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.
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.
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.
Operation Skyshield will have its 50th anniversary tomorrow on September 10, 2010. Only the World Trade Center attacks has resulted in the entire North American continent being shut down to all aircraft since the tests that were run by the U.S. and Canadian governments in Operation Skyshield. In an attempt to test the effectiveness of air defense systems, all aircraft were first grounded on September 10, 1960. The governments did this as merely a test and those results have never been shared. The operation was one of the largest air drills in aviation history and has not been done but three other times in the 60’s. Today’s air traffic is much more exponential than it was in the 60’s which would cause much more difficulties as a result. No other drills have been conducted in modern times.
As of this post, Facebook has more than 500 million users and is still climbing. Many of you are also on Facebook and we would love to be your friend and follow along with your social stream. If you have a business that is related to the world of business aviation and corporate jets or even if you support the industry in other ways through corporate travel or perhaps you provide jet charter services or any other type of related industry business we want to know about you. If you are a pilot or anyone that helps support the industry, let us know. We enjoy being on Facebook ourselves and you can find us on Facebook and perhaps “Like” our page.
In addition to finding us on Facebook at our Corporate Jet Insider page, we can also be found using Twitter. We are sending out our 140 character messages about our posts, the industry and things we find interesting in the world do business aviation. These bits of information are important to our readers, our customers and those looking for a little bit of Corporate Jet Insider information. We want to follow your Twitter stream too. Leave us some information on how we can find you or your Twitter account. We love having new people to follow and those that can provide useful information.
We will continue to bring you the information you are searching for here related to our corporate and business aviation business, but we are also out in the networks looking for and providing useful information. Thanks for following along with us in the online social networking world.
I wanted to highlight the fact that we take for granted the “no frills” flights of commercial airlines and many people only dream of being able to have the best possible experience with first class flights, if they can afford what that ticket will cost them. I get a chance to see first hand some of the interiors of corporate jets and they are far above anything that even first class commercial flights can provide. I was reading recently at AirlineTrends.com that Virgin America is stepping up its game with in flight entertainment or “IFE”. The article states:
Virgin America has upgraded its ‘Red’ in-flight entertainment system with a number of innovative features, including the first ever seatback digital shopping platform, an open tab service, and Google Maps with terrain view. Already on Virgin America, passengers can use the IFE system to watch live satellite television, chat with other passengers, play 3D games such as Doom, and offset carbon emissions for their flight. Passengers can also purchase snacks, meals, and alcoholic beverages from their seats via Red. Flight attendants receive the orders via a tablet PC and bring the ordered items to the seat.
I love that commercial airlines are trying to make the experience of flying that much better for those that don’t have the use of their corporate private jets. I wonder when we will have headsets with a virtual screen where we can wear a helmet and get the feel of flying in a Gulstream or a or that Dassault Falcon while sitting in the back of the plane listening to soft music while the child behinds us screams because their ears hurt. Until that time, I will let companies like Virgin America try to keep up with the world of luxury flights.
I was reading an article sent by a friend that indicates that studies have shown that corporate jet use is up and the month of June showed the increase as well. That means more and more companies are using their corporate jets for more travel and I am sure that personal use is up as companies and their executives use the aircraft for personal use associated with vacations. This increased use of the aircraft also means a possibility that you will have a higher maintenance budget. If you have budgeted for an amount certain for 2010, and that amount increases at all that may mean that your business aircraft or private personal jet may now be up for an inspection and those costs will be added to the yearly maintenance budget.
If your usage of your corporate jet increases over the year and it changes either your maintenance schedule or inspection, this can have a large effect on the annual budget you have for the use of that aircraft. You need to stay on top of that usage and the budget associated with the use so that it will not change your bottom line at the end of your fiscal year. Keep someone on top of the business use and the personal use and keep up to date with the maintenance of your aircraft. With the use of corporate jets increasing for both the business use and personal use it may be marking another indicator that the slide is over in this industry. It is good to hear that corporate jets may be on the rise.
I have been traveling around Colorado and parts of Wyoming this week, not as a business related trip but because I am taking my family around sightseeing. It hasn’t been in a private aircraft or a business jet but more along the lines of a family minivan. I wouldn’t mind showing the family all of Colorado and Wyoming in a corporate jet so if you want to loan me yours for a the rest of the summer feel free.
I was looking at the airport in and around Vail Colorado and wondered about how they service the world of corporate jets and business jets. I grew up in the mountain town of Vail Colorado in the late 60’s and early 70’s when my father helped work on the Interstate that runs through the Vail valley area. My grandparents actually owned 65 acres in West Vail at that time and I can remember when they sold the property in the early 70’s. I don’t have the heart to tell them now what they particular tract of land sells for in present dollars.
Vail, Colorado, has a great airport at Eagle County Regional Airport (EGE) and it can handle most needs and the folks at Vail Valley Jet Center can help you with travel.
We passed through near Aspen, Colorado and that is the world of the celebrities that visit there and you can see a Hollywood celebrity there almost anytime of the year but mostly while ski season is at its peak. I worked in Aspen during college and I can tell you that it has its share of luxury jets landing at that airport.
I also made our way through Steamboat Springs, Colorado on the return trip and wondered about its airport and how it caters to the world of private and corporate jets. They have Bob Adams Field (KSBS) in Steamboat Springs.
All of these mountain towns have a simple thing in common, they are ski towns. They also have their share of visitors that have their own luxuries like private or corporate jets. They also have airports that can service these types of aircraft and it makes it easy for high dollar clients to vacation there. I love Colorado and their mountain towns. Perhaps you could spend some time there, and if you do take your jet and be in and out easily.
I have been looking around recently at the business that must be conducted on aircraft and how we as a business world are staying connected. Part of the business of owning a private aircraft is the ability to conduct business while on that aircraft. I have also been looking at some of the solutions for staying connected on flights and was particularly interested in how we stay connected via the Internet. There are many enterprise software systems and applications that allow us to conduct business virtually and can eliminate some of the travel that has been necessary in the past. There are times however when travel is a must and on a corporate jet flight business can be conducted during travel. Staying Internet connected during the flight allows the business traveler to get to the business of business.
Aircell is such a company that is providing a solution for the business traveler to stay connected while on a corporate or business jet. Aircell tells us how they can keep us connected:
With the arrival of Aircell High Speed Internet, business aircraft passengers on U.S. flights can now use their laptops or PDAs to enjoy a true high-speed Internet experience – from full-on web surfing, to real time e-mail with attachments, streaming video, transferring large files, and accessing corporate VPNs. Simply stated, Aircell High Speed Internet represents the absolute best combination of speed, size and cost available today for any business aircraft.
Imagine you are having to take a quick flight across the country without having he opportunity to prepare for that sales meeting or get prepared for that presentation that could spell disaster or make you a huge success in your company. You did not have the proper time to prepare but could prepare on the trip to the location of the presentation. With the ability to have High Speed Internet in flight, that time spent could be invaluable. Not only were you able to drop everything and have the flexibility of having your own private jet take you to your destination but now you have the ability to prepare in flight. Technology is gaining ground in this area as well with the invent of Apple’s iPad, making it even easier to conduct business on the fly.
This is an idea that is not lost on those in the industry as XOJet is installing the Aircell solution on its entire fleet by the end of July as was announced June 10, 2010:
Business aviation leader XOJET, Inc. announces that its fleet of Bombardier Challenger 300 and Cessna Citation X jets will feature high speed Internet. In partnership with Aircell, the world’s leading provider of airborne communications, XOJET is currently installing Aircell High Speed Internet on all aircraft in the fleet. With more than 70% of the fleet installed by the end of June and the entire fleet scheduled for completion in July, XOJET will become the first business aviation operator to offer wireless service on every flight in the Continental United States.
I am looking forward to seeing how technology changes how we stay connected in the sky. If you are purchasing a private aircraft or a business jet, make sure you can conduct business while enjoying the new purchase.
[photo via aircell]
I love playing golf and watching golf is almost as fun. This weekend is the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. The airport that is going to be servicing the U.S. Open for many of the private jets used by companies, sponsors and players is the Monterey Peninsula Airport. The FAA has issued a statement concerning the traffic concerns that will be a result of the event.
James Babcock, the air traffic manager at Monterey Airport states:
“Starting the afternoon of June 13, 2010 and continuing through the morning of June 21, 2010, we anticipate that the amount of traffic arriving and departing Monterey will likely double.”
They are also like to see the airport fill up with a number of aircraft and they are finding ways to park the number of private jets and corporate jets that they will have at Monterey. They are asking that other airports be used during the event. Arrival and departure slots will not be required, but the NBAA recommends that operators contact their FBO’s in advance if operating in or out of MRY during this event.
It would be interesting top see all the different aircraft that is being used by corporations or private individuals that are coming in and out of the airport for the U.S Open. I for one would love to be there to see the event in California.
