Here’s an idea I’d like to discuss, probably in a dedicated thread :
GA Tech Support !
I’ve been throwing around the idea of setting-up a business somewhat along the lines of a Tech Support Hot-line for GA owners & pilots.
The idea is simple: provide real-time technical support via e-mail, messaging and telephone on either a pay-per-call or subscription scheme. The services would include AOG support and guidance as well as advice on more general subjects such as dealing with shops and maintenance decisions .
IMHO, the challenges are promoting the service to get sufficient volume and finding a payment scheme that makes it attractive enough to use whilst being financially viable as a business.
What you guys think ?
Any ideas ?
Just telephone and e-mail, without the possibility of actually seeing and working on the airplane would make it a pure “consulting” thing, and that does already exist with Savvy.
Michael wrote:
Here’s an idea I’d like to discuss, probably in a dedicated thread :GA Tech Support !
On the PA-46 the owner’s association pays some A&Ps to be available on a hotline for members. I don’t think it is much but it also acts as a form of advertising for the shops involved. There is no cost for calling them. Bosco is right. Your plan sounds like Savvy. I don’t think it will be easy unless you have the profile of Mike Busch.
Yep, same as Savvy, just over here.
Any European based Savvy clients ? Do they respond during European hours ?
AFAIK, yes on all accounts.
I know of one SR22 owner who uses Savvy (actually he said his Cirrus dealer is happy to work with Savvy) but he has not been here for a long time.
I think the market for that type of service is excessively constrained, to
In the USA, #1 is sorted and you have a huge population of people who use a plane for utility so there will be a lot of #2 and by implication a lot of #3 (because if you want a plane with low downtime, and you are technically clueless, you better not be broke as well – unless you are in a syndicate where somebody else is doing all the maintenance). In Europe you get a % of #1, a % of #2, a small % of #3, and IME #4 will be very hard work, notwithstanding Achim’s report of his very co-operative shop (but I don’t think Achim is a typical aircraft owner, in several ways).
