On Feb 20, 1:04*am, Dan wrote:
All,

Can anyone tell me in this day and age if it's practical to run a 135,
IFR one-man, one-plane operation and make at least some money,
considering insurance and FAA related red-tape that would accompany
such an endeavor? *If so, how many hours would one require (from a
realistic perspective) beyond the 1200 required to act as PIC in a 135
operation?

Would adding a second pilot increase the red tape exponentially?

I assume there must be plenty of bush pilots flying float planes in
Alaska doing just this same thing, right?

* * * * --Dan

Three years ago my mechanic/fbo put a ton of money into an Aztec,
hired a pilot, hired a firm to create the books, had the FAA in on 3
different trips inspecting the plane, the office, the books, taking
the pilot for a check ride, yadda, yadda... Then once approved to
operate 135 he began bidding for jobs... He found that the competition
was playing hardball, even running a Learjet on jobs for less than he
was willing to do with the Aztec, they often bid jobs for barely more
than their fuel costs apparently losing money to establish rapport
with the shipper... The competitors took jobs where they would be
deadheading back after the run and still underbid him, plus they beat
him to the punch by taking the run a half day sooner because he was
still trying to find cargo for both directions... In the end he went
belly up...

If you are going to succeed you will do most of the flying yourself,
you will need to be an A&P to hold your maintenance costs down, you
will be ready to live out of the airplane yes, sleep in it for a
week at a time as you hopscotch across the country taking cargo from a
to b, then deadheading to c for a run to d, and so on, you will likely
have to get by with only insurance for for PL & PD and take the chance
you won't destroy the plane which means your family will have to
front the money for the plane instead of a bank loan ...
Other than that, it should be a piece of cake!

denny