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Old 17th Jul 2015, 08:07
  #21 (permalink)  
Pittsextra
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: UK
Posts: 1,120
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I know it might be natural to celebrate the AW609 as a piece of tech and hope for the expansion of aviation and its associated industries but.....

By 2015 few things are remarkable, in this context I mean the people wanting to go flying for business or pleasure are likely currently doing it and when the No1 idea for a customer from AW's own people is that group of hyper wealthy who "just must have the latest thing" - then doesn't the AW609 become a technology demonstrator before it's a serious commercial offering?

Yet even here there is one significant issue AW have over looked, even with that customer base. The cost of the pilot. I don't know what it costs to train for and maintain the appropriate licence but I imagine it's high, I also imagine the pool of talent is small. I can see the sulking at having to pay up for a pilot who you have little leverage over because there are few alternatives!

As for the oil and gas industry... It could be a case of very bad timing, seems to me the ambitions there are to cut costs not pile them on. In any event is the aw609 able to take off / land off shore with current procedures / regulation.
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