Chief Pilot — IAI Astra 1125/SP (1996)
Location: Indianapolis, IN
Operation: Part 91 (business/personal use; no charter)
Fleet: 1996 IAI Astra 1125/SP (Honeywell TFE731); two-pilot crew (Chief Pilot + SIC)
Utilization: 250 - 300 flight hours/year
Position Summary
The Chief Pilot is responsible for the safe, efficient, and compliant operation of the Astra 1125/SP. This role leads all flight operations, sets professional standards, manages crew training/scheduling, ensures regulatory and maintenance compliance, and serves as the primary liaison with the aircraft owner, maintenance providers, and vendors. The Chief Pilot sets the tone for safety culture, operational discipline, and exemplary service.
Reports to: Owner/Principal Direct reports: Second-in-Command (SIC) and any contract flight crew
Key Responsibilities
1) Safety, Standards & Flight Operations
- Serve as PIC; ensure strict adherence to Part 91 and company SOPs.
- Champion safety using FRAT/SMS, stabilized-approach criteria, and disciplined go/no-go decisions.
- Author and enforce the Flight Ops Manual, SOPs, checklists, EFB policies, and recordkeeping.
- Plan/execute flights (routing, alternates, fuel, performance & W&B, MEL use, occasional international).
- Manage fatigue/duty/rest; lead comprehensive pre-/post-flight briefings.
- Maintain professional airmanship (FMS proficiency, VNAV/LNAV, RVSM, high-altitude/icing).
2) Regulatory Compliance & Training
- Keep RVSM authorization and 91.411/91.413 inspections current; track due dates/paperwork.
- Oversee initial/recurrent training (FlightSafety/CAE), UPRT, emergency procedures, EFB training.
- Maintain pilot qualifications and company training files (ATP/medical, 61.57/61.58, IFR/night currency).
- Keep avionics databases/charts current (ForeFlight, Jeppesen, Universal/Collins FMS NavData).
- Monitor applicable ADs/SBs in coordination with maintenance.
3) Aircraft, Maintenance & Airworthiness
- Coordinate inspections, squawk clearance, and reliability improvements with maintenance providers.
- Collaborate on CAMP/CAMS tracking, logbooks, TT/CY reconciliation, and lifecycle planning.
- Conduct thorough pre/post-flight condition reviews; manage MEL and RTS documentation.
- Lead vendors for avionics updates, interior/exterior care, and service bulletins.
4) Crew Leadership, Scheduling & Vendor Management
- Mentor/evaluate the SIC; set performance standards and a recurrent syllabus.
- Build trip schedules balancing owner needs, safety margins, and crew rest.
- Negotiate fuel/handling/FBO services; optimize costs without compromising safety/service.
- Establish contingency plans for AOG, weather diversions, and unscheduled maintenance.
5) Administration, Budget & Owner Relations
- Prepare the annual operations budget (fuel, training, subscriptions, maintenance support, charts/EFB).
- Track KPIs (on-time departures, safety events, fuel efficiency, training completion, squawk cycle time, documentation accuracy).
- Communicate proactively on trip feasibility, risks, and cost-benefit decisions; deliver post-trip summaries.
Tools & Systems
- ForeFlight (company plan), secure document library.
- Jeppesen charts/NavData; Universal/Collins FMS updates.
- CAMP/CAMS airworthiness tracking.
- FRAT/SMS forms, training trackers, currency dashboards.
