GRAHAM WARWICK / WASHINGTON DC
Letsfly.org is to establish a dealer network and shared ownership programme for the CH2000 Alarus two-seat trainer in a deal with Aircraft Manufacturing and Development (AMD). The deal is expected to be extended to cover CH601 and CH701 light-sport aircraft produced byAMD's sister company Zenair.
The agreement has two elements, the first covering retail sales in Canada and the USA to companies wanting to become a local or state dealer or regional distributor for the CH2000. The second part involves a co-ownership project in which students can buy a share in an aircraft based at a Letsfly flight centre and then pay lower training costs.
The number of owners in an aircraft depends on the number of aircraft based at a flight centre, says Letsfly manager Eldon Cary, and ranges from seven to 10. A co-owner buys a share, pays a monthly management fee, and can use the aircraft for a fixed cost that is half the rental rate for non-owners.
A co-owner can rent an aircraft at another Letsfly centre at a 20% discount. Flight centres are responsible for maintaining the aircraft, and make money by selling instructional services to student owners, Cary says.
Idaho Falls, based Letsfly launched its flight-centre project with used Cessnas and Pipers, but is to standardise on new CH2000s, says Cary. The $130,000 Alarus is equipped with Garmin GNS-430 GPS-based avionics and certificated for instrument flight rules operation, and the all-metal two-seater has proved economical and robust in training service, he says. Eastman, Georgia-based AMD says Letsfly has committed to an initial batch of around 20 aircraft.
Flight centres have been established in Canada and the USA. Letsfly plans to have locations in all US states within a year, says Cary, and intends to move outside North America, but not for another 18 months at least.
Letsfly plans to use its flight centre model to satisfy the projected training market for light-sport aircraft, the new category of lighter, cheaper factory-produced two-seaters expected to be approved in the USA later this year.
Source: Flight International
