I use Online GAR every time.
For me it just does what I want, simple easy to use, a great interface for a change and it works. More to the point I think the price point is spot on. I wouldnt want to pay more, but I am very happy to pay the price, so it must be right.
You have my 100% support for a job well done, and I hope you continue to offer the product for as long as we have to put up with the Government’s requirments without their providing an effective way of our doing so, other than at our own cost.
No whining from me, and enjoy every good dinner that results.
Carl I use it and I think it works well. But I would drop the price and go for volume. If you stopped trying to make jets and twins pay much more you would get many more users. And re sky demon etc, you can’t be charging enough.
The problem is – we have a small handful of top customers who are all jets/turboprops, paying current prices, that are propping up the entire financial model. A price slash would see a direct reduction of income from these 8, and i very much doubt the volume would come flooding in to replace it. The top few provide more income than the rest of the entire customer base.
For the SkyDemon, my contract with them prevents me discussing the commercial terms. However, what I will say is that their users represent a very small fraction of users that would otherwise pay anyway – i.e. absolutely no IFR, commercial, turbine or jet traffic. I have no desire to negotiate larger amounts from SkyDemon, and i feel a loyalty to them that they were there right at the start, supporting us to get going. No other partners dived in to the same extent.
The problem really is the failure of common sense in the Border Force. We have a working system, are prepared to do a deal that’s inexpensive (definitely cheaper than developing their own!) yet we were not even invited in for a discussion with them. We have a great working relationship with some of their team, but the decision was made above their heads.
Meanwhile, in other news last week, you may or may not be aware that AOPA made the decision to stop sponsoring a free site for all. Instead they wish to focus on AOPA members only. The good news for AOPA members is that it now includes twins and helicopters for free.
carlmeek wrote:
We actually have not monopolised it – there are still plenty of other routes of filing GAR forms.
I wrote that you have monopolized the transaction based interface and I think that is a correct statement. For some reason, the Crown gave you special access that nobody else got. That ain’t right.
Timothy wrote:
I have never looked into yours. Is it chargeable?
autorouter has full support for UK GARs and it’s free. It uses the traditional NCU route, i.e. not the transaction based interface that Carl uses which gives you a confirmation number. However, after thousands of GARs, we only have positive experience. It works reliably, there were only two cases where the local authorities objected to a landing claiming no GAR was filed but in both cases it turned out to be an internal communication problem that was resolved quickly. We deliver directly to NCU’s mail server and get a transaction number there. Sometimes NCU respond to GARs with questions. They also get a tracking link and updates when plans are delayed/brought forward or cancelled.
JasonC wrote:
But I would drop the price and go for volume.
Looking at Carl’s number, he pretty much got volume. There is a finite number of private pilots flying in and out of the UK. Companies like Signature probably make more money on GARs than Carl while they send emails to NCU as well but charge their customer nice fees.
Carl, the addressable market is far larger than 8 so if that is really true you have a positioning problem or a marketing problem. Probably both.
carlmeek wrote:
Meanwhile, in other news last week, you may or may not be aware that AOPA made the decision to stop sponsoring a free site for all. Instead they wish to focus on AOPA members only. The good news for AOPA members is that it now includes twins and helicopters for free.
AOPA is a complete waste of space. Unfortunately it is an organisation gradually failing. I would leave them to it.
For my education how does it work if you file the GAR via Rocketrote?
LFHNflightstudent wrote:
For my education how does it work if you file the GAR via Rocketrote?
What do you mean how does it work? It works fine. As does autorouter and OnlineGAR.
I think what has limited the market for Carl’s GAR system are several things:
Has AOPA UK now limited their free gateway to UK AOPA members? I think I used it once or twice, years ago, but now there seems no point.
Carl’s user interface is great for serious users because it is a nice interface where you can easily set up and drop in details of regular passengers, and this is specially appreciated by busy bizjet pilots and others in similar situations, and it is securely implemented and hosted so you can trust the information is not likely to get raided one day. Anyone who manages to hack a GAR database will be able to empty a lot of peoples’ bank accounts – the passport details alone are sufficient to create an ID, as some I know have found out…
Unfortunately I tick all four boxes above… I keep all past GARs as Word docs, as securely as any computer I own is secure, and just edit a previous one with the same people on it, print the 1st page to a PDF and email it. If a system is simple and works for me…
I think the question of LFHNflightstudent is how does RR file GARs ? Via a proprietary way like Autorouter or via OnlineGAR ?
I would like to know too.
Carl, I used OnlineGAR via SD to go to the Scillies in August and it was just amazing ! What I thought long and difficult took me 3 minutes. I would be ready to pay a bit more for SD to make your project profitable.
Carry on because most gouvernement IT projects fail (ask the French soldiers who are not paid for months and years) so your solution may continue to be used !
