Garmin and Apollo

EDR writes:

In article , David Megginson
wrote:
To take another example, you have the only hotel at your airport --
what keeps you from raising the rates to, say, $500/night?

A.) Jay knows pilots
and
B.) Jay knows that pilots are cheapskates.

Exactly. Garmin knows the same thing.


All the best,


David

Besides economics (which is a big part, don't get me wrong), I wonder
about the technological advances. These companies seem to play off
each other to push the envelope. I recall being impressed between the
612 and Flybuddy, then the GPS155, to the Northsat M3, to GX60, and so
on. Easier to operate is better and safer.

In the press release, Garmin said, "As a combined organization, we
look forward to achieving even greater levels of product innovation
while providing a higher level of service to all of our aviation
customers."

But I worry about the incentive to improve. The cost to market for a
new player will be enormous, because lots of the talent and experience
is locked up.


Jay Honeck" wrote in message news:8c%6b.393840$uu5.73374@sccrnsc04...
To take another example, you have the only hotel at your airport --
what keeps you from raising the rates to, say, $500/night?

Heeeyyyy....

(S. Byrd) writes:

But I worry about the incentive to improve. The cost to market for a
new player will be enormous, because lots of the talent and
experience is locked up.

Fortunately, the talent and experience required is less and less
esoteric aviation stuff like VOR or ADF and more and more common stuff
like GPS and ruggedized, portable computing. Lots of people know that
stuff, though they'll need a couple of experienced people to steer
them through the aviation-specific certification and marketing parts.
Garmin cannot pay *all* of its people enough to keep them away from
startups, and anyone who leaves will take experience with him or her.


All the best,


David

David Megginson writes:

(S. Byrd) writes:

But I worry about the incentive to improve. The cost to market for a
new player will be enormous, because lots of the talent and
experience is locked up.

Fortunately, the talent and experience required is less and less
esoteric aviation stuff like VOR or ADF and more and more common stuff
like GPS and ruggedized, portable computing. Lots of people know that
stuff, though they'll need a couple of experienced people to steer
them through the aviation-specific certification and marketing parts.
Garmin cannot pay *all* of its people enough to keep them away from
startups, and anyone who leaves will take experience with him or her.

Yep, that's what I was thinking.

Wasn't Garmin founded by a couple of Bendix/King ex-employees?

-jav

On 08 Sep 2003 14:16:07 -0700, Javier Henderson
wrote:

Yep, that's what I was thinking.

Wasn't Garmin founded by a couple of Bendix/King ex-employees?

-jav

Yup - Gary and Min. Gary's left, but Min is still working it.
Strangely, Gary was the force behind the aviation thing, Min never
wanted it. They just may be in too deep to get out, or then again,
Honeywell may be a buying mood one day.

David Megginson wrote:
To take another example, you have the only hotel at your airport --
what keeps you from raising the rates to, say, $500/night?

Absolutely nothing....take a look at the Oshkosh area during EAA.

On 8 Sep 2003 23:39:21 -0600, (blanche cohen)
wrote:

David Megginson wrote:
To take another example, you have the only hotel at your airport --
what keeps you from raising the rates to, say, $500/night?

Absolutely nothing....take a look at the Oshkosh area during EAA.

Is it that bad? I would like to go again in 2004, but I'd rather eat
a worm (or fly a Piper) than camp out again. Any tips? I'd like to
make those reservations NOW!

Stu Gotts wrote:

Is it that bad? I would like to go again in 2004, but I'd rather eat
a worm (or fly a Piper) than camp out again. Any tips? I'd like to
make those reservations NOW!

Do a Google search for Jim Weir's posts about staying in the dorms.

George Patterson
A friend will help you move. A really good friend will help you move
the body.

Thanks, but no dorms. Mrs. Gotts wants to go and her idea of roughing
it is when the maid is late at the Hilton. She'd never be able to
share a bathroom, after all, it takes her about 2 hours to get ready
to walk around.

On Tue, 09 Sep 2003 10:19:08 -0400, "G.R. Patterson III"
wrote:



Stu Gotts wrote:

Is it that bad? I would like to go again in 2004, but I'd rather eat
a worm (or fly a Piper) than camp out again. Any tips? I'd like to
make those reservations NOW!

Do a Google search for Jim Weir's posts about staying in the dorms.

George Patterson
A friend will help you move. A really good friend will help you move
the body.

"Stu Gotts" wrote in message
...
On 8 Sep 2003 23:39:21 -0600, (blanche cohen)
wrote:

David Megginson wrote:
To take another example, you have the only hotel at your airport --
what keeps you from raising the rates to, say, $500/night?

Absolutely nothing....take a look at the Oshkosh area during EAA.

Is it that bad? I would like to go again in 2004, but I'd rather eat
a worm (or fly a Piper) than camp out again. Any tips? I'd like to
make those reservations NOW!

It isn't cheap, but it isn't that bad. We paid $185/night for a two room
suite with frig and micro, 4 miles from show central. $150-$165 seemed to
be the going rate for a "normal" room that week.

We got the reservation about March when my wife decided we were going to
stay in a room this year and she started calling every hotel in the area.
After a week or two of trying, she hit paydirt.

Hints:

Call the hotels directly. Central reservation lines are useless. The
managers want to fill the place for the week and they don't want the call
center's help.

Start now, but you probably won't get a reservation. Ask if they have a
wait list. The die hards have already got their request in for next year.
We do. The hotel took ours when we were there. Hopefully, we'll get a
confirmation next month.

Keep trying. Plans change, people cancel. Try next month, and the
following... People have known to get a room just weeks before the show.

Gerry