
 
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How do you ferry a C152 (or other piston engine with about the same range) across the Atlantic?

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Put in ferry tanks and go north: Maine, Newfoundland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway. Or something similar along that route.

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Hey thanks, I figured about the route, but never heard about "ferry tanks" can you please elaborate more on that.
If a C152 has a Maximum Useful Load of 545 lbs, and let's say that the pilot and his supplies weigh around 200 lbs. that will leave us with around 345 lbs of Useful load, one gallon fuel = six pounds, that's around 57 gallons. Will that be enough for the longer legs, like between Greenland-Iceland or Iceland-Norway or Ireland, Or there are islands in between to stop? Thanks for the answers, it seems a fascinating subject. Anybody out there ever did it (cross the Atlantic in a small piston airplane).
 
I've recently come to find out that brokers like people with non-rev benefits (rampers, etc.) who are looking to build time. I haven't done it yet, but they said to give them a call at 500hrs.
 
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I've recently come to find out that brokers like people with non-rev benefits (rampers, etc.) who are looking to build time. I haven't done it yet, but they said to give them a call at 500hrs.

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Absolutely! That was the main reason I got so many coast to coast trips. I could fly for free and the broker didn't want to buy expensive one-way tickets.
 
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Does anyone have any experience doing this kind of work and have any advice they can give me?

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Just don't do it for free.....there are some companies out there that might expect you to.
 
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Does anyone have any experience doing this kind of work and have any advice they can give me?

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Just don't do it for free.....there are some companies out there that might expect you to.

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You think people would learn reading this site.....
 
Iain

Do you mean Clamback & Hennessy? I did my initial twin in their Duchess, VH-WEU. Ray Clamback is very experienced at ferrying, in fact I think that part of their business is busier than their flying school!

Ray has gone swimming in the Pacific twice, 1999 & again last year, after engine problems. The whole aircraft ferrying stuff is fraught with difficulty. Insurance is a big deal, to begin with.

Survival gear is expensive and doesn't always work. The trip has to wait for favourable winds during the long legs (like Santa Barbara - Hilo). The aircraft is often way overweight.

I can't think of many flying jobs I'd like less ... imagine sitting for 17 hours in a C182 flying over the briny. Yecch! The oggin is full of carnivorous big fish!
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