King Air Captain Daily Rate

[goingmach_1]

Does anyone have a opinion, I'm sure you do, what the going daily rate is for a King Air Captain.

I have been asked to provide such a service for someone who just bought a 90, and needs a pilot now and then to fly it. Like 4 times a month.

What is the going rate? Of course the owner is covering food and lodging, I'm interested to know what the daily rate is.

His idea is that we take-off and be gone for up to 3 days and back.

Thanks

[ahramin]

$500 per day + expenses.

[loopy]

I have done $400/day + expenses, B200.

[Ralliart]

Around 450-500 / day + expenses.

[ragbagflyer]

Get as much as you can. Does this person have any other pilots waiting to do it for less than you? Do you have another job that you can take time off from on short notice? Try for 700$ per day start. I'm of the opinion that the fewer the number of days he needs you each month the higher the daily rate should be because the hassle factor is higher. When a machine has been sitting for days or weeks there's a bit more time to be spent getting it ready to fly before you blast off into the sky.

[co-joe]

Him pay you? Shouldn't yopu be paying for the privilage... just kidding.

It kind of depends on the opportunity cost to you. If you are salaried at your day job and you can freely take a "sick" day to go fly, then be fair, make what you can, help them out. if you have to miss a day's wages and effectively "shit where you eat" to get a sick day on short notice to go fly, conside that in your estimate.

[toelessjoe]

I offered to help a company out once that needed some one for a very short period of time (I was off for the winter and my PPC was still valid) for $250.00 plus expenses. They actually found someone willing to go up to Attiwapiskat for cheaper. From that day forward I promised myself no more whoring myself out unless you show me the money.

For $700 a day, I'd be willing to go bareback.

- Toeless

[cdnpilot77]

For $700 a day, I'd be willing to go bareback.

- Toeless

I definitely do not want to hear the things you would be willing to do for $700/day

Ps. I charged $250/day + expenses for a 182 on floats

[goingmach_1]

Thanks everybody for your comments.

Just to let you all know, its a privately owned aircraft. C.A.R.'s 604.

The owner is a private pilot, no instrument training, is not on planning even getting one. He bought it to travel with his family on-board time to time and needs a qualified driver to fly him and the family there and back.

My real job has me working 2 weeks on, 1 off. So myself and another qualified pilot are going to crew it for him. Money being the motivator for me. Further, he has offered to have my wife accompany us, so there is a bonus. Fed, watered, and paid!

[toelessjoe]

Thanks everybody for your comments.

Just to let you all know, its a privately owned aircraft. C.A.R.'s 604.

The owner is a private pilot, no instrument training, is not on planning even getting one. He bought it to travel with his family on-board time to time and needs a qualified driver to fly him and the family there and back.

My real job has me working 2 weeks on, 1 off. So myself and another qualified pilot are going to crew it for him. Money being the motivator for me. Further, he has offered to have my wife accompany us, so there is a bonus. Fed, watered, and paid!

You, another pilot, him and his family, AND your wife? I hope he has a small family! . Sorry, couldn't resist.

cheers,

Toeless.

[glass1/2full]

Hello

When I was doing some work for other A/C owners this was my break down.

I gave the client the option to choice between an hourly rate or a daily rate if the duty day exceeded 7 hours.
I also made sure that they understand that Duty would start from " Show time " to the time I walked away from the airplane at the end of the trip. It is very important they understand your work arrangments right from the begining.

$ 80.00 Per hour. for 7 hours or less of duty or
$650.00 Per day + per diem and expenses (i.e. hotels etc.) duty day stops at 12 hours.
this was done mostly on light pressurized piston twin airplanes.

Not once did any of these clients try to negotiate any of the above rates, and they were happy to know that I was available on short notice if needed.

This was few years ago, and on piston engine airplanes, meaning:
If the insurance company accepts you for the policy due to your experience on turbine and or time on type that means you are probably high time, and belive me they arent going to put someone with 1000hr pilot on the airplane. So I am sure you meet the insurance company's needs as the airplane is privatly owned. specially if you are going to go through Magnes Insurance.
The client has to know that they arent only paying for a service but they pay for your experience as well.

I would imagine, you are flying single pilot, possibly short notice and probably will manage the airplane for the client. meaning scheduling maintenance, Avionic updates IE GPS updates things of that sort.

This would only be a guess from my end but I feel that you should at least charge over $700 per day and or $100 +/hr.

As for the numbers I saw, 400, 300, 250. IMHO that is way too low, nor would I get out of bed for that pay thats just me.
I knew guys doing it on C182 for 500 a day.
I am not trying to cut anybody up with what they choose to accept for their services and or expertise as a pilot.

Best of luck and hopefully you are happy with the arrangements you make, with your client.

[trey kule]

Let me see. At 750 a day, if the client uses you for a minimum of 10 days each month, that is $7500.

I am willing to bet he can get a full time driver who would be happy to work for less a month and be on standby.

A couple of things I would like to add ...First look at how many days it is a month, and then do the math from your clients side..Lots of people post here with some figures that they imagine they should get. There was a thread some time ago regarding otter pilot wages..A huge difference between what is being paid and what everyone thinks they should be getting.

The second thing is be careful of "extras" like bringing your wife.. Some clients really mean it as an extra...Others will ask for recipricol "extras" back. My personal experience is that can cause some problems Just be careful is all.

Hope it works out..

[flyinthebug]

Let me see. At 750 a day, if the client uses you for a minimum of 10 days each month, that is $7500.

I am willing to bet he can get a full time driver who would be happy to work for less a month and be on standby.

+1! With that schedule, a semi retired driver would jump all over 4 days a month for 65K a year.

$350 a day +expenses is a reasonable number to run around in a 90. $350 a day/$7508 a month = 85K a year and thats not bad to drive a King Air.

Good luck, sounds like a gig i`d enjoy.

[goingmach_1]

Further details are, the aircraft will be flown single pilot, with the owner in the right seat of his airplane. He has 2 kids. The owner is a AME, and has been working on this type of aircraft for 20 some years. He is looking after all the technical stuff.

He needs a qualified pilot, (me), to get him and family to destination. If there is any more than 4 sleeps, he sticks me on a commercial flight back home. Myself or the other pilot goes back and fetches the aircraft.

I really like the notion of laying out the terms right off the bat. Hourly vs daily when there is a quick hop.

I have done the owner flown thing in a Falcon once, and that was crazy. Basically I did all the work, flight planning, load the FMS, run the radios, and make sure he did not kill us along the way. He had a second home in Paris, that we flew over to twice a month. Basically single pilot, I do not recommend that to anyone. By the way he was totally qualified, ATPL, type rated, the whole thing was legit, just he did the minimum work. I digress.

This gig is way different. Domestic, in a nice refurbed King Air, make a few bucks, have some fun, go home. Anything else and I will bail out.

Not feeling guilty about taking someones job here. I mean it is such a low use airplane. He thinks 90 hours a year. If that changes then I will tell him its time to find a full time pilot. Share the wealth.

[glass1/2full]

This is exactly why I think its fare. 90 hours a year, meaning 1 to 2 trips a month maybe.

Most folks that own an airplane they certainly do not fly 10 days a month, at least from my experience, in both north America and overseas as well.
As for me imaging the rates, if you have any doubt send me a pm and I can send you scanned invoices and check stubs for proof.
I certainly did not fly 10 days a month, hence the reason I had few clients. 1 or 2 trips at the most a month, maybe 2 over nights.
If you are from the GTA area you probably know some of the big names that do that sort of thing on a regular bases. As around for, get some feed back for their rates. They are all consistent and I am sure you would be surprised at their rates. IE, JC and many others. they range from $80/hr to 150/hr. ask around ykz.
If someone is going to fly their privately owned airplane more than 15 hours a month, believe me, they would just stick you on straight salary and call it a day. they aren’t stupid they can do the math if they see their travel demands will require them to hire a salaried pilot.
They are normally very smart and well-rounded people with a good business sense , not necessarily in Aviation but a business sense in general.
They didn’t get rich or managed to do well for themselves to buy themself an airplane NOT by throwing money away that’s for sure.

For 2 or even 3 short trips a month, I think its a fare number to ask but that is your call. I am sure you will figure it out.

I am sure you are going to have fun one way or another.
Hopefully you get what you wish for and deserve while you are enjoying it.