Plane Conversations

I have an interest in the development of aviation bio fuels. After riding through too many volatile price swings in aviation fuel (sometimes for reasons no one can explain),  I think it would be nice to one day wake up with some predictability in one of the majors costs to fly aircraft – fuel. And what if the solution happened to be much more carbon neutral? That would be a nice bonus!

Both General Aviation and the Airlines are subject to world price swings in fuel that can destroy profits overnight with no ability to control it on our end. The airlines who sell many seats far in advance are especially vulnerable to fuel price swings since they can not go back to the consumer and ask for more money when they have sold a seat on next months flight.

I have written a couple posts on our site about the development of bio fuels for aviation. Over the long haul this could provide an answer to the problem of price volatility. I also like the idea of our country becoming energy independent. It seems to make sense to not be reliant on other countries for a commodity that keeps the country running, especially since many of the countries we buy that commodity from are not our friends.

I have been to Brazil twice to visit the Embraer factory and on my trips I noticed that Brazil offers more choices to the consumer when you pull up to the gas station to fill your car up. On my first trip when I asked our driver about it he commented proudly that Brazil it energy independent.  The country has developed a variety of fuels for their cars and trucks including Liquid Natural Gas and Ethanol or Alcohol based fuel. They have cars that will run on multiple fuels so as not to be limited by supply of one fuel or the other.

So it does not surprise me that the country’s airlines, bio fuels producers and agricultural producers of the raw products for bio fuels have come together to form an alliance to develop bio fuels for aviation.

The blog site http://www.biomassintel.com reports on this alliance (Aliança Brasileira para Biocombustíveis de Aviação – ABRABA) in a May 20 post.

Quoting from the post:

According to a statement released by the alliance, ABRABA argues:

“The use of sustainable biofuels produced from biomass is key to maintaining the growth of the aviation industry within a low carbon economy.  The proven ability of Brazil to develop alternative energy sources, combined with its knowledge of aviation technologies, will result in a significant gain for the environment by minimizing the impact on economic development.”

The Bio Mass Intel site has a whole section on Aviation Bio fuels under the heading “Aviation 2.0” (link – . http://www.biomassintel.com/category/transportation/aviation-2-0/)  It is worth checking out.

This is part of the innovation that will be required to keep our industry sustainable into the future – both from an economic standpoint and environmentally.

Maybe our country should consider a national policy that orients development of bio fuels for aviation. I can’t see where anyone could complain about it in light of the mess we have in the Gulf of Mexico?

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A recent article on www.roadwarriortips.com revealed what are the most business friendly states in the US.  And with many business travelers who utilize private charter aircraft, I thought this might be an interesting read.

And I’ll be honest, they are not the ones I would have picked right off, but after reading this article… yeah, it makes sense these were chosen. 

The article reads:   

Highlights from a recent reportby Development Counselors International on states with a favorable business environment are revealing.  One of the important findings of this report is that amount of business travel is a key influencer on where to locate new business operations.  Another, clearly related, focus of the report was to rank states based on their business-friendly environment. 

Ranked from first to third by business development executives are: Texas, North Carolina and Georgia. 

Beyond their attraction for business, each state has great attractions that make business travel as enjoyable as it is profitable.  Texas, for example, has two huge cities and plenty of fun smaller towns.  Houston, that state’s largest city, may have 25 Fortune 500 companies, but it is also home to amazing sightseeing attractions like the Johnson Space Center and a Theater District that is second only to New York City. 

North Carolina is not only one of America’s major banking centers, it also is a thriving agricultural state.  Tourists love North Carolina and have made it the sixth most visited state in the Union.   This state has it all, from a magnificent coast with beautiful barrier islands to the majestic Great Smoky Mountains. 

Known for luscious peaches, Georgia is full of wonderful places to see and things to do.  Be adventurous and take a boat tour of the Okefenokee Swamp, immerse yourself in colonial history in Savannah or tour Atlanta, one of the most exciting cities in the Southeast. 

So, next time you take a business trip to somewhere in this beautiful and diverse country, why not take at look at what the area has to offer?  Put down your iPhone for a few hours, put on some sneakers and see what’s on offer.  You might even get back from your business trip feeling better than when you left! 

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Today Bill Minkoff, our VP of Marketing / Business Development  is arriving from Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil, flying our new Embraer Phenom 100 – N777JQ.  This is a day that we have anticipated for almost two years, from when Bill came on board with us as a partner in JetQuik and brought an order for the new Embraer Phenom 100 with him.  Our company will be managing this new generation business jet for owners in our hometown and chartering it out to the traveling public.

Besides his role as our VP of Marketing and Business Development and partner in our new venture, Bill is also a highly experienced pilot having started his aviation career as a Naval aviator flying the A7E  fighter off the US Midway aircraft carrier.  He moved on to Delta  Air Lines flying as an international Captain and Line Check Airman, finally retiring on the Boeing 767.  Even having made night landings on aircraft carriers, and flying 767’s internationally, I think Bill is enjoying this flight more than anything he has done in a long time.

For our company, as it is for many other charter operators, owner pilots, and corporate flight departments, the arrival of a new aircraft is an exciting event.  I try to be objective about aircraft and focus on numbers – operating costs, performance, cash flow, etc., but when you see the new bird for the first time you set the objectiveness aside and let the emotions and excitement take over.

This aircraft represents a new generation of business jets and a new era for our company.  Like many aircraft charter companies around the world, we have operated the workhorses of the industry for 27 plus years now – King Airs, Lear 35’s and Cessna Citations, to name a few.  All of these aircraft have been safe and reliable and have delivered day in and day out for our owners and charter customers.

The smell of new leather, the sleek design and a simple looking but sophisticated cockpit make this new aircraft exciting.  For a numbers person like me, what is equally exciting is that the new jet will deliver that same safe and reliable transportation as the older workhorses at a much lower operating cost.  

Lower costs for us means lower pricing to the users, which translates into new customers, who have not previously been able to justify using a business jet for travel - if the formulas of supply / demand / price that I learned in college still hold true, that is.  I feel sure that they do. 

I like to use analogies to make a point.  I tell people this new jet is like the Toyota Prius of the new jets.  It isn’t a hybrid (maybe some day) but its fuel efficiency and cost to operate is unmatched for a jet of its size, speed and performance.

N777JQ will be arriving this afternoon from Fort Lauderdale on the last leg of the journey to its new home in Nashville, TN.  

Estimated flight time is 2:37 at a cruising speed of 378  knots (434mph), a cruising altitude of 40,000 feet and an inflight fuel burn of 88 gallons per hour.  Impressive numbers for such a good looking aircraft.

I can hardly wait to see it! 

Our latest addition N777JQ leaving her birthplace in Brazil enroute to her new home in Smyrna, TN.

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