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Outlook Bright For BizJet Sales, Analysts
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NOTE:
Due to technical issues relating to our
e-mail server, you may not have received the May 25th issue of AVflash.
We are resending the issue to all subscribers as a precaution. Thank
you for your understanding.
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The Top Headlines
From AVweb's Expanded, Illustrated News Coverage At AVweb's
NewsWire. BUSINESS
AVIATION: RECORD ORDERS FOR 2006
"These are great times,"
according to the Teal Group, a research firm that released its annual
business-aviation outlook last week at the Berlin Air Show. "High
corporate profits and high commodity prices, coupled with emerging
market growth, have produced a likely all-time market high this year --
901 planes worth $13.6 billion -- with further growth likely into 2007,"
said Richard Aboulafia, an analyst for the group. Over the next decade,
10,087 bizjets worth $141.1 billion will be sold, the group said. By
comparison, in the last 10 years, that total was 5,857 jets. The
analysis also foresaw an 85-percent likelihood that a supersonic
business jet will reach the market before 2020. More... VLJ
MARKET SEEN AS DICEY
"We remain air-taxi agnostics," said
Aboulafia, "although we do forecast a market for 2,310 very light jets
[over the next 10 years], including 620 Cessna Citation Mustangs." The
arguments against mass adaptation of VLJs are "daunting," says the
report. They're too small for business flyers and too expensive for
piston pilots who want to upgrade. The success of the air-taxi concept
is "unlikely," the report says, because it depends on the emergence of a
market that is too thin, and faces the logistical hurdles of scheduling
point-to-point service without excessive deadhead legs that would eat up
any profits. The VLJ market isn't likely to exceed 250 airplanes per
year, says Teal. Eclipse alone needs to produce 500 per year just to
break even, the report says. More... BUT
AIR-TAXI AND LIGHT-JET PROPONENTS ABOUND
Despite those
"daunting" obstacles to the success of the VLJ sector, millions of
dollars have been invested and thousands of aircraft are on order. The
faithful are abundant, and next month, they will gather in St.
Petersburg, Fla., to examine the industry as it is poised for launch. A
day-long "Flight School" will be hosted by Esther
Dyson, an emerging-technologies analyst and the organizer of PC
Forum. The event will bring together start-up air-taxi operators,
established charter carriers, aircraft makers, regulators, financiers
and others to explore the emerging air-taxi marketplace. Speakers will
include Eclipse Aviation CEO Vern Raburn, NASA's Bruce Holmes, Rick Adam
of Adam Aircraft, DayJet CEO Ed Iacobucci, Cirrus CEO Alan Klapmeier and
more. More... |
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LIGHT
SPORT AIRCRAFT SALES CONTINUE TO EXPAND
For the great-big
bizjet world, 901 airplanes is a lot, but the newly emerging Light Sport
Aircraft (LSA) sector could flit right past there by next year. "I'm
forecasting at least 1,000 unit sales during 2007," LSA marketing
consultant Dan
Johnson told AVweb yesterday. "That would be deliveries."
Many manufacturers have been ramping up to meet demand, and that effort
should begin to start showing up in a greater supply by late this year.
Then buyers can get them quicker, flight schools can get them online for
training, and the sector can continue to grow, Johnson said. Hear more
of our discussion with Johnson about the maturing of the LSA sector, and
what's ahead for Oshkosh and beyond, in AVweb's Friday podcast. More... SPORT
PILOTS, NEW LSAS COMING TO OSHKOSH
At least a few new LSA
models will be on display at EAA AirVenture in late July. The Nexaer may be flying by then, Johnson said. Also,
the Ion
aircraft will be there, Steve Schultz, of Minnesota, told
AVweb on Tuesday. "We've had the engine on and off the plane a
few times -- we should be doing the (hopefully) final install up in
Arlington [Wash.] in a few weeks. We'll be at Oshkosh with the plane
whether it's flying or not. It would just be a lot easier to fly it
there instead of pulling it cross country." The Ion is a sleek little
two-seat composite twin-boom pusher designed to LSA specs. Its two-level
tandem seating arrangement gives an unobstructed view to both pilot and
passenger. Schultz developed the design on computers, and for the last
year has been sleeping on floors in Oregon, working to finish up the
actual prototype. More... LIGHT
PLANES NOT JUST FOR FUN
Light sport aircraft were designed
to provide easy, fun flying for the masses, but inevitably, creative
thinkers are finding other ways to put them to use. In California,
police chief Jim Bueermann is trying to convince the city of Redlands
that a Flight
Design CTSW would be an asset to his department. The aircraft could
be bought using department funds and would be flown by volunteers,
Bueermann said. Aerial support could mean the difference between
"suspects being captured or escaping, vehicular pursuits ending
successfully or tragically ... or officers engaged in foot pursuits
avoiding injury or death," he told the Redlands Daily Facts. City officials were interested
but wary. More... |
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DOT
ON PRIVATIZATION -- AVIATION INFRASTRUCTURE FOR SALE?
More
private investment is needed to maintain the nation's transportation
infrastructure, including airports, Transportation Secretary Norm Mineta
said Tuesday at the NASDAQ market in New York. Airline
delays are robbing the economy of $9.7 billion each year, Mineta said,
and congestion represents "a looming threat to our economic prosperity."
Mineta's plan does not propose any changes in federally owned
and operated facilities such as towers, FAA spokesman Geoffrey Basye
told AVweb. "However, some states and local governments have
considered accepting private-sector investments in airports," Basye
said. Mineta's plan focuses mainly on surface congestion, but does
propose several ways to enhance aviation capacity. More... SOME
CONTROLLERS NOT GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP, NTSB SAYS
The NTSB says
that fatigued air traffic controllers caused two near misses at O'Hare
International Airport, The Associated Press reported on Tuesday. The
incidents reveal a recurring pattern of fatigue, and officials should
"emphasize the importance of sleep management," the NTSB said. On March
21, two airliners were cleared to take off from intersecting runways,
and came within 100 feet of each other before stopping. Two days later,
an airplane was cleared to taxi across a runway where another jet was on
its takeoff roll. They missed by 600 feet. In one case, the controller
had just four hours of sleep the night before, and in the other case, a
trainee controller had an untreated sleep disorder, authorities said.
More... |
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 The SJ30-2 Is
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NTSB
BLAMES CONTROLLER, CREW, FOR AIR AMBULANCE CRASH
The NTSB
determined on Tuesday that errors by the flight crew and an air
traffic controller led to the crash of a Learjet 35A near San Diego in
October 2004. The jet was being operated as an air ambulance. Both
pilots and all three medical crewmembers were killed. The board
determined that the probable cause of the accident was the flight crew's
failure to maintain terrain clearance during a VFR departure at night,
which resulted in controlled flight into terrain. But the air traffic
controller shared the blame, the NTSB said. The controller provided the
flight crew with a heading and told them to maintain VFR and expect an
IFR clearance above 5,000 feet. The captain acknowledged the heading
instructions; however, the heading issued by the controller resulted in
a flight track that allowed the airplane to continue directly toward the
mountains. More... FLYING
WITHOUT AIRPLANES
Airplanes, of course, aren't the only ways
to get aloft, and creative minds are always inventing new ways to defy
gravity. One of the stranger flight modes we've seen is the one chosen
by John Ninomiya, who gathers a cluster of small helium balloons together, straps
himself in, and takes off. To ascend, he drops sand or water ballast; to
descend, the balloons are cut away or popped, one by one. "Even after
you've done it many times before, there's still something a bit unreal
to it," Ninomiya says. "You wonder: Am I really doing this?" He'll be
flying the colorful balloons at festivals around the country this
summer. Another ancient way to fly that persists around the edges of
aviation today is with wings that flap. More... |
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 Aircraft Spruce
Has Your Tempest Oil FiltersTempest Oil Filters
use a proven 30-year design, and they are the only filter to meet the
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stability of the filter pack. They include a powder-coated finish for
durability. Tempest Filters are available individually or in six
packs. Call 1-877-4-SPRUCE, or visit
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SPORT-JET
FLIGHT TESTS VERIFY PERFORMANCE GOALS, COMPANY SAYS
Excel-Jet
president and aircraft designer Bob Bornhofen said on Monday that the
first eight hours of flight tests for the Sport-Jet validate
his preliminary performance estimates, and he believes the jet may
exceed initial projections. "Even at lower altitudes, we are indicating
195 KIAS," Bornhofen said. "This figure comes while there is still
plenty of available thrust left." Based on these results, the airplane
should easily reach its target of 340 knots TAS at 25,000 feet, he said.
On takeoff, ground rolls have been less than 1,800 feet, with rotation
in under 12 seconds, Bornhofen said, even at the Colorado Springs
airport, with a density altitude of nearly 7,000 feet.
More... GLOBAL
MARKET NEEDS AVIATION WORKERS
In India, airlines are finding
it difficult not only to find experienced captains for their jets --
even low-time pilots straight out of school, to fill the right seat, are
scarce. A recent effort to fill 239 vacancies turned up only 31
qualified candidates, according to the Times of India. In Oklahoma, a growing aerospace
industry can't find skilled workers to drive rivets and repair aircraft.
"What we have here is somewhat of an epidemic," Victor Bird, director of
the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission, told The Daily Oklahoman. "But it's a man-made epidemic
that can be solved." In India, the growing civil aviation sector is
draining experienced pilots from the military, but that supply is not enough.
More... |
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 NEW
Online Workshop --
"Managing the Risks of Non-Towered
Airports"Did you know you are at the greatest risk of
having a mid-air collision when operating at a non-towered airport?
Veteran Aviation Safety Expert Bob Martens delivers a no-nonsense
assessment of the risks and gives you simple and practical solutions you
can use to fly safer in this often-challenging environment. This
workshop is a valuable refresher for all pilots. Try a complimentary
6-minute sample. Click here for instant online access.
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ON
THE FLY...
Two F-16s collided above the Aegean Sea on
Tuesday...
FAA says controllers lose $700 million if they retire
early...
NTSB blames unspecified loss of control for Learjet
crash...
A P-51 lost its glass canopy in flight over Germany last
week...
Dozens of witnesses see UFO crash into sea off of South
Africa...
Armenian A320 data recorders recovered...
Australians
paying millions to fix runway damaged by Air Force One...
National
Geographic News last week wrote about Lighthawk. More... PODCASTS
Coming,
Friday: Interested in Sport Pilot and Light Sport Aircraft? Check
AVweb.com tomorrow.
Online Now: You'll hear things you won't find anywhere else.
Find exclusive interviews featuring Excel Jet's Bob Bornhofen, Adam
Aircraft's Joe Walker, FAA administrator Marion Blakey, Cirrus Design's
Alan Klapmeier and more. AVweb's Podcast index, is available online -- pick and
choose your interets, or subscribe
free to AVweb's podcasts and receive them automatically
for listening on your computer, iPod, or while traveling with any MP3
player. More... |
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Garmin 396 vs. Flight Cheetah with XM
Weather ComparisonHow does the Garmin 396 really compare
to the Flight Cheetah with XM Weather? Check out this
link to find out. (866) 443-3342
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NEW
ARTICLES AND FEATURES ON AVWEB
COLUMNS
Say Again?
#63: A Phrase That Fits
The FAA is trying to be a "customer
service" organization -- which is all well and good unless some
customers get quick service and others get 40-mile backtrack because of
how they filed their flight plan. AVweb's Don Brown worries about this
and other safety issues in his Say Again column. More... AVWEB'S
BUSINESS AVFLASH
HAVE YOU SIGNED UP yet for AVweb's
NO-COST twice monthly Business AVflash? Reporting on breaking news,
Business AVflash also focuses on the companies, the products and the
industry leaders that make headlines in the Business of Aviation.
Business AVflash is a must read. Watch for a Business AVflash regular
feature, TSA WATCH: GA IN THE "SPOTLIGHT". Sign up today at http://www.avweb.com/profile/
More... |
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The World's Greatest Headset Is the One You
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also offers custom-designed, shock-insulated Headset Bags to protect
your investment. Visit Oregon Aero online to select the right upgrade for
your headset.
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FBO
OF THE WEEK: AIATC
Nominate an FBO| Rules | Tips | Questions
| Winning
FBOs  AVweb's "FBO of
the Week" ribbon goes to AIATC at KAAF, Apalachicola,
Fla. BILL JOHNSON wrote in to say, "I HAVE BEEN GOING TO
APALACHICOLA FOR SEVERAL YEARS. THE AVWEB FBO OF THE WEEK PROGRAM
PROMPTED ME TO REALIZE JUST HOW WELL WE ARE TREATED AT AIATC. BILL RUIC
AND HIS STAFF ARE FRIENDLY, EAGER TO HELP WITH ANYTHING AND PROVIDE AN
EXCELLENT OVERALL EXPERIENCE." Keep those nominations
coming. Click
here to nominate your favorite FBO and here for complete contest
rules AVweb is actively seeking out the best FBO's in the country
and another one, submitted by you, will be spotlighted here next
Monday! More... |
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Join AOPA: The Real-Time Flight Planner Is
Worth the Dues Alone!AOPA membership can be an
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QUESTION
OF THE WEEK
According to the manufacturers, thousands of Very
Light Jets have already been ordered. This week, we invite you to
speculate on what that means: Does the market really exist for thousands
of Very Light Jets? PLUS: Results of last week's question on diesel
airplane engines. More... |
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Isn't It About Time You Chose Something
Extra?Pilot-inspired, German-engineered, and
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PICTURE
OF THE WEEK
 Summer is just around the
corner, and "Picture of the Week" submissions are on the rise! Of the
several dozen photos we received from AVweb readers this week, we've
managed to whittle the list down to eight favorites — headlined by
a spectacular photo from Austrian reader Florian
Trojer. As usual, we'll be sending Florian an official AVweb
baseball cap for submitting this week's number one photo. Our other top
contributors won't receive hats (alas!), but they do get a hearty "thank
you" for brightening our day. Click through to view the cream of this
week's crop! More... |
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AVWEB APPRECIATES YOUR CONTINUED
SUPPORT OF OUR SPONSORS,
WHO BRING YOU TODAY'S NEWS AND FEATURES AT
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Cranks Up Another Informative Issue
Light Plane
Maintenance's June issue highlights: "Owner Inspections" --
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AVwebFlash is a twice-weekly summary of the latest news, articles,
products, features, and events featured on AVweb,
the internet's aviation magazine and news service.
Today's issue was written by news writer Mary Grady (bio).
Click
here to send a
letter to the editor. (Please let us know if your
letter is not intended for
publication.)
Comments or questions about the news should be sent
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Have a product or service to advertise on AVweb? A question on
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sales team.
If you're having trouble reading this newsletter in
its HTML-rich format (or if you'd prefer a lighter, simpler format for
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Freedom, independence, responsibility.
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