5 Canceled Flights in a Row

[Jay Honeck]

What a period of weather! We've been forced to cancel 5 scenic
airplane rides in a row, over the last week, due to high winds, low
ceilings, and bad visibility.

Needless to say, we've had a lot of disappointed couples who were
really looking forward to a romantic sunset ride over the city. In
some cases, it was to have been their first airplane ride. And, of
course, issuing refunds on a service that we sell "at cost" is always
painful. (The credit card companies get us both ways, going in and
coming out...)

I'm starting to understand why we're the only hotel in America that
sells airplane rides. No one else is dumb enough to do it!

;-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Dan Luke]

"Jay Honeck" wrote:

> I'm starting to understand why we're the only hotel in America that
> sells airplane rides. No one else is dumb enough to do it!

Who does the flying?

--
Dan
C172RG at BFM

[Jose]

> I'm starting to understand why we're the only hotel in America that
> sells airplane rides.

Commercial operation?

Jose
--
Get high on gasoline: fly an airplane.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

[Jay Honeck]

> > I'm starting to understand why we're the only hotel in America that
> > sells airplane rides. No one else is dumb enough to do it!
>
> Who does the flying?

It varies, but Jet-Air, Inc. provides the pilots and aircraft.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Jay Honeck]

> > I'm starting to understand why we're the only hotel in America that
> > sells airplane rides.
>
> Commercial operation?

Not us. We act as an agent for our local airport FBO, Jet-Air. We
sell "boarding passes" for $75, for a 30-minute instructional ride.

Jet-Air, in turn, bills us $75. We act as a flow-through, and do not
make money on the deal. In fact, by the time you factor in our
credit card fees, the time spent setting up the flights, the ride to/
from the airport, we're losing money -- but it's worth it to spread
the good word about GA.

Well, usually it is... This week, I'm not so sure.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Thomas Borchert]

Jay,

> We've been forced to cancel 5 scenic
> airplane rides in a row, over the last week, due to high winds, low
> ceilings, and bad visibility.
>

Hey! I thought you had the statistics to prove this never happens
<gd&r>

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

[Bob Noel]

In article >,
Thomas Borchert > wrote:

> > We've been forced to cancel 5 scenic
> > airplane rides in a row, over the last week, due to high winds, low
> > ceilings, and bad visibility.
>
> Hey! I thought you had the statistics to prove this never happens
> <gd&r>

Not to him. Perhaps Jay should get his commercial rating. :-)

--
Bob Noel
(gave up looking for a particular sig the lawyer will hate)

[Jay Honeck]

> Hey! I thought you had the statistics to prove this never happens
> <gd&r>

Well, we've apparently used up our 5.2% IFR for the entire next
year...

;-)

Actually, the conditions here have been VFR much of the time -- but
who the heck wants to go on a "scenic" airplane ride with winds
gusting to 49 knots?
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[BT]

Ok Jay... you need to move???

Last Day of March.. departed about 3pm with a two thousand foot AGL tow.
Soared up to 10K MSL, about 7K AGL and traveled to a remote town 12 miles
away and returned.
Not a straight route.. almost a circle hitting points to the right of course
in each direction.
Landed 1 hr and 10 minutes later back at the starting airport. I could have
stayed up longer but someone was waiting for the glider.

Yes.. in a glider... but Jay knew that... low performance Schweizer 1-26D,
built in the late 1970s, 13meter, 23/1 L/d, climbing on average about
400-500fpm at 40-45mph and straight glides between 55-60mph.. except for the
return trip. Enough altitude to fly at 70-80mph and still get back.

Bill

"Jay Honeck" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> What a period of weather! We've been forced to cancel 5 scenic
> airplane rides in a row, over the last week, due to high winds, low
> ceilings, and bad visibility.
>
> Needless to say, we've had a lot of disappointed couples who were
> really looking forward to a romantic sunset ride over the city. In
> some cases, it was to have been their first airplane ride. And, of
> course, issuing refunds on a service that we sell "at cost" is always
> painful. (The credit card companies get us both ways, going in and
> coming out...)
>
> I'm starting to understand why we're the only hotel in America that
> sells airplane rides. No one else is dumb enough to do it!
>
> ;-)
> --
> Jay Honeck
> Iowa City, IA
> Pathfinder N56993
> www.AlexisParkInn.com
> "Your Aviation Destination"
>

[Gregg Germain]

Jay Honeck wrote:

> What a period of weather! We've been forced to cancel 5 scenic
> airplane rides in a row, over the last week, due to high winds, low
> ceilings, and bad visibility.

Once one gets involved in aviation..or sailing for that matter....one has
to learn to ride with the weather punches....or go mad.

My last 2 acro rides were rained out. I have 3 sked for this week and
already the forecast put two of then in the rain as well.

Gregg

[Dylan Smith]

On 2007-04-01, BT > wrote:
> Last Day of March.. departed about 3pm with a two thousand foot AGL tow.
> Soared up to 10K MSL, about 7K AGL and traveled to a remote town 12 miles
> away and returned.

You erm... lucky person.

It was totally flat here - fling off the winch and glide to a landing.
A strong northwesterly and a stable atmosphere does not make for great
soaring, merely currency flights!

--
Yes, the Reply-To email address is valid.
Oolite-Linux: an Elite tribute: http://oolite-linux.berlios.de

[Matt Whiting]

Jay Honeck wrote:
> What a period of weather! We've been forced to cancel 5 scenic
> airplane rides in a row, over the last week, due to high winds, low
> ceilings, and bad visibility.
>
> Needless to say, we've had a lot of disappointed couples who were
> really looking forward to a romantic sunset ride over the city. In
> some cases, it was to have been their first airplane ride. And, of
> course, issuing refunds on a service that we sell "at cost" is always
> painful. (The credit card companies get us both ways, going in and
> coming out...)
>
> I'm starting to understand why we're the only hotel in America that
> sells airplane rides. No one else is dumb enough to do it!

Can't you wait and charge then after the ride? Or right before you
leave? That way, no ride, no charges and no credit card fees.

Matt

[BT]

thank you... one of the benefits of living in the Desert Southwest part of
the US.

BT

"Dylan Smith" > wrote in message
...
> On 2007-04-01, BT > wrote:
>> Last Day of March.. departed about 3pm with a two thousand foot AGL tow.
>> Soared up to 10K MSL, about 7K AGL and traveled to a remote town 12 miles
>> away and returned.
>
> You erm... lucky person.
>
> It was totally flat here - fling off the winch and glide to a landing.
> A strong northwesterly and a stable atmosphere does not make for great
> soaring, merely currency flights!
>
> --
> Yes, the Reply-To email address is valid.
> Oolite-Linux: an Elite tribute: http://oolite-linux.berlios.de

[[email protected]]

On Apr 1, 11:29 am, "Jay Honeck" > wrote:
> > Hey! I thought you had the statistics to prove this never happens
> > <gd&r>
>
> Well, we've apparently used up our 5.2% IFR for the entire next
> year...
>
> ;-)
>
> Actually, the conditions here have been VFR much of the time -- but
> who the heck wants to go on a "scenic" airplane ride with winds
> gusting to 49 knots?
> --
> Jay Honeck
> Iowa City, IA
> Pathfinder N56993www.AlexisParkInn.com
> "Your Aviation Destination"



>Well, we've apparently used up our 5.2% IFR for the entire next
>year...

>;-)

Looks like you don't need that IFR ticket for another year. its gonna
be CAVU till next spring. <G>


>Actually, the conditions here have been VFR much of the time -- but
>who the heck wants to go on a "scenic" airplane ride with winds
>gusting to 49 knots?
--

Some who wants to witness a VERY short take off roll???

[Kingfish]

On Apr 1, 12:16 pm, "Jay Honeck" > wrote:
>
> Jet-Air, in turn, bills us $75. We act as a flow-through, and do not
> make money on the deal. In fact, by the time you factor in our
> credit card fees, the time spent setting up the flights, the ride to/
> from the airport, we're losing money -- but it's worth it to spread
> the good word about GA.
>
> Well, usually it is... This week, I'm not so sure.
> --

Could be worse Jay. At least you're not stranding people in a Piper on
a taxiway for hours on end...

[Jay Honeck]

> Can't you wait and charge then after the ride? Or right before you
> leave? That way, no ride, no charges and no credit card fees.

Yeah, we're working on that.

We have set up our hotel so that all charges are done at check-IN, not
out, like so many others do.

This does two things I like: First, it makes sure we get a signature
on the actual charge, not just on a check-in card. This can be
important when dealing with credit card companies. Second, it makes
check-out for our guests truly easy and quick. They can just leave
the keys on the kitchen counter, and out the door they go. (Although
most come to the lobby to chew the fat with us, anyway.)

The downside is that we have to issue credits back occasionally. For
example, if a guest pays for a week, and has to leave early, we end up
giving money back, which is expensive and a hassle.

I keep going back and forth on this. There are many advantages to
doing this either way.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Peter Dohm]

> > > Hey! I thought you had the statistics to prove this never happens
> > > <gd&r>
> >
> > Well, we've apparently used up our 5.2% IFR for the entire next
> > year...
> >
> > ;-)
> >
> > Actually, the conditions here have been VFR much of the time -- but
> > who the heck wants to go on a "scenic" airplane ride with winds
> > gusting to 49 knots?
> > --
> > Jay Honeck
> > Iowa City, IA
> > Pathfinder N56993www.AlexisParkInn.com
> > "Your Aviation Destination"
>
>
>
> >Well, we've apparently used up our 5.2% IFR for the entire next
> >year...
>
> >;-)
>
> Looks like you don't need that IFR ticket for another year. its gonna
> be CAVU till next spring. <G>
>
>
> >Actually, the conditions here have been VFR much of the time -- but
> >who the heck wants to go on a "scenic" airplane ride with winds
> >gusting to 49 knots?
> --
>
> Some who wants to witness a VERY short take off roll???
>
>
That "gusting" part leaves me out!

Peter

[Peter Dohm]

> >
> > Jet-Air, in turn, bills us $75. We act as a flow-through, and do not
> > make money on the deal. In fact, by the time you factor in our
> > credit card fees, the time spent setting up the flights, the ride to/
> > from the airport, we're losing money -- but it's worth it to spread
> > the good word about GA.
> >
> > Well, usually it is... This week, I'm not so sure.
> > --
>
> Could be worse Jay. At least you're not stranding people in a Piper on
> a taxiway for hours on end...
>
Oooooooh. I tried not to laugh, but I failed miserably. :-)

Peter