Competition for DayJet in Florida - Satsair SR22 Expansion

[On Your Six]

Probably not much of a comfort difference between the SR22 and the Eclipse. I have sat in the back of a brand new SR22 and it seriously wasn't bad at all... Satsair travelers are even able to use their laptops. Does anyone know if Satsair pax are allowed to sit up front with the pilot?

Read below:


SATSair Air Taxi Service Adds to Fleet with $45 Million, 100 Aircraft Purchase and Expands Service Area to Include Florida, Creating Jobs in the Eastern United States
Tuesday October 17, 10:00 am ET

GREENVILLE, S.C., Oct. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- SATSair, a provider of "Air Taxi" services, announced today that it will expand its service area to include Florida as part of their overall growth plan. SATSair has also signed a contract with Cirrus Design to acquire 50 Cirrus SR22 aircraft with options on an additional 50 in a deal valued at over $45 million.

We're excited about expanding our fleet and service area to include Florida," said Steve Hanvey, SATSair President and CEO. "The decision was customer-driven. We've had a tremendous interest level from people living in Florida; so starting November 1, we can now provide point-to-point, on-demand service to them at over 100 airports throughout the state."
Now in its second year of operation, SATSair will include Florida in its service area by November 1, 2006. Delivery has already begun on the aircraft, and the first 50 of the order will be delivered by early 2007. The fleet and service area expansions will create pilot, mechanic, and customer service jobs across the eastern United States, including over 300 in South Carolina and Florida.
"In addition to the initial 10 aircraft we will be placing in Florida right away, we will be increasing aircraft in key parts of our established service area to meet growing demand," said Hanvey. "The economic impact of the Cirrus contract is obvious, and the effects of the service area expansion will be realized in job creation, revenues at the airports and Fixed Based Operators we serve and by local businesses in our service area as they utilize our time-saving, cost-effective service."
Paula Raeburn, Executive Director of the Florida Aviation Trades Association (FATA) also commented, "SATSair will mean that business and leisure travelers will have an affordable way to travel throughout Florida and the southeastern United States by air without relying on scheduled airlines. The ability to travel on your schedule will make air travel the preferred way to meet with clients, take a short vacation or visit family anywhere, anytime. FATA is looking forward to working with SATSair to promote the general aviation industry to make air taxi service an integral part of how Florida does business." FATA represents general aviation in Florida.
SATSair is the first company to offer the innovative "Air Taxi" service based on extensive research and strategic relationships with agencies such as NASA and the FAA. Using new Cirrus SR22 aircraft, SATSair's mission is to provide safe, convenient, economical air travel and top-notch customer service. SATSair's service area includes much of the eastern United States, and the company plans continued expansion. For more information on SATSair, visit http://www.satsair.com. Contact:

 

[ReportCanoa]

Parachute controls are located above every passenger seat.

 

[pilotpat]

Parachute controls are located above every passenger seat.

First thing I thought is how many parachutes are going to be opened in the first year of the company's existance...

 

[Flywrite]

To answer the first question-yes, pax can sit up front.To answer the second-over a year now with no parachutes deployed.

 

[pilotpat]

-over a year now with no parachutes deployed.

Flywrite ~ looks like you just came up with the new advertisement banner! LOL

BTW, I'm just busting your chops, I wish they had this when I was first starting out looking for a job.

 

[Andrew_VT]

I always thought it was a shame they were using a Cirrus for this operation. A Columbia, bonanza, hell even a mooney are such better airplanes in almost every way.

Columbia for the speed/refinement/sturdy airframe(as far as composites go anyway...i dont trust the cirrus in heavy turbulance with their track record), bonanza for the payload and known ice, and mooney for the relative fuel economy/speed/known ice.

On the plus side for cirrus, they are a little cheaper than the others (cheaper in both uses of the word) and dont forget the parachute(which was required to get their certification because of nasty stall/spin characteristics)! I wonder how often they have to explain to their average heavy american clients that while the plane does have 3 seats, there is only enough payload for one guy and his bags plus the pilot. Plus, while i dont feel like supporting anything i say so I'll appoligize in advance for the purported slander, all the cirrus's based on my field are in the shop ALOT, somethings always breaking or needing work done on those things.

 

[AeroDMB]

hmmmm...jet or s/e prop for passenger comfort...seems like a no-brainer to me. Not competition for DayJet.

 

[Lazy8]

bet they'll eventually get the Cirrus jet whenever it comes out...

Anyone know the pay/schedule/benefits for SATSair?

 

[johnsonrod]

hmmmm...jet or s/e prop for passenger comfort...seems like a no-brainer to me. Not competition for DayJet.

Yeah but we're talking very short hops within Florida (they will compete in Florida initially). I have also sat in the back of an SR22 and I was surprised - felt like I was in the back of a BMW (contured seats and arm rest). I hear the Eclipse is as wide and comfortable as a Baron. It will be interesting to watch.

 

[Flywrite]

I always thought it was a shame they were using a Cirrus for this operation. A Columbia, bonanza, hell even a mooney are such better airplanes in almost every way.

Columbia for the speed/refinement/sturdy airframe(as far as composites go anyway...i dont trust the cirrus in heavy turbulance with their track record), bonanza for the payload and known ice, and mooney for the relative fuel economy/speed/known ice.

On the plus side for cirrus, they are a little cheaper than the others (cheaper in both uses of the word) and dont forget the parachute(which was required to get their certification because of nasty stall/spin characteristics)! I wonder how often they have to explain to their average heavy american clients that while the plane does have 3 seats, there is only enough payload for one guy and his bags plus the pilot. Plus, while i dont feel like supporting anything i say so I'll appoligize in advance for the purported slander, all the cirrus's based on my field are in the shop ALOT, somethings always breaking or needing work done on those things.

FYI-Though occasionally a SATSair trip cannot go without a fuel stop with 3 pax, there are no occasions of 'only enough payload for one passenger and bags'. Generally if a customer needs to move 3 people and a lot of bags 300 nm they will get a King Air. However, if they need to send two people 150 nm and return that evening, the SR22 works great at a fraction of the cost. It's called a niche market and it works.

It really is great that we could all benefit from your conclusion that the Cirrus is unsuitable based on an opinion that your freely admit you cannot be bothered to support.

I guess a modern, glass cockpit single with the ability to make a catastrophic airframe failure a survivable event is also inferior the to 40-year-old POS Apache you're building time in. I bet that thing's never in the shop...