Corsaire31 419 Posted July 29, 2014 Report Share Posted July 29, 2014 There is no better moment in Air Hauler than when you start a new business ! The two companies I have been running since last October are now operating almost on their own with 4 AI pilots each, and me doing a flight when I feel like it to boost the reputation (slowly...) I never intended to build up big and I don't fly heavy metal anyway. This time I make a jump in past memories... Between 1975 and 1980, one of my first jobs was operating a freight service by truck/sea - using a car ferry line - between France and the Channel Islands. Once or twice a week for business purposes, I would fly over from Dinard (LFRD) to Jersey (EGJJ) and Guernsey (EGJB) and back as a passenger, on board of the yellow BN2 Islanders from a company that started in 1968, Aurigny Air Services. These guys were flying by any weather and I have some living memories of flights during winter storms (the Islander is built for landing with crosswinds up to 30knots.) The Islander is small so you were seating next to the pilots ! I started finding some repaints for my Flight 1 Islander (two liveries, one from 1970 and one from 1988) and keeping on digging I found the successor, the BN2A Trislander (*) with 6 different Aurigny liveries. Then a Shorts 360 with two and an ATR 72-500 - G-BXTN - (all these historical) plus a couple "what ifs" with repaints for the vanilla Bombardier CRJ 700 and two for the Caravan. I am missing for the moment the SAAB 340 which was used briefly around 2000. So I started a fictional "sister" freight business called Aurigny Xpress, with a BN2B Islander based in Guernsey, and I will try to make it grow using the historical planes (and of course real time and real weather, which could be some fun in winter). By then I'm sure I will find a repaint for the new Embraer 195 which started operating in June 2014 with number G-NSEY ! First flight today was a short 86 nm trip and back to bring some 1250 lbs of beef from a small airfield in rural west of France (Ploermel LFRP) - 695 m grass strip - back to Guernsey where I spent almost as much time in the landing pattern (had to go around on my first approach following ATC's request - after they gave me the authorization ! - and fly some 10 minutes in the waiting zone) as Guernsey is a busy place in the afternoon during holiday time. (Freeware add-on scenery of the Channel Islands airports) (*) Including the famous G-JOEY which is due to retire in a museum on Guernsey once 5 operating Trislanders are sold to be replaced by 3 Dorniers DO 228s. 2 Link to post Share on other sites
Captain Coffee 2,030 Posted July 30, 2014 Report Share Posted July 30, 2014 Very pretty islander. Sounds like a great concept! I will be looking forward to your updates on this one. Edit: Oh, had to expand upon your "Best moment" sentiment: The Two best days are the day you buy/create your boat/AH company, and the day you sell/delete your boat/ AH company. Link to post Share on other sites
Corsaire31 419 Posted July 30, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 30, 2014 I know what you mean, I spent 35 years sailing and most of them as skipper or navigator on board other people's boats (incl 10 years in the south of France - Antibes - as skipper in a cruising and racing school). Never was fool enough to buy one ! Which reminds me : I think it was Edward Heath ( who owned several racing boats including the famous Morning Cloud ) who said something like : " If you want to know what boat racing feels like, you should put on your weatherproof equipment, stick yourself under a cold shower and shred banknotes " 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Corsaire31 419 Posted July 30, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 30, 2014 Today's flight took us from Guernsey EGJB to a small airstrip on the western coast of Wales called Aberporth EGFA to carry some 1250 lbs of DVD players for a good 15.468 Pounds. It was 177 nm in straight line, a bit longer with an IFR flight plan at 8000 feet using low alt air routes. Weather nice, some clouds at 6000 ft and almost no wind. Departure 15:07. First had to wait at take off (three planes landing and a King Air waiting before me) then after initial climb from runway 9 I took my 330 heading for the first leg across to a VOR on the south coast of England. This is when my autopilot started going nuts, unable to keep flying straight either on heading or GPS course tracking. Never happened to me before in that plane ! Well, holding the yoke is what we get paid for, and at least the AP could hold altitude ! Once over the VOR we had some 30nm at 009° then 325° for the final 72 nm leg over the beautiful coast of Wales. I had to open my eyes wide to spot the place some 5 nm away and landed a greaser on runway 8 (asphalt - 925m) at 16:51. Link to post Share on other sites
Corsaire31 419 Posted July 31, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2014 This afternoon no freight job nearby, so went for a positioning flight to Henstridge (EGHS - 750m asphalt) to fly some freight tonight back to Guernsey. Weather was clear and wind calm at take off from EGFA . Flight path was 120°/25 mns to BCN VOR, then 190°/15mns to EXMOR crossing near Watchet to finish with a 110°/18 mns to destination. All was fine until we hit the coast near Watchet, then ATC sent us on a 140° course for an approach on Rwy 7. This is when clouds and the fog kicked in ! Over Crewkerne we were down to 2200 ft and sent on direct approach. Not only was it difficult to visually spot the place, I got a traffic alert as a Maule was 1nm in front of me bound to land at the same place. Since I was faster, I had to make a few waiting circuit turns while he was landing. Once he had cleared the runway I made another approach using the GPS and going down to 1500 ft, landing lights on, flaps down and fuel pumps on. I finally found the place about 4nm away and landed a greaser on runway 7. I hope the fog will have lifted tonight, because the job can't wait until tomorrow... To make things worse, I was warned of a failure in the ADF system. It will have to wait until I'm back to Guernsey to have it fixed by the ground crew. Link to post Share on other sites
Corsaire31 419 Posted July 31, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2014 The night hauling to Guernsey was pretty much straightforward. Only needed to find my way for departure at EGHS because no lights, but I had memorized the place when landing this afternoon. Visibility was much better, and it was a straight 94 nm run to Guernsey where I landed a greaser on runway 9 at 23:16 with a 6 knots crosswind. 1048 lbs of flowers were handed over against 7500 GBP, and 3500 went straight away into the repair of the ADF, that the ground crew will have working overnight. Link to post Share on other sites
Captain Coffee 2,030 Posted July 31, 2014 Report Share Posted July 31, 2014 ! 1000+lbs of flowers must have been quite the bouquet/box to haul...fresh, fragrant, and full of freight. Link to post Share on other sites
Corsaire31 419 Posted August 3, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2014 Didn't have to wait very long, the Aurigny repaint for the new G-NSEY Embraer 195 is available at Premier Aircraft Design. Cockpit is not high quality, but from outside it looks OK and it will be good enough for my future AI pilots... Link to post Share on other sites
Captain Coffee 2,030 Posted August 3, 2014 Report Share Posted August 3, 2014 ... it will be good enough for my future AI pilots... Oooops, one of your AI's is a member here...and this got posted on his FB page. The other AI pilots got wind and you can expect an uptick in repair bills soon. Got to watch what you post on public forums man. (FYI, I won't let my AI pilots fly anything I won't fly...really, no seriously... Cuz I LOVE my AI pilots like family ) Link to post Share on other sites
Corsaire31 419 Posted August 3, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2014 I pay them enough to avoid complaints. And I don't see why they would complain about flying a brand new Embraer 195 after a few months of flying BN Trislanders and Shorts 360 ! And there can't be any of this company's pilots around here as I am the only one at the moment. Link to post Share on other sites
Corsaire31 419 Posted August 5, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 5, 2014 After yersterday's wonderful night flight under the moon from Guernsey to Le Havre (LFOH), it was time to look for something to bring back home. There were goods to pick up at Argentan (LFAG) in the middle of Normandy. A little hop from Le Havre flying over Deauville and its beaches and we landed on the little grass strip. After loading, it was a pretty straight fly home over Jersey VOR with a beautiful weather. A few low clouds over the Channel Islands forced me to go down to 1800 ft to approach Guernsey. I was lucky I could quickly find a place in the traffic after a short downwind leg. Another job done ! Approach at Argentan LFAG - 785m grass strip. Link to post Share on other sites
Corsaire31 419 Posted August 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 20, 2014 Reached the 55 % reputation today with some cash in the bank. Leased a second Islander ( 1988 repaint G-AWXP ), hired a nice looking young lady called Brianna as first pilot, and opened a new base at Southampton EGHI. We are now officially a company and not a one man operation anymore ! Link to post Share on other sites
Corsaire31 419 Posted August 22, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 22, 2014 Found another interesting candidate for Aurigny Xpress and hired him as second pilot. At the same time gave back the Islander I had leased in Alaska for West Columbia Airways as you really need amphibs up there. Only kept one toundra wheels C 185 for the small grass and gravel strips. Now all my companies have one AI pilot per plane for everyday and I can replace anyone of them when I feel like it. Important step ! Link to post Share on other sites
brett 2,314 Posted August 24, 2014 Report Share Posted August 24, 2014 If you need to fire someone, make sure all the other pilots hear about it, keeps them on their toes. Link to post Share on other sites
Corsaire31 419 Posted September 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 1, 2014 1st of September report : Everything is running fine in the companies - Aurigny Xpress : Leased the first Trislander G-JOEY and hired a new pilot in Guernsey. - Brittany Airfreight : Opened a France SW new base in Agen LFBA - leased a new C208b Grand Caravan and hired a new pilot. - West Columbia Airways : going further North with a new base in Yakutat PAYA. Bought a new C 185 F Amphibian there which I will fly myself for the beginning. Link to post Share on other sites
Corsaire31 419 Posted October 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 1, 2014 1st of October report Due to my "Aeropostale 2014" adventure, I had to cut down on Air Hauler activities. I chose to close my first company, Brittany Air Freight, which had anyway reached the original goals and was only running as planned. European activities have been re-centered on the development of Aurigny Xpress, my Channel Islands company. We have on October 1st put a first foot on the continent, by opening a new base in France in Rennes Saint Jacques (LFRN). A new Trislander G-BEDP has been leased and based there, with its new pilot Zachary Bell. West Columbia Airways has used some cash to buy the leased Grumman Goose, continued to expand to the North by opening a new base in Cordova-Smith (PACV), where it leased a Beechcraft D18S Amphibian for the coming winter. Link to post Share on other sites
Captain Coffee 2,030 Posted October 1, 2014 Report Share Posted October 1, 2014 I haven't tried that in the amphibian version. Good choice though for a rugged winter plane...got a ski version for when it freezes? Or back to Tundra tires at that point? Aerosoft Twin Otter has all versions should you want a really PITA plane to learn to fly by the book (I used to set the engines on fire using my hop in a flip switches style hahaha I forgot...do you have the Twotter yet? Link to post Share on other sites
Corsaire31 419 Posted October 2, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 2, 2014 The yearly amount of money allowed to FSX has been totally used since July, so it's all freeware until the end of 2014. So no Twotter for now, will have to do with the Twin Beech... But anyway because of my Aeropostale aventure eating most of my flying time until year's end, the Air Hauler business will be mostly run by my pilots. I will do the daily dispatch, take the investment decisions and make a flight here and there when time allows. Link to post Share on other sites
Corsaire31 419 Posted November 4, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2014 1st of November report In Europe, Aurigny Xpress keeps on developping, with a new base in Wales at Swansea (EGFH) A newly leased Trislander G-BDTO has been based there with a new pilot. In Canada / Alaska, West Columbia Airways was reorganized, the Beechcraft D18 S encountering technical problems ( the windshield and windows were becoming solid blue as soon as it started raining ! ) and being dropped from leasing. The Tundra Skywagon has been brought up to Cordova for the winter months, the Goose has been based in Prince Rupert while an amphibian Skywagon has been sent down to Port Hardy. After extending on the coast, we take a first step inland and open a new base in Prince Georges (CYXS) where will be operating a second Skywagon tundra C-FBZP to test the regional traffic during the winter. Link to post Share on other sites
Captain Coffee 2,030 Posted November 5, 2014 Report Share Posted November 5, 2014 Ouch...solid blue windows would be way to IFR for me Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now