But Hype Doesn't Match Reality
The story was, that the SoloTrek, a novel but fairly
limited flying machine (as it is merely a proof-of-concept
vehicle), was garnering lots of interest, and bids, on e-Bay, the
auction site.
A breathless press release ("Priceless, One-of-a-Kind Prototype
Aircraft Creates Frenzy As Bids Continue to Climb") said, "The
SoloTrek auction began on eBay at noon PST Jan. 10 with an opening
bid of $50,000. Bidding activity began immediately and surpassed
the $500,000 mark before the end of the first day. Within 48 hours,
the bidding had gone over $1 million and continues to climb. The
auction will conclude at noon PST on Jan. 17."
We checked on Tuesday at 2PM (EST), and there weren't any bids
registered. Fifty grand was the level set for the opening
bid, assuming there will be one.
The description of the machine on the auction site was
less-glowing (more-realistic) than the claims made in the press
releases, which have been slavishly repeated on network newscasts.
The official, auction-site description is about right:
"SoloTrek XFV is a VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft
that a person steps on, straps on, and flies in an upright
position. The POC prototype achieved its first controlled hover
flight on Dec. 18, 2001 and has since continued to undergo rigorous
testing and further development. As a condition of sale, the
successful bidder will have to execute an agreement warranting that
they will use the aircraft for static exhibition and educational
purposes only. The aircraft will be sold in its as-is,
nonoperable condition." [Emphasis in original]
We called Michael Moshier, the CEO
of Trek Aerospace, to see what the disconnect was, between his
press releases and the view of reality showing on the auction
site.
A frazzled Moshier called us back, nearly immediately. "Two
hours after we issued that press release," he told us, "we figured
out that the high bidding was fraudulent."
That wasn't the best news he could have gotten; but he
took action right away. Looking closely at the e-Bay site,
you can see that this present auction began on Monday
night. (The original auction started Friday.) He explained,
"We canceled that auction, and now we have some professional folks
qualifying buyers. The bidding looked normal, until it went to
about a million dollars." If that sounded too good to be true, it
was nothing, compared to what happened next: "Then it went to five
million, and we knew something was up."
Mosier pulled the plug, and reset the bidding. He's particularly
frustrated, because, he said, "There were some legitimate bids in
there, we're sure; but it's a private auction, so we don't know who
they are."
Where does it go from here?
Mr Moshier said, "We've had prior
inquiries from museums; I just thought I'd make the process fair to
everybody." Thus, the auction format. Now, he'd like serious
("real") bidders to come forward. "We hope it will end up in a
museum; we hope we can get some cash out of it -- we'll kill two
birds with one stone."
That timing has been rough on Trek Aero. They're new to e-Bay,
and didn't realize the impact a few non-serious bidders could
cause. E-Bay isn't easy to reach by telephone; and it isn't often
that items of this potential price (as well as this novelty) get
posted. Moshier said his company, and his credibility, have been
hurt by this inexperience. Re-setting the auction was the easy
part; the press release had already been read, all over the
airwaves.
Let's suppose you really would like this gizmo:
Now, if you'd like to bid, you'll have to verify that you (and
your bank account) are real. The new auction says, "To help ensure
a smooth auction process for all participants, the seller requires
the verification of all bids. In order to place a bid on this
auction, you must first contact TransRow, Inc. at 800-652-4440 or
for international bidders you may call us at 001-818-920-5916. If
you would like to set up a time to speak to a Transrow
representative then you may do so by emailing Transrow at verify@transrow.com."
NTSB Final Report: Aviat A1
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