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Single Pilot Phenom 100 Jet Flights for Executive AirShares?

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johnsonrod

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Feb 25, 2006
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For those of you who do not know, Executive Air Shares acquired Avantair's former Phenom 100 positions. Executive AirShare now holds firm orders for 44 Embraer Phenom 100 aircraft, with deliveries scheduled to begin in March 2009, with options on 12 additional Phenom 100 aircraft. The company also holds six firm orders and four options for Phenom 300 light jet aircraft.

Here's what's interesting from a recent press release:

"Executive AirShare has received approval to fly the Phenom 100 under single-pilot operations for fractional flights if the shareowner chooses, enabling owners to place an extra passenger in the co-pilot's seat and reducing overnight crew expenditures by 50 percent."

Any thoughts? Anyone know if this currently happens with their King Air fleet? I presume they will require some pretty tight security to allow a non-pilot to sit up front. What happens to the FO if he gets dumped mid-tour and has to reconnect later down the line? I guess they could send an alternate pilot to meet the airplane if it needs to continue on another revenue flight... Fortunately, the Phenom 100 has limited range so single-pilot flights won't be that long in duration.

Sounds like Executive AirShares will be growing pretty fast with the new Phenoms - perhaps they need some pilots.... The website claims no new hiring at this time but I would expect it to pick up if they are adding airplanes. From what I hear AirShares is a "regional fractional" currently operates King Air 90s, 350s and Beechjets out of several Midwestern bases including Kansas City Downtown, Wichita, Tulsa and Ft. Worth.

Not sure how the economic meltdown will impact their ability to sell Phenom 100 shares - you never know. The low price point might still attract customers downsizing from larger aircraft. I presume Avantair is a primary competitor (at least in the Midwest) at that end of the price spectrum. Check out the website below:

http://www.execairshare.com/
 
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Ran into some guys who fly for them in TRK a few months back. Most of the time it is out and back from base. It sounded like they didnt do much flying in the traditional "fractional" mode. Having the FO left out didnt sound like it was too much of an issue.
 
Night, IFR, bad weather, controllers that never stop talking.....

If pax think saving a few bucks is worth their lives, go for it. I just shudder to think they will be flying in the same airspace that I do.

Yes, I know, some cargo pilots do this all the time, but one mistake and "I see dead people".
 
1. The FAA probably will not permit Part 135 single pilot, therefore it only applies to Part 91 ops.
2. Most executives who fly on fractional planes have lots of life insurance - which probably requires them to fly only in aircraft with two pilots.
3. Limited range and size of the Phenom will limit its impact on the Big Four fractionals and Avantair (since the Piaggio is bigger and probably faster than the Phenom).
 
Never mind the single pilot flying, you'd be working like a slave doing all the rest of the stuff yourself....
 
Night, IFR, bad weather, controllers that never stop talking.....

If pax think saving a few bucks is worth their lives, go for it. I just shudder to think they will be flying in the same airspace that I do.

Yes, I know, some cargo pilots do this all the time, but one mistake and "I see dead people".

Agreed. Can you imagine having a talkative passenger next to you as you are negotiating the SoCal airspace on a beautiful, sunny day (i.e., plenty of GA targets) on your way into VNY? It's true that you just clearly establish talking boundaries/rules with the pax but the potential for distraction is there. It is also true that the Phenom is relatively automated to reduce workload:

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Embr...C_&photo_nr=6&prev_id=1366824&next_id=1363383

Althought the P180 and the Phenom 100 compete on price, the P180 has more seats and it is more comfortable. The Phenom 100 only has 4 passenger seats (which is why the FO seat is likely being offered for bigger passenger groups):
http://www.execairshare.com/content/view/51/66/

The Phenom 300 is bigger and it competes better with the P180, Beechjet, CJs, etc. Single-pilot fractional flying should be interesting to watch to see if it is workable. You could argue that the P180 is single-pilot capable as well.
 
Newly Announced Phenom 100 Pricing

Not sure how this compares with Avantair P180 pricing for comparable hours. From a recent Executive AirShares press release:

"Shares in the Phenom 100 range from $299,500 for a 1/16th share to $1.18 million for a quarter share. Customers who place non-refundable deposits before Dec. 31, 2008 may be eligible for 50 percent bonus depreciation under the terms of the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008.

Quarter-share owners are entitled to use of the aircraft for a total of 80 days and 200 flight-hours per year. One-sixteenth owners are entitled to use of the aircraft for 20 days and 50 flight-hours per year."
 
1. The FAA probably will not permit Part 135 single pilot, therefore it only applies to Part 91 ops.

They might....there is an ops spec for "autopilot in lieu of a SIC". Not sure what the requirements are to get that issued, but it is possible under 135.

That being said, I don't think its a very good idea just to save a coupla bucks.
 
The FAA does in fact allow single-pilot 135 operations, in aircraft like CJs.

But why try to save a few nickels when you can hire SICs for as little as $30k?
 

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