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"Air Taxi" with a Cirrus

I remember reading about such projects a few months ago. Now I discovered this new article on Flight Global.

I wonder if this idea can work out?

And yes, I know a Cirrus is not (yet) a business jet, but I thought the topic fits in here best .

LOAN Wiener Neustadt Ost, Austria

Maybe in the USA; wouldn’t two crew be required in Europe?

Darley Moor, Gamston (UK)

There is a Dutch company which offers the same service: http://www.flyaeolus.com
Customers need to get a share in the SR22, which makes them co-owner. This is to avoid the requirement for an AOC.

Neil, as I understood it: The model is that customers need to get fractional ownership. That way the flight isn’t marked as a commercial flight, and the requirements like Multi-Engine, Multi-Crew, etc does not apply.

AFAIK no need for 2 crew for this type of aircraft, nor for light piston twins. Like Lenthamen says, if you are co-owner no need for an AOC. Hope this method lasts.. Cirrus on an AOC would not work, needs to be a twin, although I heard something about PC-12’s being operated that way or plans for that? But that’s a turbine.

Private field, Mallorca, Spain

In my part of the world you can opearate piston singles commercially with one pilot. But VFR only, e.g. for sightseeing flights and aerial work (or this kind of “air taxi” stuff). And with duty and rest times for single pilot operation. But I wouldn’t invest a singe Euro in such a business. Most of the sightseeing opeartors are now out of business because they could not make a living operating old and paid for Cessna 182 and 206s, so earning money with Cirruses that come for 1/2M Euro a piece must be completey impossible.

EDDS - Stuttgart

although I heard something about PC-12’s being operated that way or plans for that?

France decided to allow SET commercial ops (read: TBM 850) last summer. There was a thread on that in “Hangar Talk” back then.

AFAIK, in most (all?) other European countries SET commercial ops are still not allowed. I definitely know that’s the case here in Austria.

If I remember Air Law correctly, under EASA all commercial operations apart from “aerial work” need to be done with 2 pilots?

LOAN Wiener Neustadt Ost, Austria

But I wouldn’t invest a singe Euro in such a business. Most of the sightseeing opeartors are now out of business because they could not make a living operating old and paid for Cessna 182 and 206s, so earning money with Cirruses that come for 1/2M Euro a piece must be completey impossible.

Yeah, that’s a segment of GA where the old saying about making a small fortune in aviation holds true…

Last Edited by boscomantico at 12 Mar 13:04
Mainz (EDFZ) & Egelsbach (EDFE), Germany

Question is: How can they you offer a reliable service with a SR22?

On the website of www.flyaeolus.com they’re advertising with “Access to 1600 airports in Northwest Europe”.
While that might be true in theory, in practice many of these airports will be VFR airfields which are not usable about 50% of the time.
A business client that booked a flight to i.e. Teuge EHTE will not accept it that the flight is cancelled because the weather is sub-VFR.

The SR22 is non-pressurized. How do they get around this? Are they asking their customers to put on an oxygen mask when flying above 10K feet? Customers are used to fly in large pressurized jets, with in-flight entertainment, toilet, served food and drinks, etc. etc. They won’t accept it having to put on an oxygen mask in order to climb above weather…

What about the risk of flying single engine above cold seas? They’re offering flights to UK and Ireland. I doubt that they will request the customer to put on a life vest (or even worse, a survival suit).

What about the risk of flying single engine above cold seas?

Maybe they have a special version of the Cirrus with not only a parachute, but also an inflatable flotation device like an offshore helicopter…

EDDS - Stuttgart
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