July 2007
New Private Jet Service Seeks To Provide the Highest Quality Charter Service
(July 31, 2007)A new full-service jet charter company, Apex Flight Management, is committed to providing the convenient, safe and comfortable flight that travelers expect from a private jet brokerage. Apex takes care of the flight details as well as arraigning services for before and after the flight, including chauffeur and catering. Apex also handles the sale of aircrafts. It is the specialized team of technicians, and pilots along with Apex’s business sense that guarantees customers will receive the right jet for their travel needs. Additionally, Apex offers management services to help eliminate the pressure of aircraft ownership. Apex hopes to go beyond simply meeting the needs of their clients to surpassing them. The company stresses their understanding that time is a precious commodity no matter what business they conduct or where they are traveling. The president of Apex Flight Management is Jelani Kelley. Kelley became a professional pilot in 2003 and founded Apex in 2006, at the age of 23. He is involved in several facets of the aviation industry from maintaining aircrafts to youth education, especially at-risk youth. Although Jelani works with a wide variety of clients, he is eager to collaborate with other African American professionals are he seeks to expand Apex Flight Management. For more information about Kelley or Apex, visit the website at www.apexflight.net
Holmes Spends Mega Money On Private Jet
(July 30, 2007)Eamonn Holmes, the presenter for the National Lottery Jet Set show, has dished out 14,000 for private jet flights to fly between his two television programs. Since his lottery show began airing in Glasgow last June, Holmes was forced to find some way to be present for both the lottery show and his morning show, which airs from London. To add to the madness, Holmes and his partner Ruth Langsford are set to co-host the ITV’s This Morning during the summer. The couple’s residence is in Surrey where they live with their young son, Jack. A friend was reported as saying, "He gets a private jet but it’s purely a logistical thing because of his grueling schedule. As well as getting up to Scotland ion time, he has to be back for his Sunrise show, so couldn’t trust normal airline flight." Holmes’s friend continued, "He does not need the money but he does like to be busy. He has done the Lottery show for five years and wanted to stick with it. A private jet was the only way possible." A spokesperson for Holmes said, "In order to make his intense schedule possible, he makes his own private travel arrangements." Travel by private jet has increased 50% within the last five years, while travel into Glasgow has increased more than one third. NetJets flies into 16 airports in the Scotland area. A spokesperson for the company commented, "Once the private jet was what you would do if you were the kind of person who wasted money but now that are used to save time."
Charter Flights Offer Many Benefits To Business Travelers
(July 30, 2007)Due to the post-911 increase in airport security and boarding procedures, chartered flights have taken off as the new convenient way to fly. Last year, the air charter industry introduced thousands to the advantages of private jet charter. Often the money saved is the biggest benefit to busy executives who otherwise would be at the mercy of the scheduled flights. Chartered jets offer luxury surroundings, and the convenience of traveling when and where you want. Security is not an issue on private jet flights and the increase in productivity can make up for the additional expense. There are instances when chartered flights are not the best solution. For example, if flying very long distances or overseas, chartered flight may not be the best solution. However, if you need to fly to many locations in a certain timeframe, are traveling in a group, are traveling to a location not close to a major airport, or if the scheduled flights don’t suit your needs, chartered flights are the answer. Additionally, the flexibility of charter flights is a major advantage. You have the ability to land and take off whenever and wherever you want without worrying about flight schedules. By setting your own departure time, you can save money on hotel rooms, car rentals and dining. While more than 50% of commercial flights travel between only 20 of the country’s major airports, charter flights reach 12,000 airports that are not accessible to normal airlines. This allows you to avoid the nosy, crowded major airports. With all these benefits, chartered flights can meet your need for luxury, comfort, safety, and privacy that will allow you to more productively spend your time.
The Use Of Private Jets By Candidates Of Interest To Constituents
(July 29, 2007)The Democratic politicians vying for the presidency were asked how they had traveled to the debate location. It was revealed that more than a few had arrived by private jet. This was more than concerning when taken into consideration that the debate was over global warming. However it isn’t only the environmentalists or the envious vacationers that are interested in politicians’ use of private jets. Reports revealed that some campaigns have actually benefited from using private jets are much lower cost than the conventional method of chartering a plane. The rules regarding elections permit the reimbursement to corporate jet owners by candidates for flights made. The cost of travel is more important in this campaign over others since candidates began campaigning far earlier than seen in past elections. This has caused an increase in politicians traveling throughout the nation. Due to the tendency of candidates to use the same jet repeatedly, it almost seems as if the candidates have a personal air chauffeur. Former senator John Edwards dished out over $430,000 during the first half of this year for the use of Fred Baron’s privately owned jet. Meanwhile Rudolph W. Giuliani paid over $175,000 within six months for leased jet flights from Elliot Asset Management. Still more candidates have been employing the use of planes from a selection of businesses and executives. Republician Mitt Romney has accepted trips on the eBay jet as well the CEO of Oracle, Lawrence Ellison. The Governor of New Mexico, Bill Richardson, has flown in jets owned by local businesses. The reason for this boon in private jet travel is obvious, substantial savings on the part of the candidates. Chartering a midsized jet to travel from D.C. to New Hampshire could run close to $7,000 while a candidate could use a corporate jet and through reimbursement only spent about $700 per passenger on an 8 to 13-person flight. Two prominent democratic candidates have resisted the temptation to take corporate jets, Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. They have both made the choice to spend much more money chartering their flights. Republican Senator John McCain, of Arizona, started off his campaign by flying corporate jets but eventually had to forgo the luxury due to strained campaign finances. A spokesperson for the senator, Jell Hazelbaker reported, "Senator McCain had hoped that other candidates in the race would follow suit and pay the true cost of chartered planes. It’s regrettable, but moving forward we cannot continue at such an incredible financial disadvantage." Financial disadvantage aside, the campaign for McCain paid out over $1.5 million on chartered flights for the first six months of 2007. This total is substantially higher than those of the candidates who elected to use corporate jets. Critics of the system complain that lending private jets is one way businesses can continue supporting a candidate even after the maximum amount of money has been donated. "It’s a way of gaining access and influence, a bonus on top of campaign contributions," stated Meredith McGehee, the director of policy at Campaign Legal Center, "It is a back-door subsidy that evades campaign contribution limits, but is done legally." As a lawyer specializing in aviation for companies, Ed Kammerer reports that often, it is the other way around, "There is a lot of solicitation from candidates. I can tell you from my own experience that there are owners of planes who say that candidate XYZ wants to use my plane, and how can I delicately say no? I’d prefer not to, and I need something to hang my hat on." To counter the criticisms, candidates point out the Federal Election Commission has ruled corporate jets allowable and the companies are not asking for any special favors in return. Mr. Obama and Mrs. Clinton, both of who only used chartered airplanes, are also the only two candidates protected by the Secret Service. This makes the group they travel with much larger. Both groups say this is the reason why bigger planes, and higher costs, are necessary for their campaigns. Mr. Edwards still holds the record for most money spent though, at $430,000 for the use of a Hawker 800 owned by Mr. Baron. Baron is a lawyer who has stood up in large asbestos trials and is the former Association of American Trial Lawyers president. The spokesperson for the senator’s campaign, Eric Schultz told reporters that Mr. Baron was paid an amount equal to that of a first-class plane ticket for the use of his jet.
The Embraer Phenom 100 Takes Its Maiden Flight In Brazil
(July 27, 2007)The Embraer Phenom 100, a Very Light Jet (VLJ), experienced its maiden flight in Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil much to the delight of their first customer, JetBird AG (JetBird). The flight lasted a little over an hour and a half and included many maneuvers to ensure all systems and operations checked out, which they did. This brief maiden flight will be followed by a longer full-systems test, complete with static and fatigue trials for the purpose of qualifying for Brazil’s national Civil Aviation Agency certification. Once that milestone is achieved, the Embraer Phenom 100 will apply for the U.S. Federal Aviation Authority certification, after which it will begin service sometime in 2008. It is expected to become European Aviation Safety certified in the beginning of 2009, and then Jetbird’s orders of the Phenom 100 will be filled. The Embraer Phenom 100 gained the status of best-in-class during its release in May 2005. Jetbird has already committed to 50 orders of the VLJ-aircraft with an option for 50 more orders. "This is a key milestone for Embraer and a very special and rewarding moment for the entire Embraer team," commented Mr Frederico Fleury Curado, "When we unveiled the Phenom jets a little more than two years ago, we asserted to the business aviation community our commitment to be a long term player in the executive aviation market. The first flight of the Phenom 100 confirms this commitment and constitutes another step in Embraer’s strategy to serve our customers with a product line that spans the market." Mr Stefna Vilner, the CEO of Jetbird, remarked "As expected, the Phenom’s first flight was on schedule and successful. As European launch customer, we look forward to receiving the first European certified Phenom 100 in April 2009." Vilner continued, "JetBird’s choice of the Phenom 100 reflects its position as the premium aircraft in its category offering best-in-class comfort, space and passenger facilities. Embraer have a proven track record of designing and manufacturing commercial aircraft. The application of this experience to the Phenom family of aircraft means that the Phenom 100 has lower operating costs, higher utilization capability and higher residual value than all other aircraft in its class." Vilner ends by stating, "Each of these factors underpins JetBird’s low cost usiness model and the ability to offer a premium service at a significantly lower price point than existing private jet operators." JetBird plans to begin operations in April 2009, after which it will become one of Europe’s first genuine low-cost jet companies. With the rise of demand for jet travel, JetBird hopes to provide an opportunity to enjoy jet flight at a price more affordable for lower level executives.
GULFSTREAM JET SETS RECORD
(July 27, 2007)About five years ago, the first production G550 aircraft flew from Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport on its first flight. The flight which took place on July 18, 2002, lasted five hours and one minute and that recorded the longest first flight of any new Gulfstream aircraft model. Joseph T.Lombrado, the President of Gulfstream said,"When the G550 wheels lifted off from the runway on that hot summer morning, there was a collective cheer from the hundreds of employees watching. While it was nearing 100 degrees outside, we really didn’t mind the heat. We knew we were witnessing something very special." John O’Meara, the chief test pilot at Gulfstream and project pilot Al Moros took the airplane through its full flight envelope – flying up to the 51,000 feet maximum cruise altitude – and beyond,including a test dive of Mach .955. Having landed the plane, O’Meara stated that "the aircraft performed like it was ready for customer delivery." The G550 which was introduced in 2000 features the PlaneView® cockpit, which includes the new Honeywell Primus Epic avionics suite, a signature Cursor Control Device and Gulfstream Enhanced Vision System (EVS). The Enhanced Vision System is the first pilot vision-enhancing equipment to be certified and endorsed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The 124 G550 business jets in service are presently experiencing a 99.82 percent dispatch reliability rate. The jets have flown a collective 119,024 hours and completed more than 47,000 takeoffs and landing. Speed records has been set by the G550. The records include a 7,301 nautical mile flight from Seoul, South Korea, to Orlando, Fla. in Oct. 2003, less than three weeks after it started operation.
Cessna Continuing Improvements on Citation Mustang
(July 26, 2007)Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company, Cessna Aircraft Company, has announced that the company will continue to develop new capabilities for the Citation Mustang. The announcement came at the EAA AirVenture. "The flight testing team recently completed testing required for high altitude certification at El Alto International Airport in La Paz, Bolivia," said Mustang program manager, Russ Meyer. "Once the certification is complete, it enables the Mustang to take off and land at altitudes up to 14,000 feet." The first flight of the Citation Mustang occurred in August 2005 and the aircraft achieved FAA Certification in September of that same year. More recently, in May 2007, the Mustang earned its EASA Certification. Brazilian certification of the aircraft is pending. So far, the Independence, Kansas production facility has delivered 16 Mustangs and is expected to ship at least forty more this year. In August, the first delivery of the EASA Mustang is planned. The Citation Mustang has the capability of nearly 400 mph, a service ceiling of 41,000 feet, and a range of 1,150 nautical miles. The aircraft is equipped with a fully functional Garmin G1000 and has an integrated, dual-channel fail passive digital autopilot. Furthermore the Mustang boasts WAAS navigational features that provide lateral and vertical guidance. Cessna Aircraft Company is currently the largest manufacturer of general aviation airplanes worldwide. In 2006, the company reported revenues in the amount of about $4.2 billion, a backlog of $8.5 billion, and delivered 1,239 aircraft. Cessna was founded in 1927 and has produced more than 189,000 aircraft. More information on the company can be found at www.cessna.com. Textron, Inc, which owns Cessna Aircraft Company, has over 40,000 employees, and operates in 32 countries. Textron operates in aircraft, industrial, and finance businesses making it an $11 billion company. Some well-known Textron brands include not only Cessna but Jacobsen, Kautex, Bell Helicopter, Greenlee, and Lycoming. More information on the company can be found at www.textron.com.
NGP Concept Being Developed by Cessna
(July 24, 2007)Engineers at Cessna Aircraft Company, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, continue to refine the details of the next generation piston (NGP) proof-of-concept aircraft on display at the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. Van Abel, project manager for the NGP said, “We are collecting performance data from several aerodynamic modifications, and are continuing to refine the aircraft design. At last year’s AirVenture, the NGP proof-of-concept (POC) aircraft, surprised onlookers with a stunning fly-by. There are a higher percentage of composite materials used in a POC than a conventional aircraft. A mock up of the interior design of the aircraft is being presented so people will know what the finished product could look like if the project goes ahead. No data will be released to the public until Cessna decides what it is going to do. A decision is expected by the end of 2007.
Engineering Rep Appointed by Gulfstream
(July 24, 2007)The appointment of engineering authorized representative administrator, for the Gulfstream Designated Certification Office, has been announced as Laurence “Larry†Hanson. Overseeing the creation and compliance of engineering Authorized Representatives, (AR’s), is what Hanson will be advocating in this new position. The selection, training and performance of these AR’s will also be a part of his duties. Hanson is well qualified for the job having previously worked for Gulf stream for a total of 19 years. Before he came to work at Gulfstream, Hanson spent a further 22 years, as a military airlift aircraft loads engineer, for Lockheed Martin in Marietta. He earned his bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering at the University of Cincinnati. At the Georgia Institute of Technology he earned a master’s degree in aerospace engineering. Hanson is also an FAA Designated Engineering Representative. His professional manager certification was earned at the Institute of Professional Managers. He has also been involved with the American Institute Aeronautics and Astronautics. There has been some involvement with Gulfstream Management Association as well. About Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), designs, develops, manufactures, markets, services and supports the world’s most technologically advanced business-jet aircraft. Gulfstream has produced some 1,600 aircraft for customers around the world since 1958. To meet the diverse transportation needs of the future, Gulfstream offers a comprehensive fleet of aircraft, comprising the wide-cabin, high-speed Gulfstream G150®; the large-cabin, mid-range Gulfstream G200®; the large-cabin, mid-range Gulfstream G350®; the large-cabin, long-range G450®; the large-cabin, ultra-long-range Gulfstream G500® and the large-cabin, ultra-long-range Gulfstream G550®. Gulfstream also offers aircraft ownership services via Gulfstream Financial Services Division and Gulfstream Pre-Owned Aircraft Sales®. The company employs more than 7,900 people at seven major locations. We invite you to visit our Web site for more information and photos of Gulfstream aircraft at www.gulfstream.com. General Dynamics, headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, employs approximately 82,600 people worldwide and had 2006 revenues of $24.1 billion. The company is a market leader in business aviation; land and expeditionary combat systems, armaments and munitions; shipbuilding and marine systems; and information systems and technologies. More information about the company is available online at www.generaldynamics.com.
Cessna Builds Aircraft To Suit Market Preferences
(July 23, 2007)Textron-owned Cessna Aircraft Company announced a new Model 162 Skycatcher would offer a mixture of knowledge and intuition to the sport aircraft marketed today. The launch of the new aircraft occurred at the Experimental Aircraft Associations’s yearly seven-day gathering – AirVenture. Cessna chairman, president and CEO announced, "We set out to develop an aircraft worthy of the Cessna name. We have had more voice-of-the-customer input into the design of this aircraft than anything we’ve done in the past." Some of the design features that were targeted at consumer preference include dual control sticks, elevator trim and mechanical flaps, as well as a fixed seat/adjustable rudder. Also an obvious market preference is the Teledyne Continental O-200D engine, which allows for a longer time between overhauls, better operations, and warranty advantages. These benefits all add up to a cost-efficient model to offer Cessna customers. Cessna Aircraft Co is the largest manufacture of aircraft based on reports of unit sales. Cessna sold 1239 airplanes, of which 307 were Citation jets, and had revenues of approximately $4.2 billion with a backlog of $8.5 billion. Cessna was founded in 1927 and has provided consumers with over 189,000 aircraft through the years. The company website offers more information on the company: www.cessna.com Textron Inc is a multi-business company worth roughly 11 billion dollars. They have locations in 32 different countries and employ nearly 40,000 workers. For more information on Textron Inc. visit their website at www.textron.com
