Beyond the drone. Crewed, too.
AER Operations is expanding into crewed fixed-wing pilot services — aircraft ferry and repositioning, contract and safety pilot work, aerial survey, and infrastructure patrol — flown personally by the owner. No subcontracted pilots, no brokers in between.
Reach out to discuss your project and reserve early availability.
Pilot services
Aircraft Ferry & Repositioning
One-way and round-trip ferry flights for owners, brokers, and buyers — moving single-engine piston aircraft between airports, maintenance facilities, or new owners. Flight plan, insurance coordination, and logged squawks included. Ferry flights are flown solo; no passengers or cargo are carried.
Pre-Buy & Post-Maintenance Positioning
Getting an aircraft to a pre-buy inspection, avionics shop, paint facility, or annual — then back home. Ideal for owners and brokers who need a reliable pilot without adding it to their own schedule. Flown solo; no passengers or cargo are carried.
Crewed Aerial Photography & Survey
For projects beyond drone range or altitude limits — long corridor surveys, large-parcel real estate, and regional media work. We can fly and capture the imagery ourselves, or carry your photographer or sensor operator when they're essential to performing the work. These flights depart and return to the same point; no point-to-point transportation is provided.
Pipeline, Power Line & Infrastructure Patrol
Fixed-wing patrol of pipeline corridors, transmission lines, and linear infrastructure — faster coverage over long distances than a drone-only approach, with imagery handed off same-day. A utility observer essential to the patrol may be carried; flights return to their point of origin, and no point-to-point transportation is provided.
Contract Pilot Services
Flying your aircraft on your schedule. For owners who aren't current, are between medicals, want a second crew member, or simply don't want to fly a particular leg. You retain operational control as the aircraft operator; we supply the pilot. You and your guests may fly along.
Safety Pilot Services
Acting as safety pilot under §91.109 so you can log simulated instrument time and stay current in your own aircraft. Commercial certificate, instrument rating, and current medical — well beyond the private-pilot minimum the regulation requires.
Post-Maintenance Check Flights
Functional check flights following maintenance that may have affected flight characteristics, as contemplated by §91.407(b). Flown solo, with a written report of systems checked and any discrepancies observed.
Flown by the owner, not a subcontractor.
Certificates & Ratings
FAA Private Pilot, Airplane Single-Engine Land · Instrument Rated · FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot. Commercial certificate in progress. Current certificates, ratings, and total time available on request.
Insurance & Coverage
Non-owned aircraft liability coverage arranged per engagement. Certificate of Insurance (COI) provided to owners, brokers, and insurers before any flight.
Documented Every Flight
Pre- and post-flight aircraft condition reports, squawk logs, and fuel/maintenance receipts provided with every leg.
A simple process from request to delivery.
Request a Quote
Share the aircraft make/model, departure and destination, timeline, and any known squawks or restrictions.
Scope & Insurance Check
We confirm aircraft eligibility, required endorsements, and insurance coverage, then send a firm quote.
Flight & Positioning
Weather, fuel stops, and routing planned in advance. You get status updates at each leg.
Delivered & Logged
Aircraft arrives with a full condition report, squawk log, and receipts — nothing left to guess at.
What we do — and what we don't.
AER Operations does not own, lease, or provide aircraft. Every engagement is flown in an aircraft supplied by the client or aircraft owner. Our services fall into two categories:
Ferry, positioning, and check flights (services 01, 02, and 07) are conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 within the scope of §119.1(e). These are flown solo — no passengers, cargo, or client personnel are carried.
Aerial work (services 03–04) is likewise conducted under §119.1(e). These flights are solo by default, but personnel essential to performing the work — a photographer, sensor operator, or utility observer — may be carried, consistent with FAA Chief Counsel interpretations. Such flights begin and end at the same point and provide no point-to-point transportation of persons or property.
Pilot services (services 05–06) place a qualified pilot in an aircraft you own or independently control. You remain the operator and retain operational control; we are compensated for piloting services only. You and your guests may be aboard — this is not carriage for hire, because you are flying your own aircraft with a hired pilot.
AER Operations does not hold a Part 135 air carrier certificate and does not provide charter, on-demand passenger service, air taxi, or transportation of persons or property for compensation or hire. We do not supply aircraft and do not arrange aircraft on a client's behalf. If your need falls outside the services listed above, we will tell you and refer you to a certificated operator.
Have an aircraft that needs a pilot?
Tell us the aircraft, the route, and the timeline. We'll confirm scope, insurance, and availability, and get back to you within 24 hours — whether that's a one-way ferry, a day of contract flying, or a recurring patrol contract.