The concept of "security on the road" took on new meaning Oct. 9, 2005, when an unlocked Cessna Citation VII was heisted from a general aviation airport ramp and flown in radio silence at night through a major air traffic area to a landing two states away. There, five passengers allegedly boarded, and the aircraft was taken on a second nocturnal joyride before being returned to the airport and abandoned.

At the NBAA in Washington, D.C. (www.nbaa.org), Mike Nichols can assist flight department managers in understanding the tax, insurance and liability implications of using independent contractors as temporary flight crewmembers. Nichols can be contacted at mnichols@nbaa.org.

13.1 Contract Pilots Occasionally, XYZ may utilize contract pilots. Because these pilots do not routinely fly in our operation and may be flying with several other operators whose operating procedures vary widely from our own, it is important that we adopt certain additional procedures when flying with contract pilots to ensure that the integrity of our operation, from both a flight and customer service perspective, is neither compromised nor diminished in any manner.