On 5-Dec-2003, (Lee Elson) wrote:

I'm wondering whether providing light aircraft transportation services
(people and/or cargo) and consulting to small businesses is likely to
be a successful approach to setting up a very small aviation business.
In particular, are there commercial pilots who provide short range (
600 nm) single (piston) engine airplane-based transportation to
employees or owners of small businesses? It seems that if the small
business "supplies" the airplane, either through rental or part
ownership, the FAA considers the activity to be governed by part 91 of
the FAR's.


Sounds like what you are suggesting is a sort of on-demand professional
pilot service where the client owns the aircraft (or fraction thereof) and
brings in the pilot from the service you envision to fly it. Thus the plane
can be operated under part 91 as a privately owned aircraft. The advantage
to the company is that, rather than maintaining a staff of pilots on payroll
they just pay for pilot services as required, kind of like getting office
workers from a temp agency. Obviously, the pilots would have to have
commercial tickets and any required type-ratings

Legally, I don't see why this can't work. No different really than hiring
an instructor to teach you in your own airplane. From a practical business
standpoint? Who knows?

--
-Elliott Drucker