Credit crunch and cheaper flying.....
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Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: scotland
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Although Highland are a well established school they ,dare I say it, are not one of the big guns in GA. Niether have they dropped prices to compete. They are in fact well managed with a healthy business plan that has prevented them from having to up their prices over the last few years and they are growing constantly.
The feeling I get and I have said it before is that with Highland its not just about the money, they care about people and the people who fly and it is important to them that we can afford to fly and keep coming back.
Their fleet is well kept and being topped up regularly.
FOOLS PARADISE!!!!! I DONT THINK SO.......
The feeling I get and I have said it before is that with Highland its not just about the money, they care about people and the people who fly and it is important to them that we can afford to fly and keep coming back.
Their fleet is well kept and being topped up regularly.
FOOLS PARADISE!!!!! I DONT THINK SO.......
Join Date: Jan 1999
Location: north of barlu
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That may well be the case up north but one company dominates the market at seven of the airfields around London.
The tactic of late has been to buy up local clubs to get a foot hold at an airfield, if I was running this business I would now be looking to the rest of the UK to continue growing the business.
I don't know of Highland but they sound like a good place to fly and would seem to have a large customer base........... A ripe target for these people!
Tuscan I would like to thing that you are correct but having seen the demise of a well run club such as Highland I fear that you could have a nasty shock coming.
The tactic of late has been to buy up local clubs to get a foot hold at an airfield, if I was running this business I would now be looking to the rest of the UK to continue growing the business.
I don't know of Highland but they sound like a good place to fly and would seem to have a large customer base........... A ripe target for these people!
Tuscan I would like to thing that you are correct but having seen the demise of a well run club such as Highland I fear that you could have a nasty shock coming.
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I would love to fly ay Sherburn prices when compared with those at Barton. Currently there I pay £113 plus VAT per hour for a PA28 and airfield charges of £22.03 plus VAT. I save you the maths, it works out at £132.78 per hour plus £25.88 for one take off and landing.
I think a group will be my only way forward for the future.
I think a group will be my only way forward for the future.
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I certainly hope not, it would be a shame.
I am also sorry to hear of what`s happening down South in the London area, we can become rather insular and not see beyond our own boundaries. This is one of the reasons I frequent these pages, to try and keep up with what is happening elsewhere.
I wish you the best of luck in keeping your clients. I too have a business in a very competitive market and find that the so called market leaders are not always providing the best quality but often have the best prices. Unfortunately cutting prices often means cutting corners, something we should all be wary of, particularly when looking for cheaper flying.
Its always better to get an unbiased opinion from a third party before jumping in with both feet just because of an attractive looking package.
Whats the phrase? Buyer Beware!!!
My opinion of Highland stands and I have no affiliation to them other than being a customer.
I am also sorry to hear of what`s happening down South in the London area, we can become rather insular and not see beyond our own boundaries. This is one of the reasons I frequent these pages, to try and keep up with what is happening elsewhere.
I wish you the best of luck in keeping your clients. I too have a business in a very competitive market and find that the so called market leaders are not always providing the best quality but often have the best prices. Unfortunately cutting prices often means cutting corners, something we should all be wary of, particularly when looking for cheaper flying.
Its always better to get an unbiased opinion from a third party before jumping in with both feet just because of an attractive looking package.
Whats the phrase? Buyer Beware!!!
My opinion of Highland stands and I have no affiliation to them other than being a customer.
What am I currently paying?
£300pa for a flewwing microlight that's sat derigged in the hangar and I need to either sell or find time to fly. It's probably worth about £3k at current market prices.
For a Thruster (fun but very low performance microlight) which I own 1/8th of: £15/month, £9/hr + fuel (~£15/hr) + £50pa club membership. If I were to sell the share now I'd get about £350
For a vintage 4-seat taildragger: which I also own 1/8th of: £75/month, ~£55/hr. If I were to sell the share now so I'd get about £3,500.
For a PA38 which I'm currently doing a bit of licence upgrade training in, about £140/hr.
So if I flew circa 3 hrs/month in each (which is my target in the Thruster and vintage taildragger - although I don't seem to be meeting it at the moment due to lack of time, not money), that works out per hour at roughly:
Thruster: £30/hr
Vintage: £80/hr
PA38: £140/hr (okay, to be fair that's dual, it'd be about £110 solo).
Strangely, I think that there's actually an inverse relationship there between price and fun but long trips in the Thruster is scarcely viable, and the PA38 is just serving a purpose at the moment.
But, it does show that just about anything is cheaper than renting standard club aeroplanes if you want to fly with any regularity. Also, in my experience, club rental aeroplanes are usually about the worst aircraft you'll ever fly in terms of condition and enjoyment - as well as almost impossible to take away for a few days.
But of course, joining a syndicate does require a certain amount of up-front cash and time commitment to doing a few chores on the aircraft and that shouldn't be forgotten.
G
£300pa for a flewwing microlight that's sat derigged in the hangar and I need to either sell or find time to fly. It's probably worth about £3k at current market prices.
For a Thruster (fun but very low performance microlight) which I own 1/8th of: £15/month, £9/hr + fuel (~£15/hr) + £50pa club membership. If I were to sell the share now I'd get about £350
For a vintage 4-seat taildragger: which I also own 1/8th of: £75/month, ~£55/hr. If I were to sell the share now so I'd get about £3,500.
For a PA38 which I'm currently doing a bit of licence upgrade training in, about £140/hr.
So if I flew circa 3 hrs/month in each (which is my target in the Thruster and vintage taildragger - although I don't seem to be meeting it at the moment due to lack of time, not money), that works out per hour at roughly:
Thruster: £30/hr
Vintage: £80/hr
PA38: £140/hr (okay, to be fair that's dual, it'd be about £110 solo).
Strangely, I think that there's actually an inverse relationship there between price and fun but long trips in the Thruster is scarcely viable, and the PA38 is just serving a purpose at the moment.
But, it does show that just about anything is cheaper than renting standard club aeroplanes if you want to fly with any regularity. Also, in my experience, club rental aeroplanes are usually about the worst aircraft you'll ever fly in terms of condition and enjoyment - as well as almost impossible to take away for a few days.
But of course, joining a syndicate does require a certain amount of up-front cash and time commitment to doing a few chores on the aircraft and that shouldn't be forgotten.
G
