Blink
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Hey Phil
I just had a wonderful idea! why dont we buy a fleet of single engine turbo-props like the tbm850
forget the catering, drink tap water, fly on the N like the old days.
this time next year we could be rich ! call the lawyers see if it can be done !
I just had a wonderful idea! why dont we buy a fleet of single engine turbo-props like the tbm850
forget the catering, drink tap water, fly on the N like the old days.
this time next year we could be rich ! call the lawyers see if it can be done !
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Originally Posted by Highflight420
bfato
Oh to be 20 again, no I'm a long way from that mortgage worry free age,30 years in aviation at the sharp end and in both camps qualifies me to have my own views I think,and I thought I'd turned into a grumpy old man.Aviation used to be such a pleasant place to be how it's changed.I guess I'm just [icon]
For what it's worth, I've found aviation a very pleasant place so far but if I went onto pprune's airline section and started telling them bizjet crews could do their jobs better than they, I would expect to receive a less than warm welcome.
Good luck to Blink and their crews. Maybe the company actually has a strong business plan that just hasn't been given justice here but I'd feel more secure at a Phil Brockwellian operation myself.
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For the record, and even Mr O'Leary agree's. There is no such thing as a low cost airline. low fares yes, low cost no.
So based on the fact that cessna are not offering a deal to blink that would be less than anyone else could get, and the pilots won't cost any less, nor the airport fee's etc... The only way is to squeeze more juice from orange, and have the aircraft fly more hours. If the aircraft fly more hours, then the quality of the product will be reduced. the main attraction of chartering is flexibility, which will be compromised with the increased utilisation that is required to balance the books.......or fly less hours, but put the price up......not low cost then.
Time will tell if the blink business model will be deemed a stroke of genius, or an ill-conceived vision. Either way, 2+2 will always equal 4. If it adds up to anything else, go do your sums again.
So based on the fact that cessna are not offering a deal to blink that would be less than anyone else could get, and the pilots won't cost any less, nor the airport fee's etc... The only way is to squeeze more juice from orange, and have the aircraft fly more hours. If the aircraft fly more hours, then the quality of the product will be reduced. the main attraction of chartering is flexibility, which will be compromised with the increased utilisation that is required to balance the books.......or fly less hours, but put the price up......not low cost then.
Time will tell if the blink business model will be deemed a stroke of genius, or an ill-conceived vision. Either way, 2+2 will always equal 4. If it adds up to anything else, go do your sums again.
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I remember when Stelios dreamed up Easyjet, everybody in this industry laughed and said no way would it work, no one wanted to fly cheap with no catering or M&S sandwiches. He had to get crews from abroad as no one had faith in it and now look at it. How many 'low cost' operators use this model now and are starting up all over the world. I used to fly as pax on easyjet when it first started from Luton and I did wonder sometimes if the aircraft was going to make it to the destination
It just requires a change of mind set by the 'stick in the mud' old hands who think they are special because they fly a little jet instead of a big one.
A London Cabby is the same as a RR Chauffeur..a competent professional driver.
You don't need new state of the art aircraft as long as they are safe. You need pilots that can think outside the box and want to make it work. It seems to me that too many self-centred people with no vision and big ego's get involved and just drag things down.
The 'private' jet concept is over blown, it is just an airborne taxi.
The goal is get the pax from A to B. The difficulty lies in the logistics of A/C positioning and the algorithms needed to achieve it.
Having said that, you need to value the people that make it work and that is where operators go wrong. If people feel valued, if they look forward to going to work then they work harder for less. It never ceases to amaze me how 'successful' businessmen/women cannot grasp this concept.
I have worked for such people and it is just frustrating as hell.
Good luck Blink, choose the workforce carefully look after them and the returns will be there.
It just requires a change of mind set by the 'stick in the mud' old hands who think they are special because they fly a little jet instead of a big one.
A London Cabby is the same as a RR Chauffeur..a competent professional driver.
You don't need new state of the art aircraft as long as they are safe. You need pilots that can think outside the box and want to make it work. It seems to me that too many self-centred people with no vision and big ego's get involved and just drag things down.
The 'private' jet concept is over blown, it is just an airborne taxi.
The goal is get the pax from A to B. The difficulty lies in the logistics of A/C positioning and the algorithms needed to achieve it.
Having said that, you need to value the people that make it work and that is where operators go wrong. If people feel valued, if they look forward to going to work then they work harder for less. It never ceases to amaze me how 'successful' businessmen/women cannot grasp this concept.
I have worked for such people and it is just frustrating as hell.
Good luck Blink, choose the workforce carefully look after them and the returns will be there.
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Pilotbear,
You speak a lot of sense. In fact I think you have just described quite a few existing operators. A few years ago Netjets were feared, but for us they generated an interest in private aircraft much higher than they could supply, and the rest of us mopped up the excess, hopefully blink will be the same, with a big marketing budget and limited operational ability in terms of payload / range it all sounds good to me.
Phil
You speak a lot of sense. In fact I think you have just described quite a few existing operators. A few years ago Netjets were feared, but for us they generated an interest in private aircraft much higher than they could supply, and the rest of us mopped up the excess, hopefully blink will be the same, with a big marketing budget and limited operational ability in terms of payload / range it all sounds good to me.
Phil
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choose the workforce carefully look after them and the returns will be there.
First couple of candidates for the Chief Pilot position were offered a basic of £55,000. 
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pilotbear,
The most sensible and intuative post so far,I agree 100%. It never fails to amaze me how employers treat one of their most important assets with often blatant disregard and why perhaps Pilots are not always the most loyal part of the workforce.
I would imagine the Blink team are well aware of where differences can be made in the style of operation
There is more you can offer in an employment package besides cold hard cash.
With regards the aircraft and it's limitations these are well known,I've read several different reviews of the aircraft and all bar none have been nothing less than very favourable,one quote from Pilot magazine this month, 'to compare the Cessna Mustang with the previous CJ series is like comparing the Airbus 320 with a Boeing 737'
The most sensible and intuative post so far,I agree 100%. It never fails to amaze me how employers treat one of their most important assets with often blatant disregard and why perhaps Pilots are not always the most loyal part of the workforce.
I would imagine the Blink team are well aware of where differences can be made in the style of operation
There is more you can offer in an employment package besides cold hard cash.
With regards the aircraft and it's limitations these are well known,I've read several different reviews of the aircraft and all bar none have been nothing less than very favourable,one quote from Pilot magazine this month, 'to compare the Cessna Mustang with the previous CJ series is like comparing the Airbus 320 with a Boeing 737'
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Blablablafly
What a thoroughly inspiring individual you are,I'm guessing your a glass half empty individualthank god all those new pilots coming through the system don't have to rely on you for new jobs creation.
Your mention of the word stability seems to suggest that risk isn't for you,as I said before that's why your up front driving and not sat down the back knocking back the bubbly.If your in corporate aviation haven't you like me ever looked at some of the so called financial elite and wondered how on earth they made their fortunes when some of them can't even tie their own shoelaces,the difference is simple they took the risk and dared to dream,the likes of you and I figure the risk isn't worth upsetting our comfortable lives for and therefore end up driving them around.
Every company had to have the start up phase.An employment package can include share options,generous leave allowances and many other methods of attracting new employees besides just a straight salary.One only has to look at the success of John Lewis as a company to see why employee ownership has it's advantages.
I sincerely hope Blink are a runaway success
and I look forward to seeing their planned large fleet all around Europe in the next four years.
What a thoroughly inspiring individual you are,I'm guessing your a glass half empty individual
thank god all those new pilots coming through the system don't have to rely on you for new jobs creation.Your mention of the word stability seems to suggest that risk isn't for you,as I said before that's why your up front driving and not sat down the back knocking back the bubbly.If your in corporate aviation haven't you like me ever looked at some of the so called financial elite and wondered how on earth they made their fortunes when some of them can't even tie their own shoelaces,the difference is simple they took the risk and dared to dream,the likes of you and I figure the risk isn't worth upsetting our comfortable lives for and therefore end up driving them around.
Every company had to have the start up phase.An employment package can include share options
,generous leave allowances and many other methods of attracting new employees besides just a straight salary.One only has to look at the success of John Lewis as a company to see why employee ownership has it's advantages.I sincerely hope Blink are a runaway success
and I look forward to seeing their planned large fleet all around Europe in the next four years.
Last edited by Highflight420; 18th Mar 2008 at 13:55.
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Leave the risk takers in the back I say, I think the prerequisite for a pilot is low affinity to risk (after they have punted for the license that is).
I see POGO have realised that in the current market raising finance for their purchase programme is inappropriate, and Bob Crandall should know his stuff. Lets hope the UK economy is not following the same route.
I see POGO have realised that in the current market raising finance for their purchase programme is inappropriate, and Bob Crandall should know his stuff. Lets hope the UK economy is not following the same route.
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Blablablafly
What a thoroughly inspiring individual you are,I'm guessing your a glass half empty individual
What a thoroughly inspiring individual you are,I'm guessing your a glass half empty individual
, they call it experience in a world were we have the Greggairs, 24/7, Club328 etcetc failing every few months after having started with: "we will add more aircraft as fast as we can because everything is great" or the "we will change the industry" call. The list is endless and the pr when they start priceless 
thank god all those new pilots coming through the system don't have to rely on you for new jobs creation.
Your mention of the word stability seems to suggest that risk isn't for you,as I said before that's why your up front driving and not sat down the back knocking back the bubbly.
If your in corporate aviation haven't you like me ever looked at some of the so called financial elite and wondered how on earth they made their fortunes when some of them can't even tie their own shoelaces,the difference is simple they took the risk and dared to dream,the likes of you and I figure the risk isn't worth upsetting our comfortable lives for and therefore end up driving them around.
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Anybody with any business accumen knows that very often the time to strike is when everbody else isn't.
You don't think property millionaires built their property empires at the top of a cycle.
Blink have already raised the finance for the first few years of operation. 2009/10 are being slated in as years of significant growth again,if that's the case you need to be in a position to compete to be up and running not looking to raise finance and order aircraft.
Phil are you a businessman,pilot or both,if both I never thought that the two went together very naturally and you haven't said anything to make me change my view.Picking up business on the tailcoat of others(your reference to Netjets) isn't a recipe for good business practice.Think I'd much rather have two business background Harvard graduates with a bible thick business plan and an order/options for 45 aircraft from the Cessna factory.
Don't doubt Bob Crandall as I know his background but tell me if I'm wrong in that POGO weren't planning to launch until late 2008 early 2009.Additionally the USA is in recession and has several already established Air-taxi companies, Europe as yet hasn't isn't in a recession to my knowledge, but then what would I know I just fly them.
You don't think property millionaires built their property empires at the top of a cycle.
Blink have already raised the finance for the first few years of operation. 2009/10 are being slated in as years of significant growth again,if that's the case you need to be in a position to compete to be up and running not looking to raise finance and order aircraft.
Phil are you a businessman,pilot or both,if both I never thought that the two went together very naturally and you haven't said anything to make me change my view.Picking up business on the tailcoat of others(your reference to Netjets) isn't a recipe for good business practice.Think I'd much rather have two business background Harvard graduates with a bible thick business plan and an order/options for 45 aircraft from the Cessna factory.
Don't doubt Bob Crandall as I know his background but tell me if I'm wrong in that POGO weren't planning to launch until late 2008 early 2009.Additionally the USA is in recession and has several already established Air-taxi companies, Europe as yet hasn't isn't in a recession to my knowledge, but then what would I know I just fly them.
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highflight,
You will never understand my point of view, I certainly will never understand yours. Who knows....who cares.
Best of luck on whatever planet you choose to settle on.
Phil
You will never understand my point of view, I certainly will never understand yours. Who knows....who cares.
Best of luck on whatever planet you choose to settle on.
Phil