So if Pilatus did it, then what's to say Piaggio won't?
Wally, while I respect a lot of what you say, I get the feeling you like looking backwards more than you do forwards. The loss of the Victorian AA contract should act as a reminder to RFDS that they are not immune to competition, and maybe it's time to look to future platforms (that I know you don't disagree with) for the longer range stuff.
Of course Piaggio doesn't provide any support in Australia for the Avanti. No one owns any, so why would they? As it was demonstrated above, no one operated the PC-12 in Australia before RFDS bought any either, but Pilatus came to the party and provided that support. Now there is numerous PC-12's in the country. So what's to say Piaggio wouldn't do the same?
While a jet sounds good, the economics of it come out behind the Avanti.
Let's look at a couple of things.
The Avanti:
- Has PT6's (essentially the same as the B200/PC-12)
- Is equipped with Collins Proline 21 (same as what's in the new B200's)
- Has turboprop efficiency, for speeds not that much less than a jet
- Has a larger cabin than most jets which would come close competition wise
The Jet:
- Entirely different engines
- More costly to run, for not much extra gain. Essentially you're cost per Nm is greater.
- Cabin space certainly isn't up there, for a jet which be appropriate
- The additional cost of training your crews to operate a jet
I'm no expert, but I'd be buying the Avanti personally. OR, something which compares.
Cheers
morno