At Rotex Helicopter AG in Liechtenstein, chief pilot Michael Spörri is also post holder for flight operations. As chief pilot, he is responsible for recruiting pilots, training, licensing, monitoring duty and flight time. Flight operations involves the supervision of the sales and project managers, and ensuring that a job is carried out in accordance with the law.  Additional duties as ground manager mean that Spörri recruits flight assistants and monitors their training and education.  Five pilots are organised over a monthly duty plan, ensuring the continuous availability of pilots and that each pilot can enjoy their own free time. 

According to Spörri, Switzerland is unique in that national law dictates an External Cargo Sling programme. "If a pilot starts a career with Rotex Helicopter they must have at least ECS 4," he says. "After K1200 Rating (in the USA) they will be supervised for 100 hours on the job by a qualified Kamax pilot, usually the chief pilot." Rotex Helicopter has operated two Kaman Kamax helicopters since 1994.  

The company has received some unusual applications from would-be pilots. "I got an application from a guy who wanted a job as a co-pilot on the Kamax – which has only one seat – and another application from someone with a "Zeppelin" rating."  From a personal perspective, Spörri enjoys logging and construction work. "To fly sling loads is an everyday challenge and to fly in the Swiss and European alps needs a good understanding of the weather. Situations can change very quickly," he explains. 

"And of course I love to fly the Kamax because you definitely have to understand this helicopter. It is like walking the dog. If you fight against the Kamax it will fight back." 

Executive Airlines in Spain is composed of several fleets and Joaquim Salvador Roca is operations manager and chief pilot. He takes responsibility for the coordination of flight operations, instruction, flight dispatch and everyday incidents related to operations. 

In collaboration with ground operations, Roca manages the schedules of a sizeable team of 50 pilots daily when there are relevant changes, or monthly. "We have to update our pilots' documentation, we also control and coordinate both their training and flight hours to observe regulations," says Roca. 

"Our training standards are higher than the legal requirements to cover the demands of our customers."  A new Gulfstream 200 has joined the Executive Airlines fleet, following a decision making process that included Roca's department. Roca himself is captain of a Falcon 900EX which he flies regularly.

Before joining Executive Airlines 11 years ago, Roca worked for several airlines with different responsibilities and has flown many different jets. 

Those years of experience have shown Roca many things. "As our company operates all over the world, I have been greatly surprised by the operation in some far countries. In this profession, you need to learn on an everyday basis and face new challenges." 

Gerry Rolls is chief pilot at FlairJet, a Phenom 100/300 business jet operator based at London Oxford Airport. Since the summer the company has one of its two Phenom 300s based out of Cannes and with more Phenoms set to join the fleet, it is currently recruiting more pilots.

Rolls explains that the chief pilot of FlairJet is not a nominated post holder position as such, although he does hold the flight ops and training post holder positions.

"The chief pilot is a line manager role for the line pilots, with responsibility for HR, contracts and discipline." 

FlairJet currently employs 16 pilots rostered in accordance with CAP371 at least two weeks prior to the start of a new roster period. Says Rolls: "It is probably the most challenging part of keeping the business operational, but luckily for me the responsibility for rostering comes under ground operations." 

With his director of training hat on, Rolls is responsible for ensuring all initial and recurrent training for the flight crew is completed to a satisfactory standard before being released on the line.

"My mission is to ensure that all the training we deliver in-house or provided by third party organisations is relevant to our operation," he says. 

"There are too many generic courses out there that just tick EU-OPS boxes for my liking. For instance, we have secured an original set of Phenom 100 seats with which we are planning to build a fire and smoke cabin training rig. There are plenty of airport fire stations offering training with jumbo sized training rigs but what about carrying out the training in a rig representative of the size of aircraft that we are actually using?"

Aircraft selection at FlairJet is something the entire management team is involved in. "We regularly assess the pros and cons of various types so that we can be ready to move quickly if an opportunity presents itself. Most recently we have been involved in adding the Phenom 300 to the AOC but since then we have prepared applications for a number of larger types."

Rolls started his flying career as a cadet pilot for Air Atlantique in Coventry. "After painting many offices and cutting lots of grass, I completed my studies and flying training for the frozen ATPL in 1997. During my time with AAQ I flew lots of different types including DC-3, Metroliner, Citation and ATR-42/72. I also gained TRI/TRE rating for the Metroliner and Citation." 

After 11 years he joined British Mediterannean, flying the Airbus A-320/321 to the Middle East and Africa. The company was bought by BMI and Rolls stayed with BMI for a year or so during which time the opportunity to set up FlairJet arose. 

When it comes to job satisfaction, Rolls says: "I enjoy the training. From completing a newly rated pilot's initial circuits and landings, line training them and then seeing them put their training into practice during the biannual simulator sessions – there is a terrific sense of satisfaction. I also enjoy the Phenom delivery flights from Brazil.  "I fly too much to be honest. I just can't help it!" 

Joakim Kalijarvi is nominated chief pilot with Hastens Sangar AB and come September will be also act as training manager for a European AOC. "My most important task is to keep my aircraft fit for flight, my pilots and staff up-to-date and to do it as cost-efficiently as possible." 

As chief pilot on the Citation X, has has two full-time pilots and one pilot as a back-up part-time. 

Kalijarvi says: "On the training side we have contracted FlightSafety which means we are in the US twice a year for a week at the time, so we are providing training well beyond the requirements stipulated in EU OPS." 

The chief pilot at Hastens Sangar is responsible for selecting aircraft and the latest addition was a Citation X which Kalijarvi flies almost every week.

Kalijarvi's aviation background includes corporate aviation, flying the Learjet 55 and Citation 501/551. "I am also rated on the Learjet 45 and I have flown cargo and domestic regular traffic with the BAe ATP/Jetstream 61. I was previously a chief flight instructor in one of Europe's largest flight training organisations and CFI and CGI for West Air Sweden," he says.

"Nowadays I fly commercially with the Citation X. My ratings and licence are FAA and JAA ATPL and I am rated on the Citation."

Since 2000, Karl Ratcliffe has been the nominated post holder as chief pilot at London Executive Aviation (LEA), one of Europe's largest business jet charter operators.

LEA has grown consistently since its founding in 1996 with two small piston aircraft, and throughout much of that expansion Ratcliffe combined his chief pilot's position with the role of chief training captain. Now, with LEA operating a fleet of 24 jets for charter, he focuses exclusively on the chief pilot role.

Ratcliffe says: "My primary task each day is to liaise with and support my team, responding to everyone from fleet managers to individual pilots. We currently employ 71 flight crew and that number is rising. Given such growth, I cannot directly manage everybody, so I now have a team of fleet managers – one person for each of the aircraft types we fly – who report to me but directly manage their own fleet and crew."

He believes that communication is the most fundamental tool needed to ensure pilots are able to carry out their work on a day-to-day basis. "Beyond that, my responsibilities are very wide-ranging, from checking relevant new publications and proposed amendments through to involvement in matters of recruitment, training, promotions and new business."

"I am also closely involved in selecting new aircraft. We have enjoyed excellent experiences operating Cessna jets, from Mustangs to Excels, but we are increasingly adding larger, longer-range aircraft to our fleet, such as the Legacy 600/650, the Falcon 900EX and the Challenger 300."

Ratcliffe spent 15 years as an engineer before deciding to fulfil his teenage passion for flying. Having secured his private pilot licence, he gained his commercial licence at Oxford Air Training School before making his way to start up LEA in 1996. "I still fly for LEA, which I think is good for team morale and helps me keep in direct contact with crew – aware of their concerns and responding to their questions. I like to think anyone can approach me on any matter. I always seek to offer advice so that we train our pilots far beyond the statutory requirements. In fact, I'd say the best and most rewarding part of my job is teaching young, low-houred pilots and watching them achieve their goals."

ABS Jets has bases in Prague and Bratislava and recently reached an agreement with Avcon Jet that will result in the opening of an Embraer line maintenance station at Kiev Boryspil airport.

Chief pilot and flight operations manager Stefan Kukura manages to put in around 300 flying hours a year and provides an advisory service for owners looking to acquire an aircraft, the most recent being an Embraer 600.

According to Kukura his everyday duties can involve, among many other things, flight operations, issuing and updating the company operations manual, approving necessary procedures for flight operations, verifying crew qualifications, evaluating safety and economic effectiveness and ensuring current maps and charts are available.

Twenty-seven pilots and 12 flight attendants are coordinated by crew control department, with training organised by the crew training manager and his deputy. ABS Jets' long list of training items and training programmes are approved by CAA and published in the ops manual, part D.

Examples include special C airports simulator trainings, P-RNAV, winter operations and procedures standardisation training.

Says Kukura: "Our target is to increase the standard of training procedures, we are developing our own training programmes. In our team we have several instructors for different types to ensure the highest quality of training."

Kukura's more than 10,000 logged hours began as a business aviation pilot 25 years ago, over which time he has gained experience with the King Air, Citation Bravo, Hawker 800 and Embraer Legacy 600.

Flying is just the start of it

Among the many and varied duties a chief pilot may be required to carry out are:

• Safe flying!
• Flight crew recruitment
• Verifying crew qualifications
• Providing or ensuring recurrent training
• Supervising cabin crew
• Monitoring flight operations
• Issuing and updating the company operations manual
• Ensuring ground facilities and services are provided
• Ensuring aircraft meets requirements for the planned operations
• Ensuring current maps and charts are available
• Determining the suitability of airports, identifying restrictions and implementing special procedures
• Managing suppliers
• Evaluating safety and economic effectiveness
• Cooperating with financial, HR, sales and operations departments.