Would they ever allow private planes in Taiwan?

I long to fly on my own between Taipei and Kenting for a week end or something of the sort. I know the Chinese threat prohibit the CAA from authorizing PPL to fly, but what a shame, they are so many nice place to fly around…Maybe one day, I still Hope. :sunglasses:

igorveni -
I feel your pain. But it ain’t gonna happen anytime soon.
Many reasons why the CAA won’t let it happen, that one is just is the most oft given.

What about ultralights? There are many ultralight flyers in Taiwan.

Hmm…It’s a different thrill altogether. First, I hardly see myself going from Taipei to kenting or anywhere else with this and second, where do I put my wife and kid? :smiley:
No Mucha Man, not the same, however you are right it’s a subsitute for a couple of hours flying in the air when you’ve got nothing else… :sunglasses:

Given the attitude towards the responsibility of operating and maintaining cars here, do you think it’s is a good idea to let Joe Public loose in the sky?

you also have to consider that ultralights would then become the mopeds of the sky…just imagine it…they’d taking off on the taxiway, trying to land to the side of the runway while you’re on your take off run…not to mention that there’d be about three hundred of them for every single plane…I’m inclined to agree with Plasmatron.

Guys c’mon, there’s gotta be some hope.
Thailand and other SE Asian countries who have horrible driving conditions do allow private planes and schooling.
I’d say flying an airplane and driving a car or a motocycle involves a different set of mind. I don’t see a fisherman chewing on his bing lang trying to land on a runaway.

I believe the real problem is the military threat and once this is over, the sky will be open to us. :sunglasses:

[quote=“igorveni”]Guys c’mon, there’s gotta be some hope.
Thailand and other SE Asian countries who have horrible driving conditions do allow private planes and schooling.
I’d say flying an airplane and driving a car or a motocycle involves a different set of mind. I don’t see a fisherman chewing on his binlang trying to land on a runaway.[/quote]

You foreigners just don’t understand Taiwanese culture.

[quote=“igorveni”]Guys c’mon, there’s gotta be some hope.
Thailand and other SE Asian countries who have horrible driving conditions do allow private planes and schooling.[/quote]Thai drivers are very disciplined and courteous. Yes, they are bit loose with speed limits, but they obey other traffic rules and consider other road users.
I fly paragliders when I’m not handcuffed to this keyboard and I can you tell that by and large the sport aviation community in this country has basically zero regard for training, maintainance or aviation law.

[quote=“igorveni”]Guys c’mon, there’s gotta be some hope.
Thailand and other SE Asian countries who have horrible driving conditions do allow private planes and schooling.
I’d say flying an airplane and driving a car or a motocycle involves a different set of mind. I don’t see a fisherman chewing on his binlang trying to land on a runaway.

I believe the real problem is the military threat and once this is over, the sky will be open to us. :sunglasses:[/quote]
Igorveni -
Motorscooter/blue truck/auto operations aside, I think the politcal/economic/legal reasons are what dis-allows private aviation in Taiwan.
The opportunities for smuggling, both of materials as well as human cargo would increase beyond the abilities of the law enforcemnt agencies to control.
Add to this the current collusion/partnership the LEO’s already enjoy with organized crime, this restriction is easily understandable.
Is it a hold over from KMT days? Yes, undoubtably.
Are Taiwanese able to be competent pilots? Most certainly so.
IMO it would open a pandoras box of illegal activities which the current law enforcement groups are unable and probably unwilling to deal with.
I believe these are the reasons the legislature has not opened this area to private operators.

Just my NT$2

I know, you guys are right!!! It will never happen.
I’ll go fly in Thailand.
It’s sad though.

[quote=“igorveni”]I believe the real problem is the military threat and once this is over, the sky will be open to us. :sunglasses:[/quote]I think this will come in the not too distant future. I think it may even come before the end of the military threat. In this vein, I have heard of plans for a marina in WanLi for private yachts. The private yacht ownership ban is also part of the Cold War, but I have heard it may end in the not too distant future. I think partly for tourism purposes, but I don’t see private plane ownership having anything to do with tourism, so maybe we will have to wait a while longer.

Private airlines ready to take off in ChinaIt seems that China is about to let private airlines operate. The first such airline will be aptly named “Okay Airlines”.

You might be right in thinking that Taiwan will someday follow suit and allow private airlines but private airplanes to fly. At the current time, the airports are dual use - military and civilian - and there are many regulations about what you can and can’t do at the airports. I think that those restrictions would need to be lifted long before you could land your private plane at a Taiwanese airport.

Just out of interest, who has a licence here? What are your hours on type and ratings?

I have heard of at least one private operator running helicopter charters. Certainly sidesteps the issue of use of airports…

The reason I ask is two-fold.

Firstly because it is difficult to remain current in Taiwan, it would be nice to get folks together to go abroad and share costs by doing a flying tour of Thailand or Malaysia, or just keep on top of the hours.

Secondly, I feel that it would be possible to set up a business registered in Taiwan which offers pleasure flights to the public, say in Kenting. This way the operator is fully licesnced and safe with the aircraft fully and properly maintained. It will be subject to government regulations and checks - all above board. The operation of the aircraft would fully adhere to the CAA regulations currently in effect.

Now if the operation is run as a business, the government will make money in the form of tax revenue from the venture. It also ties into the governments remit of promoting tourism in Taiwan and it is unique in the fact that there is no other activity similarly available in Taiwan as yet.

Now in order to receive payment for flying it is necessary to hold a CPL. But I cant see why hours building/pleasure flying for (foreign) pilots in Taiwan would not be able to take place if the pilot did not recieve payment for the hours flown for the company in the form of pleasure flights.

The only problem here is the fact that the government have to agree that such a venture is worthwhile to Taiwan and that the venture would not contravene any “China” policies . A lot of convincing needs to be done but it has to happen one day.

I would like to start this within the next two or three years. I believe that it can be done. Once this is achieved the doors could be opened to General Aviation for all in Taiwan (although whether this is a good thing or not remains to be seen).

And as Hsiaodogah stated, it may have already been made possible.

obviously I have put more thought into this than is written here, this is just a basic overview of what I have in mind.

I think this is an excellent idea.
I personally am mid ground school, I am going back to the US this summer for practical and FAA exam.
I am definitly interested in investing in such a venture. I am sure it can be done with the right connections and a good capital.

[quote][u]Flight International[/u], Brendan Sobie/Singapore, 01-07 Feb 2005

Taiwan to relax rules on owning business aircraft
Charter market expected to take off as regulations free airspace for private owners

Taiwan is preparing to ease, at the end of this year, regulations restricting business
aircraft operations, prompting two local helicopter operators to plan the acquisition
of fixed-wing aircraft.
Taiwan’s Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) late last year drafted new regulations
authorising private ownership of aircraft and the establishment of business aircraft
charter operations. Taiwan’s small general aviation community expects the new regulations,
which are now being reviewed by the CAA’s legal department and need to be reviewed by the
legislature, to be implemented by early 2006.
The CAA refuses torgister private aircraft, forcing local corporations to register and base
their aircraft overseas. The CAA also does not have any regulations governing private charters,
but is proposing to allow existing general aviation operators - which now offer medical evacuation,
firefighting and photography services - to expand into charters under a system similar to the
US FAA’s Part 135 regulations.
Sunrise Airlines is already preparing to establish Taiwan’s first business jet charter operation
with a used Raytheon Hawker 400XP. Sunrise, which now operates four Kawasaki BK117 helicopters, says
it will acquire the Hawker in the second half of this year, after it is ensured the new regulations
will be implemented. Larger new business jets may be added once a market for VIP charters is more
established.
Daily Air, another BK117 operator, also has business aircraft ambitions. The carrier says it is
negotiating to acquire four Dornier 228s that will be used for scheduled and charter services,
but will later consider adding diesel-powered Britten-Norman Islanders and business jets.
Business aircraft manufacturers for years have been pressing Taiwan to open its airspace to private
aircraft. The CAA, after reviewing general aviation operations in other countries, was preparing to
draft new regulations in June last year and implementing them by the end of 2004(Flight International,
4-10 May 2004)
. But the release of the proposed changes was delayed until October. Some manufacturers
warn it is still not a sure thing.

(no link - this is a subscription only article on their web site)
[/quote]
As per SOP in Taiwan, “a committee will be formed to review the changes and they will submit their
reccomendations to the Legislature for them to throw food at each other while making a decision to
further review the request.”
So, we’ll see what happens later this year.

For what it’s worth, this topic, Taiwan’s CAA breathing new life into general aviation there, is extremely hot right now in American aviation industry journals. In fact, TC, I saw this very Flight International piece on Raytheon’s intranet.

And I do mean hot. A Chinese company, Hangzhou something or other, took ownership of a Premier bizjet the other day in Wichita, Kansas (saw it with my own eyes).

I know it’s been a big topic of discussion with Cessna, Beech (Raytheon Aircraft, which includes Hawker jets), Learjet (Bombardier), etc. Of course, these companies are understandably prone to wishful thinking on this topic.

That said, the Hangzhou Premier was a drop-dead beautiful aircraft, and could very likely cause a major outbreak of envy in those parts of the world.

I mean, think of all the rich Taiwanese factory owners who could get back to Taipei every weekend if the CAA would only let them fly their own aircraft.

Proof’s in the pudding, though: like TC, I’ll believe it when I see it with my own eyes.

According to the rules overseas chinese or not restricted in this business

55

Air Transportation

Civil Air Transportation
General Aviation

Ministry of Transportation and Communication

Overseas Chinese are not restricted

http://www.idic.gov.tw/html/elaw-3.htm