Welcome to the second episode of the Serious About Safety Podcast from the Air Charter Safety Foundation. In this episode, Hiring the Right Pilot: Beyond Flight Hours, we explore how pilot hiring decisions shape the safety of a flight operation—and what operators should consider beyond a résumé.
Join ACSF host Larry Soles and guest Tyler Flagg, founder and CEO of Flying Company, as they discuss practical approaches to pilot evaluation and the value of feedback after the flight. Drawing on his military and business aviation experience, Flagg shares his “whole pilot” approach, which considers regulatory qualifications, insurance requirements, relevant experience, professionalism, and safety practices. Whether you are an aircraft owner, chief pilot, scheduler, or safety professional, this conversation offers useful questions to bring back to your operation.
Finding the right person becomes more challenging when a trip is approaching and time is limited. Flagg discusses the gaps that can appear when hiring relies on informal recommendations or a pilot’s availability without a consistent evaluation process. Soles explains the value of maintaining relationships with pilots an organization has already vetted and flown with. They also consider the coordination involved in contract staffing and why leaders should ask their teams where that work creates friction.
The conversation continues beyond the hiring decision to what happens during and after an assignment. Clear company expectations help an incoming pilot understand how the operation works, while feedback from both contract and company pilots can reveal opportunities to improve. Flagg describes how an outside perspective can bring attention to habits that have become routine, and Soles emphasizes the importance of actively requesting that feedback and doing something useful with it. Together, they make the case for discussing staffing, scheduling, and operational expectations before the next urgent situation develops.
Listen now and join the conversation.
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