Jet Cards

When I close my last RE deal in Naples maybe I will be buying a Jet Card. Just don't tell TF. Bean counter that he is will result in a tongue lashing.

 

I'm not knocking it, just recognizing it. Live it to the fullest while you can. I was never designed or built to make much money and I have had a good life starting out with nothing and I still have most of it. I wasn't born with goals and that was the problem. There was always something popping up to see or to try so I never stuck to anything important or very lucrative. I have had a barrel of fun, met some great people, tried a lot of things, been kept alive by some of the finest doctors, seen most of this great country, and had the goodest fortune to meet a most unusual girl, a widow with three little kids who tackled the worst job in the world when she decided to marry a divorced air show clown with 4 boys and a house that would have put the Aegean Stables on the luxury list. She managed to awaken some common sense in the our attempts to kill ourselves and the air shows ended on a good note for us. Shortly thereafter, four friends went west, putting a bad note and a period on it. In the 40's, North Carolina mountains saw me and my Harley many times in the fall when I was going to Duke. Some of them mountain people didn't cotton to them motorsickels and I saw a few shotguns at times. Beautiful country that produced good squeezins, though.

 

Ah, Naples. When I was working in the Everglades we went to Naples on several weekends . It was a small little town of maybe 1200 souls and a long fishing pier on which we spent a lot of time. One Saturday evening when we were on the pier I had to grab a tiny young lady that had hooked a big Tarpon that was trying to pull her off the pier. She would NOT let go of the pole because it would mean a prize in the derby that was going on. Naples was the start of the road across "Alligator Alley" , route 41, the Tamiami Trail, from Tampa to Miami. Our work camp was 15 miles east and 5 miles south of the trail in still wild Everglades. We could hear cougars, (panthers as the locals called them), and alligators every night. Water moccasins and ferrule hogs were the biggest danger as well as horse flies and bot flies during the day.

 

Quite a story you have!! My life would seem boring in comparison. Have you ever considered writing a book? Seems you have both the tales to tell and the ability to spin yarn.

 

a SECOND book?

 

I love Bob's recollections. A life well lived.

 

I don't know if this will work but I'm going to try it. It's an article that was recently published in the Boeing News.

 

Incredible! It does work. Thanks for sharing!

 

Apparently I am clueless. Guess Bob has many writings. I need to spend more time in AviatorChat.

 

Good. I'm glad that it worked because I can't get it to open, another app playing a game.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Crystal-Set-High-Speed-Jets/dp/1503105679/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=from+a+crystal+set+to+high+speed+jets&qid=1630797126&sr=8-1

 

AviatorChat and the Vintage car section are the only reasons I stick around Fchat. Lots of amazing knowledgeable members in them and always willing to share info and stories.

 

SC, none of us can be aware of everything and my book was not highly publicized, being a sort of self published writing through Amazon's "Square Space." They don't do much else but sell it on each request and take 75% of the sale and give me 25%. In their infinite business wisdom they do not give the author the benefit of getting copies at cost so he can offer signed copies. So, I have to pay full price and as much as I would like to offer autographed copies I can't. On the good side, I haven't seen any negative comments about the book. That's fine with me because I wrote it to give a look at what the country was like in years past and to share my experiences. I'm still trying to put some more observations in print but I get behind the power curve at times. Still trying to paint, too, but that is slow now. I'm trying to dispense all of my prints and originals left over from art festival days....basement prices on most of it. Christmas is coming, I think.
When some more of my ol' days recall drops by, I'll post it just for fun.

 

I just ordered your book. Naples way my home for 20 years. And heard many a story of the early years. But you were there when before the town was on any map.

I am looking forward to reading about your travels and travails. And a painter too? How can I see your work?

While I have great interest in so many things aviation related one regret is never becoming a pilot. Life got in the way for reasons I don’t need to explain. At 67 it’s a little late to start. Cars will have to do.

 

Thanks so much. As many do, I love cars , too. My doctor brother regretted that he didn't learn to fly but he did far more important things when he was alive. Cars are as important as the airplane stuff because they are as much of an expression of life as everything else. I have a website....www.parkzart.com if you want to see some of my scratchings. When I was at Naples the glades were unoccupied by humans but now I can see that the area that we were in is inhabited and developed. I can't accurately determine where we were but it has to be just north of the Ten Thousand Island area east of Naples. Sketches of our camp are in my book.

 

Same here Steve. I had a golden opportunity one summer while interning at IBM, but got distracted by a girl. She was temporary, the training and license would have been forever. And now compensating through exotics.

We’ll see you and Rob soon!

William

 

Thanks for the heads-up. It'll give me time to practice making that X again. Thanks very much. Hope that you enjoy it.

 

They are also associated with VistaJet if I recall. They are at the top of my list as well.

 

You should look into Jet Access. FlyJa.com
They’re the ONLY National scale aviation enterprise that is in every vertical (pt 135, pt 91 mgmt, Flight Training, MRO, international brokerage, FBO ownership/mgmt, etc). They’re fully transparent and pass savings off to the customer. They have an awesome Wing Share program on the pt 135 between 6 owners and the buy-in is refundable once you’re done, so it’s a lot like Jet Card and it’s a set price per hour and if there’s a budget surplus you get reimbursed for it. They’re a top 10 operator in the world based on flight hours and something like 1 of 2 operators with the most safety ratings.

The aviation industry is full of shady smoke and mirrors operators. I’ve run into many…. Under-qualified cheap pilots so the operator pockets the surplus budget, fuel budget and maintenance surplus is pocketed by the operator, huge brokerage fees, illegal charter/fractional ownership program on pt 91, etc. The FAA is really cracking down on those programs and they actually fine owners too, so make sure you’re with a legit company. Usually a pt 135 certificate is your first indicator of being legit.

PM me if you want more details. It’s worth at least investigating.


Thank you for helping make Ferrari ownership affordable! FChat community is great.

 

See my above comment


Thank you for helping make Ferrari ownership affordable! FChat community is great.

 

Bob, are your paintings available through a gallery or something?