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- ArtemDeggy
- Posts: 10
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Airliner ferry
Hello! I am a beginner pilot. How to become a ferry pilot for airliners over 5700kg? Is it possible for a novice CPL pilot to overtake an airliner if he gets a TYPE-RATING? Or is this a job only for experienced pilots? I just don't know how the circuit itself works. But if at first you fly with an instructor and a third pilot on the same B737? Sorry for the weird question, but just curious.
Re: Airliner ferry
Most ferry flights in airline operations are done by regular crews (positioning the aircraft to an other base after a diversion/to/from maintenance). Sometimes they are also done by technical pilot/management pilots, depending on the nature of the flight (for example when taking a new plane from the manufacturer). I know that there are some companies that specialise in ferry flights, usually for leasing companies that need to return their aircraft after a lease or to deliver the aircraft. Airbus (and I guess also Boeing) also have dedicated ferry flight departments for delivery flights if the new owner does not want to ferry the airplane to their base themselves. These companies typically hire only highly experienced pilots and mostly freelancers (who do it besides their regular airline job). These kind of ferry flight (between operators, delivery flights etc) require a rather high technical skill level und understanding as the airplanes are often equipped with a variety of options (as the are from/for different operators) and there is usually no support from an OCC, so it means it’s often chaotic and all kinds of problems often appear. So for sure this kind of work is nothing for a beginner.
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- Starlionblue
- Posts: 21102
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Re: Airliner ferry
The way to get this kind of highly specialised job is to work your way up, show initiative, willingness to work hard, and a good attitude. Make contacts.
It takes time. And success at achieving the dream position is not guaranteed. However, there are often opportunities along the way. It's about the journey.
It takes time. And success at achieving the dream position is not guaranteed. However, there are often opportunities along the way. It's about the journey.
Re: Airliner ferry
Are ferry flights run as Part 25 flights normally? Can they be run under Part 91?
Re: Airliner ferry
tmu101 wrote:Are ferry flights run as Part 25 flights normally? Can they be run under Part 91?
As Part 25 is about Airworthiness Standards for Transport Category Airplanes, it would be pretty hard to fly under that rules.
Re: Airliner ferry
tmu101 wrote:Are ferry flights run as Part 25 flights normally? Can they be run under Part 91?
Yes, they do operate under 91 which is why we can use a separate group of pilots who are retired...they can't transport passengers under 121 anymore but can still move an empty airliner. Great group of pilots, so much experience and knowledge!
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- FlapOperator
- Posts: 869
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Re: Airliner ferry
Starlionblue wrote:The way to get this kind of highly specialised job is to work your way up, show initiative, willingness to work hard, and a good attitude. Make contacts.
It takes time. And success at achieving the dream position is not guaranteed. However, there are often opportunities along the way. It's about the journey.
This. Its a pretty specialized and tiny community...some work directly for leasing companies exclusively, while others work for crew leasing companies. Lots of the guys in the community are aged out from commercial operations and many of them have significant experience in type as TRI/TRE/LCA types.
For factory deliveries, usually the manufacturers and the company acceptance pilots do that work...for return to lessor operations, there is often at least ground acceptance operations in addition to the flight itself.
Corporate aircraft are different kettle of fish, and lots of times those guys are just contract pilots doing a one-off flight.
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- FlapOperator
- Posts: 869
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Re: Airliner ferry
B6JFKH81 wrote:tmu101 wrote:Are ferry flights run as Part 25 flights normally? Can they be run under Part 91?
Yes, they do operate under 91 which is why we can use a separate group of pilots who are retired...they can't transport passengers under 121 anymore but can still move an empty airliner. Great group of pilots, so much experience and knowledge!
Indeed. I moved an aircraft once with one of the fathers of ETOPS. Amazing time.
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- GalaxyFlyer
- Posts: 9269
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Re: Airliner ferry
Without type experience, the insurers will have a say if not the owners. Best, as a young pilot, to get 500 hours and look at light plane ferrying, domestically.
Re: Airliner ferry
B6JFKH81 wrote:tmu101 wrote:Are ferry flights run as Part 25 flights normally? Can they be run under Part 91?
Yes, they do operate under 91 which is why we can use a separate group of pilots who are retired...they can't transport passengers under 121 anymore but can still move an empty airliner. Great group of pilots, so much experience and knowledge!
Doh!
Yes i meant Part 121 - how embarrasing! Thanks for all the responses and knowing what i meant with my original post. What i get for posting at 2am.
Re: Airliner ferry
tmu101 wrote:B6JFKH81 wrote:tmu101 wrote:Are ferry flights run as Part 25 flights normally? Can they be run under Part 91?
Yes, they do operate under 91 which is why we can use a separate group of pilots who are retired...they can't transport passengers under 121 anymore but can still move an empty airliner. Great group of pilots, so much experience and knowledge!
Doh!
Yes i meant Part 121 - how embarrasing! Thanks for all the responses and knowing what i meant with my original post. What i get for posting at 2am.
Welcome to the airline industry LOL!
As far as my airline goes, the aircraft deliveries from the factory and HMV ferries are handled by ADG pilots which are mostly retired from that fleet type, thus not impacting the line pilot rotations. For newer fleets (i.e. A220 where we don't have retired pilots from yet since it's a new fleet), it's line pilots since we don't have retired pilots from that fleet yet. I honestly have no idea how they decide what pilots to send us to pick up some of the "off" fleets, that's probably in the union contract LOL
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