What would you pay to fly into Havasu?

[whiteworks]

Havasu seems to have reached a point where there is some real money floating around out there. Second homes approaching the $1M mark doesn’t seem like an odd thing these days. That being said it’s still a 5-6 hour drive for those playing the weekend warrior game from SoCal.

Im just spit balling here but I’m curious if the numbers could pencil out for those looking to fly in from SoCal on the weekends? Lots of ways to structure something like this, but let’s say flight for 4 that takes 45 minutes, fly out Thursday or Friday night and return Sunday evening.

What would you pay for 4/5 seats in a moderately comfortable aircraft with a legit pilot that can make it happen?

Photos for reference only

 

[t&y]

Can I sit right seat and log hours?

No shit, I've been thinking of small charter type flights, no frills, in and out of LA on a Friday's. I'd bet with the right connections you will get traction on this venture for sure.

 

[whiteworks]

Can I sit right seat and log hours?

No shit, I've been thinking of small charter type flights, no frills, in and out of LA on a Friday's. I'd bet with the right connections you will get traction on this venture for sure.

You of all people right now are perfectly clear on the actual lift involved for a person to get a certificate, the proper ratings, and a aircraft capable of this type of thing. The time, finances and commitment for an individual to do something like this on their own are staggering.

I’m not gonna kid myself and pretend that this could be profitable, however it may have the ability to subsidize the cost of aircraft ownership and be worth further investigation

 

[DarkHorseRacing]

We had a neighbor at the springs who had their own plane and a hanger down in Parker. They’d fly in from the LA area and yes it was a really short flight. They kept a second car in the hanger to drive back and forth.

If I was a pilot, and had my own plane, and that put the river 45 minutes away, I’d be out there every weekend since the 3-5 hour drive is what keeps me from going out there more.

Just have a fully stocked house with a second set of clothes out there and you wouldn’t even need to pack any luggage on the plane.

Some people got it good. I just ain’t one of them.

 

[whiteworks]

Short story: circa 2008 or so, myself and two buddies hopped in a Cessna 210 out of chino, flew into Parker. RD picked us up at the airport in his pimpy navigator, we stopped at circle K and bought a case of beer and bag of ice, walked through the pad in the keys and hopped on the Schiada on the dock. Hot lapped up to the dam, jumped in, lunch and big sticks at foxes for an afternoon of fuckery, back to the pad, back to the airport and home in SoCal for dinner, all in a day.

The pilot didn’t drink, but myself and our other pal were on the throttle, we grabbed some gallon jugs of water at circle K before we hit the airport, emptied the jugs on the ramp and had them ready as piss jugs for the ride home just in case

 

[Mike K]

Havasu seems to have reached a point where there is some real money floating around out there. Second homes approaching the $1M mark doesn’t seem like an odd thing these days. That being said it’s still a 5-6 hour drive for those playing the weekend warrior game from SoCal.

Im just spit balling here but I’m curious if the numbers could pencil out for those looking to fly in from SoCal on the weekends? Lots of ways to structure something like this, but let’s say flight for 4 that takes 45 minutes, fly out Thursday or Friday night and return Sunday evening.

What would you pay for 4/5 seats in a moderately comfortable aircraft with a legit pilot that can make it happen?

Photos for reference only View attachment 1338908
View attachment 1338909

$200 per person round trip

 

[monkeyswrench]

Funny, after reading the 5mil house thread it spurred a thought I my head kind of related. A town car/concierge service. Basically your own "Alfred" to pick up your shopping list and get what you need ready, and a nice town car to pick you up at the airport. Go through all the motions of background checks and confidentiality agreements and have a few good employees. Same service could arrange detailing and launching boats, making sure cars are ready, etc.

 

[lbhsbz]

Seems like it would be cheaper to get a DCB simulator...just put a cooler full of beer in it and a heater blowing in the other side...with some VR googles, it would be just like the real thing without the drive or flight

Edit…and no fights with the wife while packing car, launching the boat, etc…the boat won’t break down, you won’t get squirted in the channel….

Damn…maybe I’m on to something here. “Virtual vacations”

 

[monkeyswrench]

Seems like it would be cheaper to get a DCB simulator...just put a cooler full of beer in it and a heater blowing in the other side...with some VR googles, it would be just like the real thing without the drive or flight

Hair dryer....for high speed passes

 

[Bigbore500r]

Hair dryer....for high speed passes

Hair dryer for general ambiance, and the occasioinal heat gun to simulate those random oven-hot air pockets you go thru as your make your way up river in July

 

[Brian]

$2,000 and hr for a charter jet from Chino to LHC. Jet seats 4-5

 

[hallett21]

$200-300 a seat one way would keep the plane consistently full. Not sure if $1k-1500 would cover the plane.

In this scenario does the plane go back to LA/OC Thursday night after it made its drop off? That would allow people to fly in on Sunday too.

I think it would be killer if there was 2 flights a week like you described.

 

[Sleek-Jet]

Less than what it is going to cost to do so.

 

[Englewood]

$200RT max

 

[Doc]

Havasu seems to have reached a point where there is some real money floating around out there. Second homes approaching the $1M mark doesn’t seem like an odd thing these days. That being said it’s still a 5-6 hour drive for those playing the weekend warrior game from SoCal.

Im just spit balling here but I’m curious if the numbers could pencil out for those looking to fly in from SoCal on the weekends? Lots of ways to structure something like this, but let’s say flight for 4 that takes 45 minutes, fly out Thursday or Friday night and return Sunday evening.

What would you pay for 4/5 seats in a moderately comfortable aircraft with a legit pilot that can make it happen?

Photos for reference only View attachment 1338908
View attachment 1338909

You would be surprised how many people in Havasu would pay to go from Havasu to either Vegas or Phoenix Az. Lot's of people don't want to drive two plus hours just to get to the airport so they can fly back east or somewhere. If you could run a mid week service for that and weekend service from Socal to Havasu I think you could do pretty good actually.

 

[cofooter]

They used to have commercial flights into Havasu from Phoenix and maybe a few other cities. I flew the Phoenix to Havasu route several times after connecting from Colorado. Flights were very reasonable but they gave up the route - not sure why? Not profitable, maybe?

 

[hallett21]

Hawthorne to Mammoth is 300-350 one way in a semi private plane.

 

[DWC]

What’s the break even per hour for just the plane?

 

[DUNEFLYER]

200 RT ain’t gonna happen.
here is a price chart I ran a ran across years ago and things have not gotten cheaper.
This was for private charter.

 

[Sleek-Jet]

They used to have commercial flights into Havasu from Phoenix and maybe a few other cities. I flew the Phoenix to Havasu route several times after connecting from Colorado. Flights were very reasonable but they gave up the route - not sure why? Not profitable, maybe?

Havasu was on the Essential Air Service list, which provided federal money to subsidies the service. When Havasu lost the designation, the subsidy went away and so did the flights.

Essential Air Service - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[whiteworks]

I would think $500 a seat each way wouldn’t be out of the question, granted this isn’t gonna be a service for everyone, but I could see some jumping at the option.

I’ll bet if we ran the numbers on a Cadillac Escalade, aquisition, insurance, maintenance, and fuel it would be $200 a seat round trip LOL

 

[hallett21]

I would think $500 a seat each way wouldn’t be out of the question, granted this isn’t gonna be a service for everyone, but I could see some jumping at the option.

I’ll bet if we ran the numbers on a Cadillac Escalade, aquisition, insurance, maintenance, and fuel it would be $200 a seat round trip LOL

You have my wheels turning lol. Get a semi custom sprinter van in havasu to drop off/pick up and you’re rolling.

 

[whiteworks]

Just for sport, Escalade year one operational cost is $33k based on 15k miles a year. $2.20 a mile to run, 400 miles miles round trip to the river is $880.00 in actual cost to operate.

So round trip in an Escalade to the river in a new Escalade is $220.00 per seat for a family of 4

 

[Racey]

I would think $500 a seat each way wouldn’t be out of the question, granted this isn’t gonna be a service for everyone, but I could see some jumping at the option.

I’ll bet if we ran the numbers on a Cadillac Escalade, aquisition, insurance, maintenance, and fuel it would be $200 a seat round trip LOL

You can't make a bunch of flights anyway, this is a premium service..... This has to be 3k each direction minimum. It's not Jet Blue

Honestly with the demand in the summer im shocked that JSX hasn't done it. They have winter routes just for snow skiing in CO now

 

[hallett21]

You can't make a bunch of flights anyway, this is a premium service..... This has to be 3k each direction minimum. It's not Jet Blue

Honestly with the demand in the summer im shocked that JSX hasn't done it. They have winter routes just for snow skiing in CO now

I bet there’s an issue with people coming from so many different locations.

 

[RiverDave]

That seems really high on the cost to operate on the Escalade..

 

[whiteworks]

That seems really high on the cost to operate on the Escalade..

I’m sure it is, but we’re not factoring in that most of those things are 179 write offs. Just figuring Joe Hero with a 9-5 and shitty cpa here

 

[C_J_J_C]

What would I pay....
I am a time is money guy.....
Say I can justify $1,000 an hour for my wife, 2 kids, and myself.

Orange County to Havasu is my trip.

If I tow it is 4.5 hours door to door (Two trips a year) but Planes can't tow so I must use non-towing time of 4 hours (8-10 trips)

So easy - Beam me up Scotty transportation value.... 4 Hours x 4 people x $1,000 an hour = $16,000.

So now tell me:
1) What airport (Drive time from house)? - My closest is Fullerton. Door to door, parking, and walking = At least 1 hour x 4 people x $1,000 -4take away -4,000

2) Is the plane waiting for me or am I expected to be on their schedule (Wait Time) and even if waiting engine running what is wheels up time? $ Unknown

3) What is flight time? Let me guess 30 Minutes..... =-$2,000

More questions....
How do I get from Havasu airport to my home?
Do I buy a second car? Insurance, registration, maintenance......
Ect....

SoCal to Havasu just doesn't add up to me. Even for 4 people. It is not the $$$$. The drive time is just too short to make any flight worth it....

My $0.02 ... Well maybe $0.0000002 opinion.

Now a puddle jumper Las Vegas or Phoenix for people traveling further might be worth it.

 

[SJP]

I would think JSX would be the ticket out of SNA ACI FBO. They are already setup and a couple days a week I think there would be a market. Any of the 4 passenger config options are going to be really hard to turn any profit.

 

[Flying_Lavey]

I would think JSX would be the ticket out of SNA ACI FBO. They are already setup and a couple days a week I think there would be a market. Any of the 4 passenger config options are going to be really hard to turn any profit.

JSX has a terminal in Burbank also. For people north of LA, it would be a really easy location to fly out of.

 

[Racey]

I bet there’s an issue with people coming from so many different locations.

You don't think there is 100 people a weekend coming from Orange County thay would be willing to pay 150-300 each way?....

Those Embraers they fly hold about 20-25 passengers i think. They could easily operate a weekend schedule to Havasu i would think

 

[hallett21]

You don't think there is 100 people a weekend coming from Orange County thay would be willing to pay 150-300 each way?....

Those Embraers they fly hold about 20-25 passengers i think. They could easily operate a weekend schedule to Havasu i would think

I definitely think there are 100 people from Orange County. But then how many people from Los Angeles? Would it pencil to have two flights? I know that Mammoth struggled with the same thing.

 

[was thatguy]

$55.00 to fly there.
But I’d pay $75 to leave…

 

[Racey]

I definitely think there are 100 people from Orange County. But then how many people from Los Angeles? Would it pencil to have two flights? I know that Mammoth struggled with the same thing.

Who cares how many from LA if you can fill the plane at John Wayne...

 

[hallett21]

Who cares how many from LA if you can fill the plane at John Wayne...

Fair enough lol.

 

[hallett21]

$55.00 to fly there.
But I’d pay $75 to leave…

Well aren’t we a ray of sunshine today lol

 

[Bajastu]

My last company operated a Cessna 680 with two full time pilots and you would be frightened at the cost to operate it on this short route. It’s not cost effective to sell seats anywhere less than 1.5-2K per seat and you would need to fill the jet to make profit.

 

[hallett21]

My last company operated a Cessna 680 with two full time pilots and you would be frightened at the cost to operate it on this short route. It’s not cost effective to sell seats anywhere less than 1.5-2K per seat and you would need to fill the jet to make profit.

King air might be a better plane (cheaper to operate) if 8-9 passengers is the number.

 

[Bajastu]

King air might be a better plane (cheaper to operate) if 8-9 passengers is the number.

Yeah, the "Baller on a budget King Air" is definitely more cost effective to operate than a jet.

 

[RiverDave]

I have flown a king air to Orange County several times.. About 45’ish minutes from wheels up to touch down..

I would think on a budget a caravan or if you could fill them a sky courier?

 

[hallett21]

Yeah, the "Baller on a budget King Air" is definitely more cost effective to operate than a jet.

I think the “trick” would be to get a king air ER that held 15 people. The more people you could get in there the cheaper. And it’s only a 45-60 min flight so who cares?

 

[angiebaby]

$200 round trip on a semi-private comfortable flight? No TSA BS? 6-8 extra hours for your weekend vacation? Apparently, there are a lot of cheap-assed ballers around here.

 

[rivermobster]

How much to Parker?

 

[2Driver]

On my job interview at McCulloch in 1983 I took Havasu Airlines from Phx to Havasu. The pilot said would you like to sit in the right front seat? I thought it was the coolest thing ever, if I don’t get the job I’m still moving here.

I don’t think you could make the numbers work today

 

[Outdrive1]

From Parker? 20 bucks.

 

[JL95]

Someone fill me in on when the sub one hour flights are worth $7k? Wild as hell.

 

[HB2Havasu]

I'm surprised no airlines have offered a Puddle Jumper Flight from John Wayne to LHC. The amount of people driving to the river on summer weekends is staggering. If they offered a flight on Thursday Night and return Sunday Night I could justify the extra cost. The current GSA for mileage driving a car is .67 cents per mile. So the 300 miles each way from OC to LHC costs $200 ($400 round trip) to drive it on average. So it wouldn't be too hard to justify another $100 per person to fly and save 8 hours a weekend.

 

[RiverDave]

Short story: circa 2008 or so, myself and two buddies hopped in a Cessna 210 out of chino, flew into Parker. RD picked us up at the airport in his pimpy navigator, we stopped at circle K and bought a case of beer and bag of ice, walked through the pad in the keys and hopped on the Schiada on the dock. Hot lapped up to the dam, jumped in, lunch and big sticks at foxes for an afternoon of fuckery, back to the pad, back to the airport and home in SoCal for dinner, all in a day.

The pilot didn’t drink, but myself and our other pal were on the throttle, we grabbed some gallon jugs of water at circle K before we hit the airport, emptied the jugs on the ramp and had them ready as piss jugs for the ride home just in case

That’s pretty much how I grew up.. My old man had a rule that he would never live more than 7 miles from an airport..

When I was real young he had a T210 and we’d fly to the river just about every weekend. If we weren’t going to the river we’d be going somewhere in Baja.

He had an old Cadillac that he would leave at the airport he would use that to get us to the keys and launch the boat etc..

Later on in life he bought a P210 Riley rocket and that thing was a game changer.. quiet inside, faster, and way nicer inside.

I am always very appreciative that he worked his ass off to give us a great childhood and life.

I still remember getting up earlier than everyone else and flying to Vegas for breakfast and being back before anyone missed us..

Stacy asked me to get a pilots license awhile back and it’s something I’m strongly considering.. just have to find the time.

Possibly not in fact we are down at the post office right now getting the kids passports so we can start vacationing with the kids out of the country. A plane would help if we were doing the Mexico thing.
RD

 

[whiteworks]

That’s pretty much how I grew up.. My old man had a rule that he would never live more than 7 miles from an airport..

When I was real young he had a T210 and we’d fly to the river just about every weekend. If we weren’t going to the river we’d be going somewhere in Baja.

He had an old Cadillac that he would leave at the airport he would use that to get us to the keys and launch the boat etc..

Later on in life he bought a P210 Riley rocket and that thing was a game changer.. quiet inside, faster, and way nicer inside.

I am always very appreciative that he worked his ass off to give us a great childhood and life.

I still remember getting up earlier than everyone else and flying to Vegas for breakfast and being back before anyone missed us..

Stacy asked me to get a pilots license awhile back and it’s something I’m strongly considering.. just have to find the time.

Possibly not in fact we are down at the post office right now getting the kids passports so we can start vacationing with the kids out of the country. A plane would help if we were doing the Mexico thing.
RD

Those Riley rockets are badass, amazing what the need to get a heavier payload off the ground of short runways was able to help develop. The rest of that story is better told over beers in person than on a public forum I’m literally sitting where the original concept came to life as I’m typing this.

 

[Bobby V]

I'm surprised no airlines have offered a Puddle Jumper Flight from John Wayne to LHC. The amount of people driving to the river on summer weekends is staggering. If they offered a flight on Thursday Night and return Sunday Night I could justify the extra cost. The current GSA for mileage driving a car is .67 cents per mile. So the 300 miles each way from OC to LHC costs $200 ($400 round trip) to drive it on average. So it wouldn't be too hard to justify another $100 per person to fly and save 8 hours a weekend.

Back in the late 80's early 90's there was a direct flight from LAX to Havasu and a flight from John Wayne to Bullhead then to Havasu. Didn't last long.