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Thursday 23 June 2011

Share a Diamond?

Diamond Flyers is the overall name for a group of foundations which each own a different type of Diamond Aircraft aircraft.

Friday 17 June 2011

Aquila A210 share?

In the mean time, I have heard that KLM Aeroclub is considering to acquire an Aquila A210, and set up a participation / share construction with that plane. I have seen all the numbers involved, but promised to sit on them until this is all out of the concept phase.
Just like the other participation constructions, there is an initial fee to get aboard, and a reduced hourly rate as a consequence. But because it is a participation construction within a club, a clever scheme has been implmented, where it is possible for other club members to rent the plane as well (at a higher rate, but cheaper than with any other renting agency). Adding it all up, the costs will end up slighly higher than with the DA-20 or AT-3 shares.
For that money you will get a bit "more plane" too. The A210 is a spacious two-seater. I've been told that after a flight in the A210, the DA-20 suddenly seems "cramped". Also, the model that the KLM Aeroclub has in mind, has a Garmin G500 glass cockpit, which I find very appealing.
I would love to sit in one...

Saturday 4 June 2011

AT-3 Share

Last weekend, I payed a visit to "Zelf Vliegen", to find out more about this AT-3 share that seemed too good to be true. It appears that there actually is a "Stichting" (Association) behind it all, which has an agreeement with the company "Zelf Vliegen" for partial ownership of the airplane. Each time the association receives a share payment (the €7500,=), they buy another part of the plane. Up until there are 20 participants, at which time, the association completely owns the plane, and the company buys another plane. Then, the whole process repeats itself. Currently, the yearly fee for participants to cover fixed costs, are about €600,=. This amount gets less as more participants join the association (down to some €200,= with 20 participants). The hourly rate with the current fuel prices is slightly less than €50,=, and is adjusted quarterly to "the economic situation" (read: fuel prices). The amount includes a reservation for engine overhaul and replacement, as well as prop replacement.

With that, this participation puts itself at a comparable position as the DA-20 participation of Diamond flyers. The DA-20 has a considerably lower step-in fee of €4000,=, a for now slightly lower yearly contibution of €500,=, and a €10,= higher hourly rate.

Looking at my post-PPL future, there is not much financial difference between the AT-3 and the DA-20 participation, if I fly between 12 and 30 hours a year. This is what I expect to be doing, because 12 hours is the minimum required in the last year of the SEP rating validity, and I think 30 hours is optimistic already.
So in this case it is purely the airplane, and the click I get with the association, and the FLight Instructor, that count for this decision.

Next on my ToDo list: compare airplanes, and contact Diamond Flyers.

Friday 3 June 2011

The ways to Rome

This summer, I want to go for a test flight. Assuming I only have the money for one flight, I want to make the most of it. So, if possible, I would like to make that flight with the school of which I now think I will join to follow my PPL course.

In general, I have three options:
1) Rent a plane and Flight Instructor directly from a flight school
2) Join a flying club that also provides PPL courses
3) Enter into a shared ownership construction that allows PPL training

Wednesday 1 June 2011

Breitling photo competition (2)

Too bad ... None of the 20 photo's (out of the 5000+) that are now presented to the jury, is mine.
I guess I'll have to go save for it myself, then.