Hyte - The Uber of the air.

red4golf

red4golf

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Red4Golf
I received an email asking about my flying background from these people and have very little info about them. It sounds like a start up 135 operation with their own planes and part time pilots that are located through an app.

Anybody have any ideas about these people or their idea?
 
I was wondering when something like this was going to pop up and try to really get tackled. i looked up their website but doesn't seem like too much info is on there http://hyteapp.com
 
From their FAQ page:

What’s Hyte?
Hyte is a web and soon-to-be (iOS) smartphone application that allows a user to book a private flight from anywhere. Currently, users can ‘Book A Flight’ using a simple form on hyteapp.com.

Where Does Hyte Fly?
Hyte currently operates flights out of the LA Basin. That means that passengers are able to book flights out of any airport within a 90-mile radius of Greater Los Angeles.

Where Can Hyte Fly?
Anywhere that has a runway! Well, sort of. There are over 29,000 General aviation airports in the United States. We recommend flights from Greater Los Angeles 800 miles and under (e.g. Las Vegas, San Francisco, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, etc). Literally, the possibilities are endless…well, almost.

Can I Book From LAX
Absolutely! Although, there’s a lot of extra stuff we have to do to fly you out of there. Plus, extra fees…We recommend Hawthorne which is just a few miles away :)

Is It Safe?
Yes! Hyte ensures that pilots exceed the minimum FAA requirements. All of out pilots are professional, commercial certificate holders with years of experience in the aircraft that we operate.
Additionally, the Cirrus SR-22 (Hyte’s choice aircraft) contains a Ballistic Recovery Chute (BRS Parachute) which allows the aircraft to float safely to the ground in the unlikely event of an emergency.

Is It Legal?
None of this ‘disruptive’ fun business. We value the safety of each and every user that chooses to fly with us. Safety is of the utmost and we would never do anything to put our passengers in harm’s way. Hyte currently operates under a complicit Part 135 Certificate [emphasis added by AggieMike] and will continue to do so as long as mandated by the FAA.

I’m A Pilot. Can I Fly With Hyte?
Maybe! Hyte only considers pilots with a commercial pilot certificate in addition to a minimum hourly (PIC). Contact Us if you’re interested in flying with Hyte.

I Have An Airplane. You Guys Need It?
It depends! Hyte is currently looking to add more Cirrus SR-22’s and Cessna 182’s to its fleet. We work out a revenue sharing plan with aircraft owners on a case-by-case basis. Contact Us if you’re interested in partnering your aircraft with Hyte.​
 
Thanks for posting that. I wasn't able to pull up very much from their web site as every link I clicked brought me back to the same page.

I don't even see a link to the FAQ. It sounds like an interesting idea but.....
 
red4golf said:
Thanks for posting that. I wasn't able to pull up very much from their web site as every link I clicked brought me back to the same page.

I don't even see a link to the FAQ. It sounds like an interesting idea but.....
Click to expand...

Click on the "how hyte works" button.

There's more on the site now than there was a month ago, so they look like they are making some kinda progress. They used to have some kinda application form for pilots that seems to be missing though. I sent one in. Sounds like a great way to build some hours to me if they can get customers.
 
This sorta reads like commercial pilots, who meet their qualifications, will be something of an outside contractor who operates their personally owned aircraft on behalf of Hyte.

Is a part 135 operator permitted to do that?

For someone like you Dallas, their info reads like you'll need to be ready to absorb the costs and hassle of full bore 100-hr inspections.
 
Uber was teaming up in Europe with some large charter operators. It's just a new way to book things more than anything else. Presumably the undocumented "commercial" pilots and planes here are wrapped with a 135 certificate somewhere.

It's the same thing that Limo drivers and Taxi companies are realizing that they need to move the dispatch ahead to what people with the money are doing. To book a cab is unbelievably stupid around here versus punching up Uber.

If you read the ABOUT US section you'll see the principal ran into the HOLDING OUT issue before and should now be well aware of what he needs to do to do it right. All he needs is a network of those with 135 certificates whose willing to allow him to take orders.
 
kkoran said:
What is a "complicit" Part 139 certificate?
Click to expand...

I was wondering about that myself.

com·plic·it
/kəmˈplisit/
adjective
involved with others in an illegal activity or wrongdoing.
"all of these people are complicit in some criminal conspiracy"
Click to expand...

:yikes:
 
Holy ****. I went to school with the creator. My fiance had a few classes with him.

:eek:
 
Imagine being one of those poor bastards that gets stuck in a 182, without the safety of being able to "float safely down" like in the event of an issue with a Cirrus. Oh the humanity. Hope they offer unsafe discounts for the 182 rides.
 
This sounds like the FAA will shoot it down before it even gets off the ground.
 
Dans2992, I'm curious why. Normally, you'd call a charter a company and schedule a flight from A to B. They would then work with their scheduling people to get one of the pilots that work/contract for them to do the flight.

Nothing is changing here except the mechanism used to book the flight.

It goes without saying that as Part 91 this would be a non-starter, but as long as they're qualifying the the pilots the way they normally would for a 135 op, this just seems like a more modern way to book a charter.
 
On the plus side, does not seem very far from the SATSAir model, including the use of SR22's.

On the minus side, the SATSAir business model failed.

If it was easy, then anybody could do it!*


*credit to "A League Of Their Own".
 
How do they qualify the pilots, who gives them the check rides?
How do they qualify the planes too, with the increased maintenance inspection requirements?
 
champ driver said:
How do they qualify the pilots, who gives them the check rides?
How do they qualify the planes too, with the increased maintenance inspection requirements?
Click to expand...

Well the pilots would need to jump through the typical hoops to fly for a 135 and any aircraft they attempt to bring online will need a conformity inspection, added to ops specs, and be subject to 100 hours.
 
I wouldn't even begin to call this the 'Uber of the Sky'. It's just an Charter operation with a scheduling App...
 
champ driver said:
How do they qualify the pilots, who gives them the check rides?
How do they qualify the planes too, with the increased maintenance inspection requirements?
Click to expand...

My bet is that they're going to try and partner up with existing 135 operators and act as an agent for them.
 
coma24 said:
Dans2992, I'm curious why. Normally, you'd call a charter a company and schedule a flight from A to B. They would then work with their scheduling people to get one of the pilots that work/contract for them to do the flight.



Nothing is changing here except the mechanism used to book the flight.



It goes without saying that as Part 91 this would be a non-starter, but as long as they're qualifying the the pilots the way they normally would for a 135 op, this just seems like a more modern way to book a charter.
Click to expand...


Keith,

Ok, you're right. But the way it reads is akin to "flying part 91 now? Just throw your plane on our service and we'll hire you to fly charter as long as you have a commercial cert."

In practice, I'm thinking it won't be that simple... Plus, what does the hourly rate on a 182 need to be to pay for insurance and all the 135 overhead? I'd love to be proven wrong....

Dan
 
I don't know where you're reading that, because what the words on the site say is that they are running a pt135 charter operation. They have links for pilots to apply, and nowhere do they say anything about the pilots supplying the aircraft or having any of the overhead.

They do mention partnering in planes, but it's in a separate paragraph from pilots. It's very common for 135 operators to manage and use airplanes they don't own. Don't see why this would be any different.

As for hourly rate, I'm sure it's a hell of a lot higher than a normal rental rate, but as the passenger you also have the luxury of not needing to do all the training to learn to fly the thing. I'm sure it'll be a lot cheaper than a King Air or CJ
 
OkieAviator said:
I wouldn't even begin to call this the 'Uber of the Sky'. It's just an Charter operation with a scheduling App...
Click to expand...

Or, an app developer in search of a charter operation.
 
BigBadLou said:
Let's hope they revise their FAQ to explain this better. So far it doesn't look good for them.
Click to expand...

I agree. The FAQ, at least, looks like it was written by a high schooler. This service would be all about carrying professionals, so your presentation needs to be professional. It doesn't have to be stuffy (pro and stuffy are fortunately being disconnected!), but it does have to be complete, correct, and clear. And this isn't.

Man, I want a service like this to succeed very badly. Very badly! We need it. This doesn't look like the one that's going to do it, though.
 
Yeah, their proofreading doesn't bode well for their attention to detail.
 
dans2992 said:
This sounds like the FAA will shoot it down before it even gets off the ground.
Click to expand...

Assuming they didn't mean "a complicit Part 135 Certificate" and really meant "a complete Part 135 Certificate", why would you say the FAA would shoot it down? Seems to me like if they're 135, the FAA has already approved.

It's a 135 on demand operation that is using a smartphone app to book a flight. End of story. If there hadn't been non-135 versions of this attempted recently, there wouldn't have been a story.
 
Where are these 25,000 airports that a Cirrus is going to operate from? (no chute jokes please)
 
DJTorrente said:
Or, an app developer in search of a charter operation.
Click to expand...

That's what I'm seeing too. And it's not a very sophisticated website.

The only thing I can possibly think of is that the company would assist owners in creating single pilot, single aircraft 135 operations and sell them the booking service and insurance. Even a simplified 135 operation like that is not simple, and it's not cheap.

Otherwise perhaps they plan to match Cirrus owners with existing 135 operations.

Either way, this is a thousand times more complicated than uber, with one thousandth of the potential customers. Not a good business strategy.
 
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I cannot for the life if me see how this could possibly work.
 
They followed me on Instagram a couple days ago and today commented on one of my pictures "You should come fly for us!". My curiosity was peaked but I can't find much info on them.

Not that I have the time/need/want to fly for them though. Full time job + full time business owner & CFI + traveler.. No time for another job.
 
All of you are right. A kid from high school.

I found this after some digging in the site:

"Hyte was an idea originally seeded when JB Adkins was in his senior year of high school. JB had recently earned his pilot’s license and was brainstorming creative ways to build flight time and experience. He printed up some flyers and began offering to fly his classmates to their spring and summer vacation destinations relatively cheaply, with up to 3 people. It was a hit…until he found out the FAA didn’t approve of his small time creative hustle (illegal)."

:lol::rolleyes2: How did he not care what "No more than Pro-rata" meant.
 
AggieMike88 said:
This sorta reads like commercial pilots, who meet their qualifications, will be something of an outside contractor who operates their personally owned aircraft on behalf of Hyte.

Is a part 135 operator permitted to do that?

For someone like you Dallas, their info reads like you'll need to be ready to absorb the costs and hassle of full bore 100-hr inspections.
Click to expand...

A Part 135 is permitted to do anything that is included in its Operating Specifications. Having named pilots on their certificate is one hurdle these guys will have to jump.

Bob Gardner
 
bobmrg said:
A Part 135 is permitted to do anything that is included in its Operating Specifications. Having named pilots on their certificate is one hurdle these guys will have to jump.

Bob Gardner
Click to expand...

I'm curious how hard that really would be though? If you're flying for them, they add your name to the list, just like they will have to add you to the insurance. For an operation flying single pistons I can't imagine it's really that hard to add a pilot, and I highly doubt the FAA cares if they have a bunch of pilots on the list who don't fly for them regularly, as long as when they do they are legal as far as currency goes.
 
StinkBug said:
I'm curious how hard that really would be though? If you're flying for them, they add your name to the list, just like they will have to add you to the insurance. For an operation flying single pistons I can't imagine it's really that hard to add a pilot, and I highly doubt the FAA cares if they have a bunch of pilots on the list who don't fly for them regularly, as long as when they do they are legal as far as currency goes.
Click to expand...

Training records, drug testing.... It's a nightmare.
 
StinkBug said:
I'm curious how hard that really would be though? If you're flying for them, they add your name to the list, just like they will have to add you to the insurance. For an operation flying single pistons I can't imagine it's really that hard to add a pilot, and I highly doubt the FAA cares if they have a bunch of pilots on the list who don't fly for them regularly, as long as when they do they are legal as far as currency goes.
Click to expand...

That's the tip of the iceberg. Read Part 135's subparts E, G, and H. Lots of training and checkrides that are paid for by the certificate holder...an incentive to limit the number of pilots. In fact, just read Part 135.

Insofar as the FAA caring, each operator has a Principal Operations Inspector at the FSDO whose duty it is to keep an eye on the certificate holder's operation to be sure that they are following the rules. The ones I have dealt with took that responsibility seriously.

Bob
 
StinkBug said:
Click on the "how hyte works" button.

There's more on the site now than there was a month ago, so they look like they are making some kinda progress. They used to have some kinda application form for pilots that seems to be missing though. I sent one in. Sounds like a great way to build some hours to me if they can get customers.
Click to expand...

You'll need 1200hrs to fly IFR and 500 to fly VFR. I think
 
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