Alchemy
Well-Known Member
I was sitting around today when I got a call from my flight school's dispatcher. He tells me that a businessman had flown his c-172 to Austin from New Orleans earlier this week, but a front moved in today and stalled out over the area (solid IMC). The owner/pilot isn't instrument current, but he had to be back in New Orleans today so he caught an airline flight back home. Therefore, he needs someone to ferry his 172 to New Orleans.
That's where I come in. The dispatcher give me the owner/pilot's telephone number. I called him up at which point he explained that he would pay for my airline ticket back to Austin after I dropped his plane off in New Orleans. He then asked me how much I expected to be paid for my services. I replied "45 dollars should cover it".
Mistake.
At this point, the pilot starts questioning my qualifications. It went something like this:
Him: "What? $45? That's All? You mean you're not a CFI?"
Me: "No I'm a single and multi engine commercial pilot"
Him: "So are you just trying to build hours or what? How many hours do you have for that matter?"
Me: "350 hours total time, with about 200 of those hours in the 172".
Him: "Are you even Instrument rated?"
Me: "Yes."
Him: "Uhhh, I'm gonna have to check with my insurance to see if you can fly the plane for me."
Basically, I feel like I was waaaay below expectations with my 45 dollar bid to make the flight. Austin to New Orleans would probably entail about 4 to 4.5 hours in a skyhawk, plus the time I'd be spending flying back to Austin on the airlines. That's comes out to about 10 dollars an hour. Apparantly, this is considerably below what I was expected to charge as a qualified pilot. All in all I feel like I blew my first opportunity to be paid to fly because I badly underestimated what I should charge for my services.
How much reimbursment would you expect for this type of work?
That's where I come in. The dispatcher give me the owner/pilot's telephone number. I called him up at which point he explained that he would pay for my airline ticket back to Austin after I dropped his plane off in New Orleans. He then asked me how much I expected to be paid for my services. I replied "45 dollars should cover it".
Mistake.
At this point, the pilot starts questioning my qualifications. It went something like this:
Him: "What? $45? That's All? You mean you're not a CFI?"
Me: "No I'm a single and multi engine commercial pilot"
Him: "So are you just trying to build hours or what? How many hours do you have for that matter?"
Me: "350 hours total time, with about 200 of those hours in the 172".
Him: "Are you even Instrument rated?"
Me: "Yes."
Him: "Uhhh, I'm gonna have to check with my insurance to see if you can fly the plane for me."
Basically, I feel like I was waaaay below expectations with my 45 dollar bid to make the flight. Austin to New Orleans would probably entail about 4 to 4.5 hours in a skyhawk, plus the time I'd be spending flying back to Austin on the airlines. That's comes out to about 10 dollars an hour. Apparantly, this is considerably below what I was expected to charge as a qualified pilot. All in all I feel like I blew my first opportunity to be paid to fly because I badly underestimated what I should charge for my services.
How much reimbursment would you expect for this type of work?