And wait a bit more !

Will this coming week be THE week?

We know how the little child in the back of the car feels - ''Are we nearly there yet??''

Trying to  coincide  the imminent AOC licence date with  contracting/revenue service flying is like trying to  hit a moving target whilst blindfolded and running through treacle.

The man from  the ministry  is with us next week  for what is hopefully  the final  'checks and balances' 3 days with the last task being the proving flight planned for  the final day.

Celloland commercial life carries on forward  with approval received as preferred supplier for the London 2012 Olympics.  Theres nothing like planning ahead, given the  situation  where 2 of the Olympic teams are  based in the Birmingham area during the event  and the football program is taking place across the UK.

Waiting----just waiting. Roll on next week .

W: http://www.flycello.com/
B: http://celloaviation.blogspot.com/
E: charters@flycello.com
T  UK(0)121 507 8700

Hurry up and wait!

Never has a short 2  week period  felt more  like 6 months confinement  as we wait  for the one final piece of paper providing licence to operate.

The CAA surveyor  inspection  of the aircraft  has been completed satisfactorily and the paperwork to   support that is on its way to us.
Every one is ready. All the crew training has been completed. We've established lines of communication  with brokers  and sports team travel agents in the UK and around Europe.
The broker day visits are complete and the aircraft is polished,serviceable and ready.
Quotation software is tested, live, the contracts are ready for  mailing and the Bank accounts are ready.
The website has been updated with that Cello touch  after an aircraft photo shoot last week and Flycello's  facebook  and twitter sites seem to have found a large following too.


The aircraft's  even slipped onto  you tube  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-DECE8uDB0

Hurry up and Wait!

W: http://www.flycello.com/
B:  celloaviation.blogspot.com
E: charters@flycello.com
T: UK(0) 121 507 8700

Are we there yet??

Weekend of the 29th/30th saw  the aircraft  operate 10 pre-service entry sectors in line with the  CAA approvals process . Seen here taxiing for departure to  Liverpool, many  of the UK's northern airports  were visited.
Each flight  was treated  as   a 'commercial  flight' for the purposes of testing the processes,systems and on board product delivery

This view will become a familiar sight at Birmingham(and many other European Airports) over the next  months

The man from  the ministry arrived for 3 days to discuss the  manuals and processes   inspections-a few amendments identified to be achieved. The operators certificate within touching distance, and achieved  within a timescale significantly less than any  previous AOC grant.

Pushback tractor, even the GPU  have been given a makeover.

Just in case anyone has forgotten the name of the airline!

Follow the airline from  this week on  Facebook  and Twitter (Flycello)

W: http://www.flycello.com/

B: http//celloaviation.blogspot.com

T UK (0) 121 507 8700

E: charters@flycello.com

Brokers, guests and press

Another non standard week in Celloland. After a couple of  training visits by the aircraft,  G-RAJJ finally arrives  to be based at  Birmingham.   Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are given over to  broker and guest days, with many invited guests reviewing the product.

Scrubbed up  and  ready for the guest arrivals-That's the staff and the aircraft  !

A hectic 3 days  with the aircraft populated by football clubs,  air charter brokers, sports team travel agents, product launch organisers and then ''the meeja.''

We get to  show off the  aircraft  and the on board product.

New hand held inflight entertainment  system with its integral iPOD/iPHONE docking station gets the thumbs up from  the customers and the brokers. Customers have the choice of watching their own iPOD loaded films or choosing from  system preloaded films or games. Product launch customers  can provide DVD based messages and films to  be viewed  enroute to  product viewings. 

Management staff  from  Birmingham Airport, its security staff  and the tower and radar  Air traffic Controllers at Birmingham get the walk around Friday afternoon. It's great to  see such interest in this operation.  

A little liquid refreshment for some of the attending visitors.

Not a bad bunch of people !!

Mystic Meg  tells us that 7th June is an important date

It's not all designer passenger terminals and 10,000 foot runways

The beginning of the week brought some interesting requests for quotation. The  a.p.u and integral airstairs on  the ABJ  provide a high level of self sufficiency. Coupling this with a good short field performance  gives this aircraft type advantage  at the more remote regional airfields. Which is just aswell . Of the many requests for quotation  a couple already have requested  some of the remote European airfields with limited  support facilities- ideal for the ABJ.  It  looks like  the man with the key to the front gate will be providing the security checks, escorting the passengers to the aircraft, providing the re-fuelling and filing the flight plan in some instances! But if it's licensed  and can provide category 6 fire cover- we can go  there. It may save the customer  considerable ground transportation time to  actual destination compared with  the use of more distant but larger airfields.

A quick look at the Jeppesen airfield plates and the aircraft performance  charts will determine any payload / range restrictions.

Meanwhile the 'normal' charter requests for premiership sports teams closed season movements, entertainment industry tours  and car product launches continue to arrive.

G-RAJJ  will be visiting  other Uk midlands and northern airfields over the next few days  as it completes its  CAA required 10 sector proving flights 

So which lucky 3 will crew the first revenue flight?

http://www.flycello.com/

http://celloaviation.blogspot.com/

charters@flycello.com

Back in Birmingham

Things get  back  to normal  in the office after  a very successful week in Geneva - that is if anything at a start up carrier like Cello is normal!

The flight deck crew have one final slot in the sim next week to  complete the London City approvals, followed by 10 proving flights over 2 days in G-RAJJ

Considering the  airline was a complete unknown in the VIP air charter market 8 weeks ago, its gratifying to  see such a large number of  brokers and customers placing their faith  in this new product.
Since EBACE we 've been receiving  up to  10 requests a day  from UK and European brokers supporting  a wide range of customer types.

A new member of the marketing team, Vince Essex joins us as the business workload  increases to help with broker liaison.

We get the aircraft  for charter broker days on 26/27/28 May  at Birmingham, where we are scheduling group broker visits and separately, individual brokers with their guest customers . Email invitations are sent today, but there already seems to  be an overflow of demand and so the commercial team has  additionally reserved the aircraft  3 and 4 June against additional broker visit requests.
Any brokers who  have 'slipped through the net' are welcome to contact us at vince.essex@flycello.com  to  receive a broker day invitation.

http://www.flycello.com/
http//celloaviation.blogpsot.com
charters@flycello.com
UK(0) 121 507 8700

That's it -a successful EBACE is over

No rain , no wind  and the blue sky sees a rush of  visitors  from  the exhibition halls to  the aircraft static park .
Thursday proved to  be the busiest of the 3 days for the Cello staff  with the British and European  air charter brokers continuing to  not only visit the aircraft, but also  leave charter requests for quotation. One of the visiting UK brokers gets to  make the Business aviation press with a photo call in front  of  the Cello Aircraft.
The final count has yet to be done but early estimates are up to  200 air charter broker visits.
The 'competition'  are in attendence again - well it's a product different in quality from  anything else in the market  

More visitors from  the Middle East meet with BAe staff - the aircraft type already a success with the region's Presidential and Royal flightsin VVIP layout.

Same aircraft -different customers.  The smell of new leather ( and the occassional offer of something a little alcoholic) seems to  leave the visitors with that feeling of wellbeing!

And its all over . The doors are closed and the staff finally get 5 minutes to  relax before  prep'ing the aircraft  for a 1820 local  slot departure from  Geneva back to  the UK .

It's back to  Birmingham for the crew and staff while the aircraft  gets another 10 days in Southend  with the final shake down on the interior. The visitors don't see them - but the staff have a list of minor cabin cosmetic snags for remedial attention .

Attention to  detail  is what Cello Aviation is all about.

So back to the office to plan for UK broker days and broker guest days in Birmingham between 20 and 30 May

And its not just about the large air transports

What  an elegant 4 place interior  for this Embraer Phenom on the adjacent stand

  

What a great industry this is !!!