Yesterday a Cirrus SR22, N479SR, encountered some sort of problem and used the CAPS "Cirrus Airframe Parachute System", a ballistic recovery system, to end the flight resulting in no injury to the sole person on board, the pilot.

Ballistic Recovery Systems (BRS) have been around since 1980, and the CAPS system has been deployed some 14 times since its introduction.  Much to the surprise of the engineers those aircraft that deployed the system were repairable, with the exception of those that landed in water. 

The BRS system uses a small solid fuel rocket to deploy the full canopy above the aircraft within seconds, and the aircraft uses the landing gear to cushion the impact with the ground. The first ballistic recovery parachutes were on the market in 1982, and the first deployment was in 1983. Between then and April 2007, over 300 people were aboard 201 aircraft which deployed BRS parachutes; most of whose lives were presumably saved by those parachute deployments.

BRS are available for a wide range of aircraft and light sport aircraft, and certainly have increased the safety of pilots flying aircraft.  The BRS concept came into being when a hang glider pilot, Boris Popov, survived a 400' fall in partially collapsed hang glider.  He then invented the system which would allow full size aircraft to utilize the system to safely lower pilots and passengers to the ground after an airframe failure or in-flight emergency.  You can read more about this interesting system at Wikipedia.

Until next time keep your wings straight and level Hersch!

JetAviator7

My first wife didn't like to fly, either.

— Gordon Baxter

There is an old adage in aviation circles: if you want to make a small fortune in aviation start with a big one.  Well, Eclipse Aviation is a good example.  Here is a company that launched a big-time effort to manufacture a VLJ (very light jet) and managed to get it to market faster than its competitors.

But, as luck would have it, problems ensued with the aircraft after certification combined with the collapse of the financial markets so on November 25th Eclipse filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Delaware.  The Chairman of Eclipse Aviation, Roel Pieper, has proposed that Eclipse sell itself to one of his companies for roughly $ 0.20 on the dollar.  This means that the suppliers, investors and customers are likely to get only $ 0.20 on the dollar of what they invested in this company.  Thus the old adage is true:  to make a small fortune in aviation start with a big one!

Aviation, and the people in aviation, however are a class act.  The employees of Eclipse have singled out two charities to support duing this time of the year, a local food bank and another that supplies winter coats for children.  It is easy to be cynical in these times, particularly with idots like Madoff ripping billions off of people, but it is great to see the REAL Americans step up to the plate yet again.

Good going Eclipse!  And good luck to your endeavor!

Until next time keep your wings straight and level Hersch!

JetAviator7

Airspeed: Speed of an airplane. Deduct 25% when listening to a Navy pilot.

Bank: The folks who hold the lien on most pilots' cars.

Cone of Confusion: An area about the size of New Jersey, located near the final approach beacon at an airport.

Crab: The squadron Ops Officer.

Dead Reckoning: You reckon correctly, or you are.

Engine Failure: A condition which occurs when all fuel tanks mysteriously become filled with air.

Firewall: Section of the aircraft specially designed to let heat and smoke enter the cockpit.

Glide Distance: Half the distance from the airplane to the nearest emergency landing field.

Hydroplane: An airplane designed to land on a 20,000 foot long wet runway.

IFR: A method of flying by needle and ripcord.

Lean Mixture: Nonalcoholic beer

Nanosecond: Time delay built into the stall warning system.

Parasitic Drag: A pilot who bums a ride and complains about the service.

Range: Usually about 30 miles beyond the point where all fuel tanks fill with air.

Rich Mixture: What you order at the other guy's promotion party.

Roger: Used when you're not sure what else to say.

Service Ceiling: Altitude at which cabin crews can serve drinks.

Spoilers: The Federal Aviation Administration.

 Stall - Technique used to explain to the bank why you car payment is late.

As most of you know one of my sons is what they call a "roadie" for Air Transport International, and he travels all over the world on the company's DC-8 aircraft.  He works a 20 day on 10 day off schedule, so we don't get to see him as much as we would like.

Well, ATI is providing additional lift capacity for UPS and last night he arrived at the Capital City Airport in Lansing, MI right on schedule at 9:30pm.  After they taxied to the UPS ramp and soon he sauntered over to say hello to his mother and I.  What a great treat to see him in his "office", a picture of which is attached at the right.

As an aviation family we are proud to see one of our progeny succeed in a business which is under attack from all quarters today, and doing well and going strong!

Until next time keep your wings straight and level Hersch!

JetAviator7

Courage

Courage is the price that Life exacts for granting peace.
The soul that knows it not Knows no release from little things:
Knows not the livid loneliness of fear,
Nor mountain heights where bitter joy can hear
The sound of wings.
How can life grant us boon of living, compensate
For dull gray ugliness and pregnant hate
Unless we dare The soul's dominion?
Each time we make a choice, we pay
With courage to behold the restless day,
And count it fair.

— Amelia Earhar

After a long week I decided to spend some time getting ready for Christmas.  I also have an eBay store called "Aviation Sources" and I had to package a lot of product to be shipped.  Whew .... and then my wife wanted some help with decorating the Christmas tree.

We got the tree last week with the grand kids and we always go to the Peacock Road Tree Farm and cut down our own tree.  We had a great time, the snow was falling and everyone was in good spirits.  Fresh trees always smell so great. 

So today I slept in a little, got busy and have a few minutes to jot down my post for today.  I hope all of you are having a great weekend getting ready for the holiday too!

Until next time keep your wings straight and level Hersch!

JetAviator7

Someday we will know, where the pilots go
When their work on earth is through.
Where the air is clean, and the engines gleam,
And the skies are always blue.
They have flown alone, with the engine's moan,
As they sweat the great beyond,
And they take delight, at the awesome sight
of the world spread far and yon.

Yet not alone, for above the moan, when the earth is
out of sight,
As they make their stand, He takes their hand,
and guides them through the night.
How near to God are these men of sod,
Who step near death's last door?
Oh, these men are real, not made of steel,
But He knows who goes before,

And how they live, and love and are beloved,
But their love is most for air.
And with death about, they will still fly out,
And leave their troubles there.
He knows these things, of men with wings,
And He knows they are surely true.
And He will give a hand, to such a man
'Cause He's a pilot too.

With the demise of the bailout package for automakers, at least for the time being, selling their fleet of business aircraft didn't do much to pacify the US Senate.  Amid that news Aviation Week reports that the used business jet inventories were up again in November reaching 12.3% of the fleet.  This is the highest level since data has been gathered starting in December 1995.

Meanwhile Embraer's Phenom 100 VLJ (very light jet) has received certification from the Brazilian ANAC and the FAA says certification is imminent in the US. The Brazilian manufacturer broke ground last Thursday on its first US aircraft design and assembly center dedicated to the executive jet business.  The 150,000 sf center is schedueld to open at the Melbourne International Airport in Florida by 2010.

Hmmm, does this sound familiar?  Perhaps similar to what happened in the auto industry?  Could we soon find our aircraft assembly business in the same pickle that the auto industry finds itself in now? We now know that when foreign manufacturers build plants in the United States to compete with established US companies the cost differences between start up company costs and legacy costs will result in an unfair advantage to the start up companies and put incredible pressure on established manufacturers to reduce costs or close down.

While the world gets flatter resulting in better products at better prices for consumers manufacturers in the US find themselves in more and more competitive battles in order to survive.  I don't know about you, but it sure feels like our world is changing and that manufacturing may not exist in this country sooner rather than later.

Until next time keep your wings straight and level Hersch!

JetAviator7

The True and Beautiful—The Sky

Sometimes gentle, sometimes capricious, sometimes awful, never the same for two months together; almost human in its passions, almost spiritual in its tenderness, almost Divine in its infinity.

—Bayard Ruskin

Aviation continues to be a dangerous profession even with all of the today's modern technology.  Sometimes we pilots take things to casually and the results can be a disaster.  Take for example being a ferry pilot.

Earlier this week two pilots were ferrying a Cessna 337 to Europe and while over the North Atlantic first one engine died followed quickly by the other engine.  As the pilot's scanned the Hudson Strait for a safe place to land they were forced to land just south of Baffin Island on the ice pack.  As the aircraft landed on the ice it quickly gave way and sank just as the two pilots exited the aircraft and moved away from the ever growing hole in the ice.

The pilots stood there and watched the aircraft quickly sink taking with it their life raft and all of their survival gear.  Fortunately they were wearing their insulated survival suits and had radioed a Mayday call just before the crash.  With nothing to make a fire with the men had to keep walking in order to stay warm enough to survive the plummeting temperatures as night fell.  After 18 hours of pacing around the ice pack a fishing vessel came into view and rescued the two.

The Australian pilot and a Danish pilot living in Sweden were ferrying the aircraft to a new owner in Sweden when the aircraft went down during their 2-3 hour flight from Labrador.  The whole story can be read in the Globe and Mail newspaper.  This story reminds me of the story my friend Maurice Hovious told me of his survival in Antarctica.  Brrrrr..., I sure don't care for the cold.  It is cold enough here in Michigan so I really don't care to go to the Arctic or Antarctic.

Until next time keep your wings straight and level Hersch!

JetAviator7

In the Alaska bush I'd rather have a two hour bladder and three hours of gas than vice versa.

— Kurt Wien

Yesterday some details of the automaker bailout became known, and amongst the proposals is the requirement for the automakers to sell off their business jets as a condition to receive bailout funds.  While I have problems with ANY government interference with businesses, many of the proposals put forth for this segment of business is even more troubling.

Consider for the moment that these folks (Congress) are the people who can not control their own spending, who assist in running up incredible deficit spending, who encouraged the CEOs of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae to accept these subprime mortgages (in particular Barney Frank and Chris Dodd) and now they want us to believe they can tell the automakers how to become profitable? 

While there is no doubt that the automakers have problems I wonder how these Senators and Congressmen can oversee the resurrection of the auto business when they can't even solve the problems with Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security.

For those of us who have made our careers in aviation the attack on our segment of the economy is unprecedented and is creating the image in the public mind that business aircraft equate to the obscene pay some CEOs receive from their companies.  It certainly adds to the impression that these folks live big and get rewarded for running companies into the ground.

My experience has been that responsible companies who are not running to the bailout trough in Washington use business aircraft, including bizjets, to become more effecient and profitable.  Most of the members of the NBAA (National Business Aircraft Association) have strict rules regarding who can use the aircraft and the purposes for said use.  Many companies are located where commercial air service is either non-existent our inefficient for transporting company personnel on essential business travel.

And if you believe forcing companies to dispose of flight departments makes a dent in the need for billions of dollars, then you don't understand business aviation and how it has helped our economy grow.  NBAA President Ed Bolen is fighting the good fight for us and standing up to Congress while the CEOs of Ford, Chrysler and GM cower at the begging table.  Don't let Congress tell businesses how to run their own businesses as a condition of government largess.

Until next time keep your wings straight and level Hersch!

JetAviator7

The light at the end of the tunnel is another airplanes landing light coming down head-on to the runway you are taking off from.

— Robert Livingston, 'Flying The Aeronca.'

Boy, to read the comments left on the online version of the Detroit Free Press a lot of folks sure don't like corporate aviation.  It seems the rank and file feel that executives flying on corporate jets is a huge wast of money, but then I would guess they think the salaries they make irk them even more.

The truth is that ever since the investment bankers on Wall Street with firms like Lehman Brothers and the like began making huge salaries and bonuses for putting together mergers those types of compensation plans found their way into the main stream of corporate boardrooms.  To complicate the matter even further bonuses were tied to the stock value of the company, which drove CEOs to make short term decisions based not on what was best for the company but rather what was best for their benefit. 

After all, much like coaches for professional sports teams turnover is a fact of life, so these CEOs figure they should get while the getting is good.  All of which takes everyone's eyes off the ball.  It is easy to challenge symbols of power without considering the real life effects those symbols may have.  Back in the late 60's and early 70's Bill Lear of Learjet fame convinced company executives that flying on a corporate jet made a lot of sense, and could be justified by the time they would save.  Thus the idea that corporate jets were "time machines".

Having run a flight department many years ago and having gone through the excerise of justifying corporate aircraft I can tell you that it is an inexact science; however, many companies have been able to grow substantially while keeping their organizations relatively flat through the use of corporate aircraft and getting better time utilization of their management teams.

But in the case of GM, Ford and Chrysler even this misses the mark.  When we are talking about $ 34 billion - that's right Billions of Dollars - the corporate flight department expense is like a fly on the rump of a horse.  It doesn't mean anything.  Take a few minutes and look at how spread out across the country the automakers plants are, and their suppliers, and then think about the last time you flew commercial.  You can't get from point A to point B on a commercial airliner without it taking a full day.  It's just not an efficient way to travel.

I say this is a diversion to take the pressure off of Congress who have a lot of responsibility for this financial debacle with their insistence on providing home loans to anyone regardless of credit history or proof of earnings, and then rewarding the likes of Frank Raines with $ 90 million when he walks away from Fannie Mae leaving it bankrupt while Barnie Frank praises his leadership.  And these idots criticize the CEOs of Ford, Chrysler and GM?  Now they want to manage the car companies?  If you think it is bad now, just wait until you get your battery powered car (the only kind you can buy) and forget to plug it in the night before and now can't get to work.  Let's get real here folks!

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.

As you probably know, I am a Michigan boy and have flown here in Michigan most of my life.  Over the years the premier aviation jobs have been with companies like GM, Ford and Chrysler.  I recall when Chrysler was purchased by Daimler Benz and they ran an Airbus between Pontiac (PTK) and Germany on a regular basis.  GM and Ford have large flight operations and the flying was good.

I never flew for any of those companies, but I knew a lot who did.  Those were the crème d la crème jobs in aviation in Michigan.  Yesterday Ford announced it will sell all five of it's corporate jets, and GM will sell all of the leases on it's fleet. A GM spokeman said "We don't use them that much anyway."

What a sad day for aviation, and corporate aviation in particular.  This is strictly a PR move to pacify those idiots in Congress that don't understand, let alone care, whether it makes any sense or not.  Corporate aircraft have always been used by those companies as a tool, not a luxury, and should understand that business jets are "time machines".  By that I mean they save precious dollars by making more efficient use of time management by executives tasked with saving these companies.

We have gone from a country with a heritage of innovation and entreprenuerial skill to a bunch of beggers slopping at the trough of the U.S. Government.  Why don't these executives stand up and point out that Congress has shown no better skills at managing the federal budget.  What makes those fools think they know how to run an automobile company any better?

I often tell my beuatiful and lovely wife that the most uncommon think in our society today is common sense, and these kinds of actions prove it.  We as a people have sunk into a world of political correctness that defies common sense!

Someone, anyone stand up and yell STOP!

Until next time keep your wings straight and level Hersch!

JetAviator7

Is there no one left –
Of understanding?
Oh I do not simply speak –
Of world events and supposed leaders.

I ask but for one…two –
Any?
I ask common people –
Understanding.

Man – Woman,
Son – Daughter –
Father – Mother –
Anyone?

ET’s coming to Earth?
Yes – I think it so.
If for no other reason –
To see the Cosmic Zoo.

Every country speaks –
“Universal Peace” –
Yet none, not one –
Has it within their own country.

Every Race speaks it –
Equality for all –
While being biased –
Against others.

Every “religion” speaks well –
Of all the others –
As long –
As their name comes first.

Every dance is beautiful –
As long as one gets to lead –
And this –
Always.

All ideas have merit –
As long as people with letters –
Say yes –
And those without are firmly stupid.

All ideas have merit –
As long as people with letters –
Do not see a one of them –
That goes against the collective thought.

Common Sense?
Lack of it sends our old ones –
With Life’s Wisdom stored –
To a Death Storehouse.

Common Sense?
All races see their Past –
Know Histories Lessons –
Give the intelligent answer –
Let’s repeat it all.

Common Sense?
'Tis a Universal Thing –
Ever existing to be had –
Save by those that insist on being “right”.

Is it any wonder?
That the day’s younger generation –
Is without Hope, as they say –
Endless Tape-Loop is all we have given them.

Every advancement we make –
We take it back.
Every progression we acknowledge –
We deny.

We wish –
We hope –
We pray –
And when we get it…..'tis not enough.
Ever.

Wisdom is wasted –
Upon the old –
As youth is upon the young –
Common Sense, escapes the both.

You want a President?
This is good and well –
Just don’t think that –
Common Sense will bring the right one.

Peace?
This is good,
And for awhile it can be had –
Just don’t hope that Common Sense will hold it.

You want the stars?
They as well –
Can be had –
Just don’t believe that NASA will give it.

Common Sense?
Put it on the Endangered Specie list –
Along with Respect –
And Honor.

Over a Billion in China –
How many with Common Sense?
Upon a Billion is India –
How many with Common Sense?

Common Sense –
Well, that actually tells me –
Save for the rare –
These words fall upon deaf ears.

Common Sense –
Tells us all –
WE need Help –
But it also tells that most will not accept it.

Common Sense –
Says that every person –
Upon the face of the world should weep for the lack –
But, only one two do or shall.

Common Sense –
Should tell all –
That a few with all the money –
Something is wrong.

Common Sense –
Should not have the man/woman –
Sitting in front of TV –
Yeah or No – but instead, doing something about it.

Common Sense –
Should speak that the money –
To combat a natural weed –
Is wrong – when all others made – kill.

Common Sense –
Killers out to kill again and do –
And wee breakers of law –
Spend lifetimes?

You all can take –
All the people’s legends –
Prophecies and words –
But Common Sense wins out.

A Day is Coming –
One way or another –
All will have to answer –
And Common Sense, will be the judge.

Snow Owl-October 13, 2004

Each year around October activity in Antarctica begins to get busy again, and this year is no exception.  The main gateway to Antarctica is through McMurdo Sound, and before flights into Antarctica can begin the FAA must certify the navaids for the airfields in Antarctica.

In the past those certification flights would be conducted by using a C130 aircraft; however, this year the FAA sent one of it's Challenger 601 aircraft on the mission.  The aircraft team consisted of three pilots, a mission specialist, a mechanic and an avionics technician.  They stayed for a week at McMurdo but the maintenance folks had to work around the clock to keep the aircraft from becoming cold soaked as the temperatures dropped to as much as -20 degrees Centigrade.

As I mentioned yesterday my friend Mauric Hovious went to Antarctica to rescue a damaged aircraft for an insurance company resulting in an extraordinary experience I am sure he would not like to repeat.  If you ever get to Vicksburg, MI be sure and look Maurice up and ask him about it.  It will "cold soak" you I guarantee!

Until next time keep your wings straight and level Hersch!

JetAviator7

CRUISE FLIGHT

— Rob Robinette

Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of my spouse
  And danced the clubs on Kiwi-polished boots;
Moonward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
  Of Moon-split clouds — and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of — in the Philippines
  High in the domelit silence. Holding there,
I've scared the airsick pax, and flung their baggage through footless halls of air.
  Up, up the long, delirious, burning black
I've topped the turbulent heights with little grace
  Where never C-130, or even C-5 flew.
And, while with fuzzy, sleep deprived mind I've trod
  The high untrespassed sanctity of controlled airspace,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of The Aircraft Commander,
  who thinks he is God.