Page 40 - Volume 15 Number 9

It seems that whenever the media tries to get a handle on the current state of the economy and its impact on aviation, it focuses only a select portion of the pie. So much emphasis is placed on either the number of new jets sold or how many gallons of jet fuel that have been pumped. And while these figures are important, they are hardly the entire scope of business aviation.
New aircraft sales are obviously a vital link in the chain of the sustainability of any type of flying. And thanks to the current tax incentives for buying new, many companies and individuals are doing just that. Some people would not even consider purchasing a used airplane, car, house or most anything else for that matter. And thank goodness those people are out there.
Hypothetically, if someone was looking to start a corporate flight department using only new jet equipment, the most economical choice is certainly one of the latest light jets. Most of these choices will give you a six-place aircraft that can do 340 knots cruising speed with a range of approximately 1,100 nautical miles. A full cabin range is something closer to 720 miles. The newer light jets are certificated for single-pilot operations. Initial training costs (unless included with a new jet purchase) for the pilot will exceed $10,000. Other fixed costs, including hangar and insurance will add another $30,000 per year. Then add the direct operating costs of approximately $700 per flight hour. And this is after a purchase price that is very quickly sneaking up on $3 million dollars for an average equipped model.
Now then, there are many companies, or private individuals and families out there that have a need and desire for a company or personal plane but don’t have a budget to justify those kinds of numbers. Does that mean that they are out of luck? Of course not, there are charter flights, fractional ownerships and even (gulp!) the airlines. But, what about those who are not willing to give up on owning their own plane?
Find An Airplane That Can Do All This
Suppose I gave you the problem of finding an aircraft that meets the following performance and economic criteria. I want an eight-place plane with lots of baggage space, a pressurized cabin, certified for flight in known ice, can operate up to 30,000 feet at speeds of 230 knots or better for an 1,100 nautical mile range. I want twin-engine dependability in a plane that can be flown by one pilot without a ton of experience and initial training costs of less than $2,000. I want the fixed costs less than half of the VLJ’s and direct operating costs around $425 per hour. And I want to buy this thing for less than $300,000.
38 • TWIN & TURBINE
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of the
Big-cabin piston twins are
still among the best values in business aviation when it comes to price, perfor- mance, utility and operating costs.
SEPTEMBER 2011
photo courtesy of paul bowen photography