Who Says GA
Can't Be Green?

For those of you who read this blog regularly, you know I live in Eugene, Oregon, home to all the hippies who never stop listening to the Grateful Dead or following the writings of Ken Kesey. Eugene is the Berkeley of the Northwest, the Greenwich Village of the Left Coast, so it is not a surprise to anyone who loves Eugene as much as I do that it once was voted The Greenest City in America by greenguide.com:

Nestled in the Willamette River Valley with views of the Cascade Mountains, residents enjoy numerous bike trails, clean air and water, parkland and outlying wilderness areas. Hydroelectric and wind power contribute over 85 percent of Eugene's power, reducing greenhouse gas emissions considerably. A little over 16 percent of Eugene is green space, including athletic fields, city parks, public gardens, trails and waterfront. The city has over 2,500 acres of publicly owned wetlands, and its West Eugene Wetlands Program includes a mitigation bank, a native plant nursery, protected wetlands and educational features.

It is quite easy to see from the above pull quote how seriously we take the environment here. So it was with great joy that I read about Douglas Rodante and his Biojet on aopa.org:

The day may come when the private and commercial jets crisscrossing our skies run, at least in part, on plant-based fuels that don’t contribute to global warming or resource depletion. That’s the goal of pilot and entrepreneur Douglas Rodante who, on Oct. 1, made the first jet flight fueled by 100-percent biodiesel. Rodante and Chief Pilot Carol Sugars first flew a Czechoslovakian-built L-29 aircraft around the pattern before making a 37-minute test-flight at altitudes up to 17,000 feet the following day. The aircraft, which is rated to run on a variety of fuels, including heating oil, required no modifications to run on biodiesel.

That is so very cool. As a proponent of bio-anything, I applaud Rodante and his quest to light up his tailpipe with massive explosions of french fry oil:

Rodante plans to make a cross-country flight from Nevada to Florida at the end of November, as soon as he and his team have satisfied several FAA testing and safety requirements. And they hope to modify a Learjet to make a high-altitude round-the-world flight next year. The test program is being conducted by Green Flight International and Biodiesel Solutions.

And Rodante wants everyone to now it's not just corn that can be used in this quest:

“It’s important for people to understand that we can use a lot of different crops to make biodiesel, many of which do not compete with our food crops. There are plants you can actually grow in the desert that would work,” Rodante explained. “You don’t have to use 100-percent biodiesel,” said Rodante. “We’re doing it to make a point. But if we can implement even a small percentage of bio-fuel into commercial aviation and land transportation, the reduction in carbon emissions would be significant and contribute to alleviating our global warming problems.”

Kudos to this project, and this innovator. I hope he finds a way to build a massive biofuel plant out in Iowa somewhere where he can produce enough of his "Corn-A" to launch lots and lots of airliners skyward. In the process, I hope Rodante and his investors get filty rich, doing more then most people to actually reverse a seriously ugly trend on this planet.

It is projects like this that will change our environment for the better, as soon as January, 2009 comes along and we get a new Decider who decides that global warming is not a conspiracy manufactured by the Democrats.

Finally, An Airline with Spunk

There really is only two ways to run an airline these days in America...the old stale way, sort of like the pretzels some of the legacy carriers pass off as "food", or the balls-out way that Richard Branson is running Virgin America. If there was ever any doubt that this guy has entered this market to win, this press release distributed by PRnewswire ought to put those doubts to rest:

Virgin America recently announced that it will partner with Victoria's Secret as the official "Airline of the Angels" for the 2007 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. On Nov. 12, one of Virgin America's brand new planes will be named in honor of Victoria's Secret and will fly 27 Victoria's Secret supermodels from New York to Los Angeles for the lingerie giant's annual fashion show. As the official "Airline of the Angels," Virgin America and Victoria's Secret will also host the first ever in-flight supermodel PJ party on a Virgin America flight from New York to Los Angeles this November. Lucky guests will get to fly in style with the Victoria's Secret supermodels and check out the latest VS PJ fashions at 35,000 feet.

When you set out to get the attention of the media, nothing shouts PR STUNT quite like a couple of dozen Victoria's Secret supermodels. And as a marketing and ad guy, I cannot for a moment find anything wrong with this – it is just more brilliance from an airline that is breaking the mold every day they fly:

This is a partnership made in heaven: some of the most beautiful women in the world flying one of the sexiest planes in the skies," said Charles Ogilvie, Director of Inflight Entertainment and Partnerships at Virgin America. "We can't wait for the supermodels to practice for their runway show in the aisles under our mood-lighting, chat with each other via our instant message system, grab a drink from the mini-bar or watch one of our 25 movies on demand inflight."

If you think this brand of commercial air travel just kinda sorta beats the living crap out of the legacy carriers, then you need to get over to the Virgin America site and enter their contest to win tickets on Flight 317 from JFK to LAX on November 28 for the Victoria's Secret Supermodel PJ Party and in-flight runway show.

According to their release, Virgin America will serve as many as 10 cities within a year of operation, and up to 30 cities within five years. Their brand-new planes pamper guests with a very cool in-flight entertainment system, with plugs for laptops and other portable electronic devices, giving each seat the ability to watch satellite TV and movies, order food or chat with other guests from their own video-screen.

It is about time someone in the commercial airline business raised the bar in the entire cabin, not just first-class. I sincerely hope Virgin America creams the competition on every route they fly, because if you've flown the cattle cars of the legacy carriers lately, you'll have to agree they've been almost begging for someone like Sir Richard to come along and show them how to treat their customers.

UPDATE @ 137P on 10.31.07: AdventureGuy – a WoF reader – noticed I did not make the distinction that Jetblue already offers a more deluxe business class cabin with lots of amenities that Virgin is offering. I have posted before that I consider JetBlue to not be in that pack of what I call "legacy carriers" i.e. American, United, Delta, et al, so I hope this clears things up. Yes, JetBlue's bar is already raised far above what most other U.S. carriers consider to be an acceptable bar level.

Interesting Numbers Out Today over at ANN:

For those of us who are following the bankruptcy court sale of Bend, Oregon's Columbia Aircraft, there is some stunning news out today in a very good article by Aero-News Network's Contributor Rich Belzer. Here is the headline...which screams for you to know more:

Aero-Analysis: Is Columbia Being
Sold' For Only $1.5 Million?

You really want to know more, and here it is from ANN's Belzer:

A Breakdown Of The PSA Suggests
That Columbia Aircraft Is Being
'Sold' For $1.5 Million

If you have been following the story of the Columbia Aircraft bankruptcy, you probably have seen numbers ranging from $14 to $24 million reported in the press. But let's take a look at the actual Purchase and Sale Agreement (PSA), recently executed by Cessna and Columbia Aircraft with an eye toward understanding what Cessna has offered to pay for the most important assets, the FAA Type Certificates for both the Columbia 350 and Columbia 400 and the tooling needed to manufacture these aircraft.

Here are the numbers:

– The PSA states an approximate aggregate purchase price of $24.5 million.
– $12.5 million to be paid for inventory. This includes raw materials, work-in-process, finished goods, demonstration materials, etc… This amount would be reduced dollar-for-dollar should a pre-closing inventory reveal a lower actual value.
– $2 million to be paid to Garmin, a portion of their pre-petition claims.
– $4.3 million to cover aggregate claims for E-Vade (anti-ice) installations for which customers have already paid.
– $4.2 million to cover aggregate potential warranty claims for existing customers.

Belzer concludes his crunching of the numbers with this:

Add it all up and you get $23 million leaving only $1.5 million for Columbia Aircraft's crown jewels: its Type Certificates and tooling.

So get over to ANN right now and read this entire story, it is a good one: Use this link to access ANN.

Kudos When
Kudos Are Earned

I regularly bang on FAA for their treatment of NATCA's controllers, but when our aviation agency does something superb, they deserve to be given sufficient pats on the back.

I'm a writer who writes straight from the heart on any issue, and like a leaf being blown by the gusts of a variable Fall wind, I can be blown around just about any direction at any time. That is the underlying reason I want to cheer for FAA and DOT today after reading this on aviationweek.com:

Speaking to airline representatives before the scheduling meetings began, DOT Secretary Mary Peters said carriers are not being fair to passengers by knowingly scheduling far more flights than JFK can handle. Acting FAA Administrator Robert Sturgell added that operations at JFK are up 20% this year, and "the bottom line here is that [JFK is] scheduled beyond capacity even in ideal weather." FAA is aiming for a limit of 80-81 operations per hour, 10-30 fewer than flights scheduled during peak hours this year.

Hal-a-freakin'-lew-ya! It's about time FAA stands up to the Big Airline lobby to try and solve the problem that is at the very heart of the deteriorating level of service that all U.S. commercial air travelers must endure these days. Without question, it should be the FAA and NOT the airlines who determines how many pressurized tubes full of bodies are pushed into busy airports like JFK. If you leave it up to Corporate America, they'll overbook seats on non-existent flights into dangerously impacted airports, knowing they'll have no chance of getting or out of these fields anywhere CLOSE to on-time.

The aviationweek.com article by Adrian Schofield explains how FAA comes up with these "achievable" ops levels:

The proposed limit of 81 operations per hour in JFK's evening peak is based on the number of flights the airport routinely handled last summer, said Nancy LoBue, FAA's deputy assistant administrator for policy, planning and the environment. The proposed limit is realistic and "achievable," FAA officials said. FAA data show that JFK occasionally handled up to 90 operations an hour during June peak periods, and even hit 100 per hour for a very brief time on isolated days.

Of course, you can easily expect that any reduction in inbound airliner traffic to any field would send the Air Transport Association (ATA) into a hissing fit:

ATA agrees that FAA's proposed limit is far too low. Capacity benchmarks established previously list JFK at 100 operations an hour. ATA President Jim May is opposed to any capping of flights at the airport. In a letter sent to Peters Oct. 23, May said the "unprecedented 20% reduction in operations is premature and unnecessary, and sets a level of operations significantly less than historical throughput delivered by FAA at JFK."

It's not like FAA hasn't thrown ATA and the Big Airlines a bone here either:

FAA will initially request voluntary schedule cuts for JFK, but the agency says it will impose further cuts if the voluntary reductions are not enough.

Anyone who believes the Big Airline lobby will voluntarily cut even one profit-generating flight into JFK will be dreaming. This is a classic Washington power struggle, where airline CEO's and high-paid lobbyists refuse to have the FAA tell them what to do under ANY circumstances.

But when it comes to shoving tin tubes full of Grandmas onto strips of congested pavement less then a minute apart, it HAS to be FAA that has the final say on operation levels. And if ATA doesn't like their decision, their member airlines can take their big fat Bush administration tax break and go away. I am sure it wouldn't take long for a start-up like Virgin America to jump into the void, thrilled to operate under the safety guidelines set forth by FAA.

Maybe they ought to let NATCA's controllers have a say in just how much "tin" they can push in a given hour into JFK.

Oh wait...that makes sense. Never mind.

NATCA Not Buying What Bush is Selling

It didn't take long for NATCA to come out opposed to the Bush Administration’s nomination of Bobby Sturgell for new administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration. I have to agree with their thinking on this, because in today's Good Old Boy's Network in WDC, replacing Marion Blakey with someone groomed on her watch is like putting another helmsman in charge of steering the Titanic.

The following is a statement from NATCA President Patrick Forrey:

“NATCA opposes the nomination of Bobby Sturgell for administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration. We oppose it because America's aviation system is experiencing record delays and an unprecedented degradation of safety margins, exacerbated by the largest decline in the number of experienced air traffic controllers since 1981. The mislabeled contract that the FAA imposed upon its controller workforce on Sept. 3, 2006 has resulted in more than 1,550 air traffic controllers leaving the FAA due to a poisonous and acrimonious labor situation in which morale has never been lower. Simply put, over the past five years of this administration, we have experienced the demise of the world’s safest and most efficient air traffic system.

To me – and apparently to NATCA too – the Sturgell nomination is same crony, different gender:

“The President's nomination for FAA administrator has been an integral part of this systematic demise of controller staffing and abysmal labor-management relations. Therefore, NATCA will not support a nominee that will continue to exhibit a management philosophy that demoralizes its valuable workforce to the point of leaving.

Well put. I absolutely agree with NATCA that FAA has fumbled the ball regarding the pathetic way they treat our controllers. I have been involved with union negotiations a time or two as a Teamster worker, and the back and forth of labor relations is never pretty. But this recent rash of deplorable treatment towards NATCA's rank and file workers smells like FAA is actually TRYING to provoke a strike so they can Ronald Reagan the controllers straight to the unemployment lines. Again, from a NATCA release:

“Air traffic controllers remain committed to a goal of safety above all. We support modernization and want to be part of any plans to improve the safety and efficiency of the system. However, until the FAA embraces a collaborative relationship with its controllers, beginning with a fair collective bargaining process and a contract we can ratify, the outlook for the workforce and the system remains grim.”

I privately predicted this exact scenario would play out. Bush will nominate someone who will keep his agenda moving forward, a BFF who will play on his team to make sure Congress passes some sort of fat tax break for his Big Airline CEO buddies, because it's what The Decider wants.

And what The Decider wants is what America gets shoved down our throats. At least until January 20th, 2009, when The Decider and his cronies go back under their rock.

This Just Reaks

A reader sent me a tip today on a story about what has happened to ex-FAA Administrator Marion Blakey now that she has left the agency.

Like so many appointees in the Bush administration, what they do on the job working for the Feds matters little...what matters is the sweetheart deals they can generate so they can leave office and skate into a cushy six to seven figure "trophy job" in the private sector.

Because ethics in Bush's administration have been replaced with plundering of the public money trough, it is absolutely no surprise that this has occurred. From USA Today:

The nation's top aviation regulator is under criticism for accepting a job as head of a trade group that frequently lobbies for the aviation industry on government spending and policy. Marion Blakey, who heads the Federal Aviation Administration, agreed in July to become president and CEO of the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA), starting Nov. 12. The association represents firms her agency oversaw and awarded contracts to during her five-year tenure.

You can bet your farm that Blakey has become BFFs with AIA's member companies as they lobbied The Hill for fat government contracts. She states that she's been "scrupulously careful" to follow federal ethics rules and had no direct involvement in any AIA issues since she began job negotiations with them this summer. And like everyone that has served under The Decider, certainly she HAS to be telling the truth. Right? Her lips were moving, I saw them...

But you have to admit, this Administration's top people have sure perfected the fine art of connecting the dots between Corporate America and their wallet:

USA Today reported that federal executives at Blakey's level earn an annual salary is $168,000, according to the U.S. government's "Plum Book." Blakey and AIA have not released her new salary, but federal tax forms indicate the guy she is replacing made $531,653 in 2005.

Now I'm all for making as much cash as you can, but if all our government can pay an agency's top banana is a paltry $168,000, no wonder they all eventually bail and go cash in at Halliburton, Blackwater or AIA.

The hiring of Blakey by AIA has raised some red flags too. Groups that monitor what tries to be passed off as "ethics" in Washington were highly critical. "It raises some pretty serious ethics questions," said Melanie Sloan, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW). But while it does appear Blakey would be in a fine position to aim the W.D.C. Federal money machine at AIA's member corporations, the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 seems to have been written with Marion Blakey in mind:

The restrictions in it [the Ethics in Government Act of 1978] create a lifetime bar against communications, including submission of memoranda, letters, and telephone calls, to an employee of the United States "in connection with a particular matter involving a specific party or parties, in which [the former employee] participated personally and substantially as an employee." This prohibition seeks to prevent a former employee from "switching sides" by representing a party in a matter in which the former employee had previously worked as a government employee.

So I guess it was her stellar record that attracted a fat salary from AIA? Their Board of Directors must have held their noses on this hire, because anyone who looks at the current state of affairs at FAA would easily see that on Marion Blakey's watch, the agency has stumbled on many levels, the most visible of which is the deplorable way they treat NATCA's Air Traffic Controllers.

An Easier Way

There can be no disputing one fact about flying machines...most of them HATE ice. Sure the rich guys up in the flight levels get to tool around in jets and turboprops that are certified for FIKI (flight into known icing), but the rest of us 'Ham and Eggers' have to clod along below FL180, avoiding any opportunity to turn our airplanes into popsicles.

As a strictly VFR driver for the past 11 years, I have not cared much about the icing dangers lurking inside freezing wet clouds. But now as an airplane owner and IFR flight student, the chances are high that very soon – when I begin actual IFR training in our new 235 – I will find myself looking at the inside of clouds, the realm of only a fraction of licensed pilots.

I consider myself to be quite good at guessing the weather, and can use any number of Internet tools to make an educated stab at what is going to be happening outside my window. Of course, like many of my readers, I look at DUATS text forecasts, and can decipher all but the most obscure gibberish. But the one thing that has always been a challenge was trying to figure out what the freezing levels are along my route, based on this kind of thing found in Airmet Zulu:

FRZLVL...RANGING FROM 045-ABV 160 ACRS AREA
080 ALG 20NW BLI-PDT-30SW BKE-40WNW REO-50SW REO
120 ALG 140WSW HQM-40S EUG-50SSE OED-50W FMG-40NNE CZQ-40SSE BTY
160 ALG 140SSW SNS-120WSW RZS-80SW LAX-40WNW MZB-20S MZB

See, the rub here is that to translate this, you need to either (a) go look up a bunch of NAVAID identifiers in the latest AF/D, or (b) have every freakin' one of the VORs in America memorized. The first option is very time-consuming, and the latter is impossible unless you're Kreskin the Magnificent.

But...as always, someone out there on The Internets has developed a solution that is perfectly easy.

We all know Trade-a-Plane is top shelf for searching out (or selling) a plane, but did you know they have very good weather available for their subscribers? WeatherTAP.com is turning out to be my first look source for my personal cyber WX briefings. Here is what I look at with weatherTAP.com with a collection of bookmarks I have on my Firefox bookmarks bar:

First, Do No Harm...

As a first-time airplane owner, I am having daily revelations that excite my aviator's soul. I am still in the giddy phase of ownership, when a trip out to the hangar just to gawk at 8527W is time well spent.

This is not the first time I have "owned" a plane...I was one half of a two-pilot partnership in a Cessna 172 Skyhawk for a while right before moving to Oregon. But in that deal, the owner did all of the maintenance and coordinated repairs...I simply paid half the bills, opened the hangar and flew "Peggy" every other week.

But as sole owner (with my wife of course) of our yet-unnamed Cherokee 235, the responsibility for keeping her flying is mine and mine alone. In the majority of the time I have logged, it was in rental aircraft, and about the only thing I cared about with the engine was that there was sufficient oil in the crankcase. Now, the airworthiness of everything from the spinner to the stabilator is my domain, and facing that is a daunting chore.

So far in my ownership of 27W, I have solved a few quick riddles easily. I didn't know that my mish-mash of three different types of mono headsets wouldn't work with the SoftComm stereo intercom. A quick trip to Radio Shack for some adapters fixed that one cheap and easy. And the damned little air vent knobs seem to all wanted to come loose at the same time, so a second trip to Radio Shack allowed me to acquire four perfect replicas of the worn knobs that were in the plane. I didn't know that Radio Shack sells aviation supplies...and from the befuddled look on the clerk's face when I asked about knobs and intercom adapters for an AIRPLANE, I guess they didn't know either.

These have been relatively easy fixes, safe territory for a guy who doesn't even like to change the oil in his Toyota pick-up. So when I read FAA's list of the 32 things a pilot/owner can do themselves for preventive maintenance, only these few look safe for this non-mechanic:

(8) Replenishing hydraulic fluid in the hydraulic reservoir,
(10) Apply preservative or protective material to components where no disassembly of any primary structure or operating system is involved,
(11) Repair upholstery and decorative furnishings of the cabin when the repairing does not require disassembly of any primary structure or operating system or interfere with an operating system or affect the primary structure of the aircraft,
(17) Replace bulbs, reflectors, and lenses of position and landing lights.

Yes, I think I can replace a light bulb without causing any airworthiness issues with FAA. But some of these other things that I can legally do to my plane would be serious and potentially even fatal mistakes if attempted by a guy – me – who can't unscrew a Pepsi bottle without stripping the cap's threads:

(1) Removal, installation, and repair of landing gear tires,
(14) Replace safety belts,
(20) Replace or clean spark plugs and setting of spark plug gap clearance,
(22) Replace prefabricated fuel lines,
(31) Remove and replace self-contained, front instrument panel-mounted navigation and communication devices that employ tray-mounted connectors that connect the unit when the unit is installed into the instrument panel.

So with both feet, I hereby jump in, ready to learn everything I need to learn about keeping a vintage Cherokee flying. One thing that is on my side is the fact that this particular 235 has been a reliable performer for 43 years, so odds are in my favor that this yet unnamed bird will continue to achieve flight when power is added and gobs of air are sent plundering across those gargantuan Hershey Bars hanging off both sides of the fuselage.

Yes, I love my engine...the guys at Corona Cylinder made it so clean, I plan to eat a meal off of it soon. But sometimes, when you love something, you must set it free. That is why I will never EVER do anything mechanical to that purdy Lycoming under the cowl...it will always go across the patch to the A & P.

And they had better know what they are doing...I don't want anything happening to my mistress. I hear her name might be Katy...I'm O.K. with that.

MSNBC Jumps
On Our
Bandwagon

Secret agents have knife blades built into the toes of their shoes, and international spies keep poison-filled pen darts in their coat pocket. When things get dicey, they know that these weapons may give them the strategic advantage they need to clobber their opponent.

In business – which often resembles war – smart business people also need to acquire every advantage over the competition to win the dogfight and seal a profitable deal. And this week, MSNBC is telling the world what we pilots already know...owning your own aircraft is the single best way to set your business apart from those other guys in your trade who are still dumb enough to fly commercial:

When a meeting with clients runs late, Andy Davidson doesn't have to worry that his plane will leave without him. Instead of impatiently waiting in mile-long security lines or silently waging war over a shared airplane armrest, Davidson can walk straight to his own six-seater, climb into the cockpit and take off. Most executives like Davidson either buy or lease small planes, called single-engine pistons, with seating room equivalent to a family sedan and the ability to fly up to about 1,000 miles. With many airlines cutting back flights to smaller destinations, small-business owners and mid-level executives are realizing that flying themselves might actually be feasible.

It is true, as airline service deteriorates, the Big Carriers have become GA's best salesmen. MSNBC continues with a story that reads like music to any aircraft sales guy's ear:

The benefits of private-plane travel are all too evident to anyone who's ever been bumped from an overbooked flight or waited for takeoff at rush hour. Executive pilot Steven Hall, the managing director of his own executive compensation consulting firm, said he leaves his house only 30 to 40 minutes before he plans to take off rather than the two hours he budgets to go through security lines when taking a commercial flight. He said private planes, which leave from much smaller airports, are also not subject to the same delays in departures and arrivals as commercial flights using major airports. "Most of us who travel on business can tell stories of sitting on the ground for four hours waiting for the plane to be cleared for takeoff for what was supposed to be a 90-minute flight," Hall said.

The MSNBC piece also explains how a company plane can be a valuable asset well worth the price of admission:

Richard Shine, who owns Manitoba Corp., a metal recycling business outside of Buffalo, N.Y., credits his plane with just that. Starting in the 1970s, companies in upstate New York that once provided scrap metal to Manitoba started moving their businesses elsewhere. To expand the company's supply base, Shine began using a small plane, in which he owned a half-interest, to find new suppliers. Since then, the company has bought a bigger plane — a Mitsubishi Mu-2 Solitaire — and now makes the aircraft a major part of its marketing materials. "We think of it as the same as having another sales person on staff," said Shine, a former Air Force pilot. "It costs about the same, but it doesn't complain and it's almost always willing to work."

It is seriously refreshing to see the mainstream media tooting our horn. I hope a few hundred rich business men and women see this story and decide to order their new plane. It will be the smartest business decision they have every made. Of course, you already knew that, but it is great to see Average Joe and Jane get that message delivered to them via a non-aviation media outlet.

In case YOU are ready to gain that competitive advantage for your company, here are a few places to start shopping:

Now THIS is
Getting Interesting!

Oh baby, don't write Cessna that deposit check just yet for your new low-wing, composite Cessna (Columbia) 350/400. While Cessna has signed a Letter of Intent to acquire the Bend, Oregon maker, Cirrus has now jumped into the fray big time and has joined the bidding for Columbia Aircraft Manufacturing Corp.

Whoa, who say THAT coming? Associated Press was reporting this late last week:

BEND, Ore. (AP) — The number of interested buyers for the Bend-based company now numbers at least four with the addition of Cirrus Design Corp. of Duluth, Minn., the world's second-largest manufacturer of single-engine, piston-powered general aviation aircraft. Cirrus, a major competitor of general aviation titan Cessna, filed a motion late Thursday with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Portland, expressing interest and saying that Columbia's proposed bidding process unfairly favors Wichita, Kan.-based Cessna Aircraft Co. The two other potential buyers are investment firm Versa Capital Management Inc. and high-tech manufacturer Park Electrochemical Corp.

The hometown paper in Cirrus Country, the Duluth News Tribune, has been all over this story this week:

Cessna, the largest manufacturer of piston-engine airplanes in the nation, already has signed a letter of intent with Columbia, announcing plans to purchase the company and its operations for an undisclosed sum, plus the assumption of certain debts. Columbia listed $60 million in unsecured debts in its bankruptcy papers. Before Cessna can proceed with the acquisition, however, other interested parties must be given an opportunity to bid for Columbia. That auction is slated to take place Nov. 21.

The News Tribune gets into what the motivation behind a Cirrus bid means, including the obvious:

Cessna’s purchase of Columbia could put it in a stronger position to compete with Cirrus, now the nation’s second largest piston-engine airplane manufacturer and maker of the SR22, the best-selling aircraft in the world. Cirrus CEO Alan Klapmeier was unavailable for comment Monday but issued a statement about Columbia, saying: “Naturally, Cirrus would express interest given some of the similar advanced technologies in the Columbia and how the line could complement the current Cirrus SR line. Cirrus has the ability to expand the business and at the same time further enhance the value of our business. Obviously, we also have the capabilities to take great care of the customers."

One can only assume that Cirrus wants no part of adding almost identical airframes to their product line. If that is the case, the only logical play they are making is a defensive one, dropping cash on the table to keep Columbia out of the hands of Cessna. Or, my theory is...

Another possibility – which is purely speculation at this point – is that Columbia has a new product under development that will help Cirrus grab a larger piece of market share, without all that pesky research and development. Maybe it is a six-place turboprop, or a twin diesel...or even a light jet. In any of those scenarios, Cirrus saves significant time and money moving a new plane to market by acquiring any new designs that Columbia has languishing in their skunk works.

This is a story I'm going to follow closely, it is just too important to the future of GA. Mark your calendars for November 21st – a day that ought to be very interesting for the aviation business community.

Atlanta Controllers
Deserve Better!

It is painfully easy to see that at nearly every level in W's Washington, cronies are celebrating their "no bid" wealth while their agencies flounder. As a pilot, one of the most glaring examples of this is at FAA, where we see the katrinization of the Atlanta Air Route Traffic Control Center in Hampton, Georgia is in now full swing. From a 10.10.07 NATCA press release:

The nation’s busiest air traffic control facility, Atlanta Air Route Traffic Control Center, is currently the site of a dangerous mold and fungus infestation that has reached crisis proportions after sickening scores of employees, adding an extraordinary amount of anxiety and stress to an already difficult work environment and has even led an outside contractor to pull its employees out of the building due to the serious health concerns. Specifically, there is a fungus called Scopulariopsis in the control room. Spores from this fungal source are being dispersed through the air. Fungal samples were taken at the facility on Sept. 20 by Analytical Environmental. According to NATCA Atlanta Center Facility Representative Calvin Phillips, approximately half of the more than 300 controllers in the facility have suffered various degrees of health problems over a prolonged period of time.

So that coughing sound you hear in your headset is that of a ZTL controller choking on what FAA considers to be air. This is just wrong on so many levels to see what FAA has become:

In July, Atlanta Center’s notoriously leaky roof was exposed before a Congressional committee, which reviewed photos of trash cans placed near controllers’ radar scopes to collect rainwater falling into the control room. But NATCA says that was just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Years of dampness has caused the mold to flourish beneath the raised floor. The FAA ignored the warnings and pleas of the workforce and issued sick leave abuse letters instead.

The entire Georgia Congressional delegation has had enough, and recently sent a letter to Transportation Secretary Mary Peters on the serious situation at ZTL, urging her to correct the problems of mold, air quality and the leaking roof immediately:

“We are concerned that the poor conditions at Atlanta Center are affecting the health of employees at the facility while detrimentally impacting the safety and efficiency of the airspace for which they are responsible. The FAA has a responsibility to ensure a safe workplace for these employees. The lack of urgency in correcting this problem is frustrating."

We know that FAA and NATCA are locked into a "no holds barred" cage match right now, and the NATCA press releases on the conditions at ZTL are so alarming, they are almost unbelievable. But when every member of the Georgia Congressional Delegation signs a letter urging FAA to act, there can be no question this is a serious issue. Maybe FAA just thinks ZTL is a tiny little radar room that doesn't matter in our airspace system...but they're dead wrong if they write these important controllers off:

Atlanta Center is responsible for the safe flow of air traffic in over 104,000 square miles of airspace encompassing parts of Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, Alabama and Kentucky, including all of the aircraft landing and departing Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson and Charlotte’s Douglas International. In 2006, the facility handled over 3.125 million aircraft. The facility is divided into seven areas of specialization and operates 45 sectors.

Forget about thinking they are qualified to build any sort of NexGen Satellite ATC system, these guys can't even get the roof fixed. This is what The Decider has let happen to your FAA...we now have rotting centers filled with dangerously disgruntled controllers.

N8527W's New Home

Words on a blog cannot rightfully express what it feels like to final have our Cherokee 235 officially home in it's new hangar in Eugene...I want to shout it to the world.

I first laid eyes on airplanes at age 10, and knew someday I would not only fly those crazy flying machines, but also own one. When you do the math, that is 41 years from those fence-hanging days to yesterday, when I finally made it home with our new plane.

After signing papers on October 6th, I spent the best part of last week trying to figure out a way to get the plane up here, as weather was low minimums and crud all week. But magically, as soon as Julie cashed in some of our miles and arranged for Alaska Airlines to give us two free tickets into LAX, the weather Gods understood the severity of the situation and ordered up clear skies for yesterday, the 13th...my REALLY lucky day.

The flight into LAX was a non-issue, Alaska today remains one of my favorite airlines. After dodging cement trucks and clowns on a long list of unnamed freeways from hell, the old owner of 27W delivered Jim and I to his hangar. As he pulled his plane out of the hangar for the last time, I felt kind of sorry for the guy. He is a very good dude, and it has been plain to see throughout this deal that he loved 27W very much. If anyone needed proof that we develop personal relationships with our planes, look no further than our airplane's previous owner. It must be a helluva good bird if he had this much trouble giving it up.

CFI Jim had filed IFR for us to Redding, and Whiteman Airport was maybe 2000 overcast. After a very good pre-flight, Jim and I pile in, stow our gear, plug in our mismatched headsets and fire up. Once the Lycoming 0-540 was purring, we soon noticed the SoftComm intercom HATED his stereo David Clarks and my mono Telex headsets. We fiddled and fussed, and shut down. Twenty minutes later, we resolved the deal, fired up again, and headed for Oregon...sort of.

You see, tiny little Whiteman Airport is crammed in between busy Van Nuys to the west, and Burbank immediately to the east. Apparently, getting an IFR release out of there is no easy task, as we were No. 5 in the line of GA planes all wanting to blast off into the IMC. After FORTY MINUTES in line burning up valuable fuel, we were finally cleared to the active, and as I firewalled the throttle (O.K. screwed it in really), my ownership of this great plane officially started at the precise moment that the gear broke ground:

We had filed direct Gorman VOR, V23 to Redding. What they gave us was some sort of "unpublished" IFR departure out of Whiteman, real bizarro world stuff. Maybe if they had PUBLISHED it, the route would not have been a surprise to my zillion hour ATP CFI! So instead of direct GMN, we are sent into a series of 360-degree climbing left turns up through the clouds! From this day forward, I can now say that the very first 10 minutes of my time logged at the controls of 27W were a test of full-tilt IFR maneuvering in IMC, climbing AND turning...whew. Just as I my head entered the clouds, Jim smoothly told me to "fly it just like it was your PC simulator." And damn if he wasn't right on about that, as I flew easily to IFR practical test standards...just like I was pushing X-Plane through simulated weather.

Next up, we find out the S-Tec autopilot is screwed up...holds altitude but not course from the GPS or NAV 1. I'm pissed, but with six hours of hand flying to IFR standards in front of me, no time now to be angry. So we cruise along happily at 65 percent power at a true airspeed of about 125 knots. We glide over Fresno, where my love of aviation began, and eventually set up for the ILS 34 approach into RDD.

I am amazed at how stable the 235 is in all phases of flight. Shave off a few RPMs, and the Cherokee settles into a smooth 750-1,000 fpm descent...no trimming needed. On each step-down and level-off, I add power back in, and the plane responds with perfect no trim return to 125-130 knots straight and level. Somehow, I missed learning this wonderful technique in all the Cessna products I have piloted, where I had grown quite used to continuously spinning the trim wheel of misfortune with ever power change. But 27W is like nothing I have ever flown...she feels like a little airliner slipping down the glide slope. I am in LOVE now.

After a few appetizers in the lounge at Peter Chu's, I am initiated into the plane ownership world when I see my VISA get dinged $278 for 58 gallons of highly-refined dead dinosaurs. Ouch. I have just witnessed the major difference between renting a "wet" aircraft, and owning a dry one.

We continue to slide north, and I marvel that the setting sun looks perfect from our perch level at ten grand. Approaching EUG, we again get stepped down, and I love being in the IFR environment. This is MY airspace, buddy, keep your bubble away from mine!

It is officially "night", the post lights are glowing, and the weather is right at 3 miles in haze. The only approach from the south is a VOR/DME, and without DME, we choose to continue on to a visual approach to the big commercial runway, 34L. It is lit up like Disneyland on the Fourth of July, and the sequential lights of the "rabbit" are pointing the way home. The remarkably courteous controller (hey, this IS Eugene, what else would you expect?) dims the runway lights, which to my IFR rookie eye are still plenty bright enough to allow Stevie Wonder to grease in a 747.

In a second, I taxi up to 27W's new home, and shut down. My lovely wife meets us (with the dog, and NO he's not getting an airplane ride any time soon) and snaps a few pictures. We gently ease the Cherokee into it's new hangar, making sure not to rearrange the walls with the stabilator. My face hurts from smiling, and after 6.9 hours hand-flying to IFR standards, we go home and I collapse in an exhausted heap. Inside, I am giggling uncontrollably, but the exterior of this private pilot shows the wear and tear of the hardest, longest day of my 11-year flying career.

It is done, we are home, it is ours. And it feels as good as I thought it would.

Jumping Right
Into the IFR System

After passing a no squawk annual last Friday at Van Nuys, I closed the deal, signed all required papers, and the plane was ours. But after the plans to have the previous owner fly it to Eugene fell through due to weather last Satuday, plan B was put into action. So this Saturday, I will fly commercial with my CFI-I to LAX, and shuttle over to Pacoima to pick up N8527W and head north.

It is no secret that I want to get my Instrument Rating, so I can use the new plane up here in Oregon. So my instructor will fly right seat with me for the trip home, and has planned a full IFR trip with a fuel and grub stop in Redding. His theory is that this will be a great opportunity to teach me in real-world IFR conditions, while also getting to know my new flying machine. I will talk to LA Center, and if I'm doing it right, I'll fly on a tight ribbon of airspace reserved just for me, holding heading and altitude like a 20-year Line Captain.

In a couple of days, after blasting two-seven whiskey off Whiteman for the last time, we'll crank it around to the north direct Gorman, punch out and up to ten grand, and then sit back and give that sweet S-Tec 50 a nice flight test. I am very eager to finally – after almost 12 years of VFR flying – be taking it to the next level, quite literally.

After I get my IFR ticket, I look forward to filing IFR and tooling up to places like Boeing Field, where I'll dance with Dreamliners as they depart Everett. In a VFR world, getting into a field like that would be a crapshoot, being vectored like second class traffic just so ATC can keep you out of the intakes of a 747 on short final. But on an IFR flight plan, I will have as much right to my little chunk of airspace as the -47, and ATC will have me on the ground in no time.

On my delivery flight home this weekend, I hope to get a dose of low clouds and light rain as we depart Los Angeles, proceed on course as filed, and then shoot an ILS approach into RDD for some killer Chinese at the terminal. Leg two ought to take us into real IMC north of Medford, and just past Roseburg – where the notorious 4,000 overcast ceiling begins – we ought to be setting the panel up for the ILS 16R approach into EUG. Tick past imaginary places like FRAKK and HOCUM, intercept the localizer and slide down the glide slope to minimums, arriving with a greaser to remember. While some pilots would stay parked when the Willamette Valley stays overcast, Dano Airlines will be flying soon, as long as (a) freezing levels are far higher then any passes, and (b) the thunder and lighting is over in Kansas where it belongs.

As I sit here typing this – waiting for 6A on Saturday morning when Alaska launches me southbound direct LAX – the sweeping second hand on the wall clock cannot move fast enough. To finally have a plane of my very own sitting 656 NM away and not be able to see it, touch it, caress it, is pure torture if you are me. But patience will prevail, I will fill the next 34 hours with work and restless sleep, and it'll be parked in my hangar before I know it.

It is at that point, when I can open my hangar and gawk at the most beautiful plane in the world, that the rest of my life begins. Halla-freakin-lewya!

'Virgin' Airlines
Takes on a
New Meaning

Found a really hilarious news story today on Aero-News Network. It's about Sir Richard Branson and his start-up airline trying to again do something no other airline would dare try. This seems to be a recurrent theme on my blog, but I am fascinated with Branson and Virgin America. When other carriers are zigging left, Branson zags right, and this en route publicity stunt is still pretty cool. From ANN:

The flamboyant billionaire plans to perform a wedding ceremony Wednesday at 35,000 feet, onboard the inaugural Virgin America flight from San Francisco International to Las Vegas, NV. Branson will join his marketing director and his marketing director's fiance in holy -- and marketing-friendly -- matrimony, according to Virgin corporate communications director Abby Lunardini.

If you are wondering how a "Sir" can legally marry people over here in the states, it's because he reportedly is ordained as a minister in the Universal Life Church, an accreditation that can be applied for online.

Right now, the Virgin site shows they plan service to JFK, IAD, LAS, LAX and SFO. Anyone who watches this competitive Big Airline shell game expects that route list to swell very soon, mostly because Virgin is definitely not your grandfather's airline:

"We thought Virgin America and Las Vegas would be a perfect match," Lunardini said. "Since many people travel to Vegas to get a quickie marriage, we thought it would be a fun thing to do, to have a wedding on the flight." After the wedding, Branson and the rest of the Virgin gang -- including Virgin America CEO Fred Reid -- will host a party at the Wynn resort, according to Lunardini... replete with a celebrity poker game and dancing girls, natch. While an in-flight wedding isn't something you'd expect from, say, United or American Airlines, it does fit the admittedly zany style Virgin America has used to set itself apart from other low-cost carriers.

Uh, yeah. ANN goes on to help you rid yourself of any doubt that this airline is in a class all alone:

As you may recall, this is the airline that asked its passengers to name its planes; Branson also received some ink for tossing a glass of water at Comedy Central host Stephen Colbert, during an interview to promote Virgin's naming of one of its A320s "Air Colbert." So, one could argue in-flight nuptuals is actually rather tame, for this group anyway... but that isn't all Branson apparently has planned. In a release to ANN, Virgin sent out notice of another planned activity marking the launch of Virgin America's Vegas service... Sir Richard also plans to repel 407 feet off the Palms Casino Resort's Fantasy Tower, in a ceremony hosted by magicians Penn and Teller.

You simply HAVE to love Branson's style. He is one colorful dude, but let's be real – If any of us had his coin and owned an airline, we too would be doing just about any damn legal thing we wanted. Paint the planes hot pink with lime green polka dots? Hell yes. Serve 101 kinds of imported beer? Why not. An on board Alderwood Bar-b-que? Just gotta figure out the exhaust system and that side 'o beef will be history, brother.

The most exciting thing about watching the Virgin America story unfold is that nobody has any clue what they will do next.

Ed. note: This post is a little dated since it was originally written 10.09.07 - dan

Contemplating The
Future of Cessna's NGP

On July 24, 2006 at EAA Airventure Oshkosh, Cessna officials knocked the aviation community on their rear when they flew their Next Generation Piston – or NGP – overhead while Jack Pelton was speaking outdoors at a podium. Pundits made note that the NGP, which was at that point still quite secretive, was flown in such a way that photographers had to shoot straight into the sun, to make sure they couldn't get a clean shot of the future of Cessna.

That same low-contrast shot has circulated on the Internets for a couple of years now, and every once in a while, we see news leak out about the NGP flight testing program, or rumors of the kind of engine it may have in the nose. Forums have been buzzing since that Oshkosh flight, with Cessna faithful trying their hand at playing the guessing game, all trying to figure out this future bird.

But when Cessna signed the letter of intent recently to buy Columbia, some are now speculating that it might be the end of the NGP program. So let's ponder the single-engine line-up presented by the Kings of Kansas after that deal is consummated, shall we:

First, the things we absolutely think we know: With the optional BRS parachute system, the Skycatcher LSA from Cessna is the hottest idea to come out of Kansas in some time. This is the kind of plane that ought to launch the dreams of many people who have wanted to fly but can't stomach the high price of most all other new aircraft. We all know this model validates the Light Sport category, so everyone expects the Model 162 to be around even after the ink dries on the Columbia deal.

Never in a million years is Cessna going to end the 172 Skyhawk program. Even with a base price of price of $254,500 for a G1000-Equipped Skyhawk 172S, it is virtually unimaginable that they would ever stop making the model that most of the non-flying public thinks of when they think of small planes. Plus, the Skyhawk will now be the next step up the food chain for many of those Skycatcher buyers.

Next, we have the 182 Skylane, which will clear your bank accounts of $379,500 for the NAV III turbocharged model. Yes, the Skylane is fast and strong, with a great safety record. But how does it fit into the post-Columbia lineup? That question takes us to...

The Stationair. If you tack options like TAS Traffic from Bendix King, TAWS-B from Garmin and air conditioning from Keith to the base NAV III Equipped Stationair T206H, you'll drop $585,065 before they hand you the keys. I don't need to tell anyone that a big, classy, comfortable brand new 206 is still hard to swallow at just south of six hundred grand. With Piper offering the Matrix at just a shade more then that, expect the Stationair team to have their song and dance ready for the Board of Directors when decision time comes.

Which brings us to NGP. From across the ramp, the NGP looks an awful lot like the 206..high wing, big cabin, lots of power. Sure the differences are endless, but is their line-up in need of a swoopy, composite 206 look-alike?

Now throw Cessna (Columbia) 350 and/or 400 low-wing, composite speedsters into the line-up, and you have an overflow situation. So if I had to make the prediction you tuned in for, it's this: 162, 172 stays for sure, and 182 has a 50/50 chance of survival after the Columbia marriage. There is still a market for 206 around the world, but they keep it in the line-up ONLY if NGP gets the axe. And of course, they will push sales of the low-wingers like crazy – that's a no-brainer – or they wouldn't have bought Columbia.

That means that the NGP may well be toast.

The lucky few that watched that one lone NGP fly out of the sun at OSH may have watched history being made, because they might have saw one of the only public appearances of a plane that now may never get built. And if Cessna does proceed with building it, it will be confirmation that Independence has plans to convert their entire lineup to composite.

One thing is a Sure Thing: Cessna, as always, is in this game to win. They will always produce great planes, and regardless of if they are made of plastic, tin or some future material, there will always be Cessnas out at the little airfield on the edge of town that young boys and girls can watch take off and land, their dreams of flying being fully stoked.

Virgin America
Gets it Right!

Popular Mechanics really gets to the meat of the matter regarding aviation stories, and this article on how Virgin America is re-inventing coach air travel is encouraging. Since the Big Airlines are always on a "carrot-and-stick" course when it comes to competition, maybe once the flying public and media gets a taste of what coach air travel can be, the other Bigs will follow suit.

Here are some excerpts from yet another great piece of writing from Popular Mechanics:

(August 9, 2007) Transportation pioneer Richard Branson is taking on the high-tech heavy hitters of the U.S. skyways with Virgin America, which launched its inaugural flights yesterday. From lavatory lounge music to LED mood lighting that mimics the phases of a Space Age sunset, Virgin has decked out a fleet of Airbus A320’s to make them the sexiest commercial aircraft yet—and maybe the smartest.

Airborne Internet: A subsidiary of Branson’s TV-laden Virgin Atlantic empire across the pond, Virgin America features an In-Flight Entertainment system (IFE) with a 9-in., 1024 x 600 seatback touchscreen—for every passenger, in a system, affectionately termed “Red.” There are dual 802.11b Wi-Fi access points, though they’re only broadcasting SSIDs for now—full connectivity is pending Federal Administration Administration approval and should be streaming by next year. Even the flight attendants will be connected with Wi-Fi-enabled handhelds that make the classic silhouette call button look just about as antiquated as a hotel’s front-desk bell. But who needs a bell when you have fresh food—yes, food—on demand at the touch of a screen?

Portable Voltage: Sick of racing to finish your expense report at 35,000 feet before your laptop dies? Virgin finally brings to the skies what Amtrak has had on the rails for years: 110-volt AC outlets, with enough power for two jacks for every three seats (an energy hedge we can almost stomach). With each seat-side socket comes a USB port and an Ethernet port that connect you into a LAN with all other passengers. Which brings us to ...

Flying Chat Rooms: Even at cruising altitude, there’s no escaping the MySpace-AIM phenomenon of connectivity. Virgin’s “Red” system not only plugs you into an outlet and the Internet, it connects you with an airborne social network that allows you to chat with fellow passengers on a private-, group- or plane-wide scale. Hit Talk on the touchscreen menu and you click into a map of flight-mates, each seat marked by a screen name and profile. Something to really talk about: Google Maps is built into the entertainment system—for mid-air itinerary planning, sure, but also for real-time tracking of your plane. Zoom down below eight times over—rather than crane your neck from the aisle seat.

Open-Source Gaming: As a Linux platform, the aircraft’s IFE is open-source savvy. With a full gaming control pad, qwerty keyboard and streaming graphics, the system puts geek-infamous first-person shooter Doom aloft. Virgin promises a small handful of other open-source video games and kid’s programs, plus an open-source game development competition, inviting programmers to compete for a spot in the sky.

That, my friends, is a glimpse of your future when you travel by commercial airliner. If VA's Red service is wildly popular – as it is easy to predict it will be – the competition will have two choices, develop similar technology or watch as Virgin quickly expands its routes and pulls away passengers in droves.

Major league kudos to everyone at Virgin for this move...it is long overdue. Now if they will just start service out of Eugene, Oregon...

The Start of
Something Big

I am sitting in the Burbank Airport and for the first time in my life, I am an airplane owner. Not a piece of a plane, not a partner, not a wannabe who rents...I am an airplane owner. And it feels fantastic:

On Friday I finished the paperwork and took "possession" of Piper Cherokee N8527W, a 1964 model with great IFR avionics and a "so clean you could eat off of it" 100-hour engine. It comes to me with a fresh annual and pitot/static certification, and I could not have envisioned a better plane to own. Two-seven whiskey has everything I need to fly serious and safe IFR at 125-135 knots indicated, guided by an altitude-hold S-Tec autopilot that is worth its weight in gold.

I had intended to close the deal Friday and then accompany the old owner of the plane north to Eugene to deliver our plane to its new home in Oregon. But as we reviewed the outlook briefing for Saturday the 6th, it looked great up to NorCal, and then crud and scud north of there into EUG. While 27W is more than capable of continued flight through IMC (providing there is no known icing present), the old owner was not comfortable flying for long legs through the clouds. Based on the briefing, we made a no-go decision, and I flat-footed it for Burbank Airport to catch the big pressurized tube back to the land of sane drivers, organic everything, and seriously friendly people.

After 41 years of dreaming about this day, it is finally here. Nobody but me can know what it feels like to BE me right now – so totally and lovingly addicted to aviation – and finally having a plane of my very own. I don't share it with any other pilot, I will only share it with my family and friends.

After a few laps around the patch at Van Nuys (with the old owner as PIC and my son Scott in the back) after the deal was closed, I turned to Scott as he climbed off the wing walk and said "welcome to our family's freedom machine." I say that because I believe 27W is going to bring our close family even closer together, shortening the distances between mother and son, brother and sister, father and daughter-in-law, Marmie and grand-baby.

I am very proud of what we, as a family, have accomplished recently. The new airplane is proof that hard work and focus pays off big time, and that the power of positive thinking is enormous. Now, as I become Chief Pilot of Dano Airlines, I have to give thanks to Papa Louie, who we all know is the one to blame for this lifelong devotion to flying that I hold so dear. Because of it weren't for Papa Louie and that Old Radio, I might have bought a boat today.

Thanks, Dad, for lighting that fire that burns so hot in me today. Now, it will be all that much easier for me to fly a few thousand feet closer to you each time the wheels of my new favorite airplane leave Planet Earth.


UPDATE @ noon Saturday: O.K., the trip home last night on United was as usual, a joke. After boarding 45 minutes late at BUR, we sat at the gate while the pilot came on and told us (this is not a joke) that "something is parked behind us and we can't push back." So we sat for another 35 minutes while they figured out how to move whatever was behind us. Uh huh. When we got into SFO, my 9:20P connection into EUG was delayed until 11:45P! They said it was "equipment issues", and after the usual many unkept loudspeaker promises of "we are leaving momentarily...no, really, I mean it this time" from the Gate Agent, they finally got my tired ass back to Eugene at 2:30A.

So the commercial flight BUR to EUG – factoring in the hour drive to the airport, the ridiculous service from United, and waiting for luggage at notoriously slow EUG – had a "door-to-door" time of 10 hours 10 minutes.

DUATS says that flight in Cherokee 8527W would have taken 6 hours, 26 minutes, with ground transportation and pre-flight factored in. BOTTOM LINE: Dano Airlines' non-stop service could have beat United Airlines last night by 3 hours, 44 minutes. After only one DAY of being an aircraft owner, it is already incredibly clear that the dwindling service of the Big Airlines is the best sales tool out there for general aviation.

Missing the
Point of
Customer
Satisfaction

American Airlines is the world's largest airline, serving 250 cities in over 40 countries with more than 4,000 daily flights. So you would think they would care about all those souls who are crammed into the incredible shrinking seat back in coach.

When you look at who buys their tickets, only a tiny sliver of super elite are privileged enough to sit up front in First Class luxury...the rest of the public must endure the increasingly uncomfortable nature of riding in coach.

This week, AA proved that they only want to "improve the customer experience" for these gilded few up front, offering them something that you'll never see back behind the curtain:

Starting today American Airlines will say hello or, as they say in Hawaii, "aloha," to new menus featuring a distinct island flair. First Class passengers on flights to and from Hawaii can enjoy the flavor of the Hawaiian Islands with new menu offerings created by renowned Hawaiian chef, restaurateur, author and TV host Sam Choy.

Those Gods of the front will enjoy Macadamia Nut Pancakes and Macadamia French Toast, Wasabi Salmon, Hibachi Chicken, Teriyaki-glazed grilled chicken breast and Island Braised Short Ribs for lunch and dinner, and for dessert, vanilla ice cream with a variety of toppings such as mango or crushed pineapple, or 'Baked On Board' white chocolate Macadamia nut cookies. For those suckers stuck riding in coach, you'll be served the usual tiny plastic cup of pop accompanied by a bag of processed snacks.

AA is offering the Hawaiian cuisine on their regularly-scheduled routes to the following Hawaiian cities:

Honolulu from ORD, LAX, SFO, and DFW
Kahului, Maui from LAX and DFW
Lihue, Kauai from LAX
Kona from LAX

There is a very good reason why AA has chosen to beef up their First Class service from the mainland to Hawaii. It's because these long, over-water routes are some of the few routes left in their domestic system that are not being impacted by start-up air taxi operations, fast-growing fractional operators and "busy as ever" charter carriers who are drawing disgruntled high-end commercial passengers away from their bottom line.

If the big carriers really want to "improve the customer experience", why not (a) remove a couple of rows of seats so the majority of their passengers can feel less cramped back in coach, (b) make free Wi-fi available on every flight, (c) work really hard to improve their on-time performance record, and (d) come up with a fixed price per seat/mile for coach tickets which will be the same price for anyone, regardless of the day you buy your ticket.

If they do those four things, make the ride feel better, give you free high-speed Internet throughout the cabin, get you there on time, and level the playing field for fares, everyone in the pressurized tube will be smiling.

But in today's airline world, only the fatcats up front and the airline's CEOs are smiling...everyone else behind the curtain in coach is hating every second of every trip. Is that any way to run an airline?

Didn't think so.

Part Two:
AOPA Reports

Here is the second of two great articles found on the new aopa.org, written by Warren Morningstar, presented here verbatim:

House hearing sheds more
light on airline delays
By Warren D. Morningstar

The responsibility for airline delays was laid directly at the feet of the airlines during a House of Representatives hearing on Sept. 26.

"The reason for delays are many, and clearly weather, particularly summer storms, are a major factor," said Rep. Jerry Costello (D-Ill.), chairman of the aviation subcommittee. "But there is also evidence to suggest that operational, technological, and economic trends and choices within the airline industry are factors."

So, once again, it's not general aviation's fault.

Costello said that while delays have increased, system-wide operations have decreased by 11 percent since 2000. "The decline in total operations has been driven largely by a 17-percent decline in general aviation operations, contrary to what the airlines would have us believe," said Costello.

An expert from the Mitre Corp. (which advises the FAA on air traffic control) put the blame on scheduling. "The answer to the question of why operations are down and delays are up appears to be that traffic levels have increased at the most popular [airline] hubs, which have little spare capacity, and have decreased at less popular hubs, which have more spare capacity," said Dr. Agam N. Sinha, Mitre Corp. senior vice president, at the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing.

"Scheduling during peak hours contributes to delays at the busy airports even in good weather," said Pat Forrey, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association. "The evidence indicates there is no impact of general aviation or business jets on the congestion and delay problems at JFK."

Turning to the nation's most delay-plagued airport, New York's LaGuardia, Forrey noted that the airport can launch 40 aircraft an hour during optimal conditions. Yet during one afternoon rush period, the airlines scheduled more departures than the airport could handle, creating a backlog of delayed flights.

And NextGen — air traffic control modernization — will not provide any short-term relief for frustrated airline passengers. "We all agree that NextGen needs to happen," said Costello, "that's why in the House bill (H.R.2881) we provided $1 billion more than the administration requested...to accelerate NextGen.

"But I don't want to build false expectations with the traveling public that the FAA can go buy something off the shelf and it's going to help us by the holiday season," Costello said. "NextGen is a long-term solution."

Said Transportation Committee Chairman James Oberstar (D-Minn.), "In trying to sell its extremely controversial financing proposal, for which there is no consensus, I believe that this administration has oversold its NextGen plan to the American public."

AOPA's Explanation
of Airline Delays

We pilots look to AOPA for much of the important information that we need to keep flying. Their new web site delivers that 411 with beauty and ease, but as you peel back the layers on the new aopa.org, underneath the fundamental services end of the site lies some serious journalism, much of it written by their long-time writer, Warren Morningstar. [Full disclosure: I have never even met Warren, I just like his spot-on writing style]

A great deal of Warren's writing can be found on their Government Advocacy page, including two very good articles explaining all you need to know to sort out the current rash of airline delays. So since I'm going to be on the road much of this week, here is part one of Warren's reporting, verbatim from aopa.org:

Even the White House blames the airlines
By Warren D. Morningstar

The White House and the Department of Transportation announced Sept. 27 that they were taking "new steps" to tackle "aviation congestion and delays" in New York and across the nation. But there's less there than meets the eye, according to House transportation leaders.

"The administration's proposal contains a good deal of talking and planning, but little action to address the delay problem and help consumers in the short term," said House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman James Oberstar (D-Minn).

"While the airlines have consistently tried to blame general aviation for their delay problems, the White House did finally acknowledge that airlines themselves were, in fact, a significant factor," said AOPA President Phil Boyer. The administration's fact sheet said that the Department of Transportation has started a process to "help the busiest airports adopt new policies to efficiently address chronic airline over-scheduling, which leads to long lines and delays on the tarmac."

Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.), the top Republican on the Transportation Committee, echoed that assessment by saying, "The administration needs to put the brakes on airline over-scheduling at our most congested airports. We must recognize the need for additional runways and new airports."

The administration also announced the formation of the New York Aviation Rulemaking Committee (NYARC) that will "explore market-based mechanisms and other options for addressing airspace congestion and flight delays in the New York area."

But the announcement wasn't even public before the airlines attacked it. The Air Transport Association sent a letter to Transportation Secretary Mary Peters, objecting to congestion pricing and other market-based mechanisms that would "artificially constrain" demand.

ATA called congestion pricing a tax, and said neither the DOT nor the FAA had the authority to impose a tax.

The administration also accused Congress of failing to act on its FAA funding proposal (which included user fees and huge tax increases for general aviation), suggesting lawmakers had to accept some blame for chronic airline delays.

The leaders of the Transportation Committee took umbrage with that.

"This administration put forward an extremely controversial financing proposal for which there was absolutely no consensus," Oberstar, aviation subcommittee Chairman Jerry Costello (D-Ill.), and aviation subcommittee senior member Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) said in a joint Sept. 27 statement.

"The administration's controversial funding proposal has directly contributed to the delay in passing legislation reauthorize the FAA.... [It] failed completely to hold the airlines responsible for what we are now told are 'scheduling practices that are at times out of line with reality.'

"It is the Bush administration that is once again out of line with reality." They said that "lack of oversight" and "failure to use statutory authority" by the administration has played a part in the suffering of airline passengers today.

During a press conference, the Transportation Committee leaders noted that their FAA funding bill (H.R.2881, which has passed the House) would provide $1 billion more for air traffic control modernization (NextGen) than the administration's proposal, and $4 billion more for airports.

Stay tuned later this week for part two, and remember to pass this post around by emailing it to your friends and family via the cute little envelope icon right below the post. We need everyone visiting aopa.org daily right now to keep this fight going. And if you are not AOPA, what the hell is your excuse? Be part of the team that defeats user fees and join AOPA here.