Hi, I’m Roger Burton. I have big plans for the coming Air Taxi Industry.
My Message
Initially, I will use this website to inform the public and especially pilots, about air taxi aircraft and certification accomplishments. I plan to build this website into a place to help pilots build their own business using the next generation of aircraft for air taxi. I believe that the price of flying on an air taxi will finally become low enough to enable large scale operations when we finally see aircraft that can be flown with passengers aboard, but with no pilot onboard. First we’ll see autonomous cars and autonomous cargo aircraft. After people become comfortable with these vehicles we will see the spike in air taxis that have long been predicted by aviation experts.
I plan to give lectures about the subject when the time comes.
– Roger Burton
Background
Roger flew the AV-8B Harrier and A-4M Skyhawk in the USMC, serving in Iraq during Desert Storm. He was an instructor pilot and an airline pilot. He flew the CRJ and Boeing 757 before my company went bankrupt. He attempted to facilitate the expected air taxi industry when the Eclipse Jet was certified. Unfortunately, the Eclipse Jet did not live up to its claims and the industry is still waiting for viable aircraft to make the industry viable. eVTOL aircraft seem to be poised to finally get the air taxi industry going.
Experience
Roger worked to build an online presence which would facilitate the air taxi industry in 2004. He was ahead of his time. Time has marched ahead and he is now tracking potential aircraft which are poised to foster in the air taxi industry.
Aircraft
The aircraft which are being produced to provide air taxi services are numerous. Roger will evaluate each aircraft in detail in his articles on this website. When viable airframes have been identified he will focus on finding assistance for pilots, maintenance personnel, and operations personnel who want to be their own boss by owning a Taxijet/Taxicopter franchise. He will focus on ensuring safety first, finding funding for potential franchise owners, insurance, accident investigation/prevention, and training for franchise owners and maintainers. He plans to work with the aircraft manufacturer to provide collective bargaining, maintenance, and quality control. Imagine, owning your own private aircraft while making a great income by using it for air taxi operations in your own local.
Pilots will lose seats to automation
Let’s face it, pilotless aircraft are coming. So, airlines will not need pilots for all their flights. Why not replace the most accident prone part of flying if it is possible? Pilot error accounts for most aviation accidents. Shifting to pilotless aircraft will reduce those accidents to zero. Sure, there will be growing pains. There will be automation related incidents that could have been prevented by pilots, if they had been on board. But, I think we all know that they will be fewer, and less catastrophic in the long run. Pilotless aircraft are coming. Where will the pilots go? Why not start your own business with an aircraft which you can fly yourself or which you can send out on autonomous flights too? Pilots and maintainers are in the best position to own and operate these types of air taxi businesses. Think of Taxijet as Uber for the air.