"Many youngsters keen on aviation will come on here and be put right off the industry." - eal401
I am afraid I couldn't disagree more. I am 20, and therefore in Martin Halstead terms I am a "youngster," and have been following the progress of alpha1 since April. He has changed plan so many times and broken so many promises that I am more concerned that he has discredited the future role of youngsters in the industry. That is nothing to do with people who rightly post here to pick up on these unnacceptable business practices, but due his own lamentable lack of organisiation.
I am surprised that, now we are permitted to discuss this again, nobody has yet mentioned his "impersonation" of himself earlier in the year, in which he allegedly posed on this website as an employee in order to squash (correct) rumours that there would be no alpha 1 in September. (Bear in mind that he had already missed launch dates in March, April and August.) He bet £100 to charity if it did not happen, and then September came and went. Next it was announced that flights would start on 7th November, and this was pushed back (if you exclude a single non revenue flight). Now the website is down yet again - but I doubt they have collapsed, I am sure he will live to break more deadlines.
I would have loved the original Oxford - Cambridge plan to work, and it is great to see "youngsters" in the industry. However, this is no way to run a business and it is damaging to his, and all young people's credibility.
Last edited by Rupert369; 17th November 2005 at 09:35.