3 ms·

If I had finally made a billion dollars, getting on a rented helicopter with a rented pilot seems like the last thing I'd want to do. Unless I personally found

If I had finally made a billion dollars, getting on a rented helicopter with a rented pilot seems like the last thing I'd want to do. Unless I personally found the best helicopter pilot ever, and found the most trustworthy set of helicopter mechanics to double check each other's work, you couldn't get me on that thing.

svnt 3y ago
Billionaires typically keep pilots on staff and pay them full-time. These pilots only work for the wealthy or maybe corporate clients and have a nice ratio. Maintenance crews I‘m speculating but in these sorts of situations there are usually a select few companies who are known in that world.
- nicenewtemp84 3y ago
  Pilots yes, but when you travel nationwide or international, your local helicopter can't make it. So other than your main office location and home, you're probably just chartering a pilot and helicopter. Statistically I'm sure it's ok, but my gut says I wouldn't do it. I also don't let my friends drive if we're going anywhere either.
  - lostcolony 3y ago
    I feel like San Francisco, and in general, the Bay area, is the sort of place a billionaire could rationalize maintaining a crew.
prepend 3y ago
If I’m a billionaire, what’s an extra $600-1200k for 2-4 helicopter pilots to be rotationally on call at all times of day for immediate response? I mean, there are netjets for helicopters if I want to save money. But we’re talking about buying a building for $250M and refurbishing, why skimp on a million per year for pilots?
- nicenewtemp84 3y ago
  The rental pilots are the exact thing I'm worried about. Your life is in their hands to an extreme level in a helicopter, as well as the mechanic. The biggest psychopath I ever met with a decent drug habit (opiates) got fired from 3 companies over the years I knew of, although hesitantly because he's a likable guy (as long as the psycho doesn't set his target on you). He's now a pilot, instructing other pilots in training for money, until he lands a corporate gig or with an airline. You do not want that guy in charge of your life. And while these people exist everywhere, I don't think you're ever more at risk of being hurt by one than in a helicopter in one. It requires a lot of the person, and you just don't know if the person in the seat is trustworthy. If I made billions, I wouldn't risk it.
  - lostcolony 3y ago
    The parent wasn't suggesting a rental pilot, but a salaried, on call pilot. As in, "You. I have fully vetted you. I have spoken with you. I will pay you hundreds of thousands of dollars to live near the airport just to fly me where/when I want you to. I have two others just like you, so that all of you can still have lives as I rotate between you. Because the 1.2 million it costs me per year as a multi-billionaire is not even perceptible to me, being like a normal person paying 100 bucks a year, and the convenience to me is huge".
    - prepend 3y ago
      Yes, that’s exactly what I intended. Hiring 3-4 pilots who would work 40 hours per week just sitting around waiting for me. Being tested to make sure their skills are high. Although I suppose if I was paying $1.2M in rental pilots they would be absolutely amazing and not the junkie that GP described. I still think like a poor, working class person rather than like a billionaire where $1M/year is literally the equivalent of a few hundred dollars for me. I read a book by Douglas Coupland (I think it was All Families are Psychotic but not sure) where a super rich person goes to a restaurant and orders every dish on the menu. He then tries them and eats one and throws the rest away. His guest was so perplexed and he explained that what’s $1000-2000 for a meal. It doesn’t matter. What’s inconceivable to me is common to some. And there’s probably someone out there that feels the same about me. In that there are countries with $1k GDP and people making $2/day. So I make 1000x just like billionaires make 1000x my own.

svnt 3y ago

Billionaires typically keep pilots on staff and pay them full-time. These pilots only work for the wealthy or maybe corporate clients and have a nice ratio. Maintenance crews I‘m speculating but in these sorts of situations there are usually a select few companies who are known in that world.

nicenewtemp84 3y ago
Pilots yes, but when you travel nationwide or international, your local helicopter can't make it. So other than your main office location and home, you're probably just chartering a pilot and helicopter. Statistically I'm sure it's ok, but my gut says I wouldn't do it. I also don't let my friends drive if we're going anywhere either.
- lostcolony 3y ago
  I feel like San Francisco, and in general, the Bay area, is the sort of place a billionaire could rationalize maintaining a crew.

prepend 3y ago

If I’m a billionaire, what’s an extra $600-1200k for 2-4 helicopter pilots to be rotationally on call at all times of day for immediate response? I mean, there are netjets for helicopters if I want to save money. But we’re talking about buying a building for $250M and refurbishing, why skimp on a million per year for pilots?

nicenewtemp84 3y ago
The rental pilots are the exact thing I'm worried about. Your life is in their hands to an extreme level in a helicopter, as well as the mechanic. The biggest psychopath I ever met with a decent drug habit (opiates) got fired from 3 companies over the years I knew of, although hesitantly because he's a likable guy (as long as the psycho doesn't set his target on you). He's now a pilot, instructing other pilots in training for money, until he lands a corporate gig or with an airline. You do not want that guy in charge of your life. And while these people exist everywhere, I don't think you're ever more at risk of being hurt by one than in a helicopter in one. It requires a lot of the person, and you just don't know if the person in the seat is trustworthy. If I made billions, I wouldn't risk it.
- lostcolony 3y ago
  The parent wasn't suggesting a rental pilot, but a salaried, on call pilot. As in, "You. I have fully vetted you. I have spoken with you. I will pay you hundreds of thousands of dollars to live near the airport just to fly me where/when I want you to. I have two others just like you, so that all of you can still have lives as I rotate between you. Because the 1.2 million it costs me per year as a multi-billionaire is not even perceptible to me, being like a normal person paying 100 bucks a year, and the convenience to me is huge".
  - prepend 3y ago
    Yes, that’s exactly what I intended. Hiring 3-4 pilots who would work 40 hours per week just sitting around waiting for me. Being tested to make sure their skills are high. Although I suppose if I was paying $1.2M in rental pilots they would be absolutely amazing and not the junkie that GP described. I still think like a poor, working class person rather than like a billionaire where $1M/year is literally the equivalent of a few hundred dollars for me. I read a book by Douglas Coupland (I think it was All Families are Psychotic but not sure) where a super rich person goes to a restaurant and orders every dish on the menu. He then tries them and eats one and throws the rest away. His guest was so perplexed and he explained that what’s $1000-2000 for a meal. It doesn’t matter. What’s inconceivable to me is common to some. And there’s probably someone out there that feels the same about me. In that there are countries with $1k GDP and people making $2/day. So I make 1000x just like billionaires make 1000x my own.