Used aircraft prices rise due to demand

Aviation Week features a story on the demand for business jets and how manufacturers and suppliers are trying to keep up.

Business jets are needed around the world, but getting them done has created a backlog of orders.

Because new jets are not available, the prices of used jets is going up. Some used jets have been sold for 110% of their price.

A flight in an open-cockpit airplane

The Portage Daily Register features a story on a recent gathering of the Experimental Aircraft Association.

As pilots arrived at Portage Municipal Airport for the annual fly-in breakfast, one reporter was offered chance to take a ride.

Reporter Todd Krysiak took a ride in a home-built airplane flown by Bill Rewey: a pilot with over 62 years experience.

Rewey and Krysiak flew in an open-cockpit plane, a two-seater powered by a single engine and the second built by Rewey.

Aerospace workers are in demand

HeraldNet.com features an Associated Press story on the growing demand for new workers in the field of aerospace.

Older aerospace workers are retiring in large numbers. Boeing and other companies need new talent. By using websites popular with college students, like Facebook.com, they are getting the word out.

Journey around the world by helicopter completed

KansasCity.com features an Associated Press story on Jennifer Murray and Colin Bodill, the first pilots to complete an around the world flight by helicopter from North to South poles.

The pilots made the journey in a single trip, stopping for fuel 101 times, flying 37,000 miles, and passing through 26 countries.

You can read more about the trip at www.polarfirst.com.

Bill seeks to criminalize aiming laser pointers at aircraft

According to Photonics.com recent bill passed by the House of Representatives would criminalize the act of aiming a laser pointer at a passing plane.

There have been hundreds of reported incidents of lasers aimed at aircraft. Inexpensive lasers pointers are sold as keychains, toys, and for use during business presentations. Light from a handheld laser is powerful enough reach from the ground to aircraft. The glare can distract or even temporarily blind a pilot.

While no crashes have been attributed to lasers, the new bill is meant to prevent such a disaster from happening.

Aspiring pilots learn to fly at Pennsylvania flight school

A story in The Leader Times in Kittanning, Pennsylvania, reports on beginner pilots taking flight training at McVille Airport in South Buffalo.

According to the story, if you can learn to drive, you can learn to fly.

Students in the flight courses vary in ages and want to learn to fly for different reasons. Some want to become professional pilots, while others just want to fulfill the dream of flying.

A witness to aviation history

TimesArgus.com features a story on Anne Condelli, who witnessed the takeoff of Charles Lindbergh on his historic flight across the Atlantic.

Lindbergh took off from Roosevelt Field on Long Island, N.Y. on May 20, 1927.

Condelli describes the takeoff as a tense moment. Lindbergh's plane, The Spirit of St. Louis, made an awkward takeoff and there were some fears that the plane might clip nearby phone lines as it ascended.

Are electric supersonic aircraft possible?

Could a plane fly faster than sound powered only by electric motors? An article on EVWorld.com explains how it could be done.

The motors that would drive such and aircraft would not be like the one inside a hybrid car. Most likely, they would be powered by special superconducting cells that could store enormous amounts of electricity.

Before an electric plane breaks the sound barrier, it is more likely that electric motors would find use in smaller commuter aircraft first.

Companies use private aircraft to save time and money

The Daily Press in Newport News, Virginia, features a story about fractional ownership of aircraft by an expanding number of businesses.

Fractional ownership allows companies to share jet aircraft, reducing the cost that would normally place owning a private aircraft out of reach.

A senior vice president from Bank of America's Corporate Aircraft Finance division refers to private aircraft as "time machines", meaning that they give their owners greater flexibility with travel when conducting business.

Do you use an plane through a fractional ownership plan? Leave a comment and tell us about it.

Cessna tests new Williams FJ44-4A engine

The official site for Cessna Aircraft Company features a report the new Williams FJ44-4A engine's first test flight.

The Williams FJ44-4A will power the new Citation CJ4 being developed by Cessna as the newest member of the popular CJ line of Citation business jets.

First flight of the CJ4 is scheduled for the first half of 2008 and entry into service is set for the first half of 2010.

“The first flight of the new engine went very well, and performance exceeded our expectations during the 50-minute flight,” said CJ4 Program Manager Norm Baker III. “This new Williams engine is going to give our aircraft excellent capability in terms of performance, thrust, fuel economy and aerodynamics.”

The FJ44-4A has the best thrust-to-weight ratio in its thrust class, and it incorporates several proprietary aerodynamic improvements that yield a significant reduction in fuel consumption.

Small pilots concerned about new FAA regulations

The Decatur Daily of Decatur, Alabama, reports on the controversy over the Next Generation Air Transportation System Financing Reform Act of 2007 and its impact on small-plane pilots.

The FAA says more revenue is required for new air-traffic control systems, needed to handle increased cargo and passenger aircraft in the skies.

Pilots of smaller aircraft fear that the new rules would push gas taxes to four times present rates. Some pilots grounding their aircraft.

Other pilots fear that there will be battle between small plane pilots and commercial airlines over who should pay higher taxes.

What do you think? How would you be affected by the new FAA rules? Leave a comment and tell us your story.

Guide your aircraft using XM WX Satellite Weather

The XM WX Satellite Weather service provides crucial weather information for pilots, displaying radar data and other information on a dash-mounted or handheld device.

Flying Magazine's site features a profile devices used for XM WX Satellite Weather (or XM Weather for short) and the different versions and prices available to pilots.

While XM Weather devices offer information to small plane pilots that larger planes receive, pilots still have to interpret the data and respect the limitations of the technology.

XM Weather information works best when balanced with other weather prediction tools and sound judgment by experienced pilots.

40 percent increase in helicopter sales expected

If engine-maker Honeywell is correct, you'll be hearing the sound of rotors more often as helicopter sales increase.

According to Aviation Week, Honeywell is forecasting a 40 percent increase in helicopter deliveries over the next five years. Honeywell predicts 6,000 new helicopters will be needed between now and 2016

There was jump in helicopter sales by 9 percent in 2006 alone.

The demand for new helicopters ranges from business travelers, medical services, and law enforcement, with customers ranging from the United States to Africa and Asia.

Shared ownership of aircraft is growing

Flying magazine's website features a story on shared ownership of aircraft.

Businesses that want to own new plane, but are reluctant to shoulder the costs, can own a plane jointly with others in a timeshare arrangement.

While the cost of joint ownership is not cheap, the concept is growing and giving access to aircraft to businesses who might never have considered it before.

Flying sand may have cracked aircraft windshields in Denver

The recent mystery over cracked windshields at Denver International Airport may have been solved, with wind-driven sand blamed as the culprit.

On February 16, fourteen planes at the Denver Airport developed cracks on their front and side windshields, which prompted an investigation.

According to the The Denver Post, it is now believed that sand put down on the runway may have been driven the 48 mph winds that day, causing pitting damage, then cracks, on the windshields.

Demand and uses for helicopters on the rise

Aviation Week features a story on strong demand for helicopters and the services they perform.

Helicopters are needed for missions ranging from oil exploration to emergency medical services. The demand is so strong that manufacturers are working harder than ever to keep up.

The story also reports how newer helicopters use automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast(ADS-B) to fly in areas such as the Gulf of Mexico.

ADS-B networks track helicopters and relay their altitude, speed, and direction. This information is used to monitor and co-ordinate helicopter traffic over a wide area.

Cracked airplane windshields prompt investigation in Denver

ABCnews.com features a story on an investigation into thirteen cracked aircraft windshields at Denver International Airport.

An airplane windshield is supposed to withstand extreme temperatures found at high altitudes and speeds up to 400 knots. Windshields are also designed to withstand physical trauma, such as bird strikes during flight.

The reason for the cracking is especially puzzling because windshields have broken both in flight and while the planes are parked on the tarmac.

While high winds and cold temperatures have buffeted the Denver area recently, the number of windshield problems in one place is unusual.

Air traffic control fees and taxes could lead to bitter fight

The Orlando Sentinel features a story on a controversial Federal Aviation Administration proposal to raise fees on small aircraft and business-jet owners. The proposal would create a more stable source of revenue for the FAA and fund for air-traffic control use.

By shifting more of the cost (about 23 percent) from commercial airlines to private aircraft, private airlines would save 2 billion under the new plan. The plan would triple fuel taxes, increasing to 70 cents a gallon.

The FAA proposal will need congressional approval before moving forward.

Aviation Week also features a story on the FAA proposal and the political fighting which could result over the plan.

What do you think? Leave a comment and tell us your story.

Honda aircraft building plant in North Carolina

Assembly Magazine reports that Honda Aircraft is building a 215,000-square-foot headquarters and hangar complex at North Carolina's Piedmont Triad International airport.

The plant will produce the HondaJet, Honda's entry into the market for light jet aircraft.

The new facility is already taking orders for new aircraft, which should be delivered around 2010.

Imagine Air offers air charter service to mid-sized companies

Gwinnett Business Journal profiles a new charter air service, Imagine Air, offering Georgia business travelers and alternative to busy airports and security hassles.

When a NASA-led study found that the Atlanta-area could benefit from an air-taxi service, two pilots used the opportunity to start their own airline.

Imagine Air is aiming to serve mid-sized companies with their service, who need charter flights as much as big corporations do.

To ease booking fights, Imagine Air designed their own software for flight booking. Passengers can book flights quickly and know the exact price.