Capital Air Charter has head offices and operations based at Exeter International Airport and offers private chartered flights, medical repatriation and urgent air freight services.

Managing director Malcolm Humphries fills the post of chief pilot and accountable manager.

"I have been flying for 35 years, training captain for 25 years and chief pilot for 20," he says.

"For me, the most important day-to-day task is ensuring our operation complies with current regulations and this means I am in constant touch with the other company post holders, and available for consultation by my operations staff and flight crew."

The company now flies an average of 80 sectors a week. "This means that I can't disappear down the line for days on end like I used to when the company was much smaller," says Humphries.

Capital Air Charter has a team of 13 full-time pilots, normally joining on the company's PA31 and then moving on to a Beech 200. "As a company we have developed a very high standard of online training that allows all of our employees, whether they fly or not, to learn at their own pace and in greater detail than would normally be possible, in addition to the normal flying and ground training that the company provides."

Humphries is not phased by the paperwork and administration that comes with the job. "Strange as it sounds, I actually enjoy keeping the company up-to-date with the latest rules and regulations, because I believe this builds a stronger organisation. With the implementation of EU-OPS and Safety Management Systems, I am sure my team and I are going to be kept busy."

And the best thing about being chief pilot? "You are in charge of course, isn't that what all pilots want to be?"

– Malcolm Humphries, Capital Air Charter