Recent threads on the so-called 'new-porducts' from Bell and the resurgence in interest on the 'why so expensive' thread have led me to think about the threshold of operating cost that make helicopters competitive with other forms of transport.
For example I was recenty shown some detailed analysis that demostrated that if a two seat helicopter could be operated for £60/hr then it was cheaper to fly from Birmingham to London, than it was to take a Virgin train! Somewhat of an extreme case i'm sure, however I am interested to know the following:
For operators around the world, what percentage reduction in operating cost for a two-seat helicopter would double the amount work that would be commerically viable in the machine? In other words how much work do you turn away on the basis of cost, and what are these customers able to pay?
CRAN
