Gareth Seagull | International Aviation HQ

Why Have They Stopped Production of The Quadjet?

18May

By Gareth SeagullNo Comments

History

Why Have They Stopped Production of The Quadjet?

During the Golden Age of Aviation, four-engine aircraft, otherwise known as quadjets, were all the rage. They scattered airfields both civil and military the world over. No one could seem to get enough of them. Quadjets like the Boeing 747, Airbus A380, de Havilland Comet and Concorde became emblematic of the aviation industry as a whole and among the most produced airliners of their day. Yet today, most aircraft manufacturers are ending production of what few quadjets remain in production. But why? Though the COVID-19 pandemic hastened many manufacturers' decision to end production of quadjets, other factors such as the extension of ETOPS regulations, their comparatively higher cost and a change in how we fly all contributed to the downfall of the mighty quadjet. Although ...

4May

By Gareth SeagullNo Comments

Aircraft Digest

Cheapest Planes to Buy And Operate!

To most, the owning your own aircraft is something reserved only for the richest of the rich and your wildest dreams. But this is not always the case, some planes are considerably cheaper than others. So what are the cheapest planes to both buy and fly? As you probably guessed, going down the route of buying on price means you will have to forgo brand new planes in favor of used models, which are typically quite old but nonetheless still as good as they day they rolled off the factory floor. For the purposes of this article, we will look at the two cheapest aircraft in all categories of aircraft you might find in the ownership of a typical pilot. Ultralight 1100R Mini-Max - $10,000 Airbike LS - $11,000 Single Engine Piston Cessna 150 - $25,000 The fifth m...

23Apr

By Gareth SeagullNo Comments

Analysis

Is Aviation a Good Investment?

An industry worth a staggering $3.5 trillion globally, aviation is arguably one of the most lucrative industries to be in after ones like tech, healthcare and financial services yet so many aviation companies go out of business each year. But it's not just the small ones with limited financial resources that go bust; each year we see headlines with a major international airline declaring bankruptcy or entering bankruptcy protection, whilst others report record profits. So all this begs the question: Is aviation a good investment? All in all, assuming you have the knowledge in your particular sub-niche of aviation, and the financial resources to make it successful, aviation is a good investment. The things that sink a company quickly is bad management and a lack of money. ...

How Jettly Has Transformed Private Jet Charter

12Mar

By Gareth SeagullNo Comments

Executive, Aircraft Digest

How Jettly Has Transformed Private Jet Charter

The private jet charter industry is the last part of the aviation industry to not be truly digitized. Expedia-style flight aggregator Jettly hopes to be the company to truly bring the industry into the digital age. Through its user friendly website and app, Jettly allow customers to input their destinations and see quotes in real time, before a service representative reaches out to them to confirm the exact pricing based on their needs. Jettly's hope is that their site will circumvent the need for brokers whose large fees have deterred many from flying private before. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); A Problem Before the rise of the internet, you had two options when chartering a private jet, both of which had their drawbacks. The firs...

Remembering Hughes Airwest: Howard Hughes’ Other Airline

29Jan

By Gareth SeagullNo Comments

Airlines

Remembering Hughes Airwest: Howard Hughes’ Other Airline

Though best known for being the brains behind the Hughes Aircraft Company or his holdings in TWA, Howard Hughes had another airline: Hughes Airwest, a wholly different airline to that of TWA. Where TWA had been a legacy carrier, Hughes Airwest (originally founded as simply Air West) was one of the original low cost carriers. Its slogan of "Top Banana in the West" and brightly colored yellow aircraft were instantly recognizable wherever they went and helped it become a seventies icon! In part due to this, the airline was acquired by the then new Republic Airlines in October 1980, who themselves were acquired by Northwest Airlines in 1986, who in turn merged with Delta in 2010, keeping the Delta name. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Background ...

How Richard Santulli Became The Father of Fractional Ownership

26Jan

By Gareth SeagullNo Comments

Executive

How Richard Santulli Became The Father of Fractional Ownership

Though not as famous, Richard Santulli is up there with the likes of the Wright Brothers and Igor Sikorsky for his contribution to aviation field. But unlike them, Richard didn't make aircraft, he pioneered a new use for them. As the driving force behind NetJets, a company he founded and led for a quarter of a century, Richard created not only the notion of fractional jet ownership but also proved it could be successful - even when everyone else said it couldn't be done... (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Early Life Richard T. Santulli was born on August 14 1944 in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, New York. The son of a civil servant, Richard developed a passion for horses at an early age, eventually learning to ride and spent his teenage years riding i...

How Robert Six Revolutionized Air Travel!

19Jan

By Gareth SeagullNo Comments

History

How Robert Six Revolutionized Air Travel!

Though the name Robert Six has largely been forgotten to history, the airline he forged has not. The man behind Continental Airlines for the best part of four decades, Robert Six turned a shoestring, three-route airline into a global empire with nothing more than sheer will and determination. A contemporary of the likes of Eastern's Eddie Rickenbacker, Pan Am's Juan Trippe and TWA's Jack Frye, Robert was instrumental in helping bring flying to the masses and put Continental at the forefront of that trend... (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Early Life Robert Forman Six was born on June 25 1907 in Stockton, San Joaquin County, California. The only child of Dr Clarence Logan Six MD, a well respected local plastic surgeon, and his wife Genevieve, R...

8Jan

By Gareth SeagullNo Comments

Opinion

Is Private Jet Charter Worth it?

What is Private Jet Charter? Pros Luxury & Comfort Privacy Convenience Cons Expensive Planning Conclusion

Top 15 Most Expensive Airlines to Book Your Next Trip With!

25Dec

By Gareth SeagullNo Comments

Airlines

Top 15 Most Expensive Airlines to Book Your Next Trip With!

15. United Airlines 14. Japan Airlines 13. Air France 12. British Airways 11. Oman Air 10. Delta Airlines 9. Swiss International Airways 8. All Nippon Airways (ANA) 7. Cathay Pacific 6. Korean Air 5. Qatar Airways 4. Singapore Airlines 3. Emirates 2. Etihad 1. Lufthansa What do you think of the most expensive airlines? Have you ever flown on any of them? Tell me in the comments! Featured image courtesy of Mark Harkin via Flickr.

13Oct

By Gareth SeagullNo Comments

Aircraft Digest

How The Ilyushin Il-14 Became Russia’s Longest Serving Airliner!

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Background In April 1936, the Soviet Government placed an order with Douglas for 18 DC-3s on behalf of Aeroflot. By the end of the year, a further 21 had been ordered, prompting the Soviet government to acquire a license to produce the DC-3 in the Soviet Union. Built by a team under the direction of Soviet engineer Boris Lisunov, this Soviet DC-3 was known as the Lisunov Li-2. A workhorse just like the DC-3, the Soviets built over 6,000 Li-2s between 1939 and 1952. Though the primary aircraft used by Aeroflot during the 1940's, the Li-2 had become outdated by the mid-to-late 1940's, prompting Soviet aircraft manufacturer Ilyushin to design a brand new airliner to replace it. Known as the Ilyushin Il-1...