Supporting Aircraft Owners

by Stuart Rawlinson 17. February 2010 22:00

A service that AERO ALLIANCE is often asked to provide is to assist aircraft owners with tasks such as flight planning, aircraft preparation and agency coordination. This leaves the owners free to focus on other important business, such as their day jobs!! A bonus of this arrangement is that the risk of diversion associated with bad weather can be avoided. As multi-engine instrument rating instructors, our Captains are able to fly in the P1 seat or in an instructional supervising role and take control when the weather reaches the minimums that would cause a less qualified pilot to divert or turn back. In a recent case the great British weather did it's best to thwart a flight to Hawarden, near Chester, but with an Aero Alliance captain on board, the flight was able to go ahead in safety.

This flight departed Shoreham at 08:45 with the conditions at the destination showing fog which was due to clear for our arrival, improving to low cloud and poor visibility. The aircraft owner flew the outbound leg, allowing our pilot to monitor navigation, radio communications and receive weather updates. On arrival at Hawarden the conditions were deteriorating with weather of fog, 1000 meters of visibility in drizzle. Certainly not pleasant and, although the owner would probably been within his ability, regulations would require a divert and, possibly, the cancellation of an important business meeting. However our pilot was able to take control and land the aircraft in safety. The passengers arrived on time for their meeting and impressed by landng in a company aircraft with their company captain in uniform.

The business meeting was obviously successful as the owner decided he and his team deserved to sit back in comfort during the return trip - and why not!!! The AERO ALLIANCE captain took the strain and after a relaxing 70 minutes from stepping into the Hawarden terminal building, our passnegers were landing back at Shoreham.