Should I Return after 8yrs hiatus?

[Manley C]

Hello everyone,

First time here, site looks very informative!

So I am entertaining the idea to return to the industry at the age of 44 as the wife's school teaching days may be numbered.

I am recently current with a 2nd class medical but have not completed my Comm, Inst, or Apt ratings.

In the past I was a part 91 corporate employee and acquired 1840.0 hours of which 1500.00 of them are multi engine and cross country in Piper Navajo's and Aztec's.

During my course of employment I have taken and passed both the inst and comm knowledge test twice (2 different times) only to let them lapse as my employer acquired a 135, 121 carrier that was consuming most of my time as he dedicated me to manage it.

I have instrument training requirements completed and was about to do the check ride when family events changed my coarse of history.

Should I jump 2 feet in again?

 

[Nukem]

I am not sure I understand correctly. You are a multi-engine private pilot and you flew for a corporate flight department? Or you managed a flight department and was able to log time on flights with an instructor as PIC?

 

[Manley C]

I am a Multi-engine private pilot and flew the corporate owned aircraft as regular fulltime 40hr employee, I was not employed as a pilot. Simply a company employee using the company vehicle.
All the time is PIC cross-country and International.

as for the 135/121 operation the business I worked for acquired the certificate holders business entity and was consolidating the companies and fleet

 

[Nukem]

With the experience you have you would probably pick it right back up. What would you be giving up to go for it? And what do you want to do in the industry?

How you aquired the flight time might be a little sketchy. But even if you did bust the regs requiring you to have a commercial certificate it would be difficult to prove.

You really should get the comm/inst before you go back to a situation like you were in before.

 

[GypsyPilot]

With the experience you have you would probably pick it right back up. What would you be giving up to go for it? And what do you want to do in the industry?

How you aquired the flight time might be a little sketchy. But even if you did bust the regs requiring you to have a commercial certificate it would be difficult to prove.

You really should get the comm/inst before you go back to a situation like you were in before.

It's been awhile since I looked at this closely, but pretty sure the way he did it is totally legit.

 

[Itchy]

It's a legit way to fly. A construction company owns a Baron, and the general manager uses it to get to different sites. Might even bring a few of his hammers and grunts with him. Legit.
I second the question above though.
If you are giving up a $$ job to go for a shiny jet, it is a lot to consider. You're 44, and the gloss on that apple won't be very deep, and you better have your life figured out for the loss of income if you are giving up a decent job. Crowded airports, never being home, S.O. who does not understand why you gave up the $$ (where's our cruise?) to be away 80% of the time, TSA, 5am vans, ignorant meat, (uhh, I mean passengers), crappy food, etc, etc.

 

[Nukem]

I agree there are many ways the flights could be legit for a pvt pilot but there are far more ways to bust the for hire regs.

Since it was 8 years ago, unless there are some seriously detailed records, it is water under the bridge.

 

[ComplexHiAv8r]

It's been awhile since I looked at this closely, but pretty sure the way he did it is totally legit.

That is a legit way. It's the way I did it! 8)

 

[Nukem]

That is a legit way. It's the way I did it! 8)

Again, eight years ago, it likely doesn't matter.

But depending on the specific circumstances it really is a big maybe. If the boss ever said, "Hey, deliver the plane to BFE so the new radio can be installed." or "Drop Jim off at somewhere on your way to elsewhere." what then?

There are so many ways to get into trouble, all (or most) of them solved by a comm cert.