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.

 

[aeronautic1]

Yeah that's just what we need....

... a TSA Agent at every small strip in America!!

 

[Heavy Set]

Read an article in AIN about the venture. It has ordered 150 Adam A700 light twinjets to be delivered over several years - each to be crewed by 2 pilots. Evidently the "air taxi" will provide on-demand service from specific focus cities at first (NYC, Chicago, LA, ATL, etc.) with costs of roughly $3-4 dollars per mile for the passengers (not bad if you fill the 4 seats in the back). Most flights would fly up to 500-700 miles from each focus city with ultimately 75-100 airplanes operating per focus city (very long-term).

$3-4 dollars per mile sounds pretty competitive - especially if you fill the 4 passenger seats... The Adams A700 looks like a fun airplane to fly - sounds like this operation could potentially create a lot of pilot jobs. Looks like they are setting up the financing as we type - I wish them luck! It would be interesting to watch if it happens.

 

[mmmdonut]

Pax: "Hey, where's the lav on this thing?????"

 

[Frac Daddy]

Pax: "Hey, where's the lav on this thing?????"

Um....in the back.

 

[FracCapt]

... a TSA Agent at every small strip in America!!

You're kidding, right? You seem to think that when all these new light jets hit the skies, the TSA will develop some sense? No way. 12-15 TSA agents at every small strip is more like it!

 

[Publishers]

taxi

Not related nor is a TSA agent required for air taxi operations. This is not scheduled service but on demand charter in its purest form.

 

[aeronautic1]

Pba ???

I crew a Hawker out of PBI and I have never heard of Palm Beach Airlines.

 

[PHX767]

I saw 'em up close

I was stuck at APA last week waiting to get out of maintenance, and went over to Adam Aircraft for a look see. The sales guy gave me a real nice tour, even a ride out to their hangar to see the A-500 and the A-700.

These things are about the size of a C421 inside. Not much baggage room. About 310-330 KTAS cruise, 1,000 mile range. It would make a nice personal airplane.

I can't see jobs flying these things paying much.

 

[On Your Six]

Pay would not be good, but you sure would get some attention on the ramp... However, that and $4 will buy you coffee at Starbucks...

 

[aeronautic1]

Pay would not be good, but you sure would get some attention on the ramp... However, that and $4 will buy you coffee at Starbucks...

Is the pay 4 dollars or a cup of coffee at Starbucks. You think the bottomfeeding scum sucker 135 pay is bad now, just wait 'til this hits the tarmac!! Every minimum wage Outback Steakhouse waiter with an ERAU degree will be standing in line for these jobs!!!

 

[BugSmasher999]

Yea, and this photo just makes me want to jump in.....

I'm not a big guy but please! Pinching a loaf in a 421 is a joke!
I think I'd laugh my ass off trying it myself never mind watching a passenger give it a go.

Imagine some big 230lb. guy squeezing himself into this!

(http://www.adamaircraft.com/showimage.asp?image=03-318_a7int_783-600).



(and remember the photographer is probably using some wide angle lens to make the thing look bigger inside)



I suppose if your passenger were fat and Roman...he could think of this thing as a chariot.


and get this if (while sipping martinis, and munching on crackers) I want to sit
with the crapper door open. I can still look all the way forward into the cockpit!! (http://www.adamaircraft.com/showimage.asp?image=03-318_a7int_766-600)



Dude on second thought this plane rocks! A
After TO your captain could slide back into
the Jon, and while on the throne (exposing himself to the elements
he could still supervise the flight through a headset jack!

All we need is a frick'en stick back there and a PTT we'd have a flying lounge chair! After a crap the ground crew could suck the crap right out of the back of the airplane, Squirt a little of that perfumed water up in there....and then blow me dry, with a little air from the ramp air compressor. The only thing we've got to worry about now is lateral visibility.......sounds like it's window time in the lav folks! Just got to make sure
the ground crew gives it a good once over prior to departure.