What certification do I need?

[dboy4ever]

I'm currently working on my commercial certificate. My company currently have a few tour operations in small towns throughout California. Here's my plan - After I get my commercial, I'd like to buy a 4-seat airplane, Cessna or Cirrus, and fly some of our tourist clients to these small town destinations.

I've been reading the regs but my layman skills cannot offer an conclusion. Will I need to get a operator certificate at all? Am I a tour operator? Single pilot operator? Air carrier? How long and how difficult is this process going to be? Can I use the airplane for my business at all while waiting for a certificate to be issued?

Thank you in advance.

 

[CoffeeIcePapers]

If you are flying company clients, it could be part 91.

 

[CFI A&P]

To be a sight seeing operation you must take off and land at the same airport. Point A - Point A. If you take people from point A and land at Point B, you are no longer a sight seeing operation.

Sounds like 135 to me. On Demand Air Carrier.

 

[hook_dupin]

To be a sight seeing operation you must take off and land at the same airport. Point A - Point A. If you take people from point A and land at Point B, you are no longer a sight seeing operation.

Sounds like 135 to me. On Demand Air Carrier.

To be more specific, either a single pilot or a basic 135 Certificate sounds like the right thing. Depending on where you are at, you may want to look into buying an existing cert vice trying to start a new one.

 

[Bandit_Driver]

I'm no expert but your plan sounds like part 135 and operating under DOT 380

 

[dboy4ever]

Thank you very much, guys.