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.

The AOPA (Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association) has launched a new program to inform the public about the role of general aviation and the American economy.  The new program, called "General Aviation Serves America" will promote general aviation on television, radio, print and electronic media sources.

Actor Harrison Ford, famous actor and longtime general aviation pilot, recently stated "General aviation provides an economic lifeline for communities across America, millions of jobs and businesses of all sizes depend on small aircraft serving our country every day.”

According to the AOPA general aviation employs more than 1.2 million people and generates in excess of $150B economic activity each year. 

The AOPA is going to commit more money over the years to continue promoting general aviation, and I say this is terrific news. Many times people will stop me when I am wearing one of my sweatshirts or t-shirts with something about aviation on it.  The public remains curious and interested in general aviation, and we all need to do our part in promoting it whenever the opportunity presents itself.

Until next time keep your wings straight and level Hersch!

JetAviator7

The strength of the turbulence is directly proportional to the temperature of your coffee.

— Gunter's Second Law of Air Travel

Pilots, as everyone knows, are an interesting group of people. They walk with a certain swagger, usually eyes covered with teardrop sunglasses, and a certain mystery surrounds them.  Notice as they lean on the counter in the airport, talking to the ticket agent, looking through a long sheet of paper and making notes.

Meanwhile, the number two saunters out through the jetway onto the ramp to do a quick ground check of the aircraft prior to departure.  The first to board and last to leave, airline pilots enjoy the admiration and trust of all who travel with them.

But where to these aviators go to vacation?  Do they go home and fly some little airplane around an empty blue sky?  You bet they do.  Aviation is their heart and soul, it is their reason for living and they revel in the thrill of pushing the throttles forward never knowing what adventure awaits them on their journey.

In order to cater to this group of individuals, some creative souls have devised a hotel built just for airline pilots. So the Hotel Costa Verde in Costa Rica has designed this unique and totally impressive two bedroom suite made from a refurbished 1965 Boeing 727 fuselage.

Ah what a great nights sleep!

Until next time keep your wings straight and level Hersch!

JetAviator7

Lady, you want me to answer you if this old airplane is safe to fly? Just how in the world do you think it got to be this old?

— Anon

Thanks to all of you who have emailed me wondering where I went and what happened.  The truth is I was ill for a short time, and I am now working on changing my blog.  These things have decidedly distracted my attention but I assure you that I am returning in full force.

Thanks for the concern, and keep watching, I hope to make this blog more interesting and entertaining.

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."

I apologize for not publishing for the last week, but due to an illness I have been unable to provide any posts.  The good news is - I'm back.....

If you haven't had a chance yet, you should take a few minutes and peruse the "No Plane, No Gain" campaign website at:

"No Plane, No Gain"

As I have been saying for some time, business aviation, and business jets in particular, are business tools and not luxuries of the very rich.  Truth be known all CEOs seem to be painted with a rather broad brush while for the most part CEOs are smart enough to know they have to perform or the businesses they are running will fail and they won't have any jobs.  Moreover, the number of CEOs receiving these huge payouts are on Wall Street, not on Main Street.

I know a lot of business owners, and most own corporate aircraft.  My experience is these aircraft are used as tools to grow and manage their businesses, not as toys for the very rich. Most of the CEOs and business owners I know can't and don't spend that much time living the life of luxury.

In fact, you would not envy most of them.  For example, one company President I am doing some consulting for right now works 12 hours a day, 7 days a week.  He has a travel schedule that would kill a man half his age, and he is building his business not sitting on the French Riviera but working hard every day.

So the next time someone complains to you about biz jets tell them to go to the No Plane, No Gain website and see the stories of some of these businessmen who actually use these aircraft.  They might be surprised.

Until next time keep your wings straight and level Hersch!

JetAviator7

The "airport" was a tn stripe
in a field of grass;

I remember pilot that trip
when you flew low for me
so I could see how the confileds
were laid out -

Do you remember pilot my friend
how we skimmed the yellow miles
on the wings of an afternoon,

You shoulting to me in the sun
-isn't it peaceful here
-isn't it peaceful here?

- E.F. Weisslitz

Well, finally someone has spoken up, and come up with a solution for the attacks on CEOs for the use of corporate jets.  As more and more companies shed their flight departments one aircraft manufacturer has come up with a solution:

Buy A Beech King Air 350!

Its not a jet, and perhaps the Congressional staffers would not be putting the bug in their bosses ears about those "pricey" corporate jets!  Ah, just think of it, the revival of the turboprop!  You just have to love it.

This was the idea presented by Hawker Beechcraft in response to Cessna's pro-jet ads after orders for biz jets tanked over the last few months. Cessna's take is that business jets are important for execs to operate at the highest efficiency in these turbulent times.

Let's hope Congress doesn't kill aviation right along with all of the other business being attacked from all sides today.

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

Without taking anything away from Capt. Sullenberger you need to read this email which came through a close friend of mine who is heavily involved in the airline business. 

As you read this please do not take the negative about the US Air crew the wrong way - what this is about is the difference about the engines between a Boeing and an Airbus is true.

Here is the email in its entirety:

"What follows is an e-mail from a retired US Air Pilot who has flown the Airbus A320 just like the one that ended up in the Hudson .  It was written in response to a friend asking if he knew the pilot who did the ditching.  It is most illuminating:

 

Dear Crash,

 

I don't know him.  I've seen him in the crew room and around the system but never met him.  He was former PSA and I was former Piedmont and we never had the occasion to fly together.

 

The dumb shit press just won't leave this alone.  Most airliner ditchings aren't very successful since they take place on the open ocean with wind, rough seas, swells and rescue boats are hours or days away.  This one happened in fresh smooth water, landing with the current and the rescue boats were there picking people up while they were still climbing out of the airplane.  It also happened on a cold winter day when all the pleasure boats were parked.  Had this happened in July it would be pretty hard not to whack a couple of little boats.  Sully did a nice job but so would 95% of the other pilots in the industry.  You would have done a nice job.

 

Don't be surprised if the Airbus fly by wire computers didn't put a perfectly good airplane in the water.  In a older generation airplane like the 727 or 737 300/400 the throttles are hooked to the fuel controllers on the engine by a steel throttle cable just like a TBM or a Comanche.  On the Airbus nothing in the cockpit is real.  Everything is electronic.  The throttles, rudder and brake pedals and the side stick are hooked to rheostats who talk to a computer who talks to a electric hydraulic servo valve which in turn hopefully moves something.

 

In a older generation airplane when you hit birds the engines keep screaming or they blow up but they don't both roll back to idle simultaneously like happened to Flt.

1549. All it would take is for bird guts to plug a pressure sensor or knock the pitot probe off or plug it and the computers would roll the engines back to idle thinking they were over boosting because the computers were getting bad data.  The Airbus is a real pile of shit.  I don't like riding on them.  Google Airbus A320 Crash at the Paris Airshow in 1998.  Watch the video of an airbus A320 crash into a forest because the computers wouldn't allow a power increase following a low pass.  The computers wouldn't allow a power increase because they determined that the airspeed was too low for the increase requested so the computers didn't give them any.  Pushing the throttles forward in a Airbus does nothing more than request a power increase from the computer.  If the computer doesn't like all the airplane and engine parameters you don't get a power increase.  Airbus blamed the dead crew since they couldn't defend themselves.  A Boeing would still be flying."

As an Air Force pilot Capt. Sullenberger flew in the U.S. Air Force, and if you would like to know what kind of training these pilots undergo, I suggest you watch this 48 minute video:

This incredible video shows you what life is like in combat.  If you take the time to watch, you will discover where his calm came from, and how he was able to concentrate on the task at hand.

Military training is, of course, excellent for teaching pilots to properly task and how to handle the unexpected.  In the civilian world we don't get that advantage.

What we do get in the civilian world is the world's best simulator and flight training. The difference lies in the fact that a military pilot is concentrating on staying alive all the time.  Note that during this video you see the pilots walking the runway at dawn to check for any debris that might disable their aircraft.  Clearly they understand the dangers of their profession.

As you listen to Capt. Sullenberger you begin to understand the intense desire he had to do his job without flaw, and how much it distressed himself to find that he will never complete his career with a perfect record.  But, I would argue he WILL complete his career with a perfect record.  He may have lost an aircraft, but he did not lose any lives.  Would anyone trade even one life for an aircraft?

Let me know what you think.

Until next time keep your wings straight and level Hersch!

JetAviator7

Firewall: (1) The part of the airplane specially designed to allow all heat and exhaust to enter the cockpit. (2) The act of pulling 69 inches of manifold pressure, out of an engine designed to pull 60.

— Bob Stevens, 'There I Was.

As we all know Capt. Sullenberger was interviewed on 60 Minutes last night and it was certainly a fascinating interview.  He is the consummate professional pilot and  demonstrates the best of our aviation community.

As I scan through the aviation blogs on the internet I am amazed at some of the comments that are left regarding this hero and his accomplishment.  One comment stated that "I have MS Flight Simulator and this was no big deal."  Man, he sure doesn't understand anything.

Other articles talk about how Capt. Sullenberger is part of a "Dying Breed", and how newer crews have been trained not in the military but at schools like Western Michigan University and that they are computer geeks, more or less.  They seem to think that these new pilots see it most as a job, and that their interest is more about money than the thrill of aviation.

I would suggest that these folks need to meet a few of these pilots - I have.  We all share a true love of flying, whether it be in a J-3 Cub or an Airbus 320 - it is all about flying!

I find it fascinating that they don't bother to interview anybody, nor go and meet and fly with any of them, yet can pass judgement on them.  Fortunately pilots are more interesting than these articles written about them.

Until next time keep your wings straight and level Hersch!

JetAviator7

Unseen Fire

This is a damned unnatural sort of war;
The pilot sits among the clouds, quite sure
About the values he is fighting for;
He cannot hear beyond his veil of sound,
He cannot see the people on the ground;
he only knows that on the sloping map
Of sea-fringed town and country people creep
Like ants — and who cares if ants laugh or weep?

— R. N. Currey

Are pilots like Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger really a dying breed?  The Airbus 320 is a modern aircraft which you fly with a side stick instead of the traditional wheel we have all come to think of in aircraft.  The instrumentation of the aircraft is projected on large LCD screens rather than through mechanical devices like artificial horizons and altimeters and all of that.

We live in the age of the "glass cockpit", even in smaller business and general aviation aircraft.  There is a lot to be said about these wonderful developments, but sometimes I wonder.  As I watched "60 Minutes" tonight I was struck when Capt. Sullenberger talked about starting the APU (auxiliary power unit) when both aircraft engines failed.

The reason this is important is that when the engines fail, the generators fail, and you are down to battery power which may or may not be sufficient for the remaining flight time.  The APU insures that there will be enough electrical power, although with his experience and given the weather he could have completed the landing without them.

As you listen to the radio transmissions you understand that Capt. Sullenberger knew where he was.  We pilots call this "situational awareness".  He quickly ran down the list of options and settled on the Hudson River.  All of this took place in 5 minutes from takeoff to splashdown.

Sometimes I wonder if the crop of pilots learning today don't become too dependent upon the gizmos in the cockpit rather than the basics of flying.  I remember learing to fly on instruments when we didn't have anything other than a VOR or ADF indicator and some charts to know where we were.  It was essential that we always knew where we were, even as we navigated through the clouds.

An acquaintence of mine writes his own blog, Plastic Pilot, and asked me to provide him with a little information regarding my experiences in aviation.  If you have a moment you might want to take a read. Perhaps it will tell you a little about flying in the late 50s and 60s.

Writer Robert Kolker wrote an interesting piece in the New York Magazine on February 3rd, but I don't think he gets it quire right. He maintains airline pilots today are not "mavericks" any more, but rather more like asset managers who fly highly automated aircraft and act more like observers than pilots.  But most of the airline pilots I know love to fly, whether it is a J3 Cub or an Airbus 320, and I don't think most of them take their job quite as casually as Kolker thinks. 

What do you think?  Drop me a note an let me know.

Until next time keep your wings straight and level Hersch!

JetAviator7

As you know, birds do not have sexual organs because they would interfere with flight. [In fact, this was the big breakthrough for the Wright Brothers. They were watching birds one day, trying to figure out how to get their crude machine to fly, when suddenly it dawned on Wilbur. "Orville," he said, "all we have to do is remove the sexual organs!" You should have seen their original design.] As a result, birds are very, very difficult to arouse sexually. You almost never see an aroused bird. So when they want to reproduce, birds fly up and stand on telephone lines, where they monitor telephone conversations with their feet. When they find a conversation in which people are talking dirty, they grip the line very tightly until they are both highly aroused, at which point the female gets pregnant.

— Dave Barry, 'Sex and the Single Amoebae.'