Selling the Jet Ranger..
Discussion
Well its been an interesting 10 months. Last year I posted about how I'd taken the plunge and bought a 206 B3 Jet Ranger, a life long ambition and mentioned I'd keep those who are interested up to date with whats going on.
If I'm honest it's been a sobering lesson but at the same time a bloody fantastic experience. In a nutshell the downside is of course costs. Keeping the Jettie in the air worked out in the region of about 10 grand a month overall and then some. Insurance for a low hours pilot for example is around 18 grand a year but maintenance is unsurprisingly the real killer. An annual(service)comes in about 7 grand (quite reasonable for a Jettie)but then theres always bits that need doing. Jet Fuel is about £300 a tank but the Jettie does ok covering about 400 miles when brimmed.
Every time I cracked the throttle open on starting I'd watch the turbine outlet temperature needle like a hawk. Get it wrong - resulting in a hot start can be catastrophic possibly burning the back end out and a bill of five figures sometimes six. It's easy to do too..if the battery is slightly down on power then its touch and go. I learnt quickly to take the mobile power pack wherever I went.More modern heli's have FADEC systems that take the risk away.
And the upside. Flying a heli is like nothing else and that smell of Jet A1 at start up is intoxicating. Landing outside the Dog & Duck beats any supercar but just be prepared that thanks to your mode of transport those round of drinks will be the most expensive by far you have ever bought
If I'm honest it's been a sobering lesson but at the same time a bloody fantastic experience. In a nutshell the downside is of course costs. Keeping the Jettie in the air worked out in the region of about 10 grand a month overall and then some. Insurance for a low hours pilot for example is around 18 grand a year but maintenance is unsurprisingly the real killer. An annual(service)comes in about 7 grand (quite reasonable for a Jettie)but then theres always bits that need doing. Jet Fuel is about £300 a tank but the Jettie does ok covering about 400 miles when brimmed.
Every time I cracked the throttle open on starting I'd watch the turbine outlet temperature needle like a hawk. Get it wrong - resulting in a hot start can be catastrophic possibly burning the back end out and a bill of five figures sometimes six. It's easy to do too..if the battery is slightly down on power then its touch and go. I learnt quickly to take the mobile power pack wherever I went.More modern heli's have FADEC systems that take the risk away.
And the upside. Flying a heli is like nothing else and that smell of Jet A1 at start up is intoxicating. Landing outside the Dog & Duck beats any supercar but just be prepared that thanks to your mode of transport those round of drinks will be the most expensive by far you have ever bought
What are the economics of the day-rental market?
Do the fixed running costs necessitate a rental price so high there isn't the market to keep it sufficiently busy? I have no idea where one goes to hire a helicopter, but so many people seem to do it for birthdays and weddings that there seems to be a demand (of indeterminate size). Are there just too many helicopters on offer?
It is such a shame they are so incredibly expensive. They are still the most bonkers form of transport of all. Everything about them just screams "this really shouldn't be possible".
Do the fixed running costs necessitate a rental price so high there isn't the market to keep it sufficiently busy? I have no idea where one goes to hire a helicopter, but so many people seem to do it for birthdays and weddings that there seems to be a demand (of indeterminate size). Are there just too many helicopters on offer?
It is such a shame they are so incredibly expensive. They are still the most bonkers form of transport of all. Everything about them just screams "this really shouldn't be possible".
Friend of mine runs a twin turbine. He's just had a bill approaching £120k for parts on the undercarriage that failed an airworthiness directive 
Shame she's going, it must have been a blast! Another friend owns a 44, he pays £12k year on insurance!! I'll stick to the Tanarg at 10l/hr
Shame she's going, it must have been a blast! Another friend owns a 44, he pays £12k year on insurance!! I'll stick to the Tanarg at 10l/hr
Thanks for the comments.
To answer the questions I'll take a year out then take what I've learnt on board before getting another sometime in the future. I've nothing against Robinson's or any piston engined choppers but you just can't beat the jet turbine thing - until you get the bill that is.
The problem with the charter business is it the helicopter has to be on an air operators certificate (AOC), which mine is. But it has to work hard and fast to make it pay, playing with wedding charters half heartedly doesnt make the numbers add up. There's bigger maintenance costs with it being public transport and the hire of a commercial pilot as well as a host of other things. By the way the £10k monthly average included the funding which made up a third of that.
Eurocopter do the EC120 of course which are far more modern looking but more expensive and not heard good things about the aftersales support.Gorgeous thing though.
If I could have afforded it with hindsight I'd have kept it just for personal use. That's the simplest way but you need very deep pockets.!
To answer the questions I'll take a year out then take what I've learnt on board before getting another sometime in the future. I've nothing against Robinson's or any piston engined choppers but you just can't beat the jet turbine thing - until you get the bill that is.
The problem with the charter business is it the helicopter has to be on an air operators certificate (AOC), which mine is. But it has to work hard and fast to make it pay, playing with wedding charters half heartedly doesnt make the numbers add up. There's bigger maintenance costs with it being public transport and the hire of a commercial pilot as well as a host of other things. By the way the £10k monthly average included the funding which made up a third of that.
Eurocopter do the EC120 of course which are far more modern looking but more expensive and not heard good things about the aftersales support.Gorgeous thing though.
If I could have afforded it with hindsight I'd have kept it just for personal use. That's the simplest way but you need very deep pockets.!
What a cool thread (No bro!) Although I am tempted to remark "Only on PH..."
£10k a month is quite a commitment, and the thought of a 5 or 6 figure bill looming I was thoroughly surprised at how fuel efficient it is though... £300 for 400 miles isn't far off what a juicy car costs...
What sort of use have you got out of it- Can you just land anywhere suitable? That is, for sure, quite a way to arrive at a pub!
£10k a month is quite a commitment, and the thought of a 5 or 6 figure bill looming
I was thoroughly surprised at how fuel efficient it is though... £300 for 400 miles isn't far off what a juicy car costs...What sort of use have you got out of it- Can you just land anywhere suitable? That is, for sure, quite a way to arrive at a pub!
Your Jet Ranger has one of the nicest paint jobs I have ever seen on one, in fact I'm fairly sure I have flown in it when it was owned by Sterling Helicopters.
My Dad did exactly the same thing as you. Bought a Jet Ranger, painted it, got the interior redone, flew it for a couple of years and staggered by the cost, sold it. It also broke down a lot mid-flight, leading to some fairly hairy situations, most notably on the first time he took my Mum up in it and the turbine quit in the middle of Luton zone. I think the post successful auto rotation conversation went something along the lines of:
Dad: "Would you like a cup of tea dear?"
Mum: "More like a f
king brandy".
Anyway, he subsequently bought an R44 and said it was simply the best machine he ever owned. Faster than the Jet Ranger, predictable costs, and a thoroughly useful machine which he went all over the place in, including all the way to Australia from the UK. He mainly used it for fun and as a business tool.
I think what you say about "nothing against Robinsons but I just love the turbine smell", is missing the point. If you can afford to fly a machine with more than two seats, a decent R44 can easily be had for £120k or less and will provide you with all the fun of flying, which at the end of the day is what it's about. I remember some absolutely FANTASTIC experiences in that R44. Flying low level with the doors off from Seville to Cadiz across the paddy fields surrounded by flocks of flamingoes; Courchevel altiport for skiing; Le Touquet for lunch; Or even just Dad coming home from work on a Summers evening and landing in the garden with me waiting for the "OK" to get in and go for a spin.
Don't get me wrong, as soon as I can afford an EC135 with VIP decking, I will be straight down to Eurocopter placing my order, but it is important to remember that flying is about fun, and not how big your turbine balls are
My Dad did exactly the same thing as you. Bought a Jet Ranger, painted it, got the interior redone, flew it for a couple of years and staggered by the cost, sold it. It also broke down a lot mid-flight, leading to some fairly hairy situations, most notably on the first time he took my Mum up in it and the turbine quit in the middle of Luton zone. I think the post successful auto rotation conversation went something along the lines of:
Dad: "Would you like a cup of tea dear?"
Mum: "More like a f
king brandy".Anyway, he subsequently bought an R44 and said it was simply the best machine he ever owned. Faster than the Jet Ranger, predictable costs, and a thoroughly useful machine which he went all over the place in, including all the way to Australia from the UK. He mainly used it for fun and as a business tool.
I think what you say about "nothing against Robinsons but I just love the turbine smell", is missing the point. If you can afford to fly a machine with more than two seats, a decent R44 can easily be had for £120k or less and will provide you with all the fun of flying, which at the end of the day is what it's about. I remember some absolutely FANTASTIC experiences in that R44. Flying low level with the doors off from Seville to Cadiz across the paddy fields surrounded by flocks of flamingoes; Courchevel altiport for skiing; Le Touquet for lunch; Or even just Dad coming home from work on a Summers evening and landing in the garden with me waiting for the "OK" to get in and go for a spin.
Don't get me wrong, as soon as I can afford an EC135 with VIP decking, I will be straight down to Eurocopter placing my order, but it is important to remember that flying is about fun, and not how big your turbine balls are
carreauchompeur said:
Shocking.carreauchompeur said:
Shame they weren't up higher you mean, had no time to really sort anything out!carreauchompeur said:
bulldong said:
Shocking.
I think it's just the way the engine dies and the alarm starts... Very, very little time to do anything! Not sure the alarm is required though, you'd work it out fairly rapidly...Gassing Station | Boats, Planes & Trains | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff