Warbird Information Exchange

Okay, this is going to be a bit of an odd post, but I've not figured out where else to put it.

I work Private Security right now and I had an interesting thought come up in a discussion with some other pilot and aviation friends. In the State of Texas, to provide personal security, you have to be certified by the state to do it by completing the prior 2 levels of training (approx. 50 hours and a range qualification with a firearm) and then take the 15 hour Level IV "Personal Protection Officer" course. With this certification you can work for an individual or company as a bodyguard. The question then came up - as part of your job is to provide transportation for the protected individual(s), would you be required to have a Commercial Pilot License to fly as required crew on an aircraft while being their bodyguard? I'm not necessarily talking a bizjet. I'm more talking about maybe an individual or small company that might have like a Cessna 210 or 340 as the company aircraft.

The way I understand the regulation and since I'm being paid to provide them personal protection and not flight services; I wouldn't necessarily need to be a Commercial Pilot since I'm not being reimbursed for that as long as I held the proper ratings to operate that aircraft. I was hoping that some of the more experienced and knowledgeable people on here might be able to give me a more "definitive" answer.

Are you saying you'd be left seat on the company plane while being employed as personal security, and would these flights be for business or for your boss's personal trips?

Steve

Yes, you would be flying PIC. As for the nature of the flight, it could be either and both at the same time (which is part of the complexities of corporate aviation). Personal Security is typically provided whenever the person is outside their house (and even then, it's sometimes provided even when they're home), so the line between when you're providing security and when you're not can be a bit hard to define.

I think it will boil down to the purpose of each flight. If there are others on board besides you and the boss, and their reasons for being there.

Steve