Wijet
 

What is going on at Blackbushe? From what I gather from an F/O that's just started with us there is a mass exodus going on at Wijet or is it still Blink. Apparently most of the Post holders and senior management team have left or are leaving and from what he says the company is in a spiral dive under a new CEO

One should listen carefully.... It is a very oriented and speculative post here...ho my ! This is pprune !

Onwards and upwards?
 

"Air Taxi Service Provider Wijet Commits to Upgrading Business Jet Fleet with HondaJet"

"PARIS— Jan. 29, 2018 — Honda Aircraft Company and Wijet, a provider of air taxi service currently operating 15 business jets throughout Europe, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) today for multiple HondaJets to upgrade the Wijet fleet.

Wijet is based in Paris, France and is the European leader in the Very Light Jet sector, offering travel to about 1,200 airports throughout Europe and North Africa. The Wijet mission is to provide its customers with the most modern and advanced aircraft that meet the company’s expectations of high performance, efficiency and reliability.

“I am delighted that Wijet has chosen the HondaJet to provide their customers with the exceptional experience of the most advanced light jet on the market,” said Honda Aircraft President and CEO Michimasa Fujino. “I am confident the HondaJet will meet and exceed their expectations with the quietest, most spacious and most comfortable cabin in its class, combined with unrivaled speed, efficiency, and amenities like a fully-private lavatory and WiFi connectivity.”

“There is no comparison to the HondaJet, in its category,” said Patrick Hersent, CEO of Wijet. “For our customers we offer the best-of-the-best in terms of products and experience while providing our partners with a safe and superior product at an affordable rate. The HondaJet does all of these things.”

The HondaJet is currently sold in North America, Middle and South America, Europe, South East Asia, and China.

For more information, visit hondajet.com

About HondaJet
The HondaJet is the fastest, highest-flying, quietest, and most fuel-efficient jet in its class. The HondaJet incorporates many technological innovations in aviation design, including the unique Over-The-Wing Engine Mount (OTWEM) configuration that dramatically improves performance and fuel efficiency by reducing aerodynamic drag. The OTWEM design also reduces cabin noise, minimizes ground-detected noise, and allows for the roomiest cabin in its class, the largest baggage capacity, and a fully serviceable private aft lavatory. The HondaJet is equipped with the most sophisticated glass flight deck available in any light business jet, a Honda-customized Garmin® G3000. The HondaJet is Honda's first commercial aircraft and lives up to the company’s reputation for superior performance, efficiency, quality and value.

About Honda Aircraft Company
Honda Aircraft Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. Founded in 2006, Honda Aircraft’s world headquarters is located in North Carolina, the birthplace of aviation. The challenging spirit upon which Mr. Soichiro Honda founded Honda Motor Co., Ltd. is alive today as Honda Aircraft fulfills one of Honda’s longstanding dreams to advance human mobility skyward.

About Wijet
WiJet is one of the fastest-growing on-demand airlines in Europe and the first air taxi airline in France. It will enable you to travel all around Europe and North Africa (to over 1,200 different airports), conveniently and safely. Beyond being the highest insured private jet operator in Europe, we follow a unique business model worldwide: “One price, one aircraft type, one service.” Clear, efficient, competitive, Wijet is the new generation of private aviation."

And the link to the press release has now been removed and taken offline. Interesting.

SINGAPORE, Feb. 8, 2018 - Honda Aircraft Company and Wijet, a provider of air taxi service currently operating 15 business jets throughout Europe, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today for multiple HondaJets to upgrade the Wijet fleet.

Honda Aircraft made the announcement during the Singapore Airshow being held at Changi Exhibition Centre, where the HondaJet is making its first-ever appearance.

Wijet is the first French air taxi company and offers travel to about 1,200 airports throughout Europe and North Africa. Wijet's mission is to provide their customers with the most modern and advanced aircraft with high performance, efficiency and reliability.
The MoU follows Honda Aircraft's recent announcements of being the most-delivered jet in its category for the first half of 2017 and several speed records in its class. Wijet is expected to take delivery of its first HondaJet during the first quarter of 2018 with more to follow.

"I am delighted that Wijet has chosen the HondaJet to provide their customers with the exceptional experience of the most advanced light jet on the market," said Honda Aircraft President and CEO Michimasa Fujino. "I am confident the HondaJet will meet and exceed their expectations with its quietest, most spacious and most comfortable cabin in its class combined with unrivaled speed, efficiency, and amenities like a fully-private lavatory and WiFi connectivity."

"There is no comparison to the HondaJet, in its category," said Patrick Hersent, CEO of Wijet. "For our customers we offer the best-of-the-best in terms of products and experience while providing our partners with a safe and superior product at an affordable rate. The HondaJet does all of these things."

Won't be able to land at Blackbushe :ugh:

'The deal is estimated to be worth up to US$80 million (S$105.6 million), a milestone for the relative newcomer to the business jet market.

Wijet said the 16 five-passenger HA-420 will replace its current fleet of 15 Cessna aircraft over the next 18 months.'

Umm, B-Bushe LDA is 3,474 ft, H-Jet needs about 4,660 ft dry, 5,360 ft wet to land

Of course is it’s Wijet and not Blink anymore so maybe there won’t be a Blackbushe base anymore.

Blackbushe
 

Met up with a long time buddy who still flies for WiJet. Have to say the Cafe at BBS serves up a brilliant breakfast. Anyway he says that he cant quite work out how they will pay for all these new Jets when they are having trouble paying salaries, fuel Bills, airways bills etc. He was stopped at Farnborough recently by a TAG vehicle being driven in front of his aircraft whilst taxiing. They had put their fuel on account which had been put on stop. He told me its getting embarrassing.Yes you are right the runway wont work for the new aircraft but the buzz is they are planning to move. That doesnt surprise him either because they havent paid for fuel/landings etc at Blackbushe for months ...watch this space

Not to mention how they are going to find 80 pilots that are willing to self sponsor a new hondajet rating.

It's a well known trick in the airline industry. If you are going bust, try to dispel the rumours by going out and ordering a fleet of fancy new aircraft. I doubt a single penny has been paid to HJC yet but it sure looks good eh?...

Yup, sending all those pilots to Greensboro for an extended stay is going to cost someone a few bob, in flights, subsistence, hotels etc. although the manufacturer tends to chuck in some courses with the purchase - thing is, in the wider world, your Mustang rating is a lot more useful than a HondaJet rating.

Just because Wijet gets the ratings for free doesn’t mean they won’t charge the pilots. Income is income, no matter where it comes from.

Can't imagine an entirely French-owned business with a French board of directors is going to retain a UK AOC and UK base, especially with the ambiguity surrounding Brexit, access, cabotage, VAT, customs, ownership structures, pilot employment/residency/rights etc. etc. London might be a key market, but every other consideration points towards bailing out of UK to continental EU. That said, French employment law, unions etc. are a nightmare.

the first unit due to be delivered next month.
4 pilots already qualified.
2 pilots should be sent to Greensboro each month.

Once the last 'stang goes that's the end of the 'bushe for WiJet.

As an aside which jets can operate legally out of there?

PC-24 of course

I thought Blink owned Blackbushe having taken it over from BCA .

With no Blink /Wijet movements its going to be a struggle to keep EGLK going and i can see anice big Yateley new town housing development which would be a shame

Granted it's Wikipedia but it says this about PC24 perf:

>>Pilatus has claimed that the PC-24 possesses performance attributes which are unmatched by any jet aircraft on the market. It possesses a takeoff distance of 820 m (2,690 ft) and a landing distance of 770 m (2,526 ft). The PC-24 is intended to be capable of operations from unpaved runways and grass strips<<

This is copied from the Pilatus webside

https://www.pilatus-aircraft.com/en/fly/pc-24

The Ogden family and fellow investors bought the airfield in 2015, and have a vision for development as detailed here https://www.blackbusheairport.co.uk/...-of-blackbushe

Whether this now all changes now that they no longer have an interest in Blink (as was), and Wijet order new jets (if they actually have), we will have to wait and see.

Not forgetting there are other businesses based on the field, including Aerobility, who are a high-profile aviation charity and have recently been expanding their facilities.

I can't speak with authority re. Public Transport Ops (I'm just a former puddle-jumper pilot who used to fly from the field), but I've seen biz-jet types up to Da900 and 7X.
There's a fairly regular Da2000 currently.

Jetairfly come with PC12's (as do others) on an occasional basis, as do Netjets with some of their smaller types (I've seen Excels and 125's).

No jets can go into B'Bushe on a commercial basis aside, bizarrely, from the Latitude and the Lineage which have incredible landing performance, privately people take a punt of course. But factor the landing distance required for a dry or a wet runway for public transport ops and every other jet type can't make it in for charters.

Of course there's some history there with Lears and Premier IA coming off the runway.

with no wind EASA a Mustang ( nearly a Jet ) hahaha can land with the 60% factorisation at 7839 Lbs with no wind and max landing 8000Lbs with 10 kt headwind

Don't remember a Lear having an off, but yes a Premier did and of course the "Bin-Laden" Phenom.

Lear 60!
 

I landed and took off in a Lear 60 there in 2006. Well, I didn't, the fella in the left seat did. Lear 60s are as partial to runway as bears are to honey, and we managed to flat spot a tyre.

The sensibly fuelled Falcon 2000 which goes in and out, on which I freelanced a few times had no such problems.

Hondajet in evidence at The 'Bushe today - new owners trying it for size?

Looks like a private owner..

....apparently the new smaller relative of the above-mentioned Falcon (replacing a Mustang, ironically)

Cessna have issued the order for the 4 original "Blink" liveried mustangs to be returned to the UK today and de-registered. Apparently Wijet haven't been paying the finance / programs on them.

One way of clearing the decks before the Honda Jets arrive I guess...

Well staff not paid again! Hondajet will only arrive on a foreign AOC, and only if the wind is below 20kts crosswind

Bankrupcy.... This is the end.. last flights will be tomorrow, AOC will be suspended, salaries not paid...

Blink Jet files bankruptcy
 

private jet card confirms bankruptcy
 

There was only two emails, a load of informations from them.. All planes are flown to OXF by the end of the week-end

Sad !!!!! Hope that all employees will find decent jobs elsewhere.

Forbes article