Ferry-Pilots are commercially-rated pilots and aviation professionals that specialize in the repositioning of aircraft for owners, buyers, sellers, maintenance facilities and businesses.
There are many reasons but the most typical reason is that an aircraft if being sold and the buyer does not have the required experience or available time to get it home. This can also range from not being eligible for insurance coverage, not being rated to fly the plane yet, or not having the experience level required to make a long or detailed cross-country flight in the aircraft.
There is also the matter of time-equity. Some professionals can't risk an interruption to their work schedule or commitments, or simply put, their time is more valuable than the expense of paying a professional to move the aircraft for them.
Ferry-Pilots generally possess a multitude of skills such as:
Absolutely not. This is why you need to be careful and choose wisely. Ferry-piloting is often looked at as a time-building job for low-time pilots that are trying to reach the operating time requirement for the airlines or private-charter operations. Many of these pilots don't come with any skills other than the desire to fly your plane and put time in their log-book on your dime. Many do not have the full skillset required to ferry aircraft. This can result in damaged or marooned planes that a professional ferry-pilot will more than likely have to be dispatched to recover, with the owner bearing the entire expense for doing so. Many inexperienced pilots also don't understand the difference between an emergency and an inconvenience. Professional ferry-pilots are also professional problem-solvers and will figure out a way to resolve issues and carry on whereas inexperienced pilots will resign or create unneeded delays or expenses related to the delivery.
Because of what is mentioned above. Many low-time pilots are desperate to build time to advance their careers and are more focused on their needs than yours. This is one of those cases that you get what you pay for, and when you pay to little you get exactly what you paid for. Now I'm not saying that is the case 100% of the time, but professional ferry pilots that are established in this industry command a decent rate because that is what they do for a living. They aren't trying to build time and exit as quickly as they arrived. These professionals have an incredible amount of knowledge and have a network of people that support their needs. They also know all the places to minimize costs and expenses along the way and also know who can fix what. All of this experience and knowledge adds up to being a professional that commands a rate that allows them to provide this service. When considering the hiring of a pilot you should be looking at the entire picture and not just the price.
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