All of us who fly always are curious about and follow accident reports. After all, if we can figure out what the last guy did wrong, perhaps we can avoid the same fate. Having followed many accidents over a lot of years I can tell you that the NTSB almost always finds pilot error in any accident.

Truth be known, Hersch - you bust it you get blamed.

However, in this case the true culprit is probably not the pilot, but the company he flew for. While the aircraft captained had trouble passing his check rides, both FAA and airline, he did finally complete the proper training and was qualified to fly the Q400 aircraft.

One fact uncovered was that the airline, Colgan, showed its pilots a video of an unusual type of icing that causes aircraft to plunge nose down into the ground. Now we have an aircraft with known icing and the stick pusher attempting to lower the nose of the aircraft while the captain pulls the nose upward.  The result: clearly the aircraft stalled close to the ground.

Once again the only people who really know what happened aren't with us any more. And the lives they were entrusted with aren't either. A very sad affair.

Until next time keep your wings straight and level Hersch!

JetAviator7

If a woman wants to fly, first of all she must, of course, abandon skirts and don a knickerbocker uniform.

— Harriet Quimby, first lady in the U.S. to receive a pilots license, 1911.

ps: This blog will move to http://all-things-aviation.com the coming weekend.

While the economy remains sluggish, and airlines continue to downsize and reduce costs, the search for more revenue has led some of the airlines to invest in installing wi-fi on their aircraft.  Delta and United have both begun installing wi-fi on their aircraft, and Delta plans on having 300+ aircraft equipped with wi-fi by the end of the year.

However, this service will not be free, nor come cheaply.  The investment by the airlines is significant, and it is expected to result in charges to passengers who want to email, blog and surf the net from the comfort of their seats.  I don't know if the $ 13.00 charge for six hours of acess will be considered expensive, but apparently reception so far has been good.

I wonder whatever happened to the peace of being incomunicado for a period of time? Is there nowhere we can hide from our Blackberrys and email? 

Oh well, doesn't matter much to me, I don't use the airlines anyway.

Until next time keep your wings straight and level Hersch!

JetAviator7

— Georges Chavez, last words after crashing his Bleriot airplane on his trailblazing flight over the Alps, September 1910. His words became the motto of the Peruvian Air Force.

"Sacrifices must be made."

ps: Please note that this Saturday this blog will move to http://all-things-aviation.com

Apparently it is not all doom and gloom in the general aviation marketplace. Cirrus Design Corp. President & CEO Brent Wouters announced that while international sales of its Cirrus aircraft were down 2% domestic deliveries of its aircraft will be in the mid-300s this year.

Cirrus manufactures the SR20 and SR22 model aircraft and has been producing them at the rate of 3-4 per week. The company recently announced plans to increase production to 6 aircraft per week to meet increased demand for its aircraft.

However, this increase in production rate will not result in laid off workers being recalled at the present time. The company says its recent efforts to improve efficiency in manufacturing have improved the bottom line through cost-cutting and increased sales.

In addition the company has stated it will continue the development of its single engine jet aircraft which has accumulated over 150 hours of flight testing.

Let's hope this trend continues, and that other manufacturers like Cessna and Piper will see the same improvement in aircraft sales.

Until next time keep your wings straight and level Hersch!

JetAviator7

"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return."

A 19 year old decided to shine a green laser at the cockpit of a commercial airliner attempting to land at Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix, AZ, but wasn't looking for the police helicopter that spotted him and sent a patrol car with officers who arrested him.

It seems this wasn't the first time he tried this, and with police and local pilots on alert they spotted the man and quickly arrested him.  It turns out the culprit was a student from France on a visa, and he was apprehended by police while surrounded by a group of people and under the police helicopter spotlight.

So much for better relations with France, eh?  I wonder why he was targeting aircraft.  Apparently the laser was purchased from Radio Shack, and while not lethal was certainly adequate to distract the attention of crew members during the landing phase.

Perhaps he was celebrating earth day.

Until next time keep your wings straight and level Hersch!

JetAviator7

A commercial aircraft is a vehicle capable of supporting itself aerodynamically and economically at the same time.

— William B. Stout, designer of the Ford Tri-Motor

Some times it pays to be lucky, other times it pays to be smart. The Greensboro Airport appears to have been both, attracting HondaJet to its airport.  A recently added 170,000 sf research hangar will bring additional jobs, and the next production facility building will bring Honda's space to 500,000 sf at the Greensboro Airport.

It appears there will be no slowdown either. "We are moving forward confidently with the HondaJet program with the full backing and strength of our parent, Honda Motor Company," Fujino said. Honda Aircraft, which launched its sales effort for the plane in October 2006, has orders for more than 100 of the aircraft.

Keep your eyes peeled on aviation. Sales of turboprops grew by 3.4% in the first quarter of the year while piston aircraft sales fell 55.1% and bizjet sales fell by 35.7%.  You will know if the economy is truly on the mend when general aviation sales start to increase, and CEOs and company owners start buying jets once again ignoring Congress.

Until next time keep your wings straight and level Hersch!

JetAviator7

"High Flight"

Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth,
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds...and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of...wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there,
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up, the long, delirious burning blue
I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, nor even eagle flew.
And while with silent, lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space...
...put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

by John Gillespie Magee, Jr.

Well, it had to happen. Britain's Foreign Minister David Miliband has been criticized for signing a two year contract for the use of private jet aircraft for those missions which pop up quickly or the ministerial aircraft are unavailable.

A spokesman for the Foreign Office said "We always try to use commercial airlines but sometimes that is not practical. Until now we have been able to use the RAF in those circumstances. Changes in the RAF mean we need the ability to charter aircraft sometimes at short notice -- value for money is a top priority."

Of course this did not pass without notice from some in Great Britain. For example, Matthew Elliott, chief executive of the Taxpayers' Alliance, told the News of the World: "David Miliband would do a better job if he remembered he is there to serve the people, not live a life of luxury at our expense."

Some people just don't get it. 

I remember when Bill Lear introduced the Learjet 23 back in the 60's. His unique selling proposition was as follows:  2 Executives Plus 1 Learjet 23 Equals 4 Executives.  In other words, the use of corporate jet aircraft was a means to multiply the amount of productive work a company could get from one executive or employee.

On another note, sometime back I wrote about Madam Pelosi's use of government GV aircraft, and received a number of comments, including one which claimed she was not entitled to use government aircraft.  A Freedom of Information request to the US Air Force confirmed that she does, indeed, have access to these aircraft, and has caused the crews and schedulers some headaches in the process.

Let's hope common sense returns soon - after all, we are NOT in the worst economic conditions since the Great Depression, but we certainly are approaching the Jimmy Carter era.

Until next time keep your wings straight and level Hersch!

JetAviator7

High Flight, with FAA Supplement

Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth(1),
  And danced(2) the skies on laughter silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed(3) and joined the tumbling mirth(4)
  Of sun-split clouds(5) and done a hundred things(6)
You have not dreamed of — Wheeled and soared and swung(7)
  High in the sunlit silence(8). Hov'ring there(9)
I've chased the shouting wind(10) along and flung(11)
  My eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up the long delirious(12), burning blue
  I've topped the wind-swept heights(13) with easy grace,
Where never lark, or even eagle(14) flew;
  And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space(15),
  Put out my hand(16), and touched the face of God.

NOTE:

1. Pilots must insure that all surly bonds have been slipped entirely before aircraft taxi or flight is attempted.
2. During periods of severe sky dancing, crew and passengers must keep seatbelts fastened. Crew should wear shoulderbelts as provided.
3. Sunward climbs must not exceed the maximum permitted aircraft ceiling.
4. Passenger aircraft are prohibited from joining the tumbling mirth.
5. Pilots flying through sun-split clouds under VFR conditions must comply with all applicable minimum clearances.
6. Do not perform these hundred things in front of Federal Aviation Administration inspectors.
7. Wheeling, soaring, and swinging will not be attempted except in aircraft rated for such activities and within utility class weight limits.
8. Be advised that sunlit silence will occur only when a major engine malfunction has occurred.
9. "Hov'ring there" will constitute a highly reliable signal that a flight emergency is imminent.
10. Forecasts of shouting winds are available from the local FSS. Encounters with unexpected shouting winds should be reported by pilots.
11. Pilots flinging eager craft through footless halls of air are reminded that they alone are responsible for maintaining separation from other eager craft.
12. Should any crewmember or passenger experience delirium while in the burning blue, submit an irregularity report upon flight termination.
13. Windswept heights will be topped by a minimum of 1,000 feet to maintain VFR minimum separations.
14. Aircraft engine ingestion of, or impact with, larks or eagles should be reported to the FAA and the appropriate aircraft maintenance facility.
15. Aircraft operating in the high untresspassed sanctity of space must remain in IFR flight regardless of meteorological conditions and visibility.
16. Pilots and passengers are reminded that opening doors or windows in order to touch the face of God may result in loss of cabin pressure.

Cessna Aircraft, a division of Textron, continues to drag earnings for Textron down as the company continues its efforts to restructure.  So far over 4,600 of the 6,200 persons laid off by Textron have been at Cessna Aircraft as demand for its aircraft continues to decline.

If memory serves me right general aviation has usually been the last to feel the effects of an economic slowdown, and the last to recover.  I would guess that this is because of the long lead time between aircraft sales and aircraft deliveries. Aircraft manufacturers are not able to produce vehicles as quickly as say an automobile manufacturer.

Sales at Cessna have fallen by some 38% while the Bell helicopter unit of Textron continues to experience growth, in large part because of military helicopter acquisitions. 

In the meantime the CEO for Piper Aircraft, James Bass, said the effect of the U.S. government’s “assault” on general aviation will linger much longer. His remarks, made Tuesday at the Sun ’n’ Fun Fly-In in Lakeland, Fla., were a biting criticism of government officials and media outlets that are spreading the off-base message that “private aircraft equal corporate excess…that’s the new equation, and Washington has made it a sound bite that no politician seems able to resist.

Given the excesses by our government and its leaders it is difficult to swallow the criticism of a critical part of our transportation system. Political retoric to curry favor with an unsuspecting public to carry out the redistribution of wealth in the United States by an out of control administration is leading our country down a path which many believe will result in the United States losing its leading role in the world economy.

Just last night President Obama stated again that this is "the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression", a statement which is completely false.  Unemployment is no where near where it was in the Great Depression, and while economic growth is negative interest rates are no where near where they were under Carter.

It is time for more conversation about facts and less false statements to further frighten an already frightened public.  Someone please stand up and tell the truth!  We need general aviation, and so do the airlines. There are not enought pilots in the military to replace all of the retirements coming, so don't be surprised if the new wave of pilots for the airlines are not Americans.

Until next time keep your wings straight and level Hersch!

JetAviator7

"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return."

Ah, the furor over flying the backup Air Force One Boeing 747 low past the Statue of Liberty in New York was probably not the best decision ever made.  Given the state of photography and photoshop today, it was entirely unnecessary, and caused a great deal of anxiety amongst New Yorkers near that part of the city.

The flight was billed as an attempt to update the promotional photo of the President's plane. Obama reportedly was "furious" over the flight, and former Secretary of the Army Caldera, who is in charge of the Presidential aircraft, has apologized profusely while his future at the White House remains a question.

One question I have is why the President wasn't told of this plan. It seems to me that something of that nature should have required approval of senior White House staff, given the traumatic events of 9/11. In any case a lot of people apparently knew about it, including New York City's finest, but the public was not informed.  Strange, isn't it?

Until next time keep your wings straight and level Hersch!

JetAviator7

That's not flying, that's just falling with style.

— Woody, from the 1996 movie 'Toy Story,' regarding Buzz Lightyear.

In interesting news I see that three aircraft were struck by lightning in Philadelphia on Wednesday, April 22nd.  The aircraft struck were:

1. An AirTran Airways Boeing 717 was struck by lightning, declared an emergency and then landed on runway 27R at Philadelphia.  The landing was uneventful, and there were no injuries.
2. An Embraer 170 regional jet flown by Republic Airlines reported a lightning strike over Philadelphia and made an uneventful landing on runway 27L in Philadelphia.
3. A Boeing 757 flown by America West reported a lightning strike 3 minutes after the Embraer lightning strike, declared an emergency and landed on runway 27L at Philadelphia. The landing was uneventful.

The FAA inspectors will examine all three aircraft for damage. Apparently the Embraer had no damage, the AirTran aircraft was struck on the nose and the America West aircraft had "some" damage.

On the other side of the world three aircraft were struck by lightning landing in Melbourne, Australia. One was a Virgin Blue aircraft and the other two were Qantas aircraft. 

Earlier in the month another Virgin Atlantic aircraft on its way to Heathrow on April 19th had smoke in the upper deck of a 747, then shortly thereafter was struck by lightning and the pilot landed the darkened aircraft at Halifax without warning as the aircraft jolted onto the runway at Halifax - the pilot only then revealing they had been hit by lightning and admitting he only saw the runway at the last minute.

Apparently there are a lot more lightning strikes to aircraft than the public has been made aware of, but most cause minor, if any, damage to the aircraft involved. Still, it can be a frightning experience.

Until next time keep your wings straight and level Hersch!

JetAviator7

An Airman Grace

Lord of thunderhead and sky
Who place in man the will to fly
Who taught his hand speed, skill and grace
To soar beyond man's dwelling place
You shared with him the Eagle's view
The right to soar, as Eagles do
The right to call the clouds his home
And grateful, through your heavens roam
May all assembled here tonight
And all who love the thrill of flight
Recall with twofold gratitude
Your gift of Wings, Your gift of Food.

— Father John MacGillivary, Royal Canadian Air Force