Toronto to Niagara in 15 minutes

[photofly]

There’s an article in on of those free mags, about the Navaho, and it quotes the direct operating costs of the airplane as $400/hr, so you’re probably about right.

[rookiepilot]

There’s an article in on of those free mags, about the Navaho, and it quotes the direct operating costs of the airplane as $400/hr, so you’re probably about right.

Direct? So -- add in pilots, indirect costs, reserves for OH, and an amount for CCA, you're easily $800+. Never mind admin....ect etc....now you're 1000. Better be running those 99 buck flights full. I wonder if they are profitable.

[pdw]

The only way you're going to better your business in this business to Niagara is having confident customers. So yeah, these volks basically want to see everybody involved doing their job well, plus having a good story to tell about their experience. Lots involved with sales -- like you're saying --- yet that's all that needs to be worked on ie not worry about how many 99s fly every day exactly .. that could only be counterproductive to building good ridership in the short term. Yes we're doing well, .. and that's it !

It's the long term sales strategy for success that counts.

In truth, and it's obvious these days (esp tonight's flight) the strategy employed to succeed here has been working. We're glad to finally have our own personal airline here in Niagara.

[jschnurr]

The place I used to work for charged $5 per statue mile on the '31. They filed at 180kts, so that's about $1000 per hour.

[Lotro]

I previously worked for an operator who had a Navajo available for charter at a rate of $1000/flight hour. I'd assume there's some (small) margin in there.

[photofly]

Found the article, in Aviation Consumer magazine. Letter by Mike Misurka owner of Superior Airways air taxi outfit in Sioux Lookout. Quotes $400 per hour direct operating costs and reserves.

[goingnowherefast]

It burns 150 liters an hour. Red lake fuel is over $2/l. You do the math, but 400 an hour covers fuel and not much else.

[pdw]

The short crossings are only at what ...75% power for 10-12 min, until descent ? The rest of the time only idling, really. About a litre per mile / 2.5 litres a minute / 30litres per crossing. Then a 125 litres filling does two roundtrips, stays light, ...and maybe covers landing fee.

EDIT:
OK, re: optimistic ... more like 45 litres if 15min. And the crossing sometimes makes the wider Z pattern so if milage ends up 50NM .. 18min .. you're into 50 litres near gross weight.

[rookiepilot]

The short crossings are only at what ...75% power for 10-12 min, until descent ? The rest of the time only idling, really. About a litre per mile / 2.5 litres a minute / 30litres per crossing. Then a 125 litres filling does two roundtrips, stays light, ...and maybe covers landing fee.

You are an optimist.........

[pdw]

Four minutes of climb power, eight minutes of cruise power and two-three minutes of descent power. The consumption at warmup (3-5 min) will vary throughout the year; taxi-time stays about the same, probably about 3-4 min at each end. Still optimistic ?

Anyway, there's four flights each way now .. and that makes it possible to accomodate a lot more passengers overall.

EDIT
CL Skadoo I've flown one roundtrip (two times)

mmm bacon ..heh heh .. it can get very breezy across the lakes .. but it's on shore where it occasionally gets "variable" around here (gotta watch out for that .. no joke)

[CL-Skadoo!]

Four minutes of climb power, eight minutes of cruise power and two-three minutes of descent power. The consumption at warmup (3-5 min) will vary throughout the year; taxi-time stays about the same, probably about 3-4 min at each end. Still optimistic ?

Have you flown with them yet?

[mmm..bacon]

You guys are forgetting the variable tailwinds - those will reduce fuel burn, too!