The skies are soon going to be fully connected. I have talked before about how commercial airlines are slowly adopting the idea that they want to make Internet access available to their customers. Many commercial carriers are talking about equipping all of their planes with that ability. Gogo and Internet company that specializes in making it possible to access the Internet boasts of having 1166 aircraft that are equipped with their service. It is important that we have access to the Internet to help us stay connected in a fast moving world.
Private jets already have that ability and are easily equipped with Interact access. I have talked about Aircell, a company that equips aircraft with the ability to access the Internet. With technology traveling at the speed of light these days in order to stay connected we are also relying on mobile phones and smart phones that are connected. It stands to reason that we will be seeing more and more Internet access and phone access. Many of my friends are in a constant state of connectivity and must always be within reach of a way to communicate. They are chatting to business associates on airlines equipped with WiFi using Google+ and Skype and other technologies. Private jets are a great way to stay connected and the privacy that is afforded is priceless for those looking to stay connected and still not give away company secrets. You can also update your Facebook status and update everyone on Twitter!
Stay connected with Corporate Jet Insider while you are in the air by following us on Twitter and on Facebook. We would love to talk with you while you are in the sky.
I interested is always peaked when watching movies that have cameo appearances of private jets. Most of them are quick shots to set the scene of the stage or in this case screen. I have talked about this in previous posts when we see private jets. The latest occurred last week as I was watching Transformers, Dark of the Moon. In that particular movie we see a quick cameo shot of a private jet of a character Charlotte Mearing, the United States Director of National Security. The irony of having a private jet being used by a public employee won’t be discussed. Charlotte Mearing is played in the movie by Francis McDormand.
The jet itself is a Gulfstream and is owned by the movie’s director Michael Bay. The Gulfstream Aerospace G-1159A jet (registration number N4500X) makes a quick appearance and it is one of my favorite manufacturers in the private jet industry. I have included a picture here of the jet and of interest is the picture of the autobot on the tail. My thanks to Airport-Data.com for the image. The film itself show the jet flying which makes me wonder how they actually filmed the shot. Was it from another jet or from a commercial jet? I suppose we’ll have to get deeper into this but thanks to Michael bay for a great cameo of his private jet. Now we need to wonder what type of robot this plane will turn into.
It is day 2 of the 64th Annual National Business Aviation Association’s event in Las Vegas and it is at a fever pitch and is at its peak. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) was one of the speakers at the event and he talked about the benefits of business aviation and how it helps our country. He stated “Every state benefits from general aviation.” He went on to state that 1.2 million service and manufacturing jobs are derived from the industry.
On safety, Federal Aviation Administrator Randy Babbitt, cited the industry’s critical role: “We have the safest aviation system in the world, bar none,” he said. “The business aviation community, and NBAA in particular, plays a very important role in helping us achieve that fantastic safety record and success.” National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Deborah Hersman agreed, citing the number of corporate fatal accidents in the last year: “zero.”
Many other leaders in the world of business and in aviation also took the stage at the event in Las Vegas yesterday morning and others are on stage today. We will be consuming many more bits of information and sharing with you the information we get from the event.
The world is mourning the loss of a visionary and leader of the world of technology in Apple’s founder, Steve Jobs. He died yesterday after a battle of health issues including the ultimate loss due to pancreatic cancer. We here at Corporate Jet Insider also share in the loss as we respected Steve Jobs and his role in the world of technology and how it impacted business aviation.
We wrote about Mr. Jobs and his own corporate jet use and his choice of Gulfstream as his own private jet. Not only was he a leader using corporate jets in his day to day travel, his inventions and technology has changed the way we do business. We are preparing this article on an Apple computer while, listening to music played on an iPod, glancing at the iPhone for updated texts from business associates, and we also know that accessories like the iPad are changing our word in the cockpit.
Many cockpits are using the iPad and the applications contained thereon to file reports, to map flights and to keep clutter from occurring while flying. Steve Jobs has changed how some companies are doing business in the world of corporate jets and we thank him for his vision, the innovation he created and the impact he has had on our business and the industry as a whole. We mourn his loss and wish his Apple family the best in their time of loss.
I have been thinking about the case of Amanda Knox recently and how she has become the biggest story in the news recently. She is following another case of big hype in the case of, Casey Anthony, the mother accused of murdering her daughter. Finally, this also dovetails with the two men in Iran that were accused of spying and were recently released. All of them were very high profile cases and they garnered much attention and the press was in a frenzy to get pictures and to get that brief statement to add to their stories.
In the case of Casey Anthony it was most attentive to me because of the protection of her privacy once released by using a private or corporate jet to transport her from the site of the case to her destination. It was noted that the priovate jet took her away to a destination unknown. She had complete privacy when dealing with the spectacle she had become.
I noticed that following the release of Amanda Knox she decided to take a commercial flight from Italy to Seattle where she had to deal with the press and the photographers. She of course was celebrating her release from prison and her situation may have been different from that of Casey Anthony, but she chose not to have the ultimate privacy afforded by the use of a private or corporate jet. Amanda Knox also had to spend 30 hours traveling from Italy to Seattle and it could have been spent with her family alone without the public having access to her.
This is why so many celebrities choose to use private jets instead of using the public accessed commercial flights. Even first class flights don’t allow for the complete privacy and they also allow people to photograph and have contact with the celebrity.
We have talked a number of times about the event in Europe but the latest convention in the business aviation industry is in Latin America. The 8th annual Labace event kicks off today in São Paulo – Brazil. It is our understanding that this event will be the largest of its kind in Latin America. We will be at the event in and hope to provide some of our thoughts of the conference as they unfold.
Labace expects to have more than 13,000 visitors from around the world at this event and many of the top aviation executives will be in attendance, as well as most of the manufacturers. From its beginning in 2003, attendance was less than 5,000 people and last year they produced more 15,000 attendees each year eclipsing the mark set the year before. There were a record number of exhibitor last year at the event and conference organizers are looking forward to that type of return in 2011. Labace had more than 50 aircraft on the grounds last year and we hope to see that many or more at this event.
Once we have had an opportunity to sift through the news and get some images of the event we will try to get them up here or we will update the Facebook page with the information. Stay tuned!
This press release from the FAA is shocking but not unexpected. As many in the Federal Government begin to get ready for the economic issues faced by not having legislation from Congress to continue paying loans and working.
WASHINGTON – Contractors have been told to stop work on critical airport modernization projects around the country after Congress failed to pass legislation on Friday giving the FAA the authority necessary for work to continue. Dozens of “stop work orders” have been issued for major projects designed to build and modernize control towers and other aviation infrastructure from coast to coast.
“Construction workers across America will lose their jobs and local communities will be hurt the longer this goes on. Congress needs to pass an FAA bill to prevent further economic damage,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “This is no way to run the best aviation system in the world.”
“Unless Congress acts quickly, more work on projects critical to our nation’s aviation system will come to a halt. Work is stopping on construction and planning projects, NextGen system testing, and airport certification. The list goes on and on and this is just the beginning,” said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt.
Construction workers, engineers and planners were told not to come to worksites across the country after the FAA was forced to issue stop work orders on projects ranging from the construction of new air traffic control towers to the rehabilitation and modernization of air traffic facilities. Nearly 4,000 FAA personnel, many needed to oversee various aspects of these projects, were furloughed on Saturday. Stopping work on these projects could significantly increase the ultimate costs of construction for taxpayers.
Some of these projects include:
- Las Vegas, Nevada: A more than $43 million project to build a new air traffic control tower at McCarran International Airport. Contractor: Archer Western Contractors.
- Palm Springs, California: A $24.5 million project to build a new air traffic control tower at Palm Springs International Airport. Contractors: Swinterton Builders.
- Oakland, California: A $31 million project to build a new air traffic control tower at Oakland International Airport. Contractor: Devcon Construction.
- Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania: A more than $18 million project to build a new air traffic control tower at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport. Contractor: Donald J. Keating Co.
- Kalamazoo, Michigan: A more than $14 million project to build a new air traffic control tower at Battle Creek International Airport. Contractor: Skanska.
- Gulfport, Mississippi: A nearly $12 million project to build a new air traffic control tower at Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport. Contractor: Flintco, Inc.
- Queens, NY: A more than $6 million project to demolish the old air traffic control tower at LaGuardia Airport. Work was supposed to begin on Saturday. Contractor: Paul J. Scariano Inc.
Additionally, the FAA has issued stop work orders for $370 million in contracts with Jacobs Engineering of Pasadena, California. The company is contracted to do all the architect, design, engineering and planning services for existing and future air traffic facilities. To view a list of projects where “stop work orders” have been issued click here. This list will be continually updated until Congress passes an FAA bill.
Before last Friday, the FAA was also prepared to award contracts for new air traffic control towers in Cleveland, Ohio and Fort Lauderdale, Florida but was forced to suspend that process because the agency was no longer authorized to access the Airport and Airway Trust Fund.
In addition to the FAA’s work on the construction of aviation facilities such as control towers, it is a primary funding source for other airport projects through the Airport Improvement Program. The program is also unable to operate without congressional authorization and as a result the FAA is unable to get roughly $2.5 billion out the door for airport projects in all 50 states that could put thousands of people to work in good paying jobs
Nearly 4,000 FAA employees in 35 states, and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, have been furloughed and forced to go without pay. Large numbers of employees in New Jersey, New York, California, Georgia, Oklahoma, Texas, Washington, Illinois and the District of Columbia will be affected. This includes many of the FAA’s engineers, scientists, research analysts, administrative assistants, computer specialists, program managers and analysts, environmental protection specialists, and community planners.
While this lapse in FAA’s authorization affects thousands of public and private sector jobs, it is important to note that the safety of the flying public will not be compromised.
We will continue to monitor this situation and I can only assume as these types of actions continue to take place, the loss of work and jobs will cause ripples that will begin to put serious pressure on Congress to take care of the problems sooner than later.
The world of aviation is getting a little older year by year and that is no different that the Federal Aviation Administration. I was interested to read the following press release sent by the FAA. Aviation has become one of the safest ways to travel and the reason is for agencies such as the FAA. They have suffered some recent bad press with the air traffic controllers and other debacles, but for the most part they have done a good job of keeping our skies safe for all. For you enjoyment we have reproduced the release of theirs here.
(WASHINGTON) – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration today marked the 75th anniversary of federal air traffic control as American aviation experiences its safest period ever. Since its inception with 15 workers operating in just three control centers in 1936, the agency has become a world leader, pioneering safety improvements and developing new technology to speed up flights, save fuel and improve safety.
“The United States has the safest air transportation system in the world. But as the last 75 years show, we will never stop working to make our system even safer,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.
“As a pilot, I am in awe of the aviation safety and technological advancements that have been made in the last 75 years,” said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt. “NextGen represents the next milestone in aviation innovation. The FAA is committed to transforming our national airspace system so passengers can reach their destinations even more safely and more efficiently than they do today.”
Federal air traffic control began on July 6, 1936, when the Bureau of Air Commerce took over the operation of the first airway traffic control centers at Newark, N.J., Chicago and Cleveland. Faced with a growing demand for air travel, the 15 employees who made up the original group of controllers took radio position reports from pilots to plot the progress of each flight, providing no separation services. At the time, the fastest plane in the commercial fleet was the Douglas DC-3, which could fly coast-to-coast in about 17 hours while carrying 21 passengers.
Since then, the air traffic system has expanded from three control centers to include 131 federal stand-alone airport traffic control towers, 132 towers for terminal area approach control, 29 stand-alone terminal radar approach controls and 21 en route traffic control centers. The number of controllers has grown from 15 to more than 15,000, a workforce that handles an average of 50,000 flights each day. The DC-3 has given way to jet aircraft that can carry hundreds of passengers and fly from New York to Los Angeles in about five hours.
The FAA continues to pioneer new technologies that will make air traffic control safer and more efficient. The Next Generation Air Transportation System, or NextGen, will transform air traffic control in the U.S. from a system of ground-based radars to one based on satellites. In parts of the country, controllers already are beginning to track aircraft via satellites with a state-of-the-art system called Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast, or ADS-B. ADS-B will be available nationwide in 2013 and will enable more direct routes, saving time and money while also lowering the industry’s environmental footprint.
This month the FAA will celebrate the 75th anniversary of federal air traffic control by highlighting advancements in air traffic controller training, NextGen, how the FAA handles convective summer weather and aviation infrastructure improvements.
For more information on the air traffic control anniversary, follow the FAA on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FAA.
Amtr april 2011 data
The FAA recently released this information regarding the crackdown on the use of laser pointers being pointed at aircraft. I thought it would benefit our readers here for this to be posted.
WASHINGTON – Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Randy Babbitt announced today that the FAA will begin to impose civil penalties against people who point a laser into the cockpit of an aircraft.
“Our top priority is protecting the safety of the traveling public. We will not hesitate to take tough action against anyone who threatens the safety of our passengers, pilots and air transportation system,” said Secretary LaHood.
“Shining a laser into the cockpit of an aircraft is not a joke. These lasers can temporarily blind a pilot and make it impossible to safely land the aircraft, jeopardizing the safety of the passengers and people on the ground,” said FAA Administrator Babbitt.
The FAA released a legal interpretation, which finds that directing a laser beam into an aircraft cockpit could interfere with a flight crew performing its duties while operating an aircraft, a violation of Federal Aviation Regulations. In the past, the FAA has taken enforcement action under this regulation against passengers physically on-board an aircraft who interfere with crewmembers.
Today’s interpretation reflects the fact that pointing a laser at an aircraft from the ground could seriously impair a pilot’s vision and interfere with the flight crew’s ability to safely handle its responsibilities.
The maximum civil penalty the FAA can impose on an individual for violating the FAA’s regulations that prohibit interfering with a flight crew is $11,000 per violation.
This year, pilots have reported more than 1,100 incidents nationwide of lasers being pointed at aircraft. Laser event reports have steadily increased since the FAA created a formal reporting system in 2005 to collect information from pilots. Reports rose from nearly 300 in 2005 to 1,527 in 2009 and 2,836 in 2010.
In 2010, Los Angeles International Airport recorded the highest number of laser events in the country for an individual airport with 102 reports, and the greater Los Angeles area tallied nearly twice that number, with 201 reports. Chicago O’Hare International Airport was a close second, with 98 reports, and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport tied for the third highest number of laser events for the year with 80 each.
So far this year, the Phoenix and Dallas-Fort Worth areas each have recorded more than 45 laser events. The Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Houston areas each have recorded more than 30 laser events.
The increase in reports is likely due to a number of factors, including greater awareness and outreach to pilots to encourage reporting; the availability of inexpensive laser devices on the Internet; stronger power levels that enable lasers to hit aircraft at higher altitudes; and the introduction of green lasers, which are more easily seen than red lasers.
Some cities and states have laws making it illegal to shine lasers at aircraft and, in many cases, people can face federal charges. The FAA is prepared to work with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to assist with criminal prosecutions arising under those laws.
Legislation that would criminalize purposefully aiming a laser device at an aircraft is currently pending in Congress. The Senate included this language in the FAA Air Transportation Modernization and Safety Improvement Act, which it passed on Feb. 17, 2011. On Feb. 28, the House of Representatives passed legislation that would enact a similar penalty for shining lasers at aircraft. Both bills are awaiting further action.
