RICHARD5
Well-Known Member
A recent even causes me to ask the question, Does Pt 135 require dispatch to flight follow?
The other day me and a couple pilots sitting in the FBO heard an ELT go off. Included in the group was dispatch for a competing operator.
This was minutes after a Pt 135 aircraft had departed with passengers. No one else was in the air at this isolated Class G airport. None of us had knowledge of his route of flight.
While I tried contacting the pilot--who I know--on his company's comm, the dispatcher from the other company called the cell phone of this pilot's dispatcher. No response. She then sent a text to the same cell phone. No response. I never made contact with the pilot who would have still been in range. I even tried several 'down range' freqs and then monitored all 3 freqs.
She then called the CP at another station who said, Don't worry. He was specifically asked if he knew the status of his pilot. The CP said, No, but don't worry.
This burns my ass plus the other pilots and the other dispatcher. We know the risks of flying out of radar coverage over hostile terrain in this area. The seeming nonchalance of this pilot's dispatcher and CP is worrisome.
The next day I asked the dispatcher if her pilot was OK. She got mad that I even asked.
EDIT: the dispatcher for that pilot was out of her office and was obviously on the premises but no where to be found.
The other day me and a couple pilots sitting in the FBO heard an ELT go off. Included in the group was dispatch for a competing operator.
This was minutes after a Pt 135 aircraft had departed with passengers. No one else was in the air at this isolated Class G airport. None of us had knowledge of his route of flight.
While I tried contacting the pilot--who I know--on his company's comm, the dispatcher from the other company called the cell phone of this pilot's dispatcher. No response. She then sent a text to the same cell phone. No response. I never made contact with the pilot who would have still been in range. I even tried several 'down range' freqs and then monitored all 3 freqs.
She then called the CP at another station who said, Don't worry. He was specifically asked if he knew the status of his pilot. The CP said, No, but don't worry.
This burns my ass plus the other pilots and the other dispatcher. We know the risks of flying out of radar coverage over hostile terrain in this area. The seeming nonchalance of this pilot's dispatcher and CP is worrisome.
The next day I asked the dispatcher if her pilot was OK. She got mad that I even asked.
EDIT: the dispatcher for that pilot was out of her office and was obviously on the premises but no where to be found.