New Air Taxi Operation - Crandall & Burr

[On Your Six]

Check this out - looks like another proposed Air Taxi operation with light jets... They have some big guns involved - Crandall and Burr. If it works, there might be a lot of additional pilot jobs available. I like the funky Adams twinjet with the weird tail... Looks like a fun airplane to fly.

Love to hear your thoughs about its chances... Read below:


Former Rivals Unite To Form Air-taxi Network
Donald Burr, People Express founder and pioneer of the low-fare airline, and Bob Crandall, controversial megastar of American Airlines, were fierce competitors in the 1980s. Now they are combining their talents and money to develop a national on-demand, regional-based air-taxi network with hundreds of very light twinjets. Crandall is chairman of the new venture and Burr is CEO. Board members and also investors include PrivatAir vice chairman Dave Hurley and Mike Hodge, representing the lead investor, hedge-fund manager Julian Robertson. Officials claim they have raised close to $8 million to date. The company, which is searching for a new name after dropping the planned iFly Air Taxi, officially disclosed yesterday that it has ordered 75 Adam A700 very light twinjets to get the new venture off the ground as early as next year. The order is valued at $150 million. A prototype of the Williams International FJ33-4A powered A700 has already logged 150 hours since it started flying last July. The six-place aircraft is the only one of several very light jets in development that is flying with its designated engines, and it is scheduled to be FAA approved under a new type certificate in the first quarter of next year.

 

[Gulfstream 200]

Im all for new pilot jobs...

but this is a pipe dream. People wont want to ride in (nevermind buy) these micro-jets.

anyhow - hope Im wrong..

 

[bafanguy]

G200,

You're NOT wrong....

 

[BoilerUP]

The company, which is searching for a new name after dropping the planned iFly Air Taxi,

American's Express perhaps?

 

[Resume Writer]

Run Forest, Run!

I cannot even conceive of those two getting together! Crandall is a hard nose and hates employees. Burr actually had the right attitude with taking care of employees. Maybe if Crandall sticks with the numbers and lets Burr deal with the people, it might work. However, I cannot imagine anyone wanting to fly in a little plane like that.

JMHO,
Kathy

 

[Cpt Splash]

I think you guys are mistaken. I see a real want for these type of aircraft in the NorthEast especially the New York area. As long as they can keep the cost down to less than a King Air people will definitely want to charter these type of aircraft. Plus if they have big guns like Dave Hurly in the mix, they already have a market ready to exploit.

Cpt S

 

[TimsKeeper]

Big Guns? Were you talking about Dave Hurley previous CEO of PrivatAir?

If so, stop dinking the Kool Aid because you don't understand the juice that man sells.

 

[Publishers]

hundreds

Of course hundreds of orders have been placed for the mico jet aircraft already.

Will this replace airlines, no but it has been shown repeatedly that people will fly what is economical and friendly. These aircraft will open up transportation to many more airports than commercial service and be more convenient.

No one would possibly want that when you could be in a tube, treated rudely, searched 3 times, etc. now would they./

 

[JimNtexas]

Run Forest, Run!

... I cannot imagine anyone wanting to fly in a little plane like that.

JMHO,
Kathy

With airline travel being pure living hell these days, I'm just about to the point where I can't imagine flying on a schduled airliner.

 

[bafanguy]

"...pure living hell..." is a bit of an overstatement. Airline travel is pretty darned inconvenient compared to years past. But, it's ALL driven by price for most of us common folk. People will take a good bit of inconvenience if the price is low enough. That's been proven.

What remains to be seen is if the proposed microjet air taxi thing is priced right and functional enough to meet people's expectations.

My guess is "no", but time will tell. People propose all kinds of things that just don't pan out.