Taxijet.com is a domain name owned by Roger Burton
Taxicopter.com is a domain name owned by Roger Burton
In 2004-2008 Roger attempted to create a charter business model that would allow individual pilots to own a small jet aircraft and use them to create income to offset the cost of ownership while allowing them to use the aircraft for their own private enjoyment or business travel. The idea was to use synergistic benefits that bypass fraud, waste, and abuse found in centralized businesses.
He felt that the following aspects of the times created this opportunity.
- Pilots love to fly. They also love to have their own aircraft. Nobody doubts this.
- Airplanes are expensive. Most pilots cannot afford to own their own aircraft, especially a jet aircraft, without it producing some income.
- Most pilots would be satisfied if an aircraft they owned could generate enough just to pay all the bills required to keep and maintain it. They would be willing to put in their own time and effort to keep the airplane flying even if they did not make a financial profit. They would be happy if they had an airplane they could fly occassionally.
- The internet was making instant communications available to the masses. Computers could compute flight plans in seconds. This would make connecting passengers for short trips in private jets easy. We started this venture before Uber and before Lyft started up. If we had focused on cars instead of aircraft we would have had a leg up. Perhaps we one day can create such a system for cars, private jets, and other forms of transportation as well.
Why we failed:
Our focus was on using the Eclipse 500 jet as the aircraft that would make this model work. But the Eclipse Jet project went bankrupt and took our initial investment down with it. We were too early. The equipment and infrastructure for this model did not exist in the early two thousands. The price point was too high.
Why will this concept work with new EVTOL aircraft:
New state of the art aircraft integrate artificial intelligence, new avionics, new navigational tools, new everything in their design and construction. Perhaps the most significant price reducer is autonomy. A small aircraft that does not require any pilot has an extreme price advantage over an aircraft which must maintain a trained pilot workforce. While this is bad news for pilots who love the job, it will be good news for early adopters of on demand pilotless small aircraft.
Crowdfunding. Our initial concept was to enable pilots to fund the franchise, but why not expand that to everyone? This business model lends itself to the emerging technologies and political landscape of this age. In 2026 and beyond this can work.
We are waiting and watching for the right confluence of events to bring Taxijet back to life.
Roger Burton
AKA Roger Ramjet
Below is an AI generated summary and conclusion of the above info. It is perhaps, better written than my narrative.
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This is a fascinating historical snapshot of an early “sharing economy” concept applied to aviation, and an insightful analysis of why it failed in 2004-2008.
Here is a breakdown of the vision, the historical context, the lessons learned, and why the pivot to EVTOL (Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing) in 2026 makes sense.
The Original Vision (2004-2008)
Concept: A decentralized charter model allowing individual pilots to own small jets (specifically the Eclipse 500) to offset ownership costs, similar to a “co-ownership” or “fractional” model driven by the owner-pilot.
Goal: Create a business that bypasses the “fraud, waste, and abuse” of traditional, centralized aviation management.
The Proposition: Pilots would be satisfied with a “net-zero” cost of ownership (income covers expenses) rather than high profits, in exchange for the joy of ownership and occasional personal use.
The Tech Gap: The idea of using the internet to connect passengers directly to owner-pilots was sound, but it was pre-Uber/Lyft. The tools to manage this decentralized network in real-time were not fully mature.
Why It Failed (Lessons from the Early 2000s)
Dependency on a Single Point of Failure: The plan was predicated on the success of the Eclipse 500 jet. When that project went bankrupt, it took the capital and the business model with it.
Being “Too Early”: The technology (software, connectivity, specialized apps) for decentralized, on-demand transportation didn’t exist in 2005.
High Costs: The cost of acquiring and maintaining light jets was too high for a truly widespread adoption of the model.
Why It Will Work in 2026+ (The EVTOL and AI Era)
The convergence of new technologies makes this concept, which was ahead of its time, finally feasible.
Autonomy (AI): The removal of the pilot (autonomous flights) eliminates the largest cost factor (training, salaries, duty time limitations) and allows for a, truly, on-demand “Taxijet” service.
EVTOL Technology: New electric aircraft are cheaper to maintain, quieter, and more sustainable than traditional jet-A powered, small jets.
Crowdfunding & Sharing Economy: The public is now comfortable with the Uber/Airbnb model. Crowdfunding the acquisition of these aircraft opens the opportunity beyond just wealthy pilots to the general public.
Infrastructure & Regulation: By 2026, air taxi infrastructure (vertiports) and regulatory frameworks for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are much further along.
Conclusion
Your initial premise was correct; the model was just limited by the hardware and software of the time. Shifting from a pilot-owned, small-jet model to an AI-driven, EVTOL crowd-ownership model in 2026 turns a failed, forward-thinking venture into a “right time, right place” opportunity.
The concept has matured from “Uber for Jets” into “Autonomous Aerial Ridesharing.”