Very Interesting Radio Programme
 

This evening's In Business, all about the new market the new breed of 'cheap' GA Jets are trying to carve out in the US. If you have the right player you can download and listen to the programme. Follow the link and scroll down to the 20:30 slot (In Business). Says it is repeated on Sun @ 2130L,

http://www.bbc.co.uk/cgi-perl/whatso...rvice_id=49700

very interesting but IMHO there seems to be one big flaw in their plan:

For a cheap jet to be operated cheaply, it needs to be flown by its owner, otherwise the cost of professional crews will kill the economic proposition (for the numbers they want to shift). Professional crews' job is to fly and keep everyone safe. The owner who buys a new sub £1m jet like one of these will be thinking he can use it every day like the car, so he will use it to make his business life easier. How can a time-pressed businessman fly safely to his meeting, concentrate on the meeting, then fly safely home again, regularly. Sorry but either be a top businessman then relax/work as you travel, or be a professional pilot and relax when you're waiting for your passengers.

I don't think you can mix the two and keep the business aviation safety record as high as it is today. Fatigued owner/drivers flying single crew in a fast jet in crowded skies late at night in grotty weather? I think I'll stay on the ground.

And as for the idea that 1000 of these will quickly create a shared air taxi network - well no one's done it on the ground yet with cars in city centres, so that is cloud cuckoo territory at £1m a piece.

Car sharing organizations exist on a large scale and they are doing well.

I feel the gist of the business proposal is to provide a no-frills corporate jet service. This means (or is meant to mean) that top business people are not the intended target. I assume, anybody who wants to get from A to B quickly(ish) without as much fuss would be interested in the service. Therefore, I think this is viable so long as you can afford not to fill all the seats all the time. The stated variable cost to the passenger is a bad idea (the idea that the fuller to plane the cheaper your seat) when a lone traveller has no control over the ability for the airline to fill the other seats.

Cloud cuckoo land? Not sure. Risky, yes. Even if it does succeed it probably won't be the pioneers who make it, but the big corporations will make it work. But then again, probably to sole purpose of these kind of start-ups is to be bought out for decent money.

Could also introduce a new bottom rung to the pilot career ladder which would not be a bad thing.

Just some assumptious thoughts,
HWD.

I have to agree with ScienceDoc.

Living in Switzerland with only the occasional need for a car, I signed up with the Swiss service "Mobility" which has hundreds of cars available all over the country for as little as Sfr2 (about US$1.38) per hour. Obviously for that you don't get much of a car, but the likes of Audi's and Volkwagen's are available if required too.

The prime intention is to increase the use of our excellent rail services and keep the highways relatively clear which is obviously working. The majority of the Mobility cars are available at railway stations and are activated with a personal smartcard. The receiver in the car is activated via satelitte from central control in, I think, Berne ensuring your reserved car is available to you at the time of booking.

Excellent system and very popular here.

Whooaahh!!!

Please, let's have that in Luton!
Typical Swiss efficiency, and we Brits can't get anything started.

V12 - I agree with you!

High Wing Drifter - as somebody in a widely perceived "top rung" airline position I'd love to enjoy my flying once again on the "bottom rung"! The way the airlines are going means GA or a new career as far as I'm concerned.