brett 2,301 Posted May 25, 2012 Report Share Posted May 25, 2012 Cool beans, a new toy. Link to post Share on other sites
Menno 0 Posted May 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 25, 2012 Thanks for the nice words! Much appreciated Jim, am I that predictable?! My temp helo pilot was just complaining about his working hours and that he could not possibly fly in the dark... I told him to stop complaining and went to the local surplus store and bought him a tray of energy drink and a pair of Russian military surplus night vision goggles Don't think he's gonna work out. I have to find myself a real helo pilot! Signing off for today. Got a wedding party to go to Link to post Share on other sites
UKJim 502 Posted May 25, 2012 Report Share Posted May 25, 2012 Not really but it was one of my early purchases so figured I love that plane too! Link to post Share on other sites
Menno 0 Posted May 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 29, 2012 5/29/2012 The JetRanger I promised you some more information on my new helicopter. As it was kind of a impulsive buy I didn't have time then to explain further, but I have some time now, so here we go. The helicopter I bought from a local tour operator is on of the last JetRangers made in 2010 (It has since been replaced by the Bell 407). To be precise, it is a Bell 206B-3 JetRanger. It has an Allison 250-C20J turboshaft engine which produces 420 shaft hp and gives the helicopter a top speed of 130 knots (115 cruise) and a range of 374 nm. This is more than enough for the jobs around Hawaii. It differs from previous 206B models in that is has an upgraded engine and a slightly larger tail rotor for improved yaw control. As you can see from the photo below it looks a bit sad and dirty. I just haven't had the time to do something about it. It has been put to work immediate after buying it. I only ripped off the tour operator decal stickers and the back seats for additional room for cargo. In its current configuration it can carry around 830 pounds of cargo. At the time I got a pilot on loan from the company I bought it from, but he has since been replaced by a new guy named Bradley. I am planning to paint the helicopter in Air Cargo Hawaii colors, but with a twist. I have been working on a new livery for some time now. As Air Cargo Hawaii is growing into a more professional company the current livery is a bit too 'happy' for lack of a better word. I want something with a more 'clean' look. Don't get me wrong, I really like the old colors and my current small planes will keep their colors and logo's, but I just need something different to complement it. The new addition to arrive from Cessna soon will be the first to be painted in the new colors, so keep an eye out for that one The JetRanger will follow soon after that. For the moment the JetRanger is serving heliports and private properties on the Hawaiian island only if there is no landing for fixed wing aircraft. It will fly directly to and from customers, which is not very efficient because of its relative high fuel consumption and slow cruise speed compared to fixed wing airplanes. In time it will be used as a feeder to larger airports in the vicinity of the customer so a fixed wing aircraft can do the long hauls. Got to go again. Have some scheduling to go over with Melissa... Link to post Share on other sites
Menno 0 Posted June 4, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2012 6/4/2012 Christmas at Air Cargo Hawaii ! Hi all, this is going to be a big update, so bear with me Let's start with the big news! As announced previously, a rather large new package has arrived from Cessna. Jim already guessed it was going to be a Cessna 208B. It is indeed a logical evolution for the company... First off, some info on the 208. Originally developed in the '80's the as the 208A Caravan, the 208A Cargomaster, all cargo version was developed with FedEx to function as a feeder plane for their mail and parcel services. Cessna took the design a bit further and stretched it by 1.2 meters to become the 208B Super Cargomaster. The 208B Grand Caravan was in turn derived from that. The Super Cargomaster is fitted with a single Pratt & Whitney PT6A-114A producing 675 shaft hp, which gives the airplane a maximum cruise speed of 171 knots and a range of 1080 nm. The airplane is a perfect feeder plane for short to medium distances and only requires a single pilot. It can almost land on a dime and has good fuel economy due to its single engine. It has a big cargo hold which can carry a little under 2000 lbs of stuff. This airplane is a massive improvement for Air Cargo Hawaii as it almost doubles the cargo capacity from the previous biggest airplane in the fleet, the 206 Stationair. It also requires little parking space as it has a wingspan of only 15.88 meters. This is important for us, because Dillingham Airfield has only limited parking space, even though it has a 9000 ft paved runway! At a little under a million and a half it is an expensive airplane and I would never have been able to pay for it from company resources alone. I decided to take a leap an borrow 800k from the bank and put in about a half million of my own. This will increase the overhead, but I feel it is worth the risk. Without the 208, the company would not be able to grow any further. As said in the last update, the paint was going to change. To be more professional, especially among the more business orientated clients, and fellow air freight companies, I decided to develop a new company livery. After much consultation and conversations with my employees, who I thought should have a big say, we came up with a new paint scheme. It incorporates many elements from the old livery but also contains new elements and looks 'simpler' and 'sharper', if I may say so myself As not too keep you guessing any longer, below are the photo's of the brand new 208B just after it arrived from assembly at Lihue. Hope you like it. Try to spot the similarities and differences between new and old paint jobs First thing I noticed when I sat in it for the first time was how big the windscreen is. The forward view is excellent, however the view to the sides is not so good. It also sits up quite a bit higher. You need a ladder to climb in. The avionics are state of the art. It even has a weather radar. That's going to be a cool toy to play with on long hauls The last picture was taken from the Dillingham control tower. You can just see the familiar checkered pattern on the wing tips. I was unable to take a better picture of it, without climbing on the wing itself... The tail number is also painted under the left wing, as has become standard for Air Cargo Hawaii airplanes. As for the flying part. I will not be flying the 208 myself... at least for the moment. I am not currently certified for such a big airplane and all its equipment. It will take some time for me to get familiar with all of it and complete a check ride. I decided to move my pilot Anthony to the 208B, making room for apprentice Jared to go solo permanently on the 172S I will keep flying the 210M for the moment. Moving on........ I said before that the second hand Bell Jetranger I bought not long ago would also receive its new paint as soon as the 208 would arrive.... and it has. It was a bit difficult to adapt the paint job to a helicopter, but I think it doesn't look bad at all Lastly, I would like to announce some changes to the office/warehouse part of the company. Due to the arrival of the big 208, the need for storage space at Dillingham has increased so much that I simply ran out of room again without an option to expand even further this time. I am constrained by the standard Dillingham storage units, where I already rent two next to each other. I decided our only option was to relocate the office part to another building in the neighborhood to free up room for storage. I really didn't want to split up the company this way, but there was simply no other way. Luckily I found a small office for rent only a few hundred meters down the road, which is acceptable.... for the moment... I also gave Melissa permission to hire an assistant for the office to cope with the additional work load. Furthermore I hired a kid called Michael to serve as warehouse manager at the Dillingham units and to help load and unload the airplanes. For the moment we can grow a little again, but I am afraid that some big decisions are coming up about the growth and future of Air Cargo Hawaii! But for now we are okay. We have to be especially careful now, because of the risk of having the big bank load outstanding and the fact that with the increasing hauling capacity of the fleet Air Cargo Hawaii is entering the realm of the well established air freight companies in and around Hawaii. It will be tough to compete with them, so our business model of better service and prices has to be followed to the letter. Our new motto 'Anything, anywhere, anytime' therefore seems appropriate. I kind of 'stole' it from an air force airlift unit, but there is a saying in The Netherlands that reads: "Beter goed gejat dan slecht bedacht!". It roughly translates to; Better to steal something good that to think of something bad yourself! Good night everybody! Link to post Share on other sites
PanzerFodder 0 Posted June 4, 2012 Report Share Posted June 4, 2012 Nice update, and very nice paint job on the chicken crate carrier . Good luck with your expansion, just don't let Mad Mikes henchmen anywhere near your base . Cheer's...Graham... Link to post Share on other sites
Sabre 28 Posted June 4, 2012 Report Share Posted June 4, 2012 Super update Menno You've made an excellent job of both paint works. Congratulations on the expansion and an excellent choice of aircraft in the Cargomaster. I have three of them operating up North I gues you are lucky being so far south as you are well out of te reach of the Circus owner and his "in the back paocket" RCMP. Mounties don't travel well apparently especially in the heat. Link to post Share on other sites
brett 2,301 Posted June 5, 2012 Report Share Posted June 5, 2012 I think the new paint looks great, both the C208B and the heli. You managed to keep the original concept in it and transform it to a more professional looking skin, great job. Nice update to boot! Now work that AI to within legal limits(good thing they get paid by the week and not the hour ) and get somemore cash rolling in. Link to post Share on other sites
Menno 0 Posted June 7, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 7, 2012 7 June 2012 Small update Business is booming! Really, its getting almost ridiculous how much demand there is for the new 208. Anthony has been working overtime a lot this week Ah well, he is getting payed good money to fly and stay awake, so I am not worried On a related note, the 800k bank loan has already been payed off in full! A 135k contract for some 'undisclosed' fragile equipment helped a long way in getting there In the mean time the assistant for the office has been hired, so the paperwork is being taken care off by two people now. I hired yet another pilot today, a first officer named Jenna. I haven't assigned her a fixed airplane for the moment. Lets see how she does first... Had a meeting with the Dillingham airport manager and some people who represent the owner, the U.S. Army, yesterday to discuss my ongoing space problems. I would like to be able to build my own storage unit/hangar, but keep running into problems with that idea. Dillingham is surrounded by roads, which makes expansion difficult to say the least. More on that later... Also, due to ongoing 'rumors' about break ins and sabotage on the mainland, I asked my warehouse manager Michael to bring his dog to work For your information (I will not name names), it is 5 feet tall and is equiped with a laser turret Link to post Share on other sites
Sabre 28 Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 Nice update - good to see business is booming and good luck with your expansion plans (whatever they may be ) On the security front just watch out for Canadian "Holidaymakers" peering through your perimeter fencing Link to post Share on other sites
Menno 0 Posted June 11, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 Don't worry, the fence is electrified, high voltage... And the dog, it strikes when you most expect it! Yeah you read that right Because of high demand for the 208, I am considering buying a second one. Seems like a good choice. Anything bigger can't park at Dillingham anyway... Link to post Share on other sites
jemlin8 0 Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 A good idea for expansion might be the Brittan Norman Islander. It might be a bit of a problem however, due to your lack of parking space and its two engines might not be as helpful to your wallet as the Cessna but just an idea (Off Topic) Thanks for this wonderful story and do please keep it up! (y) Link to post Share on other sites
Menno 0 Posted June 11, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 Thanks for the tip! I will look into the Islander. Do any of you happen to know the wingspan? I can park anything up to about 16 and maybe 18 meters. And what about other specs, cargo capacity, fuel burn rate? Thanks! Link to post Share on other sites
brett 2,301 Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 Mr.B must have gotten into the Cold Duck cache Link to post Share on other sites
PanzerFodder 0 Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 . . . Good for "fertiliser" drops over the PFC bases! Tell her to land at one of our bases, Nobby will be pleased to "fertiliser" for ya . . Link to post Share on other sites
Sabre 28 Posted June 12, 2012 Report Share Posted June 12, 2012 Tell her to land at one of our bases, Nobby will be pleased to "fertiliser" for ya . LOL - Oooooo errrrrrr mrs .................. You Wurzels have always beeen good with the fertiliser Link to post Share on other sites
Menno 0 Posted June 12, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 12, 2012 This must be some kind of a record. I just got offered the shortest job I have ever seen in Air Hauler! See for yourself below Took the job before anyone realized the madness Link to post Share on other sites
brett 2,301 Posted June 12, 2012 Report Share Posted June 12, 2012 The runway is set up like a golf course with a slight dogleg right. Be cheaper to rent a truck and have Michael drive it over. Just have him wear a zippy hat to make it an airmail delivery. Link to post Share on other sites
PanzerFodder 0 Posted June 13, 2012 Report Share Posted June 13, 2012 I had a job up on the screen the other day that was only one mile from departure to destination, did not take it though as it was only for 6 grand and I would have to fly 270 nm to get there, so not even worth the cost of the fuel "LOL" . BTW: I did have a more profitable contract out of Kamloops last night, $104,000 of wine and spirits, "Sir Mr Fodder sir", was a bit worried about the birdman throwing another wobbler at the prospect of loseing his stock of night caps, so I send one of the AI down there instead BTW 2 : Party round at my place on Friday night, the drinks are on Mike. . Cheer's...Graham... Link to post Share on other sites
jaydor 345 Posted June 13, 2012 Report Share Posted June 13, 2012 love it all; :rofl: Link to post Share on other sites
brett 2,301 Posted June 13, 2012 Report Share Posted June 13, 2012 I'll get a toast ready to thank Mr.B Link to post Share on other sites
Menno 0 Posted June 14, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 14, 2012 Be cheaper to rent a truck and have Michael drive it over. Just have him wear a zippy hat to make it an airmail delivery. Think I am going to let his dog do the delivery. Should be good Maybe I should start Dog Cargo Hawaii if I get anymore of these contracts Link to post Share on other sites
Menno 0 Posted June 14, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 14, 2012 14 jun 2012 A milestone and a mystery trip! We are celebrating today. Air Cargo Hawaii has completed its first 500 contracts without a single failure to deliver! I think a massive accomplishment for a small start up company in such a short time. To celebrate, I am taking my entire staff + Dillingham mechanic Dave (who practically works for me anyway) + Business consultant John, without whom I couldn't have started Air Cargo Hawaii at all. I am taking everybody, 11 including me, for some shrimp delicacies at Kamekona's On a more serious note. I am leaving on a business trip tomorrow and I am bringing Dave and John. I can't disclose what we will be doing yet, because of contract issues and uncertainties, but I can tell that we will be visiting the city of Milwaukee on the U.S. mainland. And no, we will not be going to drink the beer (well, maybe after business has concluded ). While I am gone, I have assigned my Cessna 210M to the new pilot Jenna. Hope she doesn't break it. The 210 is a difficult airplane to handle. And one more thing. The second Cessna 208B has been ordered. It will take a little longer to arrive because of some last minute modifications I ordered. I had some extra 'facilities' installed to make it possible to load ATA code D-size air containers/pallets more easily. The 208B can carry two of these. My current 208B will also receive the upgrade once the new 208B is delivered. Using air containers and large pallets will bring down loading/unloading times significantly, but will require additional ground facilities. More on that later Link to post Share on other sites
brett 2,301 Posted June 15, 2012 Report Share Posted June 15, 2012 Great update Good idea modifing the Cargomasters, should be worth the extra cost. Enjoy your trip. Link to post Share on other sites
Menno 0 Posted June 15, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2012 15 jun 2012 Old and new Just got send a picture by Michael from Hawaii. Seeing as I am currently in Milwaukee, I couldn't be at the arrival of the brand new 208B which was apparently delivered way ahead of schedule The new Super Cargomaster is the second airplane from the front. It has been given the name: " Spirit of Kaua'i " and registration number N32514. Now you can also see the old and new paint jobs right next to each other. The 206G is in the front, then the new 208B, the 172S and in the background the other 208B " Spirit of O'ahu " Just wanted to share this with you Back to business... ....I also have to prepare mentally and physically for the epic party ahead Link to post Share on other sites
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