FSEconomy Users

[Steven Caffey]

I just took the Cheyenne to KNKX, it's all yours now.

Cool, thanks. I've got 2 for LAX and 3 for ONT, then maybe back to KNKX with the 5 ONT-NKX.

This is fun, kinda like running a little charter company

[Bill Denny]

Ah crap, I just tried to rent the plane and FSE says someone's got it.

I just took the Cheyenne to KNKX, it's all yours now.

Starting to think that three planes isn't sufficient for nearly 10 pilots, eh? I'll put a good deal of time into flying tonight to try and get us closer to plane #4.

[Steven Caffey]

Ah crap, I just tried to rent the plane and FSE says someone's got it.

I just took the Cheyenne to KNKX, it's all yours now.

Starting to think that three planes isn't sufficient for nearly 10 pilots, eh? I'll put a good deal of time into flying tonight to try and get us closer to plane #4.

My vote is for another Cheyenne I absolutely love this plane.

And here's my insomnia's contribution for the night:

12/02/2009 09:20:11 KLAX KVNY N408SA 00:15 17 $735.84
12/02/2009 08:55:11 KNKX KLAX N408SA 00:37 91 $3,736.10
12/02/2009 07:31:49 KONT KNKX N408SA 00:46 75 $3,004.58
12/02/2009 03:59:48 KLAX KONT N408SA 00:37 41 $1,211.72
12/02/2009 03:18:52 KNKX KLAX N408SA 00:53 91 $2,762.30

408 is parked at VNY, down to 8% fuel. I figured it's best if the next pilot decides how much fuel to put in, and VNY has the cheapest Jet-A around at $2.85. Everywhere else I looked is over $3.

[David Brewer]

Ah crap, I just tried to rent the plane and FSE says someone's got it.

I just took the Cheyenne to KNKX, it's all yours now.

Starting to think that three planes isn't sufficient for nearly 10 pilots, eh? I'll put a good deal of time into flying tonight to try and get us closer to plane #4.

My vote is for another Cheyenne I absolutely love this plane.

And here's my insomnia's contribution for the night:

12/02/2009 09:20:11 KLAX KVNY N408SA 00:15 17 $735.84
12/02/2009 08:55:11 KNKX KLAX N408SA 00:37 91 $3,736.10
12/02/2009 07:31:49 KONT KNKX N408SA 00:46 75 $3,004.58
12/02/2009 03:59:48 KLAX KONT N408SA 00:37 41 $1,211.72
12/02/2009 03:18:52 KNKX KLAX N408SA 00:53 91 $2,762.30

408 is parked at VNY, down to 8% fuel. I figured it's best if the next pilot decides how much fuel to put in, and VNY has the cheapest Jet-A around at $2.85. Everywhere else I looked is over $3.

Very nice!

My vote goes for a Citation X or II (550) or PC-12.
I-8 done, waiting for CTR online when I have free time again for I-9+

Excellent call on the fuel. It's in the next pilot's best interest to find a plane with less fuel, allowing more cargo. Passengers aren't so critical for fuel level, but when you start weighing the plane down with fuel, the weight limits the amount of cargo you can carry. Obviously this is more pronounced when you're talking about planes than can hold only up to ~1800kg. Too much fuel makes a small Cessna just about laughable. I've made the mistake of over-fueling before. Your only option is to burn off the fuel. And a C172 or M20T isn't exactly a "passenger" plane.

And c'mon Goldsy! Leaving both little planes in San Diego! >.<
(just ribbin ya, it's all good)
I have one passenger stranded in Camarillo for Christy Airstip (the island off SBA)
I found another Cheyenne in SoCal, gonna see about grabbing it and bringing it to our turf, it's in the lower desert right now.

Anyone have any problems with the archaic GPS in the Cheyenne? I could use it... slowly... but it crashes FSIM sometimes. Or an easy way to add the stock GPS? And would that still link with the AP?

[Wayne Conrad]

There are several decent PC-12's for x-plane that I know of, and probably several I don't. Shade Tree makes one, among others. I just bought a very nice one from sgier.com, just to use with FSE (and maybe, if I get good at flying it, for terrorxxxxxx educating approach students at a higher speed than I can in the BE18).

I got off work yesterday this morning at 2:30, so I wasn't able to fly.

Still thinking about a routing optimization tool.

[Shawn Goldsworthy]

A C208 is also a good option. Not the fastest plane in the world (180kts) but it can carry a ton of weight and burns about 50gal/hr. A quick look at the numbers says it can carry 13 pax or 3200lbs payload. This is a plane that will make money.

[Bill Denny]

Hey all,

I went through everyone's comments about future planes. Another Cheyenne, a Cessna 208 or a PC-12, they're all good choices, the Citation X though would most likely lose money since it's great speed wouldn't be utilized in an efficient manner on the short routes we fly, not to mention it's price tag is way in the outfield.

*A few moments have passed*

Wow! I just checked on the group's bank balance, and I gotta say, good effort on everyone's part! We're now at $106,000. I checked the list of aircraft for sale, there a several nice options for the low performance category, including Cessna 152s, 172s, and 177s. Piper PA-28s, an R-44, a Stearman, and your everyday garden variety one passenger bird-strike-from-behind bug whackers.


Alright guys, that's my input for the day!
See ya.

Bill

[Wayne Conrad]

Shawn, I've been doing that. The BE18 can gross more than $7000 if full. On a short flight the fees, fuel & etc. might add up to $1000 or $1200. Nice profit.

and your everyday garden variety one passenger bird-strike-from-behind bug whackers.

Bill, Haha!

[David Brewer]

A C208 is also a good option. Not the fastest plane in the world (180kts) but it can carry a ton of weight and burns about 50gal/hr. A quick look at the numbers says it can carry 13 pax or 3200lbs payload. This is a plane that will make money.

Definitely agree, the 208 is a good choice also.


Bill, for the CX, I'm interested in getting one anyways... Especially if we can work out a lease/co-owner/operator agreement of some sort. I'd happily pilot it to points outside our "home" area in the interest of income. As far as that goes... if we give ourselves a hub airport, people could ferry the little groups from around SoCal to it for destinations in a general area.

For example:
3 pax KSBA-KSEA
2 pax KLAX-KSFO
3 pax KSAN-KSEA
1 pax KEMT-KSFO

Pilot A flies 3 pax from SBA to LAX, picks up 2, hops to EMT, grabs that one and drops them all in ONT.
Pilot B flies 3 pax from SAN (likely with another 2-5 with other destinations nearby) to ONT
Pilot C then has 9 pax waiting at ONT for the red-eye to SEA with a short layover at SFO

Even if the breakdown of the flight into sections lowers each pilots respective payment, it would become less about the value of each individual flight to the hub, and more about filling the flight out efficiently.

I'm still experimenting with how group flight assignments work. I'm hoping it's possible for a group to fly the same "load/flight of pax" using multiple pilots, aircraft, and intermediate 'layover' stops.

If all goes well, hopefully the afore-mentioned flight routing tool may become even more useful, as I can see how hectic planning all this might become. But then, we really would be becoming our own little charter service.

Please post any available Passenger Terminal space for rent you might find around SoCal.
I'm picking a few up and seeing about creating some flights.

[Bill Denny]

David,

While your idea sounds great, I think at this time, focus should be spent more on expanding our local fleet, setting up our own network within ZLA and recruiting more pilots. There will be a time when we will have done just about all that can be done in terms of flying locally, and by that I mean we will have an impressive pilot roster, an even more impressive fleet of aircraft and a dazzling network of FBOs. It is at that time I suggest we think about expanding outside our turf and flying long hauls to other states. I don't mean to shoot your idea down, I really like it, it's just that I believe we should have priorities, and our priority should be getting our feet firmly planted before we try anything else.

Then again, this is only my 2 cents, and I can't control anything, everyone has an opinion here.
No hard feelings,

Bill

[Bill Denny]

Tada!

Sorry to do this, I know a few of you wanted to beat me to it, but we needed the extra plane. N502SA touched down in KSBA a little while ago, I made it in 7 legs, generating over $34,100 along the way. Had a little mishap in KATL, a line guy left a cone to close to the business end of a departing Beechjet. The jet blast hit the cone, which ended up finding it's way to my windshield, leaving a $3000 dollar repair bill in its wake. Other than that, a pretty uneventful flight home. Enjoy guys, this is real nice bird!


Bill

[Wayne Conrad]

Tonight, BFL (Bakersfield) to BUR (Burbank) with many stop along the way. Poor paying loads that just covered the LL100, but at least I didn't have to pay for my own gas that way. Then the money run, $5400 net for 9 passengers from BUR (Burbank) to SBA (Santa Barbura).

I absolutely hate flying to poorly-lit, podunk fields in the dark. Hate hate hate hate. Remind me not to do that again.

[Brian Ratledge]

Wayne:
[Reminder] Dont fly into poorly lit podunk fields!
[/Reminder]

[Richard Gerrish]

am i missing something? I don't see any planes for the company hehe

[Wayne Conrad]

Richard,

While logged onto fseconomy.com, aircraft->aircraft->SoCal Airways (High Performance Fleet)

& etc.