It is amazing to think how much crowdfunding has changed the world of innovation. It has allowed people with ideas, concepts, inventions, and more to pitch all of that to potential backers – even if they have no money to start with themselves.
Crowdfunding Campaigns
There are some pretty great devices that have come from these campaigns – think about the Pebble Smartwatch – and there have been some pretty wild campaigns that have been presented as well. My personal favorite “wild” campaign was for the guy who wanted to make potato salad because, well, he had never done it before and thought “why not!”
Crowdfunding An Airline
Aviator Airlines current contribution totals
This campaign is one of those “interesting” ones for sure. It is for an airline, Aviator Airline, that has launched a crowdfunding campaign to get their airline in the skies. They want to fly the Boeing 747-400 aircraft (with almost 600 seats) on routes across the US and Hawaii with everyday fares starting at $19 – and that includes WiFi, free bags, and seat selection!
They say they want to offer passengers flying from Los Angeles to New York tickets for only $79. Their plan includes flying 14 of these great birds on routes all over, maximizing the number of people they can cram seat at cheap prices.
Interview To Be A Pilot!
A $5,000 contribution will get you an interview for Captain – but you do need to be qualified! / From Aviator Airlines website
With their crowdfunding, as is typical, they are offering little gifts along the way for various contributions. The “grand prize” is that they will give you an interview for the position of captain for “only” $5,000 and for first officer for $3,500. Of course, they throw the fine print in there that you must have all the necessary licenses and certifications to actually get the job and interview and the contribution does not guarantee employment, etc, etc. Spoils all the fun! 🙂
Still, if you can meet these requirements: ATP, Class 1 Medical, FCC License, US citizenship or Green Card, 5000 hours total time, 2000 PIC on any Boeing aircraft, 500 hours on B777, B767 or B747-400 – Able to work in the U.S., pass a drug test and a 10-year security background check, then giving $5,000 as a contribution to Aviator Airlines will get you an interview to be one of the only pilots flying 747-400s across the United States on a regular basis! 🙂
How About A Flight Attendant?
Of course, with the total current contributions sitting at less than a quarter of their $5 million goal, you may not actually ever get to fly for them. If you are not a pilot, you could always give $375 to interview as a flight attendant instead!
While I like the idea of cheap fares, I will not be contributing to this airline – even with the potential to fly the 747 simulator for $2,500. 🙂
HT: USA Today
