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Aviation History
1961
1961 - 0368.PDF
376 PRIVATE AND EXECUTIVE FLYING... FLIGHT, 23 March 1961 Why not a Business Aircraft? By MAURICE CURTIS and BRYAN GREEN8TED (Curtisjireensted Associates Ltd) INCREASING interest is being shown by United Kingdombusiness houses in the use of aircraft to supplement, or evento replace, their normal transport. Yet the number of busi- ness aircraft in Britain is still probably under a hundred. Muchgreater efforts will have to be made to persuade business houses with executive travel requirements to look at the possibilities ofusing business aircraft before speculation as to the permanency of the current sales boom in American aircraft in Great Britain isresolved. For businesses to be able to assess the economics and possibleattractions of such operations, they must first understand the field such studies should cover. Answers are needed to such frequentlyasked questions as: What are the advantages and limitations of a business aircraft? What is its capital cost and operating costs?How should the right aircraft be selected and operated? Can business aircraft be economically operated other than by owningthem? This article attempts to provide some answers. Any type owned or hired by a businessman or a business house isa business aircraft. It is an aircraft owned by a company for the transport of its own executives and staff; but it also embraces air-craft and helicopters used for "aerial work"—e.g., agriculture, carriage of equipment, opening-up inaccessible areas, securitypatrols, power-line and pipe-line laying and inspection, fire-fighting, ambulance and flying doctor services, and aerial photography. The majority of aircraft for executive travel are in the smallsingle- and twin-engined category, with increasing emphasis on the twin-engined four/five-seater type. Appreciable numbers of largertwin- and four-engined aircraft of the smaller airliner type are owned by business houses throughout the world and specializedjetii and turboprops are becoming available- Many companies which do not have aircraft of their own makeconsiderable use of charter. Provided it is not restricted by coun- tries wishing to concentrate traffic on their international scheduledairlines, this type of operation could increase substantially. But it is with executive aircraft that the biggest scope for expan-sion probably lies. In our definition this excludes company-owned aircraft flown by directors who are enthusiastic private pilots, whenweather permits and when the particular trip attracts them. Advantages and Limitations Although initial cost and operatingcosts are of first importance, these depend so much on individual assessment of the value of time saved that there is no point inlooking at them in isolation. The special circumstances of each company are such that there is no real point in trying to assess therelative advantages of an executive aircraft to a particular firm by a generalized comparison of cost per seat per mile against otherforms of transport. In most cases it will be higher. Some advan- tages can be assessed in terms of hard cash; others, being indirectbenefits, can only be given an approximate cash value. Three factors may offer a direct financial advantage: (1) fastertransport of personnel or goods—although possibly at an increased specific transport cost per unit; (2) cheaper specific transport costsper unit resulting from advantageous use of an aircraft; or (3) the use of private air transport where no alternative exists. Indirect advantages may be increased mobilitv, less wear andtear on executives, competitive sales benefits, public relations bene- fits, and so on, the value of which can only be assessed by thecompany itself. The prestige derived from operating a business aircraft is also often important. Time saved through travelling by air will normally be a functionof distance, that is, it will be greater over longer distances. There can, however, be substantial savings in time and effort over shortdistances where there are natural obstacles to direct surface com- munications such as sea, mountains or deserts. For executive aircraft based within the United Kingdom, themost clear-cut savings in trip time arise when journeys have to be made between provincial points in the UK and similar points on theContinent or in Ireland. The further afield the journey the greater the saving in time and money. Between places not well connectedby road or scheduled services, or where an itinerary includes points poorly served by road, surface or air transport, or even betweencentres of industry well served by surface transport, a business aircraft can show to advantage. Time saved depends upon therelation of airfields to points of departure and destination. It is also influenced by the type of aircraft used. An executive aircraft can sometimes also offer advantages overscheduled air services if these are infrequent, or operate at unsuit- able times of the day. But the greatest savings can be achieved byoperating an executive aircraft to a schedule tailored to business appointments. For a meeting in London at 153Ohr an executiveteam may, for example, have to catch a train from their home base at 0900, spend three hours travelling, and have to catch a returntrain at 1830. With a further three hours travelling this would be an elapsed time of twelve-and-a-half hours. Using an aircraft theycould have two hours in the office and leave at 1100. After their meeting they could take off at 1730 and be back at their homes by1930. Time elapsed would be eight-and-a-half hours, and four hours would be saved. Whether an aircraft is a sound propositionin this case depends upon the value of executives' time and the number of seats that are filled. Some of the indirect advantages of a business aircraft have alreadybeen mentioned. Others are the short notice at which visits can be planned or changed, the facility with which alternative arrange-ments following a weather delay can be made to suit the company, and the encouragement of executives to travel further afield and tocall at several points on one tour. This results in better use of senior man-power. Another advantage is that sales and negotiatingteams can more easily travel together in privacy. Samples or documents are easily transported and can stay with the team, andmost business aircraft are quiet enough for conversation to be conducted in a normal voice. The availability of transport at shortnotice is a competitive advantage; customers and prospects can be impressed by the use of such modern methods. But there are limitations as well as advantages in the use ofbusiness aircraft in Britain; the size and location of airfields, limitations of navigational and landing aids and paucity of Customsand immigration facilities are all restrictive. Air traffic control requirements have to be met; and there is always the weather. Since Croydon was closed London has had no public airportalways open to business aircraft and within easy reach of its centre. But no one London airport could be located conveniently for allbusiness aircraft users, and the twelve or so airfields around London usually enable direct routes to be selected between the city and aprovincial or Continental terminal. These London airfields are not all open on a 24hr basis and are not equipped to enable businessaircraft to operate as freely as the scheduled air services. But properly equipped aircraft can always divert to one of the majorairports such as London, Gatwick, Stansted or Southend. Better facilities for business aircraft in the London area are also antici-pated. In the provinces, the position varies considerably, but althoughthere are obviously not yet enough airfields, few major industrial areas do not have one or more airfields within reasonable reach. Many concerns located away from densely populated areas mayfind it possible to construct and share their own grass landing strips. Although all-weather night and day operations would not bepossible, these strips can be used as a satellite to the nearest properly equipped airfield. With interest in business aviation growing, and plans afoot forthe production by the BEAGLE consortium of a new range of aircraft, it is to be hoped that the Government will give priorityto the improvement of facilities for business flying; and that muni- cipalities will not concentrate on future helicopter possibilities tothe exclusion of adequate facilities for fixed-wing business aircraft. Capital and Operating Costs The capital cost of an aircraft will naturally depend upon the type selected. Each company must decide between a single or a twin, and on the number of seats and degree of luxury required, and upon likely radius of operation. The following table gives an indication of capabilities and costs.
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