Requirements and limitations for flying with us.
As stated elsewhere, flying is a highly regulated hobby and furthermore, we are forced to 100% abide by the laws of physics. There is no place to pull over to if something goes wrong or the maths are wrong. We will be going down towards the earth at or above terminal velocity and go splat at the end of it all…
My apologies for being blunt, but this is the reality and you can’t say you haven’t been warned. 
Pilot Qualifications
All licenced pilots with unrestricted licences completed a practical flying course covering 19 main subjects. On top of that, we need to pass 5 theoretical exams followed by an oral exam and a final practical flight test, testing our skill set against a host of different scenarios. This final test is undertaken by a Chief Flying Instructor, appointed by the CAA as a flight examiner.
Pilot licences, hours flown, and skills are reviewed every 24 months and signed off by a CAA-approved flying instructor.
Aircraft serviceability
All aircraft flying in the UK, have to have an annual inspection carried out by an independent aircraft maintenance engineer qualified and licenced by the CAA to work on any specific aircraft.
This inspection is the aviation version of an MOT just 1000% more strict. Remember, there is no pulling over when something goes wrong.
By law, every aircraft will have an airworthiness certificate as well as, at least, public liability insurance. The amount of hours the aircraft has flown and the engine ran is recorded and needs to be made available on request by any inspector.
Regular preventative maintenance is performed before every flight and after a set number of hours flown as per the aircraft operator handbook.
Physics
We are flying light aircraft. That is an aircraft with a maximum all-up weight of 450kg.
In this weight category, nature plays a big role in deciding whether when we going to fly or stay on the ground. We will not fly in strong wind or strong gusts. The same is true for snow and rain. Light-isolated showers can be navigated around, so not a huge problem.
I fly because I want to, not because I have to. I go fly to enjoy the trip, not to have an argument with Mother Nature.
The other major limitation is passenger weight. The aircraft is rated for a maximum passenger weight of maximum 90kg. That includes all your camera gear and everything you want to take with you. Space is at a premium and no baggage will be carried.
Human Factors
I will not go fly if the answer to any of the following points is yes;
- Illness
Do you have a cold or hay fever? Blocked sinuses, upset stomach? - Medication
Do you currently take any medication that will make you drowsy or are dependent on, for example, insulin? - Stress
Are you stressed out over something? - Alcohol
Have you had anything to drink in the last 12 hours? - Are you Fatigued?
- Have you Eaten enough/too much?
Keep those sugar levels up…
Obviously, all of those are not directly applicable to a passenger. However, if you are suffering from any medical condition that might require emergency care, we are not going to fly. If you have a cold, we not going to fly. If you had a party the previous night, we not going flying.
Yes, I want to take people flying with bad diagnoses or life-changing surgery but I am not willing to take anyone that is at risk of getting seriously ill while in the air. We can not pull over and get an ambulance or do CPR. It is not practicable and you will die if something goes wrong.
General
The flight is not a commercial flight and the captain of the aircraft will be the one making to call to fly or not. The flight may be cancelled or delayed for any reason.
You will be asked to sign a waiver that relieves the pilot, owner of the aircraft, and owner of any airfield where we might land from any financial claims, or any other, against them if there is an accident.
If you have personal life insurance, it is your responsibility to ensure flying in a light aircraft is not excluded from your policy.
The bottom line is that flying is a dangerous sport. It is extremely fulfilling and will be the experience of a lifetime. The aircraft we fly are very reliable and there is rarely an accident as a result of a failure on the aircraft’s part. However, the risk is very real.
This is not a commercial operation and I do not have a commercial pilot licence, so legally I can not charge you money for flying. However, flying is an expensive hobby and a contribution towards covering the cost of the flight will be more than welcome.
This is a living document and might get amended without notification.
Last Updated: 2 September 2022
