Buffett's Plane in Today's NY Post?

[jbfins]

He was mentioned yesterday in Page Six. Today, there is an article about how the rich people will take sea planes out East to avoid the pending railroad strike. I think that the plane pictured above the article is his. Kind of funny.

[lime rickie]

He was mentioned yesterday in Page Six. Today, there is an article about how the rich people will take sea planes out East to avoid the pending railroad strike. I think that the plane pictured above the article is his. Kind of funny.

I don't think so...Fly the Whale is a plane taxi company.

[Bicycle Bill]

Here's a link to the article and picture being referred to:
http://nypost.com/2014/07/15/rich-new-y ... rs-strike/

The picture shows what appears to be a Cessna 208, and a Cessna 208 with the N-number N208JB is in fact registered to "Strange Bird Inc." of West Palm Beach FL — which is known to be the shell company under which Jimmy registers/licenses/operates his aircraft.  Don't know what that "Fly The Whale" business is all about, unless Jimmy is retaining ownership and leasing the craft to them.

-"BB"-

[SeattleParrotHead]

May 4, 2011
Fly to the Hamptons on Jimmy's Buffett's Old Plane
In the Hamptons, the only thing people like talking about more than real estate is the traffic. And it is seriously terrible in the summer (thanks, Jodi, for telling everyone about those shortcuts). But there's now a new transportation option that's arriving on the scene called Whale Force One.
But how much does it cost?
This new charter company just bought one of Jimmy Buffett's sea planes (no, not the one that crashed) and will soon start offering "shared charter" flights between Manhattan's Eastside Seaport (NES) and East Hampton Airport (HTO). If you fly off-peak, it'll be just $99 each way (although off-peak hours are also the same as when it's not torture to take the Jitney). Regular pricing is $495 a flight. And although it means not being able to stop at the new Shinnecock casino along the way, that's a small price to pay for getting to or from Manhattan in only 40 minutes.

http://hamptons.curbed.com/archives/201 ... _plane.php

viewtopic.php?t=86599

[jbfins]

Okay. That confirms it... I need to be in therapy.

[Bicycle Bill]

May 4, 2011
Fly to the Hamptons on Jimmy's Buffett's Old Plane
In the Hamptons, the only thing people like talking about more than real estate is the traffic. And it is seriously terrible in the summer (thanks, Jodi, for telling everyone about those shortcuts). But there's now a new transportation option that's arriving on the scene called Whale Force One.
But how much does it cost?
This new charter company just bought one of Jimmy Buffett's sea planes (no, not the one that crashed) and will soon start offering "shared charter" flights between Manhattan's Eastside Seaport (NES) and East Hampton Airport (HTO). If you fly off-peak, it'll be just $99 each way (although off-peak hours are also the same as when it's not torture to take the Jitney). Regular pricing is $495 a flight. And although it means not being able to stop at the new Shinnecock casino along the way, that's a small price to pay for getting to or from Manhattan in only 40 minutes.

http://hamptons.curbed.com/archives/201 ... _plane.php

viewtopic.php?t=86599

Riddle me this then, Seattle Parrothead.  When I go to this website — http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry ... quiry.aspx — and enter the aircraft N-number (N208JB), this site indicates it is still registered to "Strange Bird Inc".  And this site, a site maintained the Federal Aviation Administration, is supposedly updated daily.  Why then is an aircraft which Buffett & Company allegedly sold three years ago still showing as owned and registered by Jimmy's shell company?

Answer — because although Fly The Whale operates a Cessna 208 floatplane that looks a heckuvalot like Jimmy's, it ain't Jimmy's plane!!!
(despite whatever the link about "Fly Jimmy's plane to the Hamptons" may say — poor fact-checking on their part)
I offer as proof these pictures, taken from Fly The Whale's own website:




Note the N-number .... N208JP.  That's 'P' as in 'Papa', not 'B' as in 'Bravo'.
Conclusion:  it isn't the same airplane, and Jimmy still owns his Cessna.

-"BB"-

[SeattleParrotHead]

Riddle: How could Fly the Whale be flying Jimmy Buffett's Cessna Caravan N208JB if Jimmy Buffett is flying it?
Answer: Tail number N208JB has been used on 2 different planes.
Cessna 208 Caravan SN#20800362 was built in 1998 and was registered as N208JB until
it was replaced with SN#20800516, built in 2009. At that time it was re-registered as N208JP.

http://jetphotos.net/showphotos.php?cn= ... anu=Cessna
http://jetphotos.net/showphotos.php?cn= ... anu=Cessna

This page shows that N208JB has been used on both SNs....
http://jetphotos.net/showphotos.php?regsearch=N208JB

[Bicycle Bill]

Riddle: How could Fly the Whale be flying Jimmy Buffett's Cessna Caravan N208JB if Jimmy Buffett is flying it?
Answer: Tail number N208JB has been used on 2 different planes.
Cessna 208 Caravan SN#20800362 was built in 1998 and was registered as N208JB until
it was replaced with SN#20800516, built in 2009. At that time it was re-registered as N208JP.

Never crossed my mind, mainly because I wasn't aware that this could be done.  I thought that once an aircraft was assigned an N-number it remained with the aircraft throughout its lifetime, although in hindsight I realize that this is no different than swapping license plates when you change cars.  After all, if an aircraft originally registered in the USA were to be sold to someone outside the country the FAA N-number would be replaced by a registration code from the new country and the original number could be recycled and reissued.

-"BB"-

[Tiki Bar]

Entertaining reading... good eye jbfins!! Nice follow up, fellas!