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interpretation on this Blackbird question from traditional charter companies, the agency has been silent. The only thing we do know is that the FAA has initiated a special investigation of Blackbird but has yet to release any findings. The fact that the agency did not ban Blackbird from the skies outright offers some insight into the many questions that have arisen about the company, again, mostly from Part 135 charter companies.
Mentioned earlier, LA-based SkyRyde, founded by JB Adkins in 2014, an Embry-Riddle graduate and a pilot, spoke initially to similar battles Uber itself waged with regulators during its early years. He believes that while some incidents have occurred with Uber operations and been forgotten, “The margins for error in the air are pretty thin. It seems like every day, there’s an incident in the media involving general aviation. I don’t want \[SkyRyde\] to be a company that contributes to the stigma that general aviation is dangerous. I want to open this up so people can enjoy a safe and efficient way to get from A to B. Any pilot who wants to fly for SkyRyde,” he says, “will have to adhere to Part 135 standards.”
Adkins emphasized, “SkyRyde’s not varying from the regs at all. We’re just kind of reimagining them, trying to make our business model fit within the existing regulatory framework.” Adkins said “as an entrepreneur, I don’t wish ill on Blackbird or the founders. I think they’re trying to do something innovative.” He simply
believes “they’re undermining everything that we’ve worked to uphold in terms of safety and a passenger’s perception. It’s a little disingenuous. Right now, it seems like there’s no standard. There’s no oversight if you’re able to operate without a certificate.”
Some people believe that Blackbird isn’t holding itself out as a charter operator at all. Adkins says there’s more to the argument than just that. “A company doesn’t necessarily need to hold themselves out as Part 135. Most of the public has no idea what Part 135 means anyway.” Holding out, according to the FAA, simply means that an entity is presenting itself as a commercial air carrier operation. It doesn’t matter how they’re actually facilitating connecting people with airplanes. If a member of the unassuming public believes Blackbird to be the one conducting or facilitating commercial flights, that in and of itself is considered holding out \[to the public\].
At the moment, Adkins sees Blackbird like a dog chasing its tail. For the aircraft owner considering leasing their airplane to a company like Blackbird, the best advice right now might be buyer beware. KA
Rob Mark is a business aviation pilot, journalist and flight instructor. He also publishes the award-winning industry blog, Jetwhine.com.
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18 • KING AIR MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2019