Plane Conversations

At Social Flights, we have said many times that nothing economic truly can happen until people get together to build something. Economics is the science of incentives and no incentive is stronger in the human species than family and community.  It does not take much of a chasm of reason to see why Google is so interested in travel and travel related properties.

Travel is the keystone for change; change of ideas, change of relationship, change of intentions, and change of markets.  A banker is not interested in money – they are interested in the rate of change of money; it’s called “interest rate”.  People are not interested in the same old story, they want the story to change – this is what keeps their “interest”

Again, we find Google at the center of the social “Interest Rate” in travel.  Don’t think for a minute that Facebook “timeline” is not also a move to capture how people change and react and adapt to the conditions around them. This almost makes it pointless for people to try to react to these changes because such a reaction is, in fact, registered by the platform driving the reaction.  Is this a problem?

From http://www.tnooz.com/2011/12/12/news/google-quietly-introduces-social-travel-service-schemer/

What makes you want to go to a place to begin with? When you have chosen a place – what makes you want to explore further? The inspiration phase of leisure trip planning research has been by far the hardest for tech-based services to master.

Google has announced (and started sending out Beta invites to) a new service, known as Schemer, which attempts to compete in this gap. Effectively it is local destination ideas based on tips from your (Google+) friends, celebrities (oh yes!) and professional destination content producers (ie. travel writers).

If destination research moves to starting at Google Schemer rather than Google Search, then Google will be able to pitch flights, hotels and other travel services, without having to necessarily work within the confines of their existing web properties.

Everyone else who makes it their business to build P2P platforms such as tour guides and recommendation platforms will be cut out of the loop.  If Google can now branch away from their core search and into the social connectivity business, they can compete with their own customers.  Is this a problem?

What Google does not do, and cannot do, is actually operate a jet aircraft.  They cannot clean a hotel room or manufacture a rental car.  They cannot cook a holiday dinner or wax a snowboard. Real people need to do this.  Why is Google chasing Travel?  Google is chasing people. At the end of the day, people drive Google. Is that a problem?

Ref: http://www.tnooz.com/2011/09/01/news/ultimate-guide-and-analysis-to-tour-guide-marketplaces-on-the-web/

At Social Flights, we have said many times that nothing economic truly can happen until people get together to build something. Economics is the science of incentives and no incentive is stronger in the human species than family and community.  It does not take much of a chasm of reason to see why Google is so interested in travel and travel related properties.

Travel is the keystone for change; change of ideas, change of relationship, change of intentions, and change of markets.  A banker is not interested in money – they are interested in the rate of change of money; it’s called “interest rate”.  People are not interested in the same old story, they want the story to change – this is what keeps their “interest”

Again, we find Google at the center of the social “Interest Rate” in travel.  Don’t think for a minute that Facebook “timeline” is not also a move to capture how people change and react and adapt to the conditions around them. This almost makes it pointless for people to try to react to these changes because such a reaction is, in fact, registered by the platform driving the reaction.  Is this a problem?

From http://www.tnooz.com/2011/12/12/news/google-quietly-introduces-social-travel-service-schemer/

What makes you want to go to a place to begin with? When you have chosen a place – what makes you want to explore further? The inspiration phase of leisure trip planning research has been by far the hardest for tech-based services to master.

Google has announced (and started sending out Beta invites to) a new service, known as Schemer, which attempts to compete in this gap. Effectively it is local destination ideas based on tips from your (Google+) friends, celebrities (oh yes!) and professional destination content producers (ie. travel writers).

If destination research moves to starting at Google Schemer rather than Google Search, then Google will be able to pitch flights, hotels and other travel services, without having to necessarily work within the confines of their existing web properties.

Everyone else who makes it their business to build P2P platforms such as tour guides and recommendation platforms will be cut out of the loop.  If Google can now branch away from their core search and into the social connectivity business, they can compete with their own customers.  Is this a problem?

What Google does not do, and cannot do, is actually operate a jet aircraft.  They cannot clean a hotel room or manufacture a rental car.  They cannot cook a holiday dinner or wax a snowboard. Real people need to do this.  Why is Google chasing Travel?  Google is chasing people. At the end of the day, people drive Google. Is that a problem?

Ref: http://www.tnooz.com/2011/09/01/news/ultimate-guide-and-analysis-to-tour-guide-marketplaces-on-the-web/

When a community comes together around a common cause, real change can happen. In the small town of Charleston, West Virginia , everyone came together to support their community airport and created a big change.

According to a recent article in The State Journal by Ann Ali (http://www.statejournal.com/story/16333075/partnerships-community-focus-keep-north-central-air-fares-low)

Fares at the North Central West Virginia Airport in Clarksburg went down this year, from $539.02 in 2010 to $505.11 in 2011. Its comparable airports raised their fares, along with every other airport in West Virginia. Average domestic air fares went up 8.5 percent nationwide from 2010 to 2011, according to numbers from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics, going from $341 in the second quarter of 2010 to $370 in the second quarter of 2011.

“We want the public to see the good deals that are out there,” Rock said. “We’re trying to provide good service to our community and take ownership of our airport. The best way is to educate them about what we have, and by doing that, we’re able to get people through the doors.”

Rock said the public thought the local airport’s prices were high, but his staff members has gone to great measure this year to do their own research to point out deals.

“We want regional parity, and our partners at Pinnacle (Airlines), we push them on that,” Rock said. “And they agreed and worked with us on that.”

Rock said his goal is to get members of the community to look to North Central West Virginia Airport when planning trips, rather than automatically booking flights from Pittsburgh or other nearby larger airports.

“We want people to at least check us out and see if we fit their budgets and schedules,” Rock said. “And I think people have done that, and we’re very thankful.”

Rock said his industry has a lot of volatility, such as fuel prices, but air travel remains competitive.

“We ask everybody to support their local airports,” he said.

We want all of the local communities out there to look at the problems the current air system and start to think local. Just because the big carriers are pulling out of your area, forcing you to drive 2 hours to the nearest airport to find a viable option doesn’t mean it has to stay that way. Come together with those you live with and collectively make a better option for everyone.

With Social Flights Community Air Service Program, you will be able to create your own charter airline using the power of on-demand jets service and social media. The revolution starts with you.

So often we allow ourselves to get bogged down by our own thoughts and habits.  Year-end reflections remind us that there are things we should stop doing and that there are valid reasons for changing our behavior.  I think that today I’ll avoid dwelling on those thoughts that mire down my thinking and, instead, focus on a vision of the value that change can bring.

Checking the clock for the tenth time, she sees the hands creeping towards midnight.  In the nearly abandoned library, a college freshman furiously scratches out the last half-page of her calculus homework thinking, “Maybe I’m not cut out for this.”  A vibrating alert signals a message.  Opening her phone, she scrolls through a list of updates (hmm…that party is looking more inviting); but, the newest message, marked with an airplane icon, simply reads, “Thought you’d like this story.” The link is from Mike, her study partner in aero class.  She clicks on the link to discover that it’s a first-hand account of the first flight of the X-99 including a video of the landing.  She dives back into her assignment with a determined smile…Inspire.

Late one Friday afternoon, a test pilot looks at the test cards for a new commercial aircraft terrain avoidance system.  This is the third weekend in a row that he’s had to work late.  The cutbacks are wearing him down.  Something stirs in his mind, a distant memory of another test program—F-16 advanced ground collision avoidance testing.  Something in that distant memory tickles his mind.  What was it?! He opens his laptop, opens Google Reader, enters search terms; and, there it is – a blog shared by his chief test pilot detailing the test program.  Returning to the current test, he realizes that this altitude isn’t high enough. An FTT performed at that speed and dive angle will almost certainly be unrecoverable.  He knows that delaying tomorrow’s flight won’t be popular, but the test team needs to see this error and that article…Inform.

Rubbing his temples, a college provost reviews the budget…again.  Asking himself which of these programs he will have to cut, one line-item catches his eye.  “How much money does it take to fund a flight research laboratory?” he wonders.  Delaying his decision until after dinner, he goes home to be greeted by his son, excitedly telling him about the newest YouTube video.

            “Watch this dad! A spinning airplane deploys this chute and recovers safely.” The narrator said that the flight test was a joint project between that test pilot school and his university.

            “That’s your work, isn’t it dad?” An email address hyperlink next to the video catches his eye.  Maybe that aero department is worth the money after all…Invest.

Sharing what we do in flight test allows us to inspire, inform, invest, and even innovate. Social media can transform the way we share, multiplying the speed and breadth of our influence on the important people, from students to policy-makers, we want to touch with our message.  After all, one of them might just be the next Chuck Yeager.

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An article in CAIXIN Online  states that China is opening up a low altitude segment (less than 1000 meters) of its airspace for General Aviation. This may seem like small news since you can’t do much with business aircraft below 3000 feet, but it is really the beginning of a change that will have a major impact on the growth of General Aviation in China.

A friend of ours in China followed on with an email yesterday that said “Beijing  Lanzhou and another 3 cities have opened the low altitude airspace for policy trial yesterday”.

Wichita is sitting around waiting on the rebound in the US and World Business Aviation market and the opportunity is about to be unleashed in the largest country in the world. Maybe a little more attention should be focused on the largest market opportunity for Business and General aviation for the next 20 years?

Here are some interesting excerpts from this article about the potential in China:

According to a research report from the State Council, China’s general aviation sector is at an “initial stage of quick growth.” The report expects China’s general aviation aircrafts to increase to up to 100,000 units. Currently, only 1,000 general aviation aircrafts are operated in China, compared with more than 200,000 in the United States

In case anyone missed that: “units” mean “aircraft” and the numbers were growing from 1,000 to 100,000.

According to the report, as the world’s largest aviation market, the U.S. has seen its general aviation industry create more than US$ 102 billion in value every year, accounting for more than one percent of the country’s GDP. Liu Ping, chief editor of the industry journal China Civil Aviation said that the effective access to low altitude airspace will create 100 million yuan in growth within the general aviation industry as well as large number of job opportunities.

China’s government seems to understand the impact that aviation would have on economic growth by viewing the impact of General Aviation in the US. I think maybe they get it more than the politicians in Washington DC. A growing General Aviation market means new and well paying  jobs.

One of the limiting factors for China opening up airspace will be overcome if they can implement a satellite based air traffic control system. By doing so they would leap ahead of the US who is using 1960’s technology to control air traffic flow through ground based radar. Presently China is working with limited air traffic control capacity and using systems that are also outdated and restrict traffic flow in major hub airports.  

The question is: How long will it take for China to address the issues that really open up airspace for practical use of business aircraft? Can they open up the airways for real air traffic flow as they have done on the ground with the massive road building projects?  

When they do address these issues the sky will be the limit.

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Starting the end of this year, if you are an aircraft owner you will have to apply for a new aircraft registration. The month your current aircraft registration was issued in will determine its expiration and when you have to apply for the new registration. 

For example if your aircraft registration certificate was issued in March of any year you will need to apply between November 2010 and January 2011 for the new registration.

 If you have no changes in your registration you can do the renewal online.

The new rule puts a three year expiration date on the new registration. I have seen this in many countries and it is usually a means for the government to collect more money from aircraft owners.

Prior to this rule change, an aircraft registration (the certificate that identifies the aircraft owners) was good indefinitely until such time as the aircraft owner(s) sold the aircraft. It also should have been canceled if the aircraft was scrapped, totaled in an accident of if the aircraft was registered with ownership in another country’s registry.

The new registration fee is $5.00 which is insignificant at this point. Hopefully this is not a means to eventually tax ownership though the registration process.

My concern is the FAA’s ability to handle mass registration submissions without creating a backlog of paperwork that would cause some owners registrations to become invalid even though they have complied with the new rules.

The FAA is saying if you don’t have a valid registration your aircraft can not fly. Basically lack of current registration causes the aircraft to be un-airworthy.  

The FAA’s concern seems to be that their data base in not accurate because aircraft owners don’t play by the rules. The FAA claims that possibly 35% of all aircraft registered are not flyable or have wrong information.  To some degree that is a valid concern, especially with scrapped aircraft that could be put back into service in an un-airworthy condition.  

So now we all have to submit new forms every three years and track the expiration. For fleet operators it is another item to track on their maintenance program. For individuals who own aircraft, I assume they will be responsible for tracking it and held accountable if they don’t? I don’t see where you get a reminder like we get in Tennessee when our car tags expire, but maybe that is coming.  

The FAA is understaffed today so how are they going to keep up with this, and especially how do they enforce action against those who don’t comply. Do inspectors have time to go around and check on all of the 357,000 plus aircraft registered in the US?

You can read the FAA rule and information here.

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With a new year ahead, it seems a majority of us are reflecting on the past year, and perhaps deciding to make some changes in our lives.  Whether the change involves exercising more, quitting a bad habit, or something more life changing, like starting a family or new job, one thing is certain, change can be daunting, and downright scary for some.  What does this have to do with my learning to fly, you ask?

My last blog was about waiting - having patience.  I was not able to fly because of poor weather conditions, my aircraft being in maintenance, and my plans to spent three wonderful weeks on vacation in my homeland of Australia.  This blog is about CHANGE - quite fitting considering it’s the beginning of a new year, and I’m already making some changes in my personal life.  What’s one more, right?

So, the Cessna 152 went down for maintenance – an engine overhaul to be exact.  This left me without an aircraft to fly.  So the questions I have to answer are: do I wait the possible weeks it takes for engine overhaul, or do I change aircraft?  I have the option to change from the Cessna 152 to a Diamond Katana (DA20).  The aircraft are quite different – one high-winged, the other low-winged.  One has a yoke, the other a stick.  The different cockpit, and overall feel of the airplane.  Honestly, I was really disappointed that I was unable to solo in the 152 before I left for my vacation in Australia; but, I’m now quite excited at the prospect of switching aircraft.  Flying a different airplane altogether will be a great challenge.  I’ve never really been afraid of change; so (no surprise), I’m making the chage and I’m really excited about it.

However, this means I will have to learn a new Pilot Operating Handbook, DA20 aircraft speeds, instrument panel, how to land with a completely different view of the runway.  One thing won’t change:I will still have to rub elbows with Kirk.  It’s a tiny trainer!

Change has a considerable psychological impact on the human mind. To the fearful, it is threatening because it means that things may get worse. To the hopeful, it is encouraging because things may get better. To the confident, it is inspiring because the challenge exists to make things better.  So, to those reading this blog, I encourage you to embrace change in your life.  Because one thing is certain, change is inevitable.

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Just like your automobile, aircraft require maintenance to keep them airworthy. Airworthy is an easy aviation term to understand. For once, our industry came up with a term that adequately says what it means! 

Unlike your automobile, aircraft have mandated inspections that are designed by the manufacturer and required by the governing authorities (in our country that would be the Federal Aviation Administration).  I can ignore the oil change due light in my car and keep driving.  I may pay the consequences down the road but no one else really cares.  I may find myself stuck on the roadside and spend more money in the end if I don’t do the preventative maintenance now.

When it comes to aircraft, whether they are large commercial airliners or the smallest private aircraft, the FAA requires those of us who own and operate these aircraft to do the required maintenance.  It makes good sense considering you don’t pull over to the side of the road when your aircraft breaks down.

Without getting into all the technical jargon about aircraft maintenance, there are basically two types of maintenance  inspections you have to do on an aircraft.

The first type is required based on utilization.  In our cars, we change the oil every 5000 miles.  When it comes to maintaining aircraft we perform certain maintenance tasks based on the number of flight hours since these flying machines don’t count the miles.  Time intervals of maintenance vary on different aircraft and even vary for different tasks on the same aircraft, but the essential theory is that utilization causes certain parts of the aircraft to wear.  The stresses of flight create wear on the engines and airframe; so, the purpose of these inspections is to change out components and fluids that deteriorate with use, i.e. oil.  Just as importantly, though, we are looking for signs of wear that would indicate a need for preventative maintenance.  Highly skilled and trained maintenance technicians know what to look for and can detect problems before they become bigger problems.  Put simply, the objective is to fix it before it breaks.

The other type of maintenance inspection is based on calendar time.  An airliner may fly 10 hours per day 365 days per year (3650 hours of annual use).  A small private aircraft may fly only 100  hours in that same year; however, each of these aircraft have aged one year chronologically. A ten- year-old Boeing 737 may have accumulated 36,000 hours of flight time while the 10 year old single engine Cirrus Design personal aircraft may have accumulated 1000 hours.  Each aircraft is the same chronological age; but, they have lived vastly different lives.  Aircraft need to be looked at on a calendar basis for components that deteriorate because of age.  Using the car analogy, think about what happens to a car with age. Under the hood the belts and hoses start to crack from age and tires, even though they may not have been used much, will deteriorate.  The same thing is true for the flying machine.

Like the utilization inspection, the calendar  inspection’s purpose is two-fold - to fix what is broken and to detect and repair problems before they really become a safety issue.

Having worked with some really great maintenance technicians, I can tell you that I rest easy at night knowing that these dedicated, smart, trained and highly-skilled people keep our aircraft safe.  This system of maintenance for aviation continues to advance in skill level, cumulative knowledge, training, and technology to make these flying machines safer each year.  If automobiles were maintained like aircraft, they would never wear out.

The next time you get into an aircraft to go flying, know that the machine is constantly cared for by dedicated professionals that put their name on the line every day when they sign off those inspections.

Safe Flying!

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