Teenager launches his own airline
A teenager is taking his obsession for flying to new heights by launching his own commercial airline.
Martin Halstead, 18, is set to stage his inaugural flight from Oxford to Cambridge, which will take just 20 minutes, on 18 April.
Mr Halstead, who lives with his mother, Janie, said: “My parents were gobsmacked at first, but now they see it’s a serious business proposition, not just a whim.”
He claims his company, Alpha 1 Airways, has already received a lot of interest.
I think it’s safe to say I’m the only 18-year-old in Britain with his own airline, said Martin Halstead who previously went under the name of r weaver on Britain’s most popular internet aviation forum.
Initially Mr Halstead will lease four aircraft for the route, but he is already thinking about expanding the operation because of demand.
Car journeys currently take more than two hours and the train, which involves going via London, takes more than two and a half hours.
A single fare between the two varsity cities on the eight-seater aircraft will cost from £49, or £44 for students.
Pilot training
In October 2003, at the age of 16, he left d’Overbroeck’s College in Oxford to start his first business, designing flight simulation software for training pilots.
He has now used cash made from that venture and from an inheritance, following the death of his grandmother, to finance his new project.
Mr Halstead, who lives in Oxford said: “I think it’s safe to say I’m the only 18-year-old in Britain with his own airline.”
He is currently training to be a pilot and plans to fly the planes along with the 12 other pilots when he qualifies.
‘Will be profitable’
Mr Halstead, who models himself on Sir Richard Branson, fell in love with flying the moment he stepped on to an aeroplane at the age of six.
“Richard Branson has been a great role model throughout my life. I intend to follow a lot of his practices with my airline,” he said.
James Dillon-Godfray, marketing director at Oxford Airport, said: “Martin is a pretty dynamic guy. He has done the research and I do believe it will be profitable.”
There will be two flights in each direction each day. The first will leave Oxford Airport at 0730 GMT and the first Cambridge-to-Oxford service will be at 0815 GMT.
By: mike currill - 5th April 2005 at 20:05
Am I the only one who thinks Martin’s business plan is madder than a bag of badgers?
It’s crazier than a box of frogs but there you go, not everyone is as sane as I think I am. Good luck to him anyway.
By: John C - 5th April 2005 at 14:45
I should really stick my mobile number on here for those that land nearby..
Will J sedded:
Derelict, thats no way to talk about my car, at least it has a roof
I resemble that remark! My car does have most of it’s roof – ok some of it might not be in necessarily the right order (or indeed attached) but then who said that life has to be perfect 🙂
Anyhow, I have a new roof for the scabriolet, just looking for volunteers to help me fit it when the weather is warmer.
JC
By: Chipmunk Carol - 5th April 2005 at 13:48
Can’t believe you went to the Oaks – the Mill is far far nicer! …PS Come back Rob!
The visit to the Oak was unintentional. Trying to find someone who could describe coherantly how we should get to the museum cafe was difficult. We waited for the bus for 30 seconds and got bored and chose to walk. It took another 30 seconds to find the Oak. I had no intention of spending my entire earthbound time wandering around Coventry looking for Rob. I just phoned and he came over. Besides, I have already stayed at the Mill – just before I flew in the Canberra – and very nice it was too.
By: Will J - 5th April 2005 at 10:01
I’ve heard that Coventry international spaceport isn’t the best place for GA – we’re in the Big blue hangers behind all of Air Atlantique’s assorted classic aeroplanes and derelicts.
JC
Derelict, thats no way to talk about my car, at least it has a roof :p
🙂 🙂 🙂
By: Moggy C - 5th April 2005 at 09:45
I notice from subtle clues in the pictures that Mr Weaver appears to have a scooter.
Is he safe?
Are we?
Moggy
By: BlueRobin - 5th April 2005 at 09:24
Anyone coming over for the Classic Fight Experience thingy on April 23rd?
What this? http://www.classicflight.com
Well I might… 😉
By: John C - 5th April 2005 at 09:05
Can’t believe you went to the Oaks – the Mill is far far nicer! Also looks as if you parked outside of Hanger 7 (or it very near to it), where the MRC crew were in full Dak attack mode. If you could see the Shackleton, then you weren’t far away..
Anyone coming over for the Classic Fight Experience thingy on April 23rd?
JC
PS Come back Rob!
By: Auster Fan - 4th April 2005 at 19:51
Why no close up shots so that he can truly be identified?! Nice pics of you Janie -best I’ve seen in a long time! 😉
By: Chipmunk Carol - 3rd April 2005 at 10:36
Janie is Cousin Itt from the Addams Family. 🙂
This has had me in tears of laughter all weekend. Thanks BR.
Skybolt: The cheque is in the post. I’m serious! 😉
By: DazDaMan - 2nd April 2005 at 23:01
You went to THE OAK and survived?
Janie is Cousin Itt from the Addams Family. 🙂
“They’re creepy and they’re kooky…”
😉
By: Skybolt - 2nd April 2005 at 22:45
I fully concur. Smooth airplane – smooth lady.
Cheers,
Trapper 69
PS – I should shoot your photo editor…………..!!!
By: Danger UXB - 2nd April 2005 at 13:52
Don’t sell yourself short chipmunk! Silvrikin Girl!
By: Chipmunk Carol - 1st April 2005 at 18:42
More importantly, you – both – walked into a pub wearing a growbag?
No, we didn’t share one, on ths occasion. We actually had a growbag each.
BR (thinks MET “mist” :rolleyes: )No, I’m not shy – just very very ugly. 😎
Steve: Thanks for posting these. I’ll send them to Rob tonight and we’ll see if we can lure him back.
Robbo: :p
By: BlueRobin - 1st April 2005 at 16:58
Prior to the edit, Robbo wrote: “BR – yes, there’s quite a likeness isn’t there? I think she’s just shy.”
Think you incriminated yourself there also 🙂
By: BlueRobin - 1st April 2005 at 16:47
You went to THE OAK and survived?
Janie is Cousin Itt from the Addams Family. 🙂
By: Arabella-Cox - 1st April 2005 at 16:31
Sorry guys, been away for a few days. I understand the natives have been a wee bit restless. Calling doubt upon mine and Janie’s assertions that R Weaver is in fact real. Alleging that I would ‘pay’ for my indulgence in Chipmunkery by ‘going along’ with the R Weaver scam.
Sorry to disappoint you all, but there is no scam. Rob Weaver is real, he’s alive and well, and he flies out of Coventry. He also drinks Spitfire Ale, which immediately earns him a brownie point.
Janie’s bullet points have pretty much told the story, but basically I was fortunate enough to be offered the empty back seat in the Chipmunk last Saturday, and so on the Friday night Janie phoned me and said we’d be off to Coventry.
Fairenuff. I’d be perfectly happy just to be on board for one circuit at Gransden, so a cross country land away was beyond my wildest dreams.
Saturday dawned bright and warm, and we arrived at Gransden to get the Chippie ready. Departed, set course for nearby St Neots, and aerobatted over my fiancee’s house (ahhh), before setting course for Coventry. A couple of hairy moments with the radio while talking to Coventry, but before long we were there.
Time for the fun and games to start.
Nobody at the refuelling stand. Thirty minutes later, still nobody at the refuelling stand. Finally, The Worlds Most Boring Man rocks up to stick some gogo juice into the wings, and proceeds to regale us with stories of… to be honest, I can’t remember what he was trying to regale us with, he was a fabulous cure for insomnia.
Anyway, having fuelled the Chippie up and pushed her into a parking spot, off we went to meet Janie’s “friend”. We pitched up at The Oak pub, ordered food, and Janie went outside to wait for “her friend” to arrive.
A couple of minutes later, she’s back, with a tall youngish looking chap in tow.
“Steve, this is Rob. Rob, this is Steve”
We shake hands, and suddenly my brain clicks into overdrive.
Coventry – Rob – Janie’s mate…
No, it can’t be…
The clincher is the look on Rob’s face when he sees my name on the flying suit. Shock, dismay, trepidation, all rolled into one.
I offer to buy him a drink, he asks for a bitter, off I go to the bar. Barman pours a pint and my head is whirring – surely this can’t be THE R Weaver? Because he’s just a figment of some beer and curry fuelled imaginations! Isn’t he?
I bring his pint back, hand it to him, and sit down, eyeing my adversary across the table.
Janie breaks the silence; “So Steve, have you worked it out yet…?”
Bloody hell, it IS him!!
The ice is broken, we both lean across the table, shake hands again, and grin. Detente.
The next half hour goes swimmingly well; Rob turns out not to be the arrogant rude little oik that many of us (myself included) assumed he would be, but is in fact a quietly spoken, genuinely nice, young lad. By his own admission, he’s not come across on here as well as perhaps he should have done, but when you meet him, he’s actually a good, decent chap.
Rob – should you still be browsing the forums, I’d urge you to come back.
The moment came for us to depart, and Janie suggested the Holy Grail – photos! A brief look of horror on Rob’s face, but eventually he agreed, and so out we went to do the deed. And here the photo’s are. 🙂
By: Flying chick - 31st March 2005 at 16:58
Not at all 🙂
By: BlueRobin - 31st March 2005 at 16:23
At least we’re not anti growbag here 🙂
By: Flying chick - 31st March 2005 at 15:11
Steve Young has a name patch?! I thought you flew a chipmunk these days Janie not an F15!
By: Chipmunk Carol - 31st March 2005 at 13:47
payment for the Chipmunk ride
😮 😮 😮
I can assure you no monies changed hands.
The trip was worth it just to see:
1. The look on R.weaver’s face when he read SteveYoung’s name patch on his overalls.
2. The look on SteveYoung’s face when he realised what I was up to.
3. The ensuing conversation between the three of us. We can out-bitch a MelCock session any day.
4. The look on Steve’s uncle’s face when I introduced him to his (sort-of) long lost cousin.
5. The look on Steve’s cousin’s (who I already knew) face when he discovered that I knew his cousin.
6. The Dr Who documentary at NWeald after I got trapped there because of bad weather. Pity I missed the new episode!
7. The irremovable silly grin on Steve’s face.
8. The smug look on John the refueller’s face (you ask him why).
Priceless!
I was hoping Steve was going to post the photos, as they are his, but he seems to have disappeared.
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March 22, 2005 at 5:40 pm