Flying on Business

Much of general aviation activity in piston-powered airplanes is for recreation-the proverbial $100 hamburger ($1000?) on nice sunny weekends. Still, there are many general aviation pilots who fly-using the technical phrase-for the furtherance of business. Were not talking banner tows, flight instruction, skydiving, or true commercial endeavors. Furtherance of business denotes those operations that are only incidental to that business or employment. (14 CFR 61.113)

dboyd

Tuesday, May 15, 2018 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

General aviation flights undertaken for business, despite being flown by experienced pilots, have a disproportionately high fatal accident rate (33%) compared to overall GA (15%), largely due to pressures from tight schedules and "goal seduction."
Key factors contributing to these accidents include insufficient instrument proficiency, disregard for regulations (e.g., flying into hazardous weather or icing), and the unaddressed effects of fatigue from demanding workdays.
To enhance safety, pilots should prioritize rigorous instrument proficiency beyond minimums, actively manage fatigue, understand the limitations of cockpit technology for weather avoidance, and resist the "get-there-itis" mindset by prioritizing safety over schedule.

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Much of general aviation activity in piston-powered airplanes is for recreation—the proverbial $100 hamburger ($1000?) on nice sunny weekends. Still, there are many general aviation pilots who fly—using the technical phrase—”for the furtherance of business.” We’re not talking banner tows, flight instruction, skydiving, or true commercial endeavors. “Furtherance of business” denotes those operations that are only “incidental to that business or employment.” (14 CFR 61.113)

A typical example is using your bird to travel to a business meeting. According to the 2016 annual general aviation survey conducted by the FAA, one in five piston-powered aircraft flights are for such a mission.