Sol Aerial Surveys — Anywhere
Position Summary:
The Chief Pilot serves as a pivotal leadership position at Sol Aerial Surveys, reporting directly to the Director of Flight Operations and overseeing a team of line pilots, the Assistant Chief Pilot, and the Company Trainer. This role owns the people's side of flight operations: the performance, training, and standardization of every Sol line pilot, in alignment with the company's Core Values — Safety; Your Success is Our Success; Integrity; and The Little Things Matter.
The Chief Pilot manages day-to-day line flying, personally delivers initial and recurrent training, fills open lines when staffing gaps occur, and serves in the Flight Operations Manager-on-Duty (MOD) rotation. The Chief Pilot holds operational authority over line flight crews. Sol's operations systems compute show and go times, grade compliance, and produce scorecards and pilot-data reports; the Chief Pilot receives those outputs and acts on them with pilots through coaching, training, standards changes, and progressive discipline. Hiring, promotions, discipline and firing are done in conjunction with the Director of Flight Operations. The role requires extensive collaboration with pilots, maintenance teams, clients, and other stakeholders to support operational excellence and a strong safety culture. Work with ATC facilities and other controlling agencies to support capture in a variety of areas throughout the countries we are working.
Essential Functions:
These essential functions include, but are not limited to, the following. Additional essential functions may be identified and included by the Company.
Pilot Leadership and Performance
Manage the day-to-day conduct of line flying and crew performance across the fleet.Evaluate pilot performance using pilot-data tracking entries, scorecard trends, standardized (“Mirror”) scoring, and direct observation; work each performance item requiring Chief Pilot action to closure.Drive the hiring process, recommend hiring, advancement, tier movement, and termination of line pilots to the Director of Flight Operations; tier movement at end of tour is decided jointly with the DFO.Lead the weekly Pilot meeting and issue the weekly recap to the flight department.Brief crews on policy changes and Company Directives; own read-and-initial completion.Maintain pilot records — certificates, medicals, currency, and training files — and complete the annual verification of pilot qualification and currency data.Training (Initial, Recurrent, and Instrument Currency)
Own the training program end to end: new-hire initial training in the Cessna 310, recurrent training cadence, and delivery of the Instrument Currency Program.Personally conduct initial training events, line checks, proficiency observations, and base visits; serve as the primary check airman, with the Assistant Chief Pilot and Company Trainer delivering under the Chief Pilot's program.Coordinate trainee advancement to Probationary Pilot status jointly with the Company Trainer and the Director of Flight Operations.Support fleet expansion by building and delivering the Cessna 208 Caravan training track as additional 208s join the fleet.Staffing Coverage (Flying Reserve)
Fill open lines when rotation gaps occur (pilot departures, illness, or training pipelines running behind); when deployed, fly as a line Pilot-in-Command under the same duty rules as any pilot.Coordinate coverage weeks with the Director of Flight Operations so the MOD schedule is rebalanced before deployment.Manage the Staffed Aircraft percentage with the Flight Operations Managers and flag structural staffing shortfalls before they become coverage emergencies.Flight Operations Manager on Duty (MOD)
Serve as Flight Ops MOD per the published schedule, including at least one weekend per month: take assigned-band FRAT calls, make weather go/no-go calls, approve duty extensions and breaks, monitor launch windows, and respond to flight-following alerts during assigned blocks.Train and monitor the Assistant Chief Pilot in the Flight Ops MOD role.Safety and Standards
Promote the Safety Management System (SMS): encourage reporting, participate in the Safety Review Board, and hold Moderate-tier risk-acceptance authority with the Safety Manager.Own the Stage 3 form archive and the FRAT record cycle; review pilot receipts, expenses, and VOR-check records on the weekly cadence, acting on flags raised by the operations reporting layer.Collect and review flight data to spot trends and vulnerabilities, and recommend changes to flight operations and training processes to ensure the highest level of safety.Supervisory Duties and Responsibilities:
Evaluate and monitor pilot performance; mentor and teach line pilots, the Assistant Chief Pilot, and Lead Trainer.Recommend hiring, firing, advancement, promotion, or any other change of status for the Company's pilots.Conduct proficiency checks with new and existing pilots.Ensure pilots comply with safety practices and company and client policies at all times.Assist in monitoring and developing Standard Operating Procedures for all aspects of the job.Oversee pilots on deployment to ensure company and client objectives are met and records are properly maintained.Coordinate schedules with pilots and other departments to ensure aircraft and pilot availability.Other Duties: Sol Aerial Surveys:
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
Professional Requirements:
Minimum of 1,500 hours total time, with multi-engine experience commensurate with the role.Demonstrated proficiency in at least one company airframe (Cessna 310R or Cessna 208).FAA Class 2 Medical or higher.SMS training appropriate to the role, or completion within 90 days of hire.Legal right to work in the United States; current passport (required for Canada operations).Safety-first mentality and professional demeanor; adaptable to last-minute changes in schedule, weather, maintenance, and client needs.Preferred Qualifications:
Minimum of 2,000 hours total time (Highly Preferred).Cessna 208 / Caravan time (Highly Preferred).Previous training or instructional experience (Preferred).FAA Certified Flight Instructor (CFI), Instrument (CFII), and/or Multi-Engine (MEI), with 500+ hours dual given.Prior aerial survey experience.Prior Part 91 management experience.500+ hours in twin Cessnas.Background in safety operations or SMS administration.License/Certification:
FAA Commercial Pilot Certificate — Single-Engine and Multi-Engine Land, with Instrument rating (Required).Physical Requirements:
These physical requirements are not exhaustive, and additional job-related physical requirements may be added on an as-needed basis. Corrective devices may be used to meet physical requirements.
Physical Exertion: May be required to lift up to approximately 50 pounds.Vision: Requirements of this job include close and distant vision.Speaking/Hearing: Ability to give and receive information through speaking and listening sufficient for radio and instruction duties.Motor Coordination: Frequently required to stand, walk, sit, use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, tools or controls, and reach with hands and arms; periodically required to talk and hear; occasionally required to climb or balance.Next Steps
Fill out the required information below.Use the link provided to complete our PI assessment: https://assessment.predictiveindex.com/bo/2GT7/ChiefPilot_August#page0Once you have completed the PI assessment, you will receive an email from noreply@mailer.predictiveindex.com that will allow you to take the cognitive test. It is highly suggested to try the sample questions before taking the actual test. You will receive a completion email from predictiveindex.com, once you have finished the cognitive test.Note: We need both the PI and cognitive assessments completed before we will review your application submission. If there are issues, please reach out to damian@solaerialsurveys.com for support.
We are much more interested in bringing in the right person, so even if your background doesn't quite match, we would still love to hear from you!
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $85,000.00 - $115,000.00 per year
Benefits:
401(k)401(k) matchingDental insuranceHealth insuranceHealth savings accountPaid time offProfessional development assistanceRetirement planVision insuranceApplication Question(s):
How many C208 hours do you have? How many C310 hours do you have?How many aerial survey hours do you have? How many hours of dual given do you have? License/Certification:
FAA Single Engine Commercial License (Required)FAA Multi Engine Commercial License (Required)FAA Instrument Airplane Rating (Required)FAA First or Second Class Medical (Required)Passport (Required)Work Location: Remote