Help me brainstorm!

[EatSleepFly]

Say one has an airplane laying around in the hangar. An immaculate 210, for the sake of discussion. Other than using it for rental/flight instruction, and without putting it on a 135 certificate...what are some things that could it be used for to generate revenue (even if it just breaks even) for the FBO that owns it? Has to be Part 91. Trying to think outside of the box here... Let the brainstorm begin!

[Athena]

Find some 'business' somewhere within its reasonable range that you could use 'in furtherance' of said business? That is 91 peachy stuff.

[SmitteyB]

Sell it.

[DE727UPS]

You could try get a group of businessmen together with travel needs that could be satisfied with a nice 210. Set up a deal where the aircraft is leased to the group. I think you could run it under 91....though I'm no expert.

[EatSleepFly]

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Sell it.

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It's not mine to sell.

I've flown it on company business several times (flying mechanics, picking up parts, picking up broken planes, etc.). Lately it has been just sitting in the hangar and it's a shame to see it like that (not to mention that sitting is bad for airplanes). I'm on the insurance to fly it, but I can't just take it up for joyrides, the company wants to get something out of it. Hence, my question. They'd be tickled if they could find a good use for it on a regular basis, and so would I because I'd be the one flying it.

The group of business men is a good idea, but they like the King Air better. There's a group on the field that owns a turbine Bonanza, but I don't know if they have a need for a second airplane at their disposal.

Ideally, I could talk them into using it for Angel Flight missions. Then they could at least get a tax write-off from it and they sell fuel, so they could get that at cost.

Thanks for the suggestions, keep 'em coming!

[naunga]

Here goes...

- Photo flights for real estate people.

- Mile High Flights. I'm not kidding here. There's a place in the ATL area that does MH Flights in a Cherroke for $250 a flight, which includes the sheets from the bed in the back. All you need to do is put a curtain up and you're done. This would fall, I think, under part 91 since it would just be a sightseeing flight.

- Angel Flight. Granted it wouldn't generate revenue, but they FBO would get a tax break on it.

- Run a fishing charter, before you start talking about 135 let me put it this way. People pay to go fishing, they don't pay the pilot or for the fuel. That way the pilot doesn't pay less than his share. Basically the business would be fishing. The plane is simply used in the furtherance of the fishing business. Could do the same thing with SCUBA. The FBO is in business of selling dive trips, not charter flights (although I'd talk with a lawyer before this one started).

- Glider towing.

- Banner towing.

- Dropping skydivers.

- How about like an aircraft AAA? Sell memberships and if a pilot gets stuck or needs a repair you use the plane to pick him up and/or get an A&P over to him to fix the plane.

Just some thoughts.

Naunga

[EatSleepFly]

[ QUOTE ]
- Run a fishing charter, before you start talking about 135 let me put it this way. People pay to go fishing, they don't pay the pilot or for the fuel. That way the pilot doesn't pay less than his share. Basically the business would be fishing. The plane is simply used in the furtherance of the fishing business. Could do the same thing with SCUBA. The FBO is in business of selling dive trips, not charter flights (although I'd talk with a lawyer before this one started).

[/ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]
- How about like an aircraft AAA? Sell memberships and if a pilot gets stuck or needs a repair you use the plane to pick him up and/or get an A&P over to him to fix the plane.

[/ QUOTE ]

These two would fall under 135. The first one might not if I had a fleet of boats or cabins to fly them to, but we don't.

I think my main issue is that I'm limited in what I can do with the plane. It's the owner's (the president of the company) "baby." So skydiving, banner/glider towing, and mile high club flights...while all good ideas...are probably out. Although I'm going to bring up the "mile high" idea just to see the look on his face.

[Bandit_Driver]

See if they want to start a small flying club. See if there are any high time people that need a nice aicraft to rent. If you get low timer insurance would kill you.

Whoever had the AAA idea that would be a good idea...

Angel flight is another good use for that plane...

[naunga]

Send him to www.milehighatlanta.com

I mean no joke. $250 bucks for a 30 minute flight?

- $45 for the pilot
- $30 for the sheets
- Figure a 9 gal / hour fuel burn. So figure you'll need 1 hour of fuel for ease and to account for taxi and takeoff. So say that 100LL is going for $3 / gallon, you're talkin' $27 bucks for fuel.
- $4 for a mile high pin (if you want).

So you're up to $106, and you're taking home $144 per flight.

Could be pretty lucrative.

Naunga

[TallFlyer]

[ QUOTE ]
Send him to www.milehighatlanta.com

I mean no joke. $250 bucks for a 30 minute flight?

- $45 for the pilot
- $30 for the sheets
- Figure a 9 gal / hour fuel burn. So figure you'll need 1 hour of fuel for ease and to account for taxi and takeoff. So say that 100LL is going for $3 / gallon, you're talkin' $27 bucks for fuel.
- $4 for a mile high pin (if you want).

So you're up to $106, and you're taking home $144 per flight.

Could be pretty lucrative.

Naunga

[/ QUOTE ]
Engine and Maint Reserve?
Insurance?
Um, cleaning?

[naunga]

Well like I said there are other costs that would have to come out of that $144, but if we're talking about just breaking even then I think this might be a good way to do it.

Cleaning (as you put it) is covered because the customers get to keep the sheets.

Anyhow, still seems like a good way to make get a plane to pay for itself which is what it sounds like ESF is trying to do.

Naunga