Story ID: 
AINsight: Department of Pilot Efficiency (DOPE)
By: Stuart “Kipp” Lau
Caption: Overbearing financial scrutiny of a flight department risks increasing employee turnover and decreasing safety
Word Count: 707
It’s been more than a year since my blog post about Mr. Moneybags and one of his pilots. If you recall, this was a lesson on communicating effectively with C-level executives and high-net-worth individuals. Notably, it points out that an executive with an MBA speaks a different language than a pilot with an ATP.
The core issue from the last conversation focused on controls that the flight department established to safely operate a large corporate jet into a small airfield in the Caribbean. In the end, a concise conversation about risk reduction and decreasing operating expenses put the billionaire at ease.
Last week, I decided to check in with our friend, the corporate pilot, to see how things are going. While it’d be nice to report that everything was smooth sailing, unfortunately, it is not.
Accordingly, in January, Moneybags brought in an old business school classmate to shore up the finances across all segments of the enterprise, including the flight department. All pilot expenses are now heavily scrutinized. Internally, flight department personnel jokingly say these new cost-saving initiatives come directly from the “Department of Pilot Efficiency” (DOPE).
Untouched are the recently delivered Gulfstream G700, a helicopter at a remote island location, maintenance, training contracts, and the multimillion-dollar catering budget. Outside of those items, the entire aviation budget is under a microscope.
Moneybags’ right-hand man recently fired up the chainsaw and eliminated scheduled trips for flight department employees to go to NBAA-BACE in Las Vegas and the Bombardier Safety Standdown in Wichita. Each, according to the money watcher, was considered an unnecessary boondoggle. Certainly, Moneybags’ pal has never been to Kansas.
Flight department managers argued that these events are a must for any progressive operation and allow pilots to learn more about aircraft safety and efficiency. From OEM user group forums to safety presentations, these events can provide great value to pilots and operators alike. The networking opportunities with other pilots and managers are the icing on the cake.
More recently, an in-flight diversion due to weather created friction between the owner, his money man, and the flight department staff.
The owner—a software billionaire—became upset when the flight diverted to New Jersey’s Morristown Municipal Airport (KMMU) instead of Teterboro (KTEB), the intended destination. Based on a change in wind direction and speed associated with a thunderstorm that exceeded the tailwind limitations of the Gulfstream at KTEB, the pilots were justified in their decision.
This diversion set off a chain of undesired events, such as added time to drive to a business meeting for Mr. Moneybags and additional costs that were scrutinized by his college finance buddy.
Flight department leadership, as trusted advisors, were able to calm the owner’s concerns with a well-played discussion—framed in the principles of safety management—about identifying hazards, assessing the degree of risk, and determining the safest course of action. Put in simple terms, the flight department manager identified the hazard—a shorter runway—and the risk of landing with a tailwind that exceeded an aircraft limitation.
At KMMU, the pilots were criticized for selecting the FBO that had more expensive jet-A and expensing lunch at a fast-casual restaurant. Keep in mind the multimillion-dollar catering budget for the owner and the lack of ramp space at the other FBO—certainly a case of being pennywise and pound-foolish.
In aviation safety, there should be a balance between protection and production. For this flight department, the constant nitpicking by DOPE will ultimately, using business terms, increase employee turnover, operating expenses (training and onboarding new staff), and risk to the operation.
It’d be appropriate for the flight department leadership to intervene and have a discussion with Moneybags and his chainsaw-wielding friend to better understand all the nuanced details of safely operating a large business jet. Alternatively, for our friend, if the working environment does not improve, there is a large demand for type-rated Gulfstream pilots in business aviation.
The opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and are not necessarily endorsed by AIN Media Group.