I am a big advocate of the technology world. I run in circles that believe that technology and specifically applications and software are what will fuel our next economy. When I see things that talk about applications and technology I tend to pay attention. Something that is a hot item in the world of mobile phones is Plane Finder. AIN recently reported that the application that costs the user $2.99 from a UK based company is all the rage. It was reported:
[the application] displays aircraft transmitting ADS-B Out signals–and only ADS-B–in a user’s geo-referenced area, whereas Pinkfroot’s planefinder.net Web site shows ADS-B-equipped aircraft across the world moving atop various map backgrounds, including Google Earth. In the iPhone and Android apps, touching an aircraft brings up its ID, type, operator’s name, altitude, groundspeed, heading, route and its manufacturer serial number, in addition to clickable pages of other information. While this is pretty straightforward database information, the clever twist is augmented reality, where pointing the mobile device’s camera at a visible overflying aircraft integrates the smartphone’s GPS position with the aircraft’s altitude and its ADS-B’s GPS position to display its bearing and distance, as well as the same full data block. Spotters are thrilled; not surprisingly, homeland security officials aren’t.
I would say that homeland security might be very interested in the use for this application to say the least. I would also think that those paparazzi that are tracking celebs might also find a use for the aircraft finder for their own “research”. Finally, I would be interested if this application might also be used by corporate espionage to find out what planes are flying to what places and landing at what times times to determine when meetings are held, where executives are going and when. All information that could be assisted with the pointing of your iPhone at over head aircraft.
We continue to see advances in technology that are allowing us to do things that we could never do before when we shop of when we make big purchases. We can see the products we are searching for and researching our big purchases is becoming much easier. This is not any different when researching and buying a very large purchase like a vacation home, a vehicle, or even, you guessed it, your next corporate jet. Corporate jet inventories are up all over the world and wit that you have a large amount of jets to choose from. At L&L International we have listed out our inventories to help you search for the corporate jet you are looking for and can provide you further information as you request.
Not only can you search through our current inventory, but we can also help you search and find other aircraft. You can be sent photographs and with the idea that we can send video and other media over the Internet you can get further information on request. You need not be in the city or even the same country as the aircraft you are searching for, and we can provide that assistance to you by using technology. If there is anything that you need to make your search or purchase of a corporate jet purchase easier we can give you the assistance you are needing. If you are buying a corporate jet, looking to lease a jet or if you have any needs at all please contact us.
The company over at Bombardier has been working hard to stay competitive and the folks over at AIN have been keeping up with the story since they released the information about Bombardier talking about a competitor to the Gulfstream 650. Bombardier announced at the NBAA show that they are launching a new “Global Aircraft Family”. AIN reported:
…Bombardier this morning announced it will launch a “new Global aircraft family” on the eve of the business aviation show. “It was strategically necessary for Bombardier to announce the program as soon as possible,” business aviation analyst Brian Foley told AIN. “Doing so contains potential customer defections and gives the rest of the market a reason to wait and see before placing an order. Not doing so would have essentially conceded that segment to Gulfstream.” The Canadian aircraft manufacturer today said its board of directors gave an “official go-ahead to launch the expanded Global aircraft family.”
The new aircraft being launched by Bombardier will be announced on October 18 and it will be interesting to see what they have coming. AIN opined that perhaps Bombardier’s announcement:
…suggests that it will be a new clean-sheet design–the rumored M170 program–though a Global XRS derivative is possible, but apparently now remote. Potential powerplants for the so-called “Super Global” are said to include the Rolls-Royce BR725 and a GE Tech X-based engine. George Tsopeis, Zenith Jet’s vice president of aviation services, said an XRS derivative would cost $200 to $300 million to develop and could be in service in 2013, while a clean-sheet Global would cost more than $1 billion and wouldn’t enter service until at least 2016.
More to come on this announcement after it is made in the middle of the month.
I was reading an article recently in Business Jet Traveler that said corporate jets are analogous to time machines because they save business travelers time that would normally be spent in normal business channels. Business jets can also afford you a more productive tool for getting work done while in transit. The article came up with eight ways that you can better use your time while flying via a business jet:
- Meetings in a secure environment;
- Make your clients feel special;
- Provide a seat to someone;
- Flying where you need to go;
- Use your time for other things; and
I like the ideas that they talk about in the article but as someone that has flown quite a number of times in the last few years I can see some of the little things that are also important that could help you save time. I have waited to check-in to a flight in long lines that cause me to stand pulling the luggage along while trying to do some work on my mobile phone. I have had flights delayed due to passengers that have had problems or issues, and I have sat on a runway tarmac for unruly periods while they figure out why a light bulb is blinking. I have had problems with technology not working because I ran out of AC power and I wished I could take care of some phone calls while in flight.
These are some classic examples of what can be done on a business jet but could not otherwise be performed. Time is money in most businesses and your time is especially important. Adding time to a business trip can make the difference when your company is trying to compete or if you are trying to meet some company goals. Business jets are a secret weapon of sorts or in the case of the business traveler, they are a time machine. This may translate into a money machine.
In the business aviation industry we don;t get a chance to see often that jobs in this sector may be booming, but according to AIN, their may be a need to start thinking about gearing up for a boom in the pilot business and the maintenance business in the next 20 years.
According to Boeing, over the next 20 years there will be worldwide demand for 466,650 pilots and 596,500 maintenance personnel. A Boeing spokesman told AIN the demand for trained personnel is based on new and replacement aircraft sales projected in the company’s Current Market Outlook 2010-2029. “The world’s airlines are going to be hiring more than 23,000 pilots and 30,000 maintenance technicians annually through 2029,” he said. “Look to the Asia-Pacific area to account for the highest rate of growth: more than 180,000 pilots and 220,000 mechanics; 70,600 and 96,000+ will be by China alone.” The study listed a North American demand for 97,350 pilots and 137,000 maintenance workers, with Europe following closely at 94,800 and 122,000. Africa is projected to require 13,200 pilots and 15,000 mechanics, the Middle East 32,700 pilots and 44,500 maintenance personnel, Latin America 37,000 and 44,000, and the CIS will need 11,000 pilots and 14,000 maintenance personnel. “The challenge we face as an industry is to provide training on ever more sophisticated, technologically evolving equipment to an increasingly diverse worldwide population,” he said.
As it seems in most cases, China seems to be growing at a rapid pace and finds itself in a boom market for hiring employees. I am not sure of the numbers and what the amounts represent as it relates to the business, but the best news is those pilots must fly aircraft and for that many pilots to be in the air, we must assume that they will need aircraft built and sold for that purpose.
I was reading recently a report that talked about the summer numbers and how we have been doing here in the United States in the business aviation market and the numbers don;t look as great as we would like them, but they are stabilizing a bit in this crushing economic downturn. The sales of some of the companies out there are non-existent and some are actually having a decent year overall considering what they are dealing with around them. The reports point to an ever increasing strength of the US Dollar. This does not necessarily translate into better news for the industry overall.
Part of the problem with the industry is not the fact that the dollar has been weak and that we are seeing difficulties here, the problem can also be attributed to the slide in the economy and tough market indicators in Europe. In certain market segments, the number of European-owned aircraft available
greatly exceeds the number of American-owned available aircraft. The slowing European economy has a bigger impact on the business jet
market than the strong dollar and this is a growing trend. We will have to see how they react to the economic slide and how that will change how we do business here in the United States.
The doom and gloom of the economy and the business aviation industry seems to only get worse as we hear of other problems with Hawker Beechcraft and their latest news of layoffs as stated by AIN:
“While there are pockets of growth in the global economy, the market for new production aircraft has stagnated at a very low level,” Hawker Beechcraft chairman and CEO Bill Boisture said in a memo to employees on Friday. In the letter, he said the company plans to “reduce the size of our salaried (non-hourly) work force by approximately 350.”
The report went on to state that this does not involve possibly involving union workers it may soon include them:
Although this latest round of layoffs does not affect hourly union workers, Boisture made it clear that future reductions in force might do so. “While we do not see a large-scale layoff of hourly employees at this time, small reductions or short furloughs may be required to modulate production line output in an attempt to reduce unsold aircraft inventory.”
Hawker is currently in talks to renew its contract with union workers and they are currently negotiating that contract. Apparently the current contract has one more year left, and union officials are expecting that Hawker is going to provide them with a contract to vote upon by October 9, next week. This is going to be an up or down vote for the union and there will either be an acceptance or a rejection of the offer and there will not be a strike as part of the process.
It was posted before about the possible strike for Cessna, but that seems to be averted although the news does not get better. It is reported the production line workers were required to accept the new contract. AIN reports that after that strike was averted, the news was not better:
[Citation] will lay off 700 more employees. Parent company Textron today reported that it is “adjusting aircraft production schedules and reducing headcount at its Cessna business unit due to continued weakness in new aircraft orders.” According to Textron chairman and CEO Scott Donnelly, “We have not yet seen a discernible improvement in business jet order activity. Therefore, we are taking further production and restructuring actions at Cessna.”
They are continuing to remain a force in the business aviation space and have taken these steps to continue that process.
In a note sent to employees today, Cessna chairman, CEO and president Jack Pelton said these production cuts will lower costs and keep the company competitive. “Our strategy is to defend and protect our current markets while investing in products and services to secure our future, but we can do this only if we succeed in restructuring our processes and reducing our costs,” he said.
They will not be providing information related to their production changes for the year but we can hope this means they will be better positioned for 2011.
It comes with the old saw of “buy low and sell high” as we have been taught from the beginning of business 101. In recent years the grim reaper seems to have gripped the economy and there seems to be a lot of gloom and doom in every corner of the business aviation industry. The good news for those that are looking to purchase a business jet is that this is a buyer’s market.
The industry is seeing good prices throughout each class of jet available. The used jet marketplace is seeing great pricing for those in the market and the charter business is still pretty solid which makes owning a decent option. This is not to say that all of the used jets on the market are a good buy. A buyers market can be a great time to purchase but when buying you must do your homework to make sure that what you are getting is truly a bargain.
Due to the increased inventory and the lower prices it can be a tough choice as to which jet may be the best to put into your asset column. With the economy may jets are being repossessed or have sat without being used for a while and their maintenance may not be up to date, costing the potential buyer a large fee to get it up to date. Paying attention to the jet you are buying is important. You should have someone that is an expert in assessing value based on the needs you have and the information provided by the seller to make your purchase the best possible it can be.
In the tougher economic times that we have today, there is bound to be some fallout with businesses and their employees. Cessna is apparently encountering that same problem now. AIN reports that there may be a possible strike looming in the future over at Cessna:
Cessna Aircraft made a new contract proposal on Monday that was immediately rejected by machinist union leadership, with the recommendation that its members follow suit in a vote set for Saturday. The seven-year contract offer by Cessna was described by president, chairman and CEO Jack Pelton as “very fair, given the extraordinary challenges we are facing in our economy and in our industry.” Union District 70 president Steve Rooney disagreed in no uncertain terms. He said rather than asking for a short-term sacrifice to help the company through bad economic times, Cessna was asking for permanent cuts over seven years. Rooney alleges that the Wichita-based aircraft manufacturer used the economic downturn as an opportunity “to gut the contract and saddle employees with extreme and punitive measures.” Union members are scheduled to vote on Saturday by simple majority whether to accept or reject the contract. If a majority reject the contract, union members will then be asked to vote a second time on whether to approve a strike, which will require a two-thirds majority. If the membership does not vote to approve a strike, the contract will be accepted by default. If they vote to strike, the work stoppage would begin at 12:01 a.m. on Monday, which could bring the Citation production lines to a standstill.
With few contracts being written for new business aircraft and even many of the orders now placed being canceled, manufacturers are beginning to scale back their operations and in that case part of where cuts are made will have an impact on workers. I hope that this can be avoided. We will see over the weekend if the work stoppage occurs.
