Five things about ... Sadler's man in the sky

When motorists need to tighten their purse straps they might drive less or car pool. But what do NASCAR drivers do to save money in this struggling economy?

They "jet pool," of course.

To get the skinny on life in the sky, NASCAR.COM called on Joe Dobbin, chief pilot for Elliott Sadler.

Dobbin

Dobbin's situation is not unique. Most of the NASCAR personal pilots are finding extra time in their schedules these days as some drivers are flying commercial airlines and in some cases even driving to the track.

"Yeah, I'm flying less because Elliott has been sharing rides. He has been pilling up with Kasey [Kahne] and Greg [Biffle]. It's kind of like car pooling with their jets. I think it is fine that I get some time off, but it kind of scares me a little because of what could happen in the long run. But the jet pooling is the biggest thing right now to save money. Drivers are sharing rides, trying to fill more seats on their planes or some are taking smaller airplanes."

Dobbin has been flying Sadler to and from race tracks for three years and he has way too much fun to consider it work.

"It's a great job because I flew corporate before and that isn't as personable. Typically, you don't know who you are flying, they just show up. But with Elliott, sometimes we go out to dinner. Sometimes I stay at his house. There are a lot of perks and it's more of a friendship."

Sadler and Dobbin have plans to fly to the Atlantic Coast Conference men's basketball tournament in Atlanta during the NASCAR off weekend. Dobbin also had the great fortune of flying Sadler and his new wife, Amanda, to their recent honeymoon to the Caribbean island of St. Lucia.

"The small things," Dobbin said.

Last year he was able to fake a dental appointment for his niece Hannah and take her to the Coca-Cola 600.

"We ended up in the infield at Lowe's Motor Speedway and she is a big Kasey Kahne fan so Elliott took the time to show her around and introduce her to Kasey," Dobbin recalled.

Another fond memory would be Dobbin's trip to the Final Four last year with Sadler.

"We were already in Texas so I got to tag along. [North] Carolina lost but it was still a great time."

Dobbin's break into the flight industry came after many years of mowing grass and pumping gas at the Statesville Airport in North Carolina. When he turned 16, his mother co-signed a loan so he could go to the local airport and get his pilot's license.

"I grew up working at Statesville Airport so I knew the people. Back in the early 1990s I knew one of the NASCAR pilots and he asked me if I needed a job so I took on a job with another pilot."

Sadler hired Dobbin three seasons ago after an interview in a West Coast hotel room.

"I flew with Matt Kenseth and the interview was half across the country in California. I remember the biggest thing he wanted me to know was that he didn't want to fly in bad weather," Dobbins said of Sadler.

Dobbin said Sadler is sort of a "white-knuckled" flier.

"We always give him the thumbs up and always tell him the weather is great," he said.

Keeping Sadler safe is priority No. 1 for Dobbin and that means keeping the Citation III that he flies nearly 200 hours a year in excellent condition.

Maintenance and flight plans, in addition to arranging transportation, picking up luggage and catering the cabin, are just as important as flying the actual plane.

"I'm a supporting role for Elliot Sadler," he said. "I do everything humanly possible to make his job easier."