HRH Crown Prince Will Fly Another Special Charity Flight Today

[Jai Dee]

HRH Crown Prince will fly another special charity flight today, from Chiang Mai to BKK

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince yesterday flew as the first pilot on a special charity flight from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, and will again pilot the Boeing 737 today on a return trip to Bangkok.

His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn yesterday piloted a Thai Airways Boeing 737-400 to a liftoff from Suvarnabhumi airport at 4:20 PM, on a trip to the northern province of Chiang Mai. Tickets for this special fund-raising trip cost one million baht per seat, and the proceeds will go to procurement of medical equipment for hospitals in the three southern border provinces of Thailand.

Among the distinguished passengers onboard yesterday included Her Royal Highness Princess Srirasm, Her Royal Highness Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana, and His Royal Highness Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti. Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont, the Cabinet ministers, private sector executives, and former deputy prime minister Suwat Liptapanlop were also aboard this charitable flight.

After the flight, HRH the Crown Prince allowed for photographs with the passengers and the flight crews.

Capt. Assadawut Watthanangkoon, the second pilot for the flight, said it was an honor of a lifetime to receive the opportunity to fly with His Royal Highness. He said the weather was fair and the flight went smoothly. He disclosed that the Crown Prince had as much as 1,800 flight hours on Boeing 734-400s, and the place was also similar to his own royal aircraft. The crown prince had been training for two to three hours a day and had been preparing for as long as a year, after Thai Airways humbly asked His Royal Highness to take part in flying for the company.

The flight yesterday generated 80 million baht. Another such flight will make way from Chiang Mai airport at 3.30 pm today towards Suvarnabhumi airport.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 06 January 2007

[astral]

Good for him.

Is there any indication of how the money will be used?

[isaanbrit]

So, the tickets cost 1 mil per seat, there were 118 passengers, and yet they only made 80 million ????

Which of these incredibly rich people got the free tickets on this charity flight :-)

[Florin]

Well, I believe an airplane doesn't run on charity, so at least some of that money must have gone towards jet fuel, airport taxes, maintenance, food, etc. Also, there must have been kids on the plane, maybe they got a discount or smthn...

[isaanbrit]

Good point, didn't think of that -

Still, 38 million is quite a lot of costs :-)

[Diablo Bob]

Good point, didn't think of that -

Still, 38 million is quite a lot of costs :-)

Let me add a few items in addition to fuel.

Maintenance, mandatory inspections, mandatory replacement of powerplants (engines), insurance.

To put it into perspective on an aircraft that I am familiar with, a Cessna 421, twin engine 8 passenger.

Each engine is good for around 1800 hrs of operation before a major overhaul or factory reman, each engine cost $48,000.

The last 100 hour inspection cost around $20,000 with items to be replaced.

The last annual (yearly) inspection was a cheapy, only $7000.

Fuel costs, aircraft replacement and engine replacement works out to $220/hr of operation insurance runs around $15000/yr.

I am not familiar with the requirement for jet aircraft, the above is piston powered/turbo. The aircraft was used in a corporate setting so the 100 hour inspections were required every 2-3 months.

But yes, I can see 38 million baht in expenses on a 737-400....

[Mid]

But yes, I can see 38 million baht in expenses on a 737-400....

so how do commercial airlines make a profit ..................

[taxout]

One-way fare's about 3000 baht, so a fully-loaded plane would generate some 354,000 baht in revenue on this flight in normal service, or about 708,000 baht round-trip.

[Florin]

Passenger planes carry cargo, too...that's also revenue.

[Diablo Bob]

As I indicated, I am not familiar with the requirements for Jet aircraft.

But from a corporate buyer/users perspective the parameters basically are as follows:

Cost of the loan based upon hours to overhaul, in the case of a 421 it would be whatever you paid for the aircraft divided by 1800. The airframe itself is pretty much a constant (Year, hours, condition). When we reach "0" time, we sell the aircraft, since we are buying used not new.

Knowing that they charge around $75/one way would seem to indicate to me that the loans are long term (20-30yrs). The unkwown becomes the load factor, the trip in particular had 100 or so passengers, how many seats are on the airplane. The cost per seat remains constant regardless if it is paid for or not.

Another big unknown is the insurance, even though the Crown Prince has umteen hours on 737-400s, is he a licensed commercial pilot rated in a 737-400, the arcticle doesn't say? He is the Crown Prince (Yes, his life is more valuable than ours and the flip side is the exposure is riskier for the insurer), what is the going rate to insure a Crown Prince? What is the going rate to let an unrated (don't confuse rating with experience) person fly an aircraft probably worth around 50 million dollars?

But with all of the above, probably the single biggest cost is rotation. This aircraft was most likely pulled out of rotation on scheduled runs which maximizes the passengers/day. Pulling an aircraft out of rotation minimizes the earning potential of the aircraft on that day(s). They flew up one day and would fly back another day, how many potential trips were lost, thus lost revenue, all this is part of the 38 million.

[Diablo Bob]

Spent a few hours last night looking up a few things about charter rates, aircraft rates and insurance costs.

Charter rates didn't work out they only quote by the charter.

Aircraft costs, well I found a 747-200 Cargo version for 5 million, but the going rate for a Lear was around 17 million. The 737-400s wanted you to contact the seller.

Now on insurance, I did find an arcticle from around 20 years ago where John Travolta had to pay $40,000 per flight for his insurance binder. Now this was just John flying. Can you imagine what they would charge today for a Crown Prince and 100+ of the wealthiest people in Thailand?

Regardless, upon reflection, 38 million is starting to sound a little high, even with the other factors.

[Mid]

Regardless, upon reflection, 38 million is starting to sound a little high, even with the other factors.

###### right .... it's a mill $US

[bkkandrew]

Is it just me, or does the whole exercise smack of a sycophantic load of twaddle? 100+ people with more money than sense going on a pointless, global warming trip,

//section deleted//

with nothing better to do with his time?

Or am I being harsh?

Edited by Astral

[Dupont]

Think we should be reading between the lines more on articles like this!

[ColPyat]

Is it just me, or does the whole exercise smack of a sycophantic load of twaddle? 100+ people with more money than sense going on a pointless, global warming trip,

//section deleted//

with nothing better to do with his time?

Or am I being harsh?

No, just a bit, hmm... "naive"...

[TAWP]

Try to avoid start arguing over any member of the TRF since we cannot do so, neither legally nor according to the forum-rules. Best to leave it as such.

[astral]

Keep the comments within the Forum Rules, please.

[sriracha john]

the proceeds will go to procurement of medical equipment for hospitals in the three southern border provinces of Thailand.

an extremely worthwhile charitable event, IMHO.

[old wanderer]

Let me offer some of you the BIG picture.

Life and success is done my contacts, and if I was trying to build a large company in Thailand, I would have been on that flight if possible.

It called NETWORKING...

I am sure that million baht would be paid back many times over.

Besides the money was for a good cause....

Don't think Thai Airways charged much for the flight it was also a donation, but again the returns are huge. If you remember HRH the Prince was invited to do this.

Since I am on verge of being retired, all the above is but intresting stuff to be observed.

As for:

Is it just me, or does the whole exercise smack of a sycophantic load of twaddle? 100+ people with more money than sense going on a pointless, global warming trip,

//section deleted//

with nothing better to do with his time? mad.gif

Or am I being harsh? whistling.gif

Edited by Astral

Yep classic class envy.

When I was in my 20's I started a company that was super successful, at 27 I bought a 73' world class racing yacht. One day I was recoving from an all night party in Tahiti by laying on the teak decks, when some <deleted> comes along the quay asking "who owns this yacht?" When I replied I did, the reply was, "Well you don't sail her by your self!".

So my answer to your question about being harsh.....YEP it's not you money, and not your business, and you are not it a heigharchy postion to make judgements on those above you.

[bkkandrew]

Is it just me, or does the whole exercise smack of a sycophantic load of twaddle? 100+ people with more money than sense going on a pointless, global warming trip,

//section deleted//

with nothing better to do with his time?

Or am I being harsh?

No, just a bit, hmm... "naive"...

In which way?

[ColPyat]

Is it just me, or does the whole exercise smack of a sycophantic load of twaddle? 100+ people with more money than sense going on a pointless, global warming trip,

//section deleted//

with nothing better to do with his time?

Or am I being harsh?

No, just a bit, hmm... "naive"...

In which way?

In the way that you have missed that there are certain laws in Thailand that do not allow you to negatively, sarcastically or in any way that might be deemed critically confer in public to the Thai royal family and its members. You must know that they are all highly talented.

Secondly, yes, it's networking. Somewhat similar like - as a practical example so you might understand the situation better - if you want to be one day moved up the career ladder from trolley boy to shelf stacker, you gotta be seen with the other shelf stackers in order be noticed.

[drummer]

you are not it a heigharchy postion to make judgements on those above you.

WHA? This first part of your post was pretty good, but then you follow up with this aristocratic BS? Ahhh, well, we all know people in all wakls of life who like choose certain aspects of their own situation, and hold them to be the most important thing ever, simply because they look good when viewed in that light.

I don't mean to be too harsh - I'm certin you are a nice guy and all, and its great that you made a lot of money, but that doesn't mean that other people can't have opinions ... even bad ones!

[ColPyat]

WHA? This first part of your post was pretty good, but then you follow up with this aristocratic BS?

That was actually more nouveaux riche BS rather than aristocratic BS.

[astral]

I think it is called circuit and bumps,

but you are supposed to touch down briefly on each approach.

[Jet Gorgon]

True, Astral, true, but then the local airport would have to close for the unscheduled touchdowns.

[Tony Clifton]

special charity flight

A gesture that will be much appreciated by Southerners, instead of having zillions of useless origami paper birds dropped over their heads.

[drummer]

WHA? This first part of your post was pretty good, but then you follow up with this aristocratic BS?

That was actually more nouveaux riche BS rather than aristocratic BS.

Point taken. I've more than a few friends who would take his 'new money' and shove it... so to speak. Again my point that people like to take their own qualities and hold them up as a measure of what a person should be.... C'est la vie....

[lopburi3]

We continue to have posters violate forum rules and have no choice but to close this thread.