Now that there a gazillion idle aircraft around the US, schools in far flung conferences have their sports teams sitting idle as well. I wonder, though, if there is an opportunity here for well-heeled athletic departments.

Might schools in a conference like the PAC, where all but one conference game a year requires air travel even for Olympic sports, buy one of those idle airplanes on the cheap right now and replace their charter flying with in-house travel? You could probably pick up a flight crew from the unemployment line while you're at it.

I'm not sure it would save a lot of money, but it might be a good recruiting tool, and give minor sports some scheduling options they wouldn't otherwise have.

Is this even feasible?

(07-07-2020 07:50 AM)ken d Wrote:  Now that there a gazillion idle aircraft around the US, schools in far flung conferences have their sports teams sitting idle as well. I wonder, though, if there is an opportunity here for well-heeled athletic departments.

Might schools in a conference like the PAC, where all but one conference game a year requires air travel even for Olympic sports, buy one of those idle airplanes on the cheap right now and replace their charter flying with in-house travel? You could probably pick up a flight crew from the unemployment line while you're at it.

I'm not sure it would save a lot of money, but it might be a good recruiting tool, and give minor sports some scheduling options they wouldn't otherwise have.

Is this even feasible?

The same economics that are grounding those planes and flight crews are also causing massive spending and donation cuts at schools, so they're probably no closer to buying a plane than they were before.

Now could conferences purchase planes (or corporate jet-club memberships) and dispatch them to pick up and drop off teams for conference games? That I don't know, because it would depend on their finances too. There's definitely potential for charter flying in a post-COVID world, but only if you weather the storm.

Does any school currently "own" their own planes? If an upper level P5 didn't before the Crud struck, I seriously doubt any will after.

(07-07-2020 09:37 AM)49RFootballNow Wrote:  Does any school currently "own" their own planes? If an upper level P5 didn't before the Crud struck, I seriously doubt any will after.

Purdue does. They have an airport right on canpus.

(07-07-2020 09:37 AM)49RFootballNow Wrote:  Does any school currently "own" their own planes? If an upper level P5 didn't before the Crud struck, I seriously doubt any will after.

Several of them have school planes, but I don't think they're big enough for football teams. Like Auburn's plane could basically just fit a coaching staff.

Seems that for most programs it will just be easier to charter than to deal with maintenance, crewing, storing, and insurance. Seems you'd have to hire a service to do this for you so in the end it's just long term chartering.

(07-07-2020 07:50 AM)ken d Wrote:  Now that there a gazillion idle aircraft around the US, schools in far flung conferences have their sports teams sitting idle as well. I wonder, though, if there is an opportunity here for well-heeled athletic departments.

Might schools in a conference like the PAC, where all but one conference game a year requires air travel even for Olympic sports, buy one of those idle airplanes on the cheap right now and replace their charter flying with in-house travel? You could probably pick up a flight crew from the unemployment line while you're at it.

I'm not sure it would save a lot of money, but it might be a good recruiting tool, and give minor sports some scheduling options they wouldn't otherwise have.

Is this even feasible?

Define "on the cheap"
A 20-year-old Boeing 767 is still going to run you around $10M for a cargo version, and 777 of the same age is $13M.

https://www.globalplanesearch.com/jets/

And you still might know how well they have been taken care of if it wasn't a US or Canada based carried you are buying from.

As others have mentioned, there is still the cost of maintaining and storing it before you even hire a flight crew. Plus, you are likely going to have to hedge or prepay for your jet fuel, so that cost you eat immediately. Sports other than football could likely get away with a Bombardier or Embraer regional jet, but that is likely still going to be around $4-5M.

All of the 767s which American is going to retire within the next six months will be converted into cargo aircraft and the Delta ones likely going to be bought by Amazon's PrimeAir or scrapped for spare parts which would likely be of interest to Air Transport Service Group, the holding company who handles widebodies for Amazon and DHL.

Not much use for a college to buy a 737 or A320.