Originally Posted by
Clare Prop
The fatigue rules, in my case App6, mean that I have basically lost 10% of trading days per year on top of lost days from weather or waiting for parts and those days I do work have to be much more intense...then still have to cancel all lessons and Grade 3 supervision if I run up against that 7th day in the last 28. Nothing but arbitrary numbers that were designed for operators with lots of staff and regular rosters, not a small, seasonal 141 operation.
I've seen so many flying schools that have upgraded to new kit go to the wall while those of us with old hardware that we own and that have paid for themselves many times over are still around. There isn't enough fat to take on massive amounts of finance for new aircraft especially when you are getting quite long in the tooth and not enough working years left in us to be able to pay them off..and not much of a resale market, either.
Every time someone goes under owing money all over the place the suppliers have to recoup their losses from the remaining customers. Yet still we have people thinking it is clever to start price wars.
So we have to muddle on in our relics as best we can.
CP, you are spot on! That’s why sold I my outfit several years ago while it was still a viable business. I could see the writing on the wall, so glad I’m out of it.