Nowadays, the price of a regular version of Boeing 747 is about 25 million US dollars, and the price after the 21st century is about 150 million US dollars. This also shows the changes caused by the inflation and depreciation of some currencies.

Whether now or in the future, more than 20 million US dollars is a huge sum of money. Based on the current salary level, the flight attendant standing in front of Han Chudong would have to work for more than 2,000 years to earn enough money to buy such an airplane. No wonder she looked dull and full of disbelief.

I asked subconsciously:

"Sir, you are kidding, right?

No one would buy this kind of plane as a private jet. It is too big and the flying cost is very high. Even the executives of our company would feel bad. I heard that our route has lost money because of this plane. "

"I wanted to buy it because of the large space. I want to transform it into a meeting room, guest room, or something like that, just like Air Force One."

It was okay to act on impulse, but Han Chudong was more rational.

He has made too much money this year. If he does not invest and spend it quickly, the amount of tax he has to pay will be much higher. Taking into account the length of time the aircraft will be used and the indirect promotion effect that purchasing the aircraft can bring, the cost is actually not that high. More importantly, Han Chudong feels that he can enjoy the process of traveling. Before, he was not willing to travel far because he felt that the passenger planes were smoky, noisy, and noisy. He didn't even visit the Mason Private Equity Fund on Wall Street.

If you have a private jet, you can take off at night and arrive in Europe or Asia when you wake up. How convenient it is.

All right.

After thinking about it and finding various reasons, the reason was actually that he wanted to own that kind of big toy, and he also had enough money to buy one.

The flight attendant told me: "Air Force One is just a Boeing 707. My God, if you really buy a private jet like this, even the successor will be envious, right?"

The reason why I say "just succeeded" is because Nixon announced his resignation yesterday.

He became the first unlucky guy in history to "voluntarily" resign. According to rumors, it seems to be related to the competition between consortiums.

Judging from the current situation, the old giants in the East are clearly superior, and the foundation of the emerging California consortium is still a little weak.

Han Chudong knew some of the news, but he had no intention of getting involved. He just kept to his own business and made a fortune quietly.

Hearing this, he smiled and said, "I believe they will change planes in the future. The moon landing in the past few years cost too much money. Take me to see the captain first. I want to know more about this kind of plane."

…

Standing at the cockpit door and chatting with the captain and co-pilot, I learned that the design service life of the Boeing 747 is up to twenty years, equivalent to 20,000 flights. If it is regularly maintained, the theoretical flight time can reach 60,000 hours.

Han Chudong ate dessert and spread his hands, saying, "I only use it occasionally, and my flying time in a year is probably less than 300 hours."

The captain smiled and said, "Then your plane may be able to be used for thirty or even forty years. The Boeing 747 is the most perfect plane I have ever seen. It is quiet and the taxiing distance when landing is even shorter than other planes. Super-rich people like you must buy this kind of plane. In fact, large planes are safer. Even if all engines lose power, they can still taxi for a long distance, enough to find the nearest airport."

The first officer went on to say, “Since it began to be delivered, many airlines have found that the Boeing 747 is too big, so big that not many routes can be filled with passengers. To make matters worse, ticket prices increased after the oil crisis, and the price of aviation fuel increased tenfold, so many people gave up flying.

I know Pan Am is in a tough situation recently. The cash in hand is paid out as 747s are delivered one after another, but it can't bring enough profit. Instead, it is still losing money. Except for our United Airlines, other airlines are unwilling to purchase. Maybe you can buy one from Pan Am at a low price. Our company bought three from Pan Am, and they gave it a route to Europe as a gift. "

As soon as the co-pilot finished speaking, the captain continued to add: "Those idiots at Pan Am actually signed a contract with Boeing to purchase 25 Boeing 747s."

"Gentlemen, what do you think of the Concorde supersonic aircraft?" Han Chudong continued to consult the professionals.

The captain and the co-pilot had nothing to do. They were drinking coffee and eating desserts. Except for takeoff and landing, the plane was in automatic cruise mode most of the time, so people envied their easy and high-paying jobs.

Hearing Han Chudong talking about the Concorde supersonic passenger aircraft, the captain said:

"The noise from Concorde's takeoff and landing, as well as the sonic booms produced when it breaks the sound barrier, will affect the lives of residents on the ground. The U.S. Aviation Administration has decided to ban any supersonic commercial flights across the North American continent. I think this is an excuse made by Boeing for trade protection. You know, the United States has always liked to do this because of profit.

The cruising speed of more than Mach 2 is twice the speed of our subsonic passenger aircraft. What's even better is that since ordinary passenger aircraft rarely cruise at an altitude of 17,000 meters, the Concorde can exclusively enjoy the flying space above 18,000 meters. However, safety is not guaranteed, the flight cost is too high, the cabin is small, and it may be refused takeoff and landing at American airports because of the excessive noise. "

There is no wrong version in the 1619 book forum!

Speed ​​is good, but safety and the possibility of not being allowed to land are enough to make Han Chudong give up the idea of ​​flying the Concorde.

With a look of realization on his face, he continued to ask about flight costs and learned that the fuel cost per hour was more than one thousand US dollars. This number was not stressful for Han Chudong, and he could even register with an airline and pay them to help manage the flight.

Seeing that Han Chudong was interested, the captain even used a satellite phone to help contact the tower, and then contacted a senior executive of United Airlines. It can only be said that it feels good to be rich.

I made an appointment with a senior executive of United Airlines to find a place to have a detailed discussion after he returned to Los Angeles. He said that United Airlines had a Boeing 747 that had not yet been manufactured and was considering selling it, and the delivery time was expected to be in the first half of next year.

I just heard from the captain that they bought three 747s from Pan Am. It seems that even United Airlines finds it difficult to make a profit from operating the 747.

As long as the price is right, it doesn't matter where you buy it from. The details can be discussed after we meet. Anyway, Han Chudong has almost decided to purchase a private jet.

As for the long-term unlimited-trip air ticket I just bought, I forgot to ask during the call.

But he believed that the executives of United Airlines would not let such a small matter affect their big business...