Going rate for ferrying an airplane?

zmiller4

Well-Known Member
A friend of mine is selling his 150 and needs to get it from GA to Kansas. He's wanting to ask his flight instructor to do it, but isn't sure how much he should be paying the guy. I suggested that he pay the instructor the hourly rate he gets from the flight school for the flight time plus travel expenses...is that reasonable or too little?

Also, would it not be kosher to not go through the flight school? I know the guy I worked for would have been pissed if I had worked for a student that I met at the school without going through him, but it seems ridiculous to me to pay an extra 20/hr the school would charge.
 
A friend of mine is selling his 150 and needs to get it from GA to Kansas. He's wanting to ask his flight instructor to do it, but isn't sure how much he should be paying the guy. I suggested that he pay the instructor the hourly rate he gets from the flight school for the flight time plus travel expenses...is that reasonable or too little?


I've heard $200/day minimum +expenses for this sort of thing.


Also, would it not be kosher to not go through the flight school? I know the guy I worked for would have been pissed if I had worked for a student that I met at the school without going through him, but it seems ridiculous to me to pay an extra 20/hr the school would charge.

If he's an employee of the school, it's not cool w/o prior (written to cya) permission.

If he's an independent contractor, it all depends on what kind of agreement is signed. If there is no written agreement, take the job and don't say much about it.
 
A friend of mine is selling his 150 and needs to get it from GA to Kansas. He's wanting to ask his flight instructor to do it, but isn't sure how much he should be paying the guy. I suggested that he pay the instructor the hourly rate he gets from the flight school for the flight time plus travel expenses...is that reasonable or too little?

I'd say a flat rate $250/day + travel + lodging + food + charts is reasonable. That's what I would charge for this type of trip.

Also, would it not be kosher to not go through the flight school? I know the guy I worked for would have been pissed if I had worked for a student that I met at the school without going through him, but it seems ridiculous to me to pay an extra 20/hr the school would charge.

If the instructor is an independent instructor, he can do whatever he wants.

If the instructor is an employee of a flight school, ethically speaking, he should bill the trip through the school.

That extra $20/hour goes to pay for the overhead of the flight school. Flight schools have to figure out a way to pay their utility bills, marketing expenses, insurance, etc. That's where the $20/hour goes.

If an instructor is taken out of service at the flight school for several days because he's flying a plane to Kansas, the flight school is losing revenue. Their planes are flying less, they're not bringing in income from students, etc. What's ridiculous about the school taking a cut from the ferry trip that they'd normally be taking from instructional services?
 
On my last ferry trip I charged $300/day + all expenses. On the trip I am doing next week I am charging $500/day + all expenses.

Some of the major conditions I make with the owner are as followed:

Name insured for aircraft.

A day rate for any day away from home, including travel days.

If available, DIRECT flights. It's really not worth my time to connect on two or three RJ's.

A private HOTEL room per night. Doesn't have to be a full service marriott, but i'm also not staying at a POS motel. Hampton Inn usually works out nicely.

Expenses- $20 Breakfast/$20 lunch/$60 Dinner.

PM me if you have any questions.
 
I ferried an archer from just north of IND to an airport about 30 miles north of MKE for $300...in the middle of februrary, burr. It was just a day trip so no hotel or anything like that was negotiated.
 
On my last ferry trip I charged $300/day + all expenses. On the trip I am doing next week I am charging $500/day + all expenses.

Some of the major conditions I make with the owner are as followed:

Name insured for aircraft.

A day rate for any day away from home, including travel days.

If available, DIRECT flights. It's really not worth my time to connect on two or three RJ's.

A private HOTEL room per night. Doesn't have to be a full service marriott, but i'm also not staying at a POS motel. Hampton Inn usually works out nicely.

Expenses- $20 Breakfast/$20 lunch/$60 Dinner.

PM me if you have any questions.

That is some fine eating...you would have thought you were in the AF, not the Army!!! :)
 
I have done a few ferries myself -- I used to charge $200/day plus hotel room and food and a flight back to where I started from.
 
Why should the school be paid? Is it CFIing all the way to Kansas? Hell yeah, it seems ridiculous. Everyone one wants their greedy slice of the pie.
 
Why should the school be paid? Is it CFIing all the way to Kansas? Hell yeah, it seems ridiculous. Everyone one wants their greedy slice of the pie.

You've never seen the accounting books for a flight school, have you?

See my above post for the reasons why it's not greedy for the school to take a cut.
 
If the instructor is an independent instructor, he can do whatever he wants.

If the instructor is an employee of a flight school, ethically speaking, he should bill the trip through the school.



That extra $20/hour goes to pay for the overhead of the flight school. Flight schools have to figure out a way to pay their utility bills, marketing expenses, insurance, etc. That's where the $20/hour goes.

If an instructor is taken out of service at the flight school for several days because he's flying a plane to Kansas, the flight school is losing revenue. Their planes are flying less, they're not bringing in income from students, etc. What's ridiculous about the school taking a cut from the ferry trip that they'd normally be taking from instructional services?

Really, how about independent ferry pilot and employee of a flight school? Isn't there a cut from his pay check already that goes to all the overheads you mention above? Im sure they are taking a good $20/flight hour during training.

Because the rest of the time, the flight school is giving the pilot airplanes to use, a room to do ground in...and oh yes..students.

Big fish always eat little fish. Charge student $50/hour for instructor...instructor sees, what $30 of it if lucky. He is paying for that room and his students... easy... and the airplanes to use the student pays for just as if he was an independent instructor.

Sounds like a restaurant taking half of tips from a waiter or waitress.

OK, how long do you think the trip will take? 2 days and 1 night tops? Use your off time.

Is this instructor allowed to take another part time job to make ends meet if not enough students are coming in? Would it be OK if the job was not flying at all and the connection was made cleaning the students gutters for 2 days out of the week for $250/day? Or would he have to pay the school a % for making that connection there in the school to clean the students gutters also?

my $.02 not an insurance policy!
 
It all depends...was this arranged outside of the flight school via independent contract? Does the airplane belong to the flight school? Are you required to be working at the flight school those days that you will be gone?

If it was arranged outside of the flight school, and the airplane belongs to this student, and you are only required to be at work when working with your students (and you can find people to cover your other students while you are away), I see no reason that the flight school should be involved.
 
I once stupidly did something like this for free when I had wet ink on my commercial. I got my just desserts when I became violently ill for 2 weeks after eating at the airport cafe prior to my airline flight home. At least $200/day plus expenses.
 
There are many employers outside of aviation that require approval for outside work.
And they usually deny it if it is in something that the flight school can provide.
 
It all depends...was this arranged outside of the flight school via independent contract? Does the airplane belong to the flight school? Are you required to be working at the flight school those days that you will be gone?

If it was arranged outside of the flight school, and the airplane belongs to this student, and you are only required to be at work when working with your students (and you can find people to cover your other students while you are away), I see no reason that the flight school should be involved.

The problem is that the flight instructor used his relationship with a current student to gain this work. He should at least run it by the flight school to make sure they are OK with it. It really becomes a liability problem for the school if something happens during the flight.
 
It really becomes a liability problem for the school if something happens during the flight.

Yep!

If there is any connection with the school and the customer then he needs to run it by his boss. If something does happen and lawyers get involved then they will find that connection!
 
I feel that if I was introduced to the ferry job through the school or from somebody contacting the school, then I the school gets a cut for their advertising dollars at work.
If they find me by myself, then I think I can have those two days off to fly an airplane. What I do in my own time is my own. They already have me working in that class room seven days a week, now they want the few days i do take off too?

I would say no less than $200.00l/day + all expenses paid.
If you go through the school, it will be the school rate with a cap at what ever you were going to set the daily rate at. This is not flight time but total time on the job so you will get the daily max easily.
 
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