Wake for GA in Dick Smith's Hangar
Next Thursday, 21st July from 12:00pm to 2:00pm, I will be holding a wake for General Aviation in my hangar – Hangar 631, 23 Miles St, Bankstown Airport. Sandwiches and coffee will be provided and everyone is welcome. I will be catering for 50 people (anyone after that will have to starve).
At the end of the wake we will farewell my beautiful Citation CJ3, which I have owned for ten years. It’s off to the Northern Hemisphere to get the TCAS fixed and will no doubt never return.
Now that Honeywell and Collins has no direct presence in Australia, resulting the aircraft being grounded for up to two weeks at a time because there is a simple fault, like a flat mercury battery for the GPS data base.
I’ve attempted to sell the aircraft in Australia but that’s impossible because about $240,000 would have to be spent on ADSB, plus another $250,000 on a flight data recorder.
That extra half million dollars and the complete lack of competitive servicing arrangements at Bankstown, means it would be unlikely for someone to purchase and keep the aircraft operating here in a viable way.
Everyone is welcome for this really sad wake. I have invited the media along as well. As everyone knows, I see no life on the horizon at all. I am selling my aircraft now because I know, if I keep it any longer in Australia, I will lose even more money.