Dear sl7-ga
Thank you for another interesting challenge, and for your patience in
awaiting an answer. Although it was a bit more difficult this time
around, in the end I think you'll be pleased with the field of
qualified candidates I was able to locate for you. Responses are still
trickling in, but I'll go ahead and give you what I have, as I think
it is adequate for your stated needs. Should an exceptionally
outstanding candidate contact me after the answer is posted, I'll add
a clarification with the information.
However, in case you haven't already heard the news, it has just been
announced that Google Answers is being discontinued as a service. No
new questions will be posted after today, nor new answers after the
end of December. I do not know how long answers will remain posted
online, so I would suggest you save any information from this or any
of your other questions that you would like to keep permanently.
All right, as to this answer, you'll see I have condensed and
summarized the information rather than posting full resumes, so if I
have missed anything, you can ask the individual candidate(s) for
further detail if/when you contact them. They are all eager to provide
you with any information and/or references you need. But let me know
if you don't see something you expected and I will try to post it or
find out the answer if I don't know. Also, if any of the email links
are broken, please let me know so I can check my records for accuracy.
Without further ado then, below are the candidates I would recommend
from among those who responded to my search. They include those who
could fill either or both positions. I have been in direct contact
with them all and list them and their contact details with permission.
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FRANK J. BERNHARD
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Although this candidate doesn't maintain a residence in Las Vegas,
I've placed him at the top of the list for several reasons. Please
read on. I think you'll see why.
Based in Sacramento, CA he is currently working with another
owner-pilot, also located in Las Vegas, and divides his time between
SMF and LAS, occasionally arriving/departing from VGT as an alternate.
He is an hour away from Las Vegas by air, and can be there with a
day's notice. He is familiar with IFR procedures at both LAS and VGT.
In fact, he remarked that the Northtown.One DP is unusual as it
requires tracking a northbound radial via DME from LAS and course
reversal to cross the LAS VORTAC for departure control. Sounds like
good practice to me!
Mr. Bernhard is an ATP, CFI-CFII-MEI with 1st Class unrestricted
current medical, has more than 10,000 total hours and has been flying
for 18 years. He is CE-500 type rated with single pilot exemption, and
has 750 hours experience in the 500 family of aircraft, including the
501 and 501-SP.
In addition, he is a Platinum CSI (Cirrus Standardized Instructor)
with approximately 1150 hours of dual instruction given, split between
the SR-20 and SR-22. In 2005 he spent two weeks with a client in their
Cirrus, operating from VGT specifically for IFR training. Here is a
link to the Cirrus Design standardized instruction program if you're
interested: http://cirrusdesign.com/CSIP/ It speaks well for the
qualifications of any CFI who completes it. In fact, you can locate
Mr. Bernhard through the Cirrus locator tool, one of only two Platinum
instructors west of the Mississippi, the other being in Utah.
I know you said you didn't need an instructor for the Cirrus safety
pilot position. However, Mr. Bernhard has not only excellent
credentials overall, but an unusual and hard-to-find combination of
experience in both the Citation and the Cirrus that in my opinion
would be of extraordinary usefulness to you. Contact him by email at
fjbernhard@yahoo.com
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GORDON MOSS
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Mr. Moss has over 10,000 total hours, and is currently flying a
737-800 for 60-80 hrs. per month. However, he is CE-500 type rated,
with approximately 100 PIC hours in type. He is a CFI/MEI (current),
though not CFII. But he has been flying out of KVGT for over fifteen
years, lives just ten minutes from the airport, and is clearly
familiar with local procedures. He mentioned that IFR practice used to
be quite a challenge in the area until KVGT got an ILS, which now
makes things a lot easier - no need to get up before the sun to shoot
approaches before LAS gets busy!
As to availability, he says he is at home in Las Vegas about 18 days
per month, and foresees no difficulty working with your proposed
twice-weekly schedule. He can schedule a number of weeks in advance
according to your needs and preference. You can contact him at
jettpylot1@earthlink.net .
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LINDA MAE DRAPER
==================
Although not currently residing in the immediate Las Vegas vicinity,
this candidate is nevertheless very familiar with the area, with KVGT
and KLAS, and with local ATC procedures due to her former residence
there, and her experience making numerous cross country flights
to/from the area on various missions, including flying around the
state for the Nevada Department of Wildlife and as a Citation II
contract co-pilot. She also has regular access to an instrument
trainer with which to re-familiarize herself as necessary with the
local IFR environment.
Currently located in the Reno area, she is available on short notice
and willing and able to arrange her own transportation to Las Vegas as
well as to stay there for extended periods or even to move. She is
familiar with the area, and noted that there are at least a dozen
flights a day between Reno and Las Vegas.
Ms. Draper is an ATP/CFII/MEI with well over 7,500 hours and IS CE-500
type rated. Her ratings include not only ASEL/AMEL but also Sea and
Glider, and she's a glider instructor as well. Her Citation recurrency
training is fresh, as is her CFII recurrency, as of March and April
2006 respectively. She has given over 4,000 hours of dual instruction
and mentioned taking one person from start through all ratings up to
and including advanced type rating in the Pilatus PC-12.
Her rates are reasonable and she is available as described above after
the first of the year, having some interim obligations. But after
that, she says she's ready to drop everything to come fly with you!
She's confident in her ability to fill both positions, though with the
understanding that her Citation hours are still on the low side.
Nevertheless you can see she is very qualified. You can email her at
info@nifti.com
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AL RIONI
==========
This 7,000+ hour ATP (since 1974) and CFI-G has been flying most of
his life, and is exceptionally experienced and capable, having spent a
long career as a corporate pilot. He hasn't been flying professionally
in some years due to family obligations, but has maintained his flight
currency in smaller single-engine airplanes, has a current 2d Class
medical (with capability of upgrading to 1st Class), and flies often
to stay sharp. He's made a point of keeping up with changes in the
system, and currently lives in Las Vegas.
While not type-rated in the Citation, he has nevertheless logged over
500 hours SIC in the past in CE-500/550 aircraft, and had begun work
on the type rating, which was interrupted when he left the company he
was with at the time. While working there, however, he says that due
to his experience, reputation and having more flight time than most of
the CE captains, he was often deferred to and frequently became a 'de
facto' captain in tight situations.
His IFR experience is also extensive, though he would require some
brushing up to familiarize himself with local procedures at KVGT and
KLAS. Still, I include him for the same reason those young captains
sought out his help - his skills and long experience. Since you are
typed in your Citation, which is certified for single pilot, it
wouldn't be absolutely necessary for your safety pilot to be type
rated as well nor a CFI, at least not for just flying safety pilot,
and so I thought Mr. Rioni would be an excellent candidate to include.
He is, of course, also well suited for the Cirrus right seat job, and
is interested in either or both. His contact email is FLYAEROAL@cs.com
.
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MIKE MOHAUPT
==============
This CFI/CFII has recently graduated from University of North Dakota
with a Bachelor's Degree in Aviation, and is currently on staff as a
Flight Instructor at West Air Aviation in North Las Vegas, a flight
school located at KVGT. If you'd like to check out their roster of
instructors, click on this link, then on "Instructors" at top left:
http://www.westairaviation.com/nlvopeningpg.htm He is also a safety
pilot for Las Vegas Bio Diesel in their Cessna 414.
Though young and not as experienced as some of the older pilots, Mr.
Mohaupt is nevertheless very qualified to fly right seat safety pilot
in your Cirrus. Actually, he has experience in a Cirrus SR-20 in which
he completed the CFII add-on rating to his CFI, and has received
Cirrus-specific training from a Cirrus Design IP. I think this gives
him an edge over a candidate who has no Cirrus experience at all.
Also, as he pointed out, his degree-related studies have given him
opportunities for instruction and training in some less common areas,
such as high altitude chamber training. And, as a recent graduate, his
knowledge and training are fresh, which can often be a distinct
advantage.
As a local, VGT-based CFII, Mr. Mohaupt is very familiar with local
procedures and also has access to a simulator where he can review them
any time. Currently he flies about 100 hrs. per month, which means he
has the time to accommodate your needs, and is flexible as to
scheduling. He is very enthusiastic, and eager to hear from you. You
can contact him at mike.mohaupt@gmail .
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THIERRY MAIOLI
================
Mr. Maioli is an ATP and experienced CFII with over 2700 hours total
time in aircraft ranging from glider to turboprop. His hours include
1600 hours dual instruction, and his CFI and BFR are both current.
He's a Frenchman, U.S. licensed, with current U.S. Alien Registration
(green card) and lives just one mile from KVGT. He says he speaks with
an accent but is understandable, and that he speaks better than he
writes. If that's the case, then his English is excellent!
He is very qualified to fly right seat safety pilot with you in your
Cirrus. His time is very flexible, he's quite willing to accommodate
your needs with regard to scheduling and is eager to hear from you.
Contact him at thierrymaioli@hotmail.com .
===============
COLIN OGILVIE
===============
Last but not least, I'm including Mr. Ogilvie even though he's not
located anywhere near Las Vegas. But he'd sure like to be, if you were
interested in using his services, and he says he'd be glad to move.
But I'm not including him only because of his eager enthusiasm, but
also because of his indepth experience. He's an ATP (MEL/SEL),
CFII/MEI who is CE-500 typed, current and very experienced, with over
23,000 total hours, including 6,000 Citation hours in C525S, C550, and
C560XL.
You may recall Mr. Ogilvie's name as I had included him among the
candidates to fly with you out of your Florida location. I don't know
if you ever got in touch with him or not. I believe he was then flying
in Saudi Arabia. At the moment he's in Slovenia, but is responsive to
email, and seems exceptionally flexible as to where and when he can
and will fly. He's a UK citizen with valid and current U.S. Alien
Registration (green card) and eminently capable on many counts. More
details of his qualifications are at your previous question, here:
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=539144
His only deficiency, if you can call it that, would be his lack of
immediate familiarity with your current environment at KVGT. However,
I'm quite certain that with his extensive experience, he would have no
trouble whatsoever quickly getting up to speed on the local IFR
environment, and helping you do the same, while providing an
exceptionally experienced cockpit companion for either instruction or
right seat safety pilot. Contact him at COgilviema@aol.com .
#######################################################################
Thank you very much for this further opportunity to assist you. I'm so
sorry this will be the last question of yours I'll be able to answer
here, but I'm glad to have had the chance. As always, I enjoyed the
hunt, and am hopeful that from among these eminently qualified
candidates you will find at least one with whom you can work, perhaps
more than one. Please let me know if any links don't work, or if I've
left something out that you expected to see. I wish you the very best
of luck in your new location, and many happy hours of flying.
Kindest regards,
Byrd-ga
Search strategy:
As before, I began by locating instructors in Las Vegas via the
instructor database at AOPA http://www.aopa.org I then emailed all of
them, briefly outlining what I was looking for. I initially got a few
responses, but not as many as I'd hoped for, so
I then set up, also as before, accounts on a number of pilot job sites, including
http://www.climbto350.com
http://www.findapilot.com
http://www.flitejobs.com
http://www.avianation.com
These were a little more successful in attracting the attention of
qualified candidates, but it still required quite a bit of time and
weeding to find those who not only filled the bill flight
experience-wise, but also were in or near the Las Vegas area.
Ultimately there were quite a few emails back and forth, and I
narrowed the field to those listed. Should you wish to expand your
search to include other areas, please post a Request for Clarification
(if you are still able to) and I'll pass along several other names.
P.S. Here's the link to the other question I answered for you, just in
case you don't have it and would like to find/save it while it is
still available: http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=534539 |
