Riding High: For Some, Business Commute is Airborne
Frederick News-Post
Frederick, MD (November 20, 2011)
Business aviation is a growing trend among small companies,
according to the National Business Aviation Association. The
popularity of corporate flying rises and falls with the economy NBAA
spokesman Dan Hubbard said.
The General Aviation Manufacturers Association calculated 2,971
registered active general aviation aircraft in Maryland in 2009,
about 300 more planes than registered in the previous two years
Communications Director Katie Pribyl said.
Benefits of small-business aviation
Boni Caldeira regards flying himself to client meetings as a company
demonstration. Some potential customers who join
Frederick-based Caldeira on business end up buying planes for their
companies, he said. Caldeira, a regional sales manager with
Cirrus Design Corp., flies a company plane to neighboring states,
when flying commercial would be inconvenient. "For a short
trip, it's really annoying to have to put up with ... layovers and
fewer direct flights," he said.
New Era Custom Design and Cabinet Works Inc. President John Gage
uses his Beechcraft Baron twin-engine piston at least once a week
for business travel. This past week, Gage flew to Princeton,
N.J., and Philadelphia for client meetings and site consultations.
He can usually find an airport 10 to 15 minutes from his final
destination, and often uses the airport's courtesy car service or
rents a vehicle for the day. "It's a huge time-saver," Gage
said. "I like to be home at night."
Convenience is a draw for many small businesses.
"I'll fly to Ithaca, N.Y., to get some business done, then fly to
Pittsburgh, and I'll be home for dinner," Caldeira said.
Commercial airlines offer limited service to upstate New York, he
said. "There is no train that goes there. The bus takes forever.
It's six hours to drive." Instead of landing at larger
airports like Dulles International or Baltimore/Washington
International Thurgood Marshall, pilots can touch down in Frederick,
he said.
"From a local economy standpoint, the more businesses that choose to
travel privately, the better for the local area." About 17,000
business aviation planes are operated by about 15,000 individuals or
companies in the U.S, according to NBAA. That number has increased
incrementally, Hubbard said, from about 15,000 planes in 2004.
Planes land businesses in recession
Some companies purchase fleets of wheeled vehicles for travel;
others are drawn to advantages of flight. A business might
look at productivity when considering an aircraft purchase, Hubbard
said. "A company might say, 'Well, the plane was instrumental
in helping us land this deal/client/customer. We were able to
respond to a customer's inquiry immediately. Could we have done that
with a car?'"
New Era's work is largely limited to the Washington area, but
employees sometimes get to pile into Gage's six-seater for
out-of-town installations. "It means a lot to clients to know that I
can be there on short notice, to work out problems (or) check out
field conditions," he said. General aviation costs are usually
computed by the hour, Pribyl said. Cost-per-mile varies greatly
depending on the model of airplane.
According to Business & Commercial Aviation magazine, 2010 per-mile
fuel costs for a 600-mile trip might equal about $2.37 for a single
turbine engine Cessna Caravan, close to $2.70 for a twin-turboprop
Beechcraft King Air and about $2.10 per mile for a light jet.
The future of business aviation is uncertain, according to NBAA, but
Hubbard mentioned some factors that could drive growth. As
business moves faster and becomes more competitive, the marketplace
looks to expand opportunities, he said, and small airplanes can make
companies more nimble and competitive.
Also, during the recession, commercial airlines cut service to some
areas, Hubbard said. "A business airplane may not be only the
prudent option, but may be the only option."
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