illmatix

business aviation autist | full time private jet charter. occasional stream of consciousness.

[illmatix @illmatix3]

@MalachiONeill @Mkatultra_art Whatcha mean?

[illmatix @illmatix3]

Jet charter broker spectrum:

New broker
-always on IG posting ramp photos
-promises super exclusive access
-flashy website
-AI generated prompts, “seamless” appears frequently
-CC can’t hold a $20k booking
-massive blasts on Avinode, airmail and FlyEasy
-64 phone calls, 102 emails for any trip request
-loses trip

Broker w/ decade experience and +100Ms in rev
-hardly an online presence
-makes 1 phone call
“I need this at XYX price, can you get there? Ok great, send the contract.”
-goes back to the beach

Experience matters. Relationships matter.

[illmatix @illmatix3]

@airline_king we all are. welcome aboard

[illmatix @illmatix3]

@happytrader69 @goteamgoodwin I see your point. I think they are a good niche fit for the 1-2M type guys that want to offload the majority of headache

[illmatix @illmatix3]

business aviation is a graveyard.

Every idea has either been thought of, or tried and failed. You don’t just vibe code your way in and expect to turn a profit.

@goteamgoodwin is the only thing I’ve seen that has warranted any amount of attention from an outsider in the past 4 years.

[Chris Koerner @mhp_guy]

Great, now I want to start an airline.

Is this biz viable? No idea, but finding customers would be the easy part.

I'd go to JFK and/or La Guardia every day & buy any refundable or cheap flight, just to get me through security.

I'd bring a suitcase full of marketing materials.

I'd then go to the gates with the flights leaving for London & shamelessly sell my service to everyone waiting to board.

If you do that long enough you'll have enough reoccurring customers to build a business with 8 figures of profit.

On paper, that is. Everything looks better in a spreadsheet. I have done 0 research.

[illmatix @illmatix3]

@OrganicGroup @mhp_guy @sydor_greg @preston_holland when only 4 seats sell and flight pushes to the following week.

[illmatix @illmatix3]

@spencertbarber 1) top right
2) bottom right
3) bottom left
4) top left

[illmatix @illmatix3]

@ErikKaiser lol we don’t like the Honda either.

[illmatix @illmatix3]

The Vision Jet charter model has been discussed here many times over so I’m probably mulching over the same dialogue here.

While aesthetically pleasing and operationally inexpensive for short hops with 2 or less ppl, it continues to be persistently avoided among charter customers, based off my own observations. Time and again I’m seeing charter clients pay extra to ‘upgrade’ into other VLJs - Phenom 100, CJ1+, M2, Honda Jet (ew) etc.

Often times a request will specifically mention ‘no Vision Jets pls’.

It’s a tough sell and at this point it’s going to fall off my roster entirely unless specifically requested.

[illmatix @illmatix3]

@manolis_312 Bryce Angell

[illmatix @illmatix3]

@preston_holland Cabin attendant too!

[illmatix @illmatix3]

@danielcberk 🤣

[illmatix @illmatix3]

@PumpJaque that’s the pipeline. we just did the same

[illmatix @illmatix3]

@JonsGotJets Couple celebs started doing it 2-3 years back. Trend caught on. Performative in nature.

Wired up top, but will keep the phone centimeters from your balls at all times.

[illmatix @illmatix3]

@josephfkrause correct. nice little family plane for the ball game or Disney trip.

[illmatix @illmatix3]

@octal This is an easy solution that certainly doesn’t entail a 500 hour card, or any card at all.

[illmatix @illmatix3]

@FrankJLeyva Size, lack of true partitioned cabin, proximity to pilot(s).

[illmatix @illmatix3]

@_baconbackup @preston_holland 575 +/-

[illmatix @illmatix3]

@airline_king Sun country charter team is a pleasure to work with as well. They do a great job

[illmatix @illmatix3]

I did a multi-leg trip (4 legs) intra-Norway about 4 months ago in the dead of winter. De-ice was taken on every leg - had to have been at least $25k USD worth.

This cost would be contractually passed through to the client however I still have yet to receive a bill from the operator…and I’m certainly not pressing for it.

Am I good or about to get cooked

🤞