Blink 3 Mustangs up for sale . . .

[robbreid]

Just noted a new listing on controller for 3 of Blinks 7 Mustangs . . .

JetConcept Ltd Aircraft For Sale At Controller.com - Page 1 (http://www.controller.com/list/list.aspx?ETID=1&setype=1&PCID=1288367&dlr=1)

Air taxi alternative to jet cards and private jet charters | Blink (http://www.flyblink.com/)

[explorer97]

A reliable source tells me that they are beginning to renew the fleet. The three listed were among the first off the production line and they are using deliveries scheduled for this year to renew the fleet with more later units. If they get a good offer, they'll sell them, otherwise they won't.

[robbreid]

Well that is good news then!!!

Here is a Mustang 'owner' with some divorce problems!!

Millionaires¿ break-up gets plane nasty | Mail Online (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1287168/Millionaires-break-gets-plane-nasty.html)

[Obi Wan Kirk]

Sounds like they are on their way of going bust...

[LGW Vulture]

If they got a good offer they would sell them. By God, the pre-owned and new markets are in total turmoil - who are they kidding??

I don´t mean any malice upon them but this doesn´t look positive. :uhoh:

[x933]

I'm with suitcaseman. Even if it's just so they can say "Europe's newest fleet of jets" it's an expensive way of selling yourself to a market that - at the minute - I don't think is massively concerned by aircraft age.

[Massachello]

WOW! I have to agree sounds like they are in trouble!

What's the difference between a 2 year old airplane and a new one?

Doesn't make any sense!

[Phil Brockwell]

I'm not sure they are actually trying to sell them, you can buy Mustangs much cheaper than that. It is more likely that they are using the aircraft as a carrott to attract some potential owners for the surplus aircraft they have on order.

More worrying for them is that the only 2007 aircraft I can find that they own had 1089 hours on it in December and now only has 1160, if that's an average accross the fleet then the writing would certainly be on the wall.

Good old G-INFO.

[Obi Wan Kirk]

I believe the price Blink paid for their Mustangs is higher than what they are going for today. So I imagine they are struggling and thought selling a few planes may help the business.

Al Jaber Aviation in AUH are having same problem: they ordered aircraft when prices were 30-40% higher than now.

Now would be a good time to buy.

[Phil Brockwell]

Now would be a good time to buy if you wanted an owner flyer aircraft as per the design spec. If you want a charter aircraft I'm not so convinced.

[Highflight420]

Phil,

With the greatest of respect you really should shove your head up your own proverbial a--e.

Blink are in no way financial stricken with business growing month on month, there is nothing sinister in the ptential sale of the first airframes as they were preowned and all subsequent aircraft will be brand new airframes to the latest mod status.

I know our hours a month are exceeding yours having spoken to two of your pilots recently down route so I wouldn't start rubbing your hands with glee yet at the prospect of Blinks demise.

This is due to my managers not spending his time on Pprune.

[No RYR for me]

Phil,

With the greatest of respect you really should shove your head up your own proverbial a--e.

Blink are in no way financial stricken with business growing month on month, there is nothing sinister in the ptential sale of the first airframes as they were preowned and all subsequent aircraft will be brand new airframes to the latest mod status.

I know our hours a month are exceeding yours having spoken to two of your pilots recently down route so I wouldn't start rubbing your hands with glee yet at the prospect of Blinks demise.

This is due to my managers not spending his time on PPRuNe.

Strange... why are your managers canvassing the City for money than? Because all is going well? :ooh:

I know our hours a month are exceeding yours

It is not so much the hours you fly but the money you make on it.... and in the current market an old CJ2 beats a new airframe hands down due to the limited flying and the low yields... :8

Then again I predicted that they would be gone in a Blink... and have been proven wrong so far... :O

[cldrvr]

Highflight, you can scream and yell all you want on a forum it does not take away from the the fact that your employer is selling 3 of its fleet at a steep discount and has only accumulated less then 100 hours on one of the airframes in 6 months.

And of course it makes perfect sense to replace a perfectly fine and low houred aircraft with one that cost so much more due to the weak Pound.

[Phil Brockwell]

Highflight,

Let's not bother doing this again. I think it won't make money, you think that it's a fantastic business plan and that everyone at Blink is amazing. One of us is wrong, and only time will tell.

I am just pointing out that the aircaft is 3 years old and has done well under half the utilisation in Blink's original plan, and has done only 71 hours in the last 6 months. If this is typical of the fleet, I can assure you that your utilisation is lower than any of our aircraft.

Let's do it this way, why not get a tech log from Feb 1st, a tech log from Feb 28th on the same aircraft (you choose your busiest one) and I'll do the same.

Phil

[cldrvr]

I am only a pilot not some high flying City boy, but let's do some simple maths. Supposed you would get 2.2 for your 3 year old airframe (I know that is stretching it a bit but let's give them the benefit of the doubt), so you lost 600-800k on that airframe and lets suppose you could get a replacement for 2.7 (again let's give them the benefit of the doubt) so that would cost you an additional 500k for your replacement. So all in all the exercise, not even taking the fact that Sterling has dropped severely, would cost you 1.1 - 1.3 mill. So having flown, let's again give them the benefit of the doubt, 600 hours on said airframe since you guys purchased it, your little replacement exercise for a "new" model would have cost you in the region of 2.000 USD per hour. Again let me stress I am just a humble pilot, but those numbers don't make a lot of sense to me.

[PicMas]

Sorry, trying to learn something here, as English is not my mothertongue.

If someone is ill informed should he not pull his head out of his @rse thus subjecting same head to possible information? Or is Blink information and details to be found inside ones @rse?

I am confused

...proverbial or not

[Phil Brockwell]

Cessna Slows Citation Mustang Production
By: Matt Thurber

June 10, 2010
Business Aviation Aircraft


Cessna Aircraft instituted rolling furloughs on May 17 affecting up to 200 people at the company’s Independence, Kan. factory, delaying production of the Citation Mustang light jet through early August.

Responding to questions at the Electrical Products Group Annual Conference last month, Textron president and CEO Scott Donnelly said that Mustang sales have been softer than expected, “and if we need to modulate our production rates there, we will do that. We have a couple of issues around the supply chain, driven by the floods in Rhode Island, that might cause us to have do a little production break.

We might shut that down for a little bit and figure out when to bring it back. Donnelly added, “We’re going to have some cancellations on the Mustang side that are sort of out-year deals.

We have one customer [that has] taken a number of deliveries. [It is] doing very well, but [it doesn’t] see the demand to take deliveries over the next couple of years.

According to a spokeswoman, Cessna plans to deliver more than 100 Mustangs this year and will deliver completed units during the rolling furlough.

[S Midgeon]

Some of the comments on this link reminds me of a bunch of vultures sitting on a high branch or pedestal in some cases, watching a Gazelle walk by and betting how long it will survive. I work for the so called doomed company and am perfectly aware of what the plan is with refrence to the aircraft.

I along with a bunch of other hard working Pilots and ground staff are slightly bemused at these comments and how so many of you would call out in joy if we went under.

Can somebody please call time on the incorrect observations, inane and childish comments, because we in Blink are all working very hard to make this concept work. If it continues to work for us, it can only be a good indicator for everybody in GA, or will there be more screeches of disapproval from the know all's on the high branch

[Phil Brockwell]

What incorrect observations? Are they not for sale? What childish comments, the only childish comment I see is the one from a Blink Pilot.

When the eclipse / mustang release spawned a handful of operators with well publicised plans a lot of people were sceptical and discussed the subject here on pprune, some thought it would be a profitable investment, some didn't.

This is what this forum is for, exchange opinions, report and substantiate rumours etc.

I'm sure you are all working jolly hard, but some of the hardest working flight and ground staff worked for EBJ, just because you are working hard does not mean it works as a business.

No-one is sitting like vultures, but everyone is interested and has an opinion, Blink is a test case, a start-up with VLJ's, will it work, won't it work. I don't know, you don't know, and neither does highflight.

The observations were that 3 of the fleet are for sale, and one of those aircraft has done 71 hours in the last 6 months. The rest is opinion, and we are entitled to it.

You are entitled to your opinion, you have the choice to share it or not, but you do not have the right to stop people having theirs.

Now let's play nicely, just because I think the business plan is flawed does not mean I have any sort of vendetta against it.

[cldrvr]

Midgeon, nobody here is questioning the integrity nor professionalism of the crew at Blink. This is a rumour network and when an operator decides out of the blue to sell half its fleet when Sterling has lost close to 1/3 in value at the bottom of the market when used prices have fallen sharply for a long time now and when there is hardly any demand for used jets, questions do get asked and rightfully so. Blink's accounts showed barely half a million in the bank in the last published annual accounts and now it is selling close to half its fleet, if a company like eJ or BA would do that, it would be front page news worldwide.

Couple that with the fact that the 3 aircraft for sale have barely flown since they were re-registered back in December showing a very low utilisation of the companies' prime assets, some of us do question the longevity of this company.

Now all of these are facts in the public domain, and neither you nor highflight have given any reasons why a company would decide to sell half its fleet and how a company can fly so little on each airframe and expect to survive.

[Phil Brockwell]

CLDVR,

In relation to the exchange rates, that's potentially not the case. We purchased 2 aircraft when the $ was over 2.00, but we borrowed in GBP and purchased dollars, so our debt is in GBP, so have done very nicely thankyou.

Blink may have done well out of the exchange rate too.

Phil

[cldrvr]

Phil, correct but if you give a reason here that you are replacing the old fleet with a new one, where one would have to buy dollars when Sterling is at its weakest it does affect your bookvalue tremendously. Why exchange a perfectly fine aircraft for a new one right when Sterling has fallen so sharply. Replacing a fleet that has barely flown 600-1000 hours in 2-3 years is not a very shrewd business move.

[Phil Brockwell]

Good point, well made......

[cldrvr]

Just digging up an old press release:


Blink expands with three more Cessna Citation Mustangs
By Kate Sarsfield ([email protected])

Blink (http://www.flyblink.com/airportlocator.html), Europe's first low-cost pan-European air taxi operator, is poised to take delivery of three more Cessna Citation Mustang (http://mustang.cessna.com/home.chtml) very light jets as demand for its services has exceeded expectations in its first three months of operation despite the tough economic climate.
The Farnborough-based operator is Cessna (http://www.flightglobal.com/landingpage/cessna.html)'s largest Mustang customer to date following its order last year for 45 of the type. Blink launched services in June with a single aircraft that has been heavy utilised by a growing customer-base across Europe. "The first three months have been great, the aircraft has been flying around 12h a day with quick turnarounds" says Blink co-founder and managing director Peter Leiman. "We are optimistic about the future of the air-taxi concept in Europe but we realise it's too early to draw any definitive conclusions about the market."
Leiman says the economic chill is benefiting Blink as many of its customers are existing business jet-users who are electing to downsize for financial reasons from a more expensive larger cabin jet to a VLJ.

http://www.flightglobal.com/assets/getAsset.aspx?ItemID=22719 © Blink Air Taxi

Leiman says he is eager to take delivery of more aircraft to enable the company to build its network of destinations and deliver its low-cost air-taxi model efficiently: "Three more Mustangs will be arriving next month followed by one aircraft a month until all 45 aircraft have been handed over. Full capacity should be reached by 2010," he says. "We haven't decided on the European destinations for the fleet," says Leiman. "We will build up a network based on the schedule of our [corporate] shuttle customers, some of which are on the brink of signing, and early adopters will take the lead."
Blink's aim is to deliver business aviation at a price which is competitive with commercial business-class fares. "We plan to revolutionise how people travel. Businesses in Europe will be able to arrange a Blink flight as easily as ordering a cab to take their executives to a vast network of around 600 airports across Europe." Blink's service allows passengers to travel direct to secondary cities and other locations not currently serviced by scheduled flights," says Leiman. "Gone are the long check-in times, the queuing through security and the waiting at baggage reclaim inherent in conventional air travel. Just arrive at a Blink airport 10 minutes before the flight leaves."

[cldrvr]

And below is the latest delivery schedule for all Mustangs:

Serial #..Registration...Owner and/or operator any info;

510-712..N27369.........Cessna Aircraft Company ex 510-712001

01..........N91FP...........Jet There LLC Cedar Rapids IA exN510CE/N510ND/N520ND
02..........N199ML.........199 LLC Denver CO ex N510KS
03..........N403CM........DAC Air LLC Wilkes Barre WI
04..........N404CM........FSI Leasing LLC Center Hall PA
05..........N600DE........SAC Industries(Goode Ski Technologies) Ogden UT
06..........N245MU........MUK Aviation Corp. Opa Locka FL
07..........N4FF.............Eclipse 5 Coal Sales Pittsburg PA
08..........N396DM........David Miller Dallas TX
09..........N910SY.........Kimball Intl Traffic Inc Jasper IN

10..........N49MW........Oakmont Management Calabasas CA ex N24YY/N654EA
11..........ZK-LCA........Graeme Low Aviation New Zealand ex VH-SJP/N2243W
12..........N443HC.......Hill Construction Corp Puerto Rico
13..........N1VV...........565VV Ltd Union Hill IL ex N50HS
14..........N510VV........Mustang VSO (Jesus Daniel, Torres Munoz) Costa Rica N307TV reserved
15..........N406CM.......FLI Away LLC Littleton CO
16..........N416CM.......Caroom Aviation Inc Las Vegas NV
17..........N510WC......Black Knight Air Farmingtion MT exN17MU
18..........N827DK.......Golf Sierra Aviation LLC Mercer Island WA
19..........OK-PPC........Grossman Jet Service Austria ex N2427N

20..........N24329.......Jack Straw Development Phoenix
21..........N80HQ........Elizabeth Howell Farnborough UK
22..........OY-LPU.......JAI Aviation ApS (Jorgen Andersen) Denmark ex N4089Y
23..........N888TF.......Mustang Leasing Inc / Tracy Forrester, Orlando FL
24..........N75ES........TechSpec / LJ Aviation Derry PA callsign LYJ75
25..........G-LFPT....... Ambeo PLC ex N325RR/PH-ORJ
26..........N83EM........Pine Branch Coal Sales. Inc Chavies KY ex N1693L
27..........G-FBLK.......Blink Ltd/TAG Farnborough UK
28..........N54PV........California Natural Products Lathrop CA
29..........VH-NEQ......GetJets Pty Ltd Brisbane Australia

30..........N725JB.......Scotsdale Hangar One LLC Scotsdale AZ
31..........N528DM......Archer Daniels Midland Decatur IL GFE52 callsign
32..........N814WS.....Walter Scott/Milburn World Travel Edinburgh Scotland
33..........ZK-PGA......NZ Jet Charters Ltd New Zealand
34..........XA-JRT.......Servicios Aereos del Altiplano Mexico City
35..........D-ISRM......Inovex Charter GmbH Mannhiem Germany
36..........N999JD .....ex N510GH Eagle Air LLC Hayward CA
37..........N33NP.......Nelson Piquet/Top Speed LLC Brasilia Brazil
38..........N821ND.....Neal Douglas Hayward CA
39..........XA-RYE......Edgar Morales Mexico ex XB-RYE

40..........OE-FID......Sky Taxi Luftfarhrt GmbH Vienna Austria
41..........PP-NNN......National Express Ltd Brazil
42..........C-GGMU.....M5J Aviation Hamilton Canada ex N591ES
43..........PP-MIS.......Global Taxi Aereo Canela Brazil
44..........OE-FCB......Globe Air AG/GAC Austria ex XA-BAT/N366FW
45..........N761JP.......SC Unic General Constructor SRL Romania
46..........PP-MTG......Construtora CHC Ltda Brazil ex N946CM
47..........N22EM.......Genesis Resources LLC Flowood MS
48..........D-IEGO......Triple Alpha Luftfahrtgesellschaft Germany
49..........YU-SPM......Prince Aviation, Serbia ex 9A-CSG/N13616

50..........G-OAMB.....Ambeo PLC Cambridge UK ex PH-TXI
51..........N510JH......Mutaca Multitransporta Aero C.A. Venezuela
52..........G-LEAI.......London Executive Aviation Farnborough UK
53..........OK-FTR......CTR Group SA Czeck Republic ex OE-FTR/EC-KNL
54..........ZK-MOT.....New Zealand ex ZK-MUS/N1749L
55..........N551WH.....Magistrate Doctor Werner Hagel Naples FL
56..........PT-FLO.......Cremone Motonautica Ltda Brazil
57..........PR-MCL......MCL Enterprises Brazil
58..........PR-XSX......Empresa Sul Americana de Montagem Brazil
59..........XA-VMX.....Mexico City Mexico

60..........ZS-CTF......Coltish Aircraft Pty Ltd South Africa ex N212C
61..........N1EL..........One Echo Lima LLC Dallas TX
62..........PR-BSA......Bracol Holding Ltda Sao Paulo Brazil
63..........PR-DRI......Rodrigo Diniz Mascarenhas Brazil
64..........N60CP.......Capital Management LLC / White Mountain Aviation East Granby CT ex N13ZM
65..........OE-FFB......Globe Air / HTM Jet Service Austria ex VH-MGO/N61706
66..........N902LG......JetSeven LLC, Valencia Venezuela
67..........G-FBNK......Blink Ltd/TAG UK ex N967CM
68..........G-FBLK......Blink Ltd/TAG UK ex N968CM
69..........T7-VIG......San Marino ex N6193S

70..........VH-YDZ.....Pacific Real Estate Australia YWOL ex N235SS
71..........N921TX.....Pegasus Aviation LLC Dallas TC
72..........G-LEAA.....London Executive Aviation Luton UK
73..........G-LEAB.....London Executive Aviation Stanstead UK
74..........N510LL.....Capital Mustang LLC / Gary Jet Center Fair Oaks IN
75..........G-LEAC.....London Executive Aviation Guernsey UK
76..........N301GT.....Maverik Inc Afton WY ex G-NGEL
77..........N774AR.....Alfa Romeo LLC Anchorage AK
78..........N724DL.....Investaero LLC
79..........ZS-JDM.....Inyoni Air Pty Ltd South Africa

80..........PR-MPM....Tellerina Comerciao Brazil
81..........OE-FHA....Globe Air AG Austria
82..........OE-FLR.....Globe Air AG/ based Italy for Delta Airtaxi
83..........N510GJ....CSA Group / American Jet Intl Inc. Ft Lauderdale FL
84..........PR-RDM....Rodrigo Diniz Mascarenhas RM Brazil
85..........PR-VDL.....Univeral Maritime Agency Brazil
86..........N808RD....Fluent Aviation LLC Goldsboro NC
87..........N6200C....Cessna Finance (ntu PP-PMR)
88..........N6197D....Allen Air LLC Dallas TX
89..........M-USTG....ex N63223 OSM Aviation Isle of Man

90..........4X-DFX....Isreal exZS-LKG/N6324L
91..........ZS-KPM....Petronex Pty Ltd South Africa ex N6196M
92..........ZS-DIY....Royal Albatross Aviation Pty Ltd South Africa ex N6325U
93..........ZS-DFI.....Tradepost 19 Pty Ltd South Africa ex N6332K
94..........N510SA....Open Sky Aviation Beruit Lebanon (ntu OD-OSA)
95..........N102DS....Dave Smith 510-0095 LLC Denver CO ex N6203C
96..........G-FBKA....Blink Ltd UK exN996CM
97..........N214HT....Tenstrike Investments Inc SA / Polybarq ex N97HT Venezuela
98..........N510BW...RAW Inc Raleigh NC
99..........PP-WGS....Bradesco SA Leasing Brazil

100........HS-IOO....Bangkok Aviation Center Thailand ex N6202W
101........PP-EVG....Frigoestrela SA Brazil
102........N903JP.....510 PRS LLC Meaford OR
103........N923JP.....Raspberry Consulting LLC Monterery Park CA
104........OE-FWH....VIF Luftahrtfesellschaft Gmbh Austria
105........N245DR....El Pueblo Aviation Inc N. Philadelphia PA
106........OE-FMY....Air Business Travel Gmbh Austria
107........N710EB....Vistex Aviation LLC / Florida Custom Coach
108........F-HADT....France ex N939JC
109........N510MW...Orion Aviation Intl LLC

110........N66ES.....Starjet Inc Salt Lake City UT
111........PH-TXA....AirField Holding NV Netherlands ex PH-TXB nut
112........N801GE....Escalante Aviation LLC Venezuela
113........C-GDJG...Willow Bay Aviation Boundry Bay BC ex N853JL
114........N510PT...Poet LLC Sioux Falls ID
115........N69AY.....GS Brother Inc San Pedro CA
116........OE-FMZ...Luftahzeugvermietung Wien Austria
117........HS-VIP....Asian Aerospace Service Thailand ex N62076
118........N510MB...Quantum Leasing LLC Mesa AZ
119........PP-NRN....Juiz de Fora Brazil (Security Company)

120........N1RD.......Robert Duncan Lincoln NE
121........N510K......Bob White Oklahoma LLC / North American Jet Inc ex N60CP
122........CS-DPV....Mystic Star Lyda Portugal ex N230BF
123........PT-TOP.....TOP Car Veiculos Ltda Brazil
124........N510AZ....Jet Air LLC Bend OR
125........OO-PRM...Europe Air Service Liege ASL Belguim
126........G-FBKB....Blink Ltd UK ex N826CM
127........G-FBKC....Blink Ltd UK ex N627CM
128........N178SF....CA/E & J Logistics Glendale CA
129........PR-FAC....Facchini SA Brazil

130........G-FBLI.....Blink Ltd UK
131........N510TX...Capital Holdings 182 LLC / James Sundelius Cresson TX
132.........LX-FGL...Flying Group Lux SA Luxembourg
133.........N17RP....GZS Aviation LLC ex PH-TXC ntu
134........ZS-AFD...A Mclean South Africa
135........JA510M...Auto Panther Japan ex N5223F
136........C-FDSH...Derek Stimson Lethbridge AB
137........ZS-MUS...J A Leigh South Africa
138........N309MT...Runaway Adventures LLC San Diego CA
139........N921PP...PPC Excursions Inc Middletown PA

140........N987CM...Hura SA of Panama / Gulevich Charter Levante S.L. based Venezuela
141........F-GRET...Wijet, Paris France ex LZ-AMA/N141BG
142........N609TC...Mustang 51 LLC Littleton CO
143........N510BA...Sanctuary Investments LLC / Batt Holdings LLC, Shreveport LA
144........EI-SFA....Atli Airlines (Ireland) based Rome Italy ex N5044V
145........EI-SFB....Atli Airlines (Ireland) based Rome Italy ex N6206Z
146........N914GW..Dunrovin Aviation LLC Salem VA
147........PT-FLC....Brazil
148........N700YY....California-Oregon Development LLC Portland OR
149........F-DHPY....SEDECO SAS, base La Roche sur Yon Rrance

150........N220DK...Pico Cellular Communications Ft Lauderdale FL
151........N738DC..Front Range Radiation Oncology Greenwood Village CO
152........EC-LDK....ex-EC-LAF Jetnova de Aviacion Spain
153........N442LV...Wachob Leasing Co Inc Sapulpa OK
154........N510SV...KFXE for sale
155........N510KB...Aviation Research & Maintenance St Croix VI
156........G-MICE....Fteron Ltd Cyprus (UK registration)
157........G-KNLW...Saxon Air Charter UK
158........N271CS...Linder Aviation Inc / Elite Aviation Inc. Beverly Hill CA
159........N510LF....Lance Ferguson MD Lexington KY

160........I-FITO.....Afair SRL Italy
161........G-ZJET....Christopher Reston UK based Andorra
162........N620WB...WB Aviation LLC Mesa AZ
163........CS-DPN...Nortavia(Aeronorte) Portugal
164........N251MC...McCoy Corp San Marcos TX
165........N81WL.....Daedalus Group LLC Watertown MA
166........XA-UMS... Mexico ex N870HY
167........N638AH....TFK Aviation Inc Ann Arbor MI
168........N510GG...James Shelton / Twin Cities Enterprises El Paso TX
169........HB-VWL....Your Jet AG Zurich Switzerland

170........C-GXOP...Opus Aviation Vancouver Canada ex N426LF
171........N510PS....PS Aviation LLC Concord CA
172........N510WP...Jet Rider LLC ex N510K
173........N510CJ....TMC Aviation Houston TX
174........XA-ULO....Avemex, Mexico ex N40069
175........N42WZ....Jerry Wilson Fussell Colorado Springs CO
176........N417GR...Conyan Aviation Inc / Mustang Investors LLC Eagle ID
177........N245DR...Lands' End Aviation / CM510 LLC Los Altos Hills CA
178........N662CC...Carothers Equipment LLC Taylor MS ex N5020J
179........N520JM....Ernest J. Miller / Blue Ribbon Jet LLC Hyrum UT

180........N884TM....Micheal Murdoch Huntsville AL
181........N59VM......Oxford II Aviation LLC Kansas City MO
182........F-GISH......Saint Honore Fly SRL Paris ex M-USTG (Isle of Man)
183........N3QE........QE Air Inc Naples FL
184........N123AD.....Well Air Inc Sherman CT
185........I-MCAS.....Leasint Italy
186........S5-CMT.....Slovenia
187........N453DW....JAG Aviation - trustee - to EU
188........N878MM....S&P Aviation LLC Palo Alto Ca
189........SP-KHK.....Polska, Wroclaw Poland

190........T7-HOT......San Marino
191........N123TF......Stuart Woods LLC NY ex N509DM
192........LX-FGC......Flying Group, Luxembourg ex N4701D
193........N530AG.....Chatham Air LLC Nantucket MA
194........LX-RSQ......Ducair / Luxembourg Air Rescue, Luxembourg
195........N52338......based in Brazi
196........EI-SFC.......Atli Airlines Rome Italy
197........PP-PRV.......Brazil
198........N995AU......Richard Dennis Rubin / RDR Enterprises Opa Locka FL
199........N978PC......Promega Corp Fitchburg WI

200........N15GJ........Maritime Air Charter LLC Newnan GA
201........N91CH.......CNC Aircraft Inc Venice FL N91CH ex N352AS
202........N510MD.....Michel Delauzun based Nice France
203........N76GP........GP Flight Group LLC Petaluma Ca
204........N1245........DLS Inc Fort Payne AL
205........C-GBPL......Lakeview Aviation Ltd Lloydminster AB
206........N620CM.....Cessna Aircraft Company
207........N101FU......Jozef Pilch to Europe
208........N510DH.....DH Mustang LLC Chandler AZ
209........N888GS.....Professional Jet Solutions, Saudi Arabia

210........N54NG........Daugherty Petroleum/54NG LLC Lexington KY
211........C-FBCI.......Balzer's Canada Inc Regina ex N369PA
212........N32FM........Imperial Transport LLC CT
213........N59LW........William McSweeny based UK
214........VH-EJT........Maxem Aviation Pty Australia ex N40774
215........N603WS......Mustang 215 LLC Ft Lauderdale FL
216........EI-SFD........Atli Airlines (Ireland) based Rome Italy
217........EI-SFE........Atli Airlines (Ireland) based Rome Italy
218........N949JB.......James Bult / Bult Equipment
219........N625TX.......510-219 LLC to Europe for Jean-Paul Clozel

220........N510DP........Westgate Aviation Co / Mustang CJ-M-02203 LLC
221........C-GDLL........National Socket Screw Manufacturing Hamilton ON
222........F-GMTJ.........Ouest Participations SRL Paris France
223........N520KC........Curran Mustang LLC Hollis NH
224........C-GROP........Opus Aviation Vancouver Canada
225........SU-BQF........EAA Eygpt Aviation Academy - MSIR Flying College ex N52733
226........N73AH.........Charter Services Inc / VLJ Holdings LLC Mobile AL
227........N377RV........VandenBerghe Construction Inc CA
228........N823M..........AM-228 LLC NV
229........N7876C........Mustang Aviation LLC KS

230........N7711B.......Gerald J. McMorrow, Redmond WA ex N230BF
231........PR-MDE.......Brazil
232........C-GRRD.......Real Doucet, Calgary
233........N301AJ........Astonjet Investments Ltd Ireland
234........N530AJ........Jet Services of Iowa Peosta IA
235........EC-LCX.......Sur Aviation S.L. / Aerodynamics, Malaga Spain
236........N778JE........Wild Bill's Aviation Inc Tustin CA
237........N918WA......Wallace Air LLC Manchester OK
238........N960PT.......Dot Foods / Promega Corp Fitchburg WI
239........N914G........Noble King Corp. Klamath Falls OR

240........N510TW.......Tri-went Inc Knoxville TN
241........N270MK.......M K Aviation Inc Mooresville NC
242........N530RM.......R2MH Jet Air LLC Albany OR
243........N234MS.......Temple Aviation Trustee N520BE ntu
244........N700GD......JEM Aviation LLC Bedford NH
245........N774ST.......N774ST LLC Leesburg VA
246........RP-C...........Philippines .ex N510EG
247........N60GS.........JAG Leasing LLC Abbeville AL
248........N369GC......Aircraft Guarantee Trustee, Onalaska TX
249........N510BD.......ACME Aviation LLC Helena MT

250........N510J..........Link Snacks Inc Minong WI ex N85VR
251........N510KZ.......KZS Aircraft LLC Longview TX
252.......OK-LEO........WEWE Leasing, Prague, Austria
253........N54CF.........LMTC Leasing LLC San Antonio TX
254........N30NF.........Bank of America Leasing, Cincinatti OH
255........SU-BQG........EAA Eygpt Aviation Academy - MSIR Flying College ex N5274G
256........N991BB.......Bravo Bravo LLC Twin Bridges MT
257........N257CM.......SO Cal Flyers LLC Newport Beach CA
258........SU-BQH........EAA Eygpt Aviation Academy - MSIR Flying College ex N5274K
259........M-MHDH.......Herrenknecht Aviation GMbh based Germany ntu D-IMMH

260........OO-ACO......Air Service Liege (ASL) Belgium
261........N52498.......Hoffman Leasing, Odessa TX
262........M-MHBW.....Herrenknecht Aviation GMbh based Germany ntu D-ICMH
263........N362B........Rampa Investments LLC Paris TN
264........OE-FAJ.......Austria
265........
266........YR-DAD.....Direct Aero Sevices, Bucharest Romania
267........SU-BQI......ex-N2474M EAA Eygpt Aviation Academy - MSIR Flying College
268........OK-MYS.....Time Air, Praque, Czech Republic
269........VH-PWX....Australia

270........OM-AES.....Opera Jet s.r.o. Slovakia
271........N324DR.....Delta Railroad Construction Inc. Ashtabula OH
272........OK-AJA......Czech Republic
273........N786AF......Sunflight LLC, Andover MA
274........D-IEMG......Emfly GmbH Germany ex N713MD
275........N510EE......C510 Aviation LLC Lakewood CO
276........N76BF.......William Flores, Bryan TX
277........N105J........Candler LLC, Chattanooga, TN
278........N278MS.....Mustang 1 Inc Delaware Corp.
279........N127FJ.......Dorado Air LLC Sanford FL

280........
281........YR-DAE.....Direct Aero Sevices, Bucharest Romania
282........N876AM.....to Europe
283........G-XAVB.....Aviation Beauport Ltd, Jersey UK
284........N520BE......B E Aviation Services Leewood KS
285........M-COOL.....Elana Keats, Isle of Man register
286........N52905
287........XB-JPR
288........N9002D.
289........

290........N510HW
291........N39EG
292........N578CM
293........N293MM
294........N5151F
295........C-FSTX........DIS Aviation Lethbridge AB
296........D-ISIO........Germany
297........D-IWHA.......Germany
298........
299........N61LF..........ex N510DT

300........ZK-MUS.......Acernus Aero Ltd. New Zealand
301........N301DN
302........
303........ZS-YES........South Africa
304........N919MB
305........N1965A
306........N146EP
307........N307SH
308........
309........

310........
311........
312........TC-TAI.......Turkey ex N9008U
313........
314........N1618L
315........
316........
317........
318........
319........TC-TAJ......Turkey ex N90082

320........
321........N136MC
322........N8MY
323........N510KM
324........
325........
326........
327........
328........
329........

330........
331........
332........N229JR
333........
334........
335........
336........
337........
338........
339........N428P


So can we go back to the original question: where is the Blink fleet renewal?

[cldrvr]

So instead of profanity and trying to call us unprofessional can we start dealing in some facts here. Some of us did our research and posted it here.

Blink was supposed to have 45 aircraft in their fleet by now, instead they only have 7 and half of them are up for sale. Blink was supposed to fly their socks off instead they managed less then 100 hours on an airframe since December. The 3 aircraft for sale have 800 hours on them on average and were purchased 2 1/2 years ago so have flown an average of 320 hours a year, not exactly mindblowing.

They are supposedly selling their aircraft for fleet renewal, however Cessna has no serial numbers assigned for them, could we get the serial numbers for the planned replacement, not really a business secret as they will be published on G-INFO.

Are we right to start and continue this thread? I am confident we are doing the right thing, any company that is struggling is not only affecting its employees, some of which will undoubtely be the last to know of any impending doom and demise, but also suppliers and customers. When a company is so vocal about its plans for world domination and fails to deliver it is only right and just for some of us to enquire about its health and future.

By all means I wish Blink a succesful future but the facts so far don't bode very well and I think we could do with some answers.

[Phil Brockwell]

We all know it's a different world than when Blink first started it's oversized PR Machine. There could be many reasons for the sale, the most likely one being that they got their sums wrong on the demand of the 510. Who knows they may be cutting their losses and getting Phenoms? If they did that I'd be quite impressed. The problem is that on here they are represented by aircrew who couldn't possibly accept that their Harvard Guru's were wrong, I suspect there is a little more reality in the Board Room.

Phil

[No RYR for me]

Now let's play nicely, just because I think the business plan is flawed does not mean I have any sort of vendetta against it.

Thanks Phil fully agree.

[Highflight420]

Thankfully Phil as I know the facts and you don't I am able to field the observation that you really are a sorry old soul, I apologise for my uncharacteristic rant but I get thoroughly fed up to the back teeth of all the doomsayers on this site. Why would we be purchasing Phenom 100s, they are almost a $million more than a C510 and in most respects perform slightly worse than a Mustang, some business plan that would be.

Besides which the state of the company and how well it is or isn't doing is frankly none of your business, it is only of interest to the investors and employees of Blink and I can assure you if it was a choice between you Phil or Mr Leiman and Mr Ogden I know who I and everyone of my colleagues would choose every time.

The company has had to weather the economic storm as has everyone else and delaying aircraft deliveries makes absolute sense, for your info there is only one aircraft for sale and the reasons for this have been made absolutely clear to the employees, it is not an overall reduction in airframe numbers, I'll write to you from Wichita when I deliver our next aircraft.

The undistputable truth is that most Mustang operators are still flying successfully throughout Europe and whether you like or not the aircraft is a success. With the hundreds of customers I've flown over two years, a large number who are now regular clients there has not been one single complaint with regard size, speed or toilet facilities and yes people have used the toilet.

Now as I've said before, leave Blink alone and be careful of the rumours you peddle on here one day they may come back to bite you. Jealously is an ugly thing in a grown man, if you spent as much time searching for business as my rather excellent managers do rather than spending it on Pprune you too might have a company as successful as Blink one day but I for one will not be standing in line for a job with you, I'd sooner extract my eyeballs with a pair of pliers, and remember as pilots we often cross with your crews down route who away from Bristol have plenty to say about your company and not all good I'm afraid, put your own house in order first.

I hope this is the last time I see you knocking Blink, a company that has never spoken, published or indeed done anything to run down you or any other operators in this industry.:ugh:

[Daifly]

Yeah Phil, you bitchy realist you ;)

Download the Companies House reports, judge for yourselves.

Is Judith Moreton, ex-Flexjet, still a director at Blink?

[PicMas]

we often cross with your crews down route who away from Bristol have plenty to say about your company and not all good I'm afraid, put your own house in order first.

That was low and uncalled for!

[cldrvr]

What do you expect, he told Phil earlier to stick his head up his @rse.

Highflight, you may want to check with your broker, he is still flogging 3 of your planes. And before you jet of to Wichita, give your salesrep a call as no positions are assigned to you guys.

Highflight you may also want to read your own PR stuff as back in May your own esteemed owner admitted all deliveries for 2010 were cancelled.

And dailfy, we did get the accounts, pretty dismal reading. And yes as far as I know JM is still there.

[Highflight420]

PicMas, do you call all the unfounded comments made against Blink so far low and uncalled for.

Sometimes I am ashamed I belong to the same profession as some of you, you are without doubt the most shallow, small minded individuals It has ever been my displeasure to come across.

I am not of a legal bent but I would caution that peddling inaccurate information which potentially puts fellow aviation professionals careers at risk is leaning towards the defamatory and irrespective of the fact that this is a rumour network you would do well to have some respect for your fellow pilots and support staff if not for the management of this company.

Whatever your thoughts there is nothing whatsoever to be gained by spreading such unfounded rumours, the only reason can be petty jealously of a well managed and organised company that is providing its staff with employment in these difficult times in addition to some of the finest managers and colleagues I have ever worked with.

[PicMas]

No, I call them personal opinions based on reflecting and questioning information available to the public.

I do realise the embarassement you feel, having to share social recognition with other pilots - Here I mean pilots not employed by Blink. Could that be the reason why a simple "good morning" is answered by a questioning stare, when meeting you fine gentlemen - and here I DO mean Blink pilots - in a handling office (and it in fact is a good morning).

I am all about a good p!ssing contest on a (semi)anonymous website, but using an argument like "yeah, and a lot of the guys in the schoolyard dont even like you" ruins the fun. If Blink is staffed by the caliper employes you claim (and I have no reason to question that fact) it should not matter if publicly available information is discussed and personal opinions are stated.

You are not the only one entitled to an opinion, even though yours is based on true and correct information and I dont think we need to go over where that comes from again...

[Jackdaw]

Why would we be purchasing Phenom 100s, they are almost a $million more than a C510 and in most respects perform slightly worse than a Mustang, some business plan that would be.


Yes the Phenom 100 costs more - but I'd be very interested to hear your justification why the Phenom performs slightly worse?? Not that I was aware?

[Monkey Boy]

I had problems with the first charter I had with Blink. They had a technical problem and I had to subcharter one of Phil's aircraft to bail them out. Interesting that Highflight claims not to have heard any complaints, because I can assure him that I complained rather bitterly about it! Also, I had a visit from the Harvard chap who promised the word, but often failed to deliver! Bit of a hint, if you want to increase business, answer your phones!

[G-SPOTs Lost]

Highflight,

Get off your high horse and smell the coffee. Your dogged determination to follow the company line is admirable, however your business plan lasted 3 months at which point your senior management were in unchartered territory as were everybody else.

I sincerely wish if any aircraft are sold then they get replaced and nobody loses their jobs

Your blinkered views just make you/your company sound un-credible.

You however lost any credibility when you refused to denounce the press release thats been quoted above that said your aircraft were doing 12 hours a day.....

The revolutionary approach promised is not revolutionary its just ordinary as are your crews and they are as vulnerable as all the rest of us regardless of how much sand you bury your head in...

Good luck regardless

[Highflight420]

Well I repeat you are without doubt a sorry sad old bunch, typical of some pilots who winge and moan, put down and tear apart simply because you can.

Then there are those people who through sheer hard work and determination are prepared to put their own money into a venture which in turn provides employment for the likes of us who are not businessmen but simply fly aircraft for a living.

I remember the aviation world when it contained decent people who cared about the industry and their colleagues, no more it seems. More likely a knife in back just because you can.

Jackdaw

If you are not aware of the differences between the aircraft then just select the Embraer and Cessna figures and compare for yourself, speed is perhaps the only advantage over the Mustang. yes it's a nice aircraft and I'm very pro Embraer but it doesn't justify another 700,000 dollars, had they been able to match the C510 pricepoint then I suspect the Mustang would have lost out over the longterm despite performing slightly better.

[Phil Brockwell]

Highflight,

You may not agree with them, but these are just opinions based on limited information in the public domain. In the bigger scheme of things no-one cares about my opinion, or your opinion. The fact that you think you have the inside track because you work at Blink only goes to demonstrate your naievity. Have an open mind, listen to peoples opinions, you may learn something. You may be absolutely right and Blink may yet take over the world, they seem to be working harder than most to achieve it, or they may not. It's not in the hands of 6 pilots, an anorak and 3 brokers in a forum.

It's a discussion and you refuse to see anyone's opinion apart from your own.

You are a humourless man with a nasty chip on your shoulder and a dillusional level of company loyalty.

Now stop being a tw@t and let the open minded majority discuss what we believe to be an interesting topic, and I offer no apology if the opinions differ from your company indoc.

PB

[Daifly]

Phil - am I the anorak?

[Phil Brockwell]

Ha - Dai-Fence Monkey.

I meant me actually, but if the hood fits......

[LGW Vulture]

Highflight, many times I have seen quotes on here that have tended to slag off some of my Clients. I have let go those comments knowing full well that what they think and say, are not in line with what's actually going on. I therefore tend to let my Clients get on with their jobs and let their performance answer any long standing questions.

May I suggest you turn it down and let Blink do the talking.... I'm sure they don't need your sniping to enable them to continue in their day to day travails.

[Phil Brockwell]

LGW Vulture,

No-one is slagging anyone off, we are discussing a theory. Blink have very deliberately courted PR, with claims such as Europes First Air Taxi Service, 30% cheaper than other alternatives etc etc etc. They did this to be noticed and discussed, and it has been successfull. The claims that they were going to revolutionise the charter business are unlikely to go un-noticed and as such they put themselves up for judgement, the fact that some people agree and some people don't does not constitute slagging off, simply discussion of a topic.

Their marketing is proving succesfull at obtaining many direct clients, I have spoken to more than one broker who has lost clients to them. But as yet no-body knows if it is going to be successfull as in increasing the balance sheet or showing a return.

If we were discussing the Merits of an Apple Mac over a PC< or a Blackberry over an iPhone, nobody would get all bent out of shape, it's just not normal.

PB

[LGW Vulture]

Phil, you miss my logic. I'm telling Highflight to let Blink answer the questions not him! If they are as sound as he likes to make out, then we will see that in their survival alone.

I'm with you guys in that I think it doesn't look good given they are showing airframes for sale already, in what is the most depressed business aircraft market ever known.

And, if slagging off is deserved, then so be it.

[Phil Brockwell]

LGW,

I didn't misunderstand you, I got what you were saying, just didn't think we were slagging them off.

"i'm not convinced that the model will succeed" = not slagging off.

"They are doing a cr@p job" = slagging off.

I'm pretty sure that no-one of any importance at Blink gives a flying F&*$k what I think, and are probably less than impressed that this daft tugger is being their self appointed spokesman.

Oh well,

[Pilot Positive]

Wow! There are some really ruffled feathers out there - Blink is clearly a company causing waves in the UK industry (if not Europe?)!! If you want a revolution get the people talking....:}

The truth is none of us know what true position Blink is in at the moment - regardless of reports from Companies house (no company is truly transparant) - and their management is probably sharp enough to know that sending out the right messages to the market (including employees!) supports their business.

The acid test is 2 fold:

1. How long have they been around? If less than year then the news that they are selling assets is not good. If they are passed year 1 then they have a higher probability of survival.

2. The market will decide. If they have a good product, a strong price and have not eroded their margins by pumping their investors cash into buying market share then they will see a return correlated with the amount of business they win.

Yes we can speculate untils the mustangs come home what their intentions are and it could be whole number of permutations...e.g buying out shareholders? increasing liquidity? Restructuring the balance sheet for the purpose of sale? :eek: Or simply trimming to meet projected demand? etc.. etc...

Some of the guys I occassionally fly with see their cute little jets at various European airports on a regular basis so they seem busy. Client feedback? Who knows but if they are getting repeat business and are winning long term clients they cant be all bad! They appear to have high visibility backed by a strong brand which is slowly getting recognised. :cool:

I am going to put a bet that England have a 50-1 chance of beating Germany on Sunday and a 2-1 chance that Blink are undertaking long term posturing to sell their business in 2-4 years if they can hang on long enough. Any takers? :}

[robbreid]

Maybe pressure from this pprune thread???, but I note that Blink removed two of the listings for their (for sale) Mustangs - and currently one listed officially for sale.

[Daifly]

Maybe they sold them already? ;)

[Martin Barnes]

ok Phil when you are back from shoving you head up where ever

and pissing around on pprune

please get on with the business of selling charters as I have only frown 78hrs this month.

if our poor downtrodden crews ever stop whinging we really will be in trouble.

besided we will need the money when the poor deluded tosser sues us!!

[Phil Brockwell]

Robb,

I'd seriously doubt that this thread carries that much weight at Blink Towers, just amongst their FO's.

MKB.

Enjoy your 4 days touring the Garden route you poor downtrodden sould you.

Phil

[No RYR for me]

Maybe pressure from this pprune thread???, but I note that Blink removed two of the listings for their (for sale) Mustangs - and currently one listed officially for sale.

It makes business sense not show all your cards errr aircraft for sale at one time. A well known fractional company has always 1 aircraft of a fleet they want to dispose of for sale. Once that is gone they will advertise the next, etc. :} This way you don't saturise the secondhand market of a particular type ;)

[LGW Vulture]

With 33 Mustangs already being shown as available for sale - then saturated it already is! :uhoh:

[No RYR for me]

True but you saw the reactions on this thread already when Blink advertises 42.8% of their fleet. That is the kind of thing you want to avoid.. :ouch:

[Phil Brockwell]

No RYR,

Are we not overestimating the influence of this thread? No offence to us, but if my company was getting a bit of a beasting by us lot, I don't think I'd care that much.

PB

[No RYR for me]

I hope my company does not get Beasting up :}

But yes and no... However the power of Google is such is that anybody doing any background search on Blink might end up here.. :ooh:

[Martin Barnes]

Thanks phil

does that mean I get 3 days off

I think I should change my user name to Poor (old) Deluded Tosser, but then everyone would know who I am!!!

Have you sold anything today you lazy bastard.

[Phil Brockwell]

Oi,

I'm on a day off!! - back Wednesday - Wimbledon tomorrow.

Phil

[Daifly]

I feel slightly ill now, can we go back to talking about Blink....?

[Martin Barnes]

no its just a money thing!!!

[African Drunk]

Is blink not selling the a/c as they made pilots redundant and couldn't fly the planes they have?

As someone who has worked for a start up I do notice that many of there staff become like "religious converts" who do not see issue apparent to others. PR is a two edged sword so no complaining when the claims are put under the microscope.

I do not fly ethier the mustang or the P100 but I have to say the P100 seems to me a superior product.

[Martin Barnes]

hi ad did u get to sa

[flynowpaylater]

On many flights Blink are MORE expensive than most CJ1's etc... The Mustang isn't as good as a CJ1, therefore why would anyone want to pay more....for less?

I guess the start up capital is running out, and there is no desire from investors to keep pouring water into the blink spounge.

They have successfully got some people to charter, that otherwise wouldn't have done so, but when the client see's the CJ's they're parked next to in Cannes or Geneva and finds out its the same or maybe less cost.........:ugh:

You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time.Abraham Lincoln (http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Abraham_Lincoln/), (attributed)
16th president of US (1809 - 1865).

[Phil Brockwell]

Flynow....post later.....

Where have you been....keep up boy!

[Avioactive]

Does it not stand to reason that if you've had two to three aircraft almost permanently on the ground at Blackbushe for near on the last two years, perhaps three now, it's time to get rid of a couple at least? Another winter looming and those birds will just get covered in snow and ice for another season not going anywhere.

[Phil Brockwell]

Avioactive....good point well made and all that, but, if you were in the position of having aircraft underutilised picking multiple bases to spread your markets would be the right thing to do....exactly what Blink have done.

If they are offloading excess supply, and marketing the hell out of the concept whilst doing the smart thing of multi-basing, It is for the good of the company......so, whilst the concept of a huge fleet of VLJ's is probably not likely in this, or any economic situation, they are adapting as they learn and while that may sound really patronising, it's not as patronising as the press releases that told us how they had invented an industry that we have all spent 20 years working in.

I think we all have suspicions that the concept does not work on the scale that was originally designed due to the scaleability (sp) of certain departments within a bespoke service product, but credit where credit is due, their business decisions are unflawed (except, obviously the one where they signed up to 45 mustangs and told all the brokers they don't need them).

PB

[No RYR for me]

but credit where credit is due, their business decisions are unflawed (except, obviously the one where they signed up to 45 mustangs and told all the brokers they don't need them).
LOL thanks Phil. That is a classic :D

[flynowpaylater]

it's not as patronising as the press releases that told us how they had invented an industry that we have all spent 20 years working in.

Quite right Mr B. Surely they must have realised that this might raise a few eyebrows within an already very established and potentially over subscribed market?
A company round my way have developed the blink principle on surface transport...... they're called Ali's cabs. If only I'd have thought of this. Phil, why do we keep missing the boat?..........Urika!!!, lets sail boats between Dover and Calais and allow lorries and cars on board. This time next year Rodney....

[robbreid]

London Executive Aviation selling off December 2010 delivery position . . .

2010 CESSNA CITATION MUSTANG Jet Aircraft For Sale At Controller.com (http://www.controller.com/listingsdetail/aircraft-for-sale/CESSNA-CITATION-MUSTANG/2010-CESSNA-CITATION-MUSTANG/1173448.htm)

[dc9-32]

Maybe Ambeo will be next to move their's on when the Phenom arrives :cool:

[No RYR for me]

The main difference between LEA and Blink is that LEA is a well established charter operator who did not claim to change the world but just that the Mustang is an aircraft that moves some Kingair Customers to Jets. As far as I know most of the LEA aircraft are privately owned... and the orderbook is less than 45 :8

Here from 2008 George Galanopoulos, LEA’s managing director, is delighted with aircraft’s introduction. “The Mustang is ideal for customers who travel in small numbers and want to upgrade from a turbo-prop without paying a premium. It is also proving attractive to existing jet customers, who may not always need the extra capacity and cabin space of traditional entry-level jets.”

:ok:

[Trim Stab]

I have to say the P100 seems to me a superior product


On paper specs maybe - but I have heard that performance is nowhere near the specs, particularly landing performance.

[SkyTrax2]

Think LEA just received there first Phenom 100 G-CGNP a few days ago, serial number 50000146

[Sepp]

-NP is a Legacy 500, not a Phenom :)

[x933]

Not on G-INFO it isn't...EMB500 is the CAA's way of saying it's a Phenom 100. Is this owned by LEA or managed?

In fact, the L500 hasn't even flown yet...

[Sepp]

Then I stand corrected... :oh:

edit/ Ah, I see... wake up at the back! :p :O

[G-SPOTs Lost]

Having sat in one last week, I cant help but be really impressed with the Phenom. Its a big little jet and anybody who picks a mustang over it (notwithstanding the extra $400k) is nuts.

Regarding this "extra" performace are we not gettting confused with pre first flight pledges against certified data. I'd like to think that what the book says is exactly what it will do, no more no less, it would be unusual for the manufacturer to put 2000 hrs on a pair of test frames and not spot a little extra performace that operators have found having put a couple of hundred hours on them. I doubt the FAA/EASA would allow a 5% innaccuracy good or bad in the data

Its also not unusual for FADEC engines to give a little extra thrust at ISA + 1 or +2 as opposed to the ISA figures which are commonly quoted beefing up the rumours that its better than book.

5% seems a little too good to be true from testing to line flying, but from design to certification would seem a little more believable

2 mins on google found this

Embraer seems to have quite a bit to crow about when its pledges for the Phenom 100 are examined against the actual airplane. An Embraer spokesman said the company promised customers a 380-knot aircraft capable of 1,160 nm of range at 41,000 feet, plus a landing distance of 3,000 feet. When it was certified, the Phenom came in at 390 knots and 1,178 nm with a 2,699-foot landing roll. Block fuel for a 1,000-nm trip was initially planned at 1,960 pounds but by certification had dropped to 1,889 pounds. The Phenom’s capacity for baggage is 25 percent higher than originally planned.


Great aircraft by all accounts, whatever the story with the performance

[No RYR for me]

Is it an idea to make a seperate Embraer 100 vs Mustang thread?

Back on topic: how many are still advertised as being for sale?

[AviatorDave]

Highflight420, you wrote that people are actually using the toilet in the Mustang. Well, these must have been some serious emergencies then.

Do you have any special fitments in the Blink jets to provide more privacy? I can hardly imagine any passenger (especially female ones) taking a leak (or worse) just behind the FO's seat, in full view from the passenger cabin.

I'd seriously be interested in how a commercial operator handles this problem.

[proceeding outbound]

There is a curtain between the cockpit and the cabin and another that goes around the toilet itself - its not ideal but many passengers, male and female have used ours at Ambeo without problems. We always suggested to passengers they use the toilet at the FBO before flight.

[AviatorDave]

Thanks for your reply. I would have expected the high-end clientele using such air transport services to be more picky about the toilet issue.
It was one of the things which I thought would make running a commercial service using Mustangs difficult. Interesting ...

[proceeding outbound]

I think the urge to go is greater than any vanity issues. :} The Phenom is a better solution without a doubt but on short VLJ sectors the toilet is seldom required.

It's interesting you mention high-end clientèle as we have had some really high end ones use the loo without giving it a second though. At the end of the day they are human just like the rest of us.

It's also very interesting that the high-end clientèle are using our cheap little Mustangs - sign of the times I guess.

[AviatorDave]

yep, maybe sign of the times. They are even willing to put up with a 340kt jet. That's another thing that made me scratch my head. I had expected raised eyebrows concerning the speed, but that appears to be a non-issue too.

[G-SPOTs Lost]

high-end clientèle

All depends on your definition I suppose, I've been lucky to fly some high-end clientèle and I cant imagine them peeing (or worse) in a bucket behind a curtain...

[proceeding outbound]

I've been in the business for a long time, flying much bigger aircraft as well all over the world and I assure you some of the higher-end have been in the Mustang lately and they did use the toilet. Take my word or not, it makes no difference to me, I wont be mentioning names.:oh:

[tommoutrie]

One CJ I've flown has no curtain between pilots and cabin and the customer managed to rip the other curtain down in the process of squatting. Part of you wants to ask if they need any help as they crash around the cabin desperately trying to pull up their tights, the other part of you decides to very intently brief a plate with your colleague until you are absolutely certain they have recovered their dignity.

what goes on in VLJ stays in the VLJ..

[hawker750]

IMHO passengers have a weird expectation of what lav facilities are on board an aircraft. I have had passengers get on the aircraft and use the loo before take off! and that is after 10 minutes in the FBO waiting room. In the glory days of 9 passengers in a Chieftain for 3 hours the passengers did not expect a loo so they acted accordingly. Why do they expect a loo in a Mustang that has a smaller cabin and is able to stay aloft shorter? Perhaps we should do a MOL and charge the customers for the lav service. When they saw the bill from the FBO I am sure that next time they would take an extra 90 seconds before take off to make themselves comfortable. Bills for Lav service run £50-100 which may not be a significant sum on a GV but is very significant on the DOC of a smaller aircraft. I guess the Mustang DOC is about £500/hour so if the loo had to be serviced after every sector their DOC could go up by as much as 25% (assuming 1 sector = 1 hour).
I think it is a case of passengers expecting a loo in a jet regardless of size. Loos in small aircraft should have a large sign. "Emergency use only, it will be the most expensive p you have ever had"

[proceeding outbound]

The F/O's don't charge any extra for removing the black bag:}.

Just kidding, we take it in turns. Anybody who has had kids has had to do far worse things than remove the occasional toilet bag. But good point, many similar sized aircraft don't have a loo and there are seldom any issues.