Plane Conversations

After a six month hiatus from flying, I am finally back in the left seat!  And the one thing that has become apparent to me since starting up again is how the end result of some things we choose to do is worth enduring discomfort or hard work.  And this pertains to everything we choose to do in life.  If you don’t enjoy it, then why do it?  Well, of course sometimes there are things we have no choice in, but with flying, this is something I choose to do.  It can be uncomfortable at times  – like the first time Kirk pushed my head into my lap, put the plane in an unusual attitude and said “your airplane.”  He then gave me controls while I was wearing a hood which didn’t allow me to see outside of the cockpit; so, I had to use only the instruments to regain control, returning to normal and level flight.  It can also be hard – like when I have to spend my weekends studying for a ground school test, while everyone else is out having a good time in the gorgeous Tennessee spring weather.  But if you love something, all the other “stuff” becomes worth it. 

During the time I was not flying, I studied only a little (because I hate to), but then ramped up my efforts as the time I knew I would be back up flying again drew closer.  On Monday of this week, I took my first flight in the Katana DA20.  Now you might remember I was flying a Cessna 152 last year, but due to maintenance issues, I had to change to the DA20.  The switch was what took me so long to get back to flying; but, now I’ve done it and and I’ve jumped back in. 

I was nervous about flying again after so long, and especially because I had never flown this type of aircraft before.  But let me tell you, I love this airplane!  All the line service staff at CFM told me I would, but I still had a soft spot for the Cessna 152.  Well, now that I have flown this airplane a few times, I think it is just wonderful.  The canopy allows for a better visual, and it is a very easy airplane to fly.  Steering with brakes is the one thing which has me a little rattled.  Because the nose wheel of the DA20 is not linked to the rudder pedals, turns while taxiing must be made with differential braking.  I was a little swirly on the runway the first time I had to takeoff, but thankfully, Kirk was there to keep me on the runway.  I know in a few lessons I’ll have that down.

I’m somewhat starting all over again lesson-wise, but I’m okay with that because I’m excited to be flying again!  And all the study and discomfort that I know I will sometimes experience in this learning process will pay off with the fact in all the fun I have flying.  I guess the one thing I’m saying here is that sometimes we have to do things we don’t like, but look at what you get at the end.  What do they say?  No pain, no gain?    

I’m going to be blogging about my experiences on a regular basis again.  So follow me along the path to becoming a pilot, because I am definitely going to be sharing some interesting stories, on life in the left seat, and life in general.

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I recently had the opportunity to be part of an interview with Fleet Aviation executives Doug Brennan (CEO) and Ellen Sluder (Director of Marketing) about how, in a murky aviation market, they are successfully growing their aircraft charter business.

The business model behind this White Plains, New York, based company is simply offering complete travel solutions to the customer that is price competitive, safe, comfortable, convenient and environmentally friendly.  It’s what all of the aviation industry wish to do.  These guys have a solid history of success since 2005 and are offering a better solution to the business traveler.

So who is Fleet Aviation?  And what is their secret?  Well, it’s not really a secret at all.  Fleet Aviation provides on-demand charter service in small aircraft anywhere within 500 miles of the Greater New York City and Boston areas.   At Plane Conversations, from time to time we like to compare the different experience of riding on a corporate or private jet, with the experience of travelling on the airlines.  It’s our business, and we love to share with the market what a wonderful experience flying private is.  Well, the small aircraft offers the same experience.  Being a student pilot and flying in a two-seat Cessna 152 with less than desirable elbow room, I can fully appreciate the comfort level of flying in a four or six seat aircraft; whether it has one engine or two.  And these aircraft are not only comfortable and modern, but they are also fun, safe, and can get into any of the 5000 small airports in the US.  Only 500 are available to the airlines.  So it’s easy to figure out the time and cost advantage of chartering a single-engine aircraft. 

But what is the experience like?  Ellen Sluder says, “The experience of flying Fleet starts well before you arrive at the airport for your trip. You can either reserve online or call our concierge service. Once you have confirmed, you get a personalized itinerary that includes the name and phone number of your pilot. Should there be any concerns or questions, you can always call us or the pilot directly.  When it is time for the trip, you can drive right out onto the tarmac and your car will be valet parked and washed for your return. You step out of your car, hand your pilot your bags, climb right into the plane and can be taxiing in 5 minutes. Skip the crowds, lines and connections associated with major airlines. And, because you are flying private, we are completely on your schedule – if you arrive a few minutes late, we simply wait for you.”

Fleet Aviation keeps a clear business focus on regional travelers and aiming to attract a new market -those who might not have ever thought about aircraft charter.

Face to face is important for Fleet Aviation, but the social media trend has clearly started to penetrate the aviation industry.  “I fully believe that Social Media should be about getting feedback and creating a discussion.  ”Engaging” in the truest sense of the word”,Ellen says. ”Ultimately, I’d love to get to the point where I’m generating hundreds of hits and interactions – driving people to our website and getting actionable feedback.  But for now, the focus is really twofold: to provide fodder for folks who are doing due-diligence on Fleet Aviation, and use it as a tool for education.  We want to challenge the conventional thinking on regional travel. I read upwards of 30 blogs a day, and sift through to find topics I think would resonate and be relevant to regional travelers and then put the private aviation spin on it. Sometimes it’s about highlighting destinations that are best reached through private flying, sometimes it’s commentary on the current system”. 

To visit the great folks at Fleet Aviation, go to:  www.flyfleet.com

“With Fleet, it’s smooth, simple and straightforward, from booking to landing.”

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One evening, our last departure from Jackson to Dallas was delayed due to a nasty weather system sitting right over the DFW airport. I announced our delay to the passengers waiting in the gate area.  I had checked everyone’s connections which were still okay since delays of every inbound flight meant delays for every outbound flight. I invited anyone with additional questions or concerns to see me at the podium. The line formed so fast, you’d have thought I was giving away money. I realized people were tense, though; so, I checked connections for individuals who, reassured, returned to their seats. The passenger next to last in line approached and asked, “What about those of us just going to Dallas?” I cocked my head in that way of dogs hearing high-pitched noises.  ”I’m sorry?” I said, “I don’t think I understand what you’re asking me.” She repeated, “I’m just going to Dallas: I don’t have another flight.” Unsure of exactly how to respond, I finally settled on, “Well, ma’am. The city isn’t going anywhere.” To my surprise, that seemed to satisfy her as much as it baffled me and the man standing in line behind her. She returned to her seat while I shook my head and helped the last passenger.

As one of the US’s busiest airports, DFW sees an average of nearly 1800 flights daily (based on 2008 figures of 656,310 movements). Read it again, but you saw it right the first time – 1800!  It’s no wonder that even a small glitch in the system causes a ripple effect with frustrating and far-reaching consequences. One of the risks of using air mass-transit is that your choices of routes are pretty limited. Most legacy carriers still operate using the hub and spoke model – you board your flight in a smaller market or spoke city and funnel into the hub to connect to another flight to your smaller market destination. It can be and once was an efficient system; however, funneling that amount of traffic through hub cities creates delay possibilities.  However, in most large markets, private aviation gives you alternate airports to the overloaded commercial hubs. In Atlanta, the Fulton County Airport is a great alternative. In Detroit, Willow Run might be a good choice and in Dallas, the Dallas Executive Airport could be your best bet. In all cases, decreased air and ground traffic allow you to travel more efficiently in those metro areas, although the big airports may be technically closer.

There is a world of difference between standing at Cutter Aviation or Ambassador Jet Center at Dallas Exec, waiting for a storm system to pass and waiting  at DFW Gate C33 for the same system. In both cases, the same safety rules apply: no aircraft fueling when lightning is present, no take-offs or landings when visibility is below minimums or when certain other weather conditions are present. The marked differences come just after the storm clears. At Dallas Exec, there may be three aircraft waiting to taxi and take off as soon as conditions allow. At DFW, on the other hand, there may be thirty aircraft in line ahead of you. As a first officer announced on one flight I took, “Well, we’re number, uh, we’re number, uh. Well, we’re just so far back in line here, I’m not exactly sure when we’re going to take off.” The way just looks clearer from the Dallas Executive taxiway.

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General Aviation has been playing defense, but it’s time to put the offense on the field.

It seems that our industry of general aviation (everything that has to do with airplanes but the airlines) is constantly under attack from certain segments of the press, the airlines and politicians.  Airlines don’t want general aviation to succeed because they see their most profitable customers running away in droves to find better solutions.  One of those solutions is the use of private aircraft.  Maybe the airlines should figure out how to take care of their customers instead of spending time trying to kill all the other alternatives.

The groups that represent us such as NBAA, NATA, GAMA and AOPA have done a good job defending the value of general aviation in this country and what our side of the industry of air travel represents in terms of jobs and productivity in the economy.  With the exception of the No Plane No Gain Campaign, we have had to be on the defensive so far.  Why?  Because we didn’t have a means to get our message through on a day to day basis and we were at the mercy of the mainstream media.

It’s time we go on offense instead of hunkering down in the corner of the ring and waiting on the next punch.  I believe we need to start throwing a few punches ourselves.

I find interesting a recent comment by Jonathan Ornstein, CEO of Mesa Air Group, in the September 17  USA Today article about federal funding for non-airline airports.  Based on his history, his comment that ”congressmen are spending millions building runways at these little airports.  That is just a complete waste of money,” seems a little hypocritical to me.

Mr. Ornstein has built one of the most financially successful regional airlines in the world.  In the humble beginnings of Mesa Airlines, and for many years after, he took advantage of the government subsidy program called Essential Air Service (EAS), which is funded through the US Department of  Transportation.  In short, this program provides subsidies to airlines who fly into small airports that cannot support airline service on a purely free market basis.  The same little airports that were once and may be again, the very ones he deems a “waste of money.”

Congress continues to fund EAS each year based on the logic that small communities need air service for economic development.  If you are hours away from a large airport with commercial airline service, how are businesses going to get to your community to do business?  It’s about jobs and economic development.

So when it is convenient for Mr. Ornstein, he has no problem taking advantage of government subsidy to grow his business but when it is not, he finds it a “complete waste of money.”  He has a right to his opinion but it seems clear to me that his opinion is self-serving for his business and not based on the facts and the bigger picture.  The facts demonstrate that both small and large airports benefit the economic development of the communities they serve.  He should reflect a little on how he built his business and whether he was bringing value to those small communities across the western US when he served those EAS markets, all the while making a profit at the expense of those of us who pay our taxes.

I, for one, am glad he made a profit serving those communities; but, I am just getting a little tired of the hypocrisy of these airline guys.

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