Megan Davies of Reuters brings us news that August Busch IV and other senior executives of Anheuser-Busch have at their disposal eight Dassault Falcon executive jets at a time when Anheuser is cutting costs to the bone; the report is from Bernstein Research. The FAA registry shows Anheuser also owns two helicopters and a hot air balloon, while some of the jets are leased from August Busch III.
John F. Kelly, Anheuser's Controller, responded yesterday that the company had cut its fleet by two but needed all the rest because direct flights from St. Louis are limited. Anheuser was also the US launch customer for the new Falcon 7x in 2007, which has the range to take August Busch to Buenos Aires or Tokyo from his St. Louis headquarters, but Kelly reports that the company got rid of it. He did not address the dissonance of beer patriot August flying around in exclusively French aircraft, although we expect a satisfactory explanation.
Stephen Busch, half-brother of Kaiser August, has been singlehandedly reversing the cost hemorrhaging involved in operating eight jets and the decline of air travel in St. Louis since TWA's collapse: the annual statement says that he occasionally pilots flights for his father, August III, gratis. There was no word on whether August Busch intends to wager the company on the outcome of a balloon race, although we might know an intern who could take Cantinflas's part.
-senior aviation boondoggle correspondent Andrew
Posted by Anal_yst , Jul 01, 2008 11:33AM
corporate largesse? At an American Company? Ya don't say!
Posted by guest , Jul 01, 2008 11:49AM
When will these companies learn that on-demand charter is a more cost effective method of private jet travel? They should really call Revolution Air and ask for Joe to provide a quote.
Posted by Anal_yst , Jul 01, 2008 12:04PM
Or just get a freakin webcam for $99 at radio shack...
just sayin
Posted by Isiah , Jul 01, 2008 12:13PM
Yes, El Guapo. You have a plethora.
Posted by guest , Jul 01, 2008 12:37PM
.....male planes.
Posted by guest , Jul 01, 2008 12:41PM
I had first thought you were joking about the hot air balloon.
Posted by guest , Jul 01, 2008 1:05PM
We raped the horses and rode off on the women!
Posted by guest , Jul 01, 2008 2:07PM
Do you know what a plethora eez?
Posted by guest , Jul 01, 2008 3:36PM
"Could eet bee because you are turning 40 today?"
I was a nice body of water not too far from St. Louis this weekend (no, not the Mississippi...smarta$$es) and all the people in boats were nothing if not fired up with support for AB...regardless of their plethora of planes, balloons, zeppelins, Cheladas, etc.
-BeckyBootFan
Posted by guest , Jul 01, 2008 4:18PM
This Andrew correspondent is good stuff.
Posted by guest , Jul 01, 2008 4:32PM
Bunch of planes without a partner
Posted by american bandersnatch , Jul 01, 2008 4:38PM
4:18 concur
Posted by guest , Jul 02, 2008 11:26AM
I just like that you used Plethora, always trying to use that under used word.
I would like to have at least one of those planes and the ballon, hey that's just advertising! Business to justify the desire to fly that's why he looks so happy in those commercials or maybe he just has a buzz! Don't be a buzz kill about his flying :(
http://www.what2fly.com