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The transition to Glass-Panel displays
I learned to fly on old fashioned steam instruments in a C150 and Piper Warrior just years ago, but when I began my instrument rating I was introduced to the Garmin 430 GPS. It is a sophisticated and costly little device (near $10,000 installed) that will display all the information one could ever ask for and so much more. It will display everything from your TAS (True Airspeed) and GS (Ground speed) to your current position and approach procedures. I learned to fly instruments using a VOR with the assistance of this device, which was a great introduction to glass-panels without substituting the challenging good old fashioned VOR navigation.
After passing my Instrument ride I was quickly introduced to the wonderful world of multi-engine flying. The flight school I attended had two Diamond Twinstars (DA42) equipped with the Garmin 1000 GPS. The 1000 model is completely glass and consists of one or two Primary Flight Displays (PFD) or in either 10 or 12″ sizes and one Multi-function Flight Display (MFD) in your choice or 10, 12 or 15″ sizes. In my case, the DA42 consisted of two 12″ screens, one Primary Flight Display and a Multi-function Flight Display. My first thought was how much this system added the base price of the airplane. The answer is an additional $25,000! That is a big ouch, but there are some very big advantages. The G1000 incorporates everything the smaller Garmin systems do, plus an auto pilot, FADEC (Full Authority Digital Engine Controls), Topographic relative terrain and obstruction clearance mapping to enhance situational awareness and safety, Traffic awareness, NEXRAD weather, XM radio, and hundreds of other features.
Flying with the G1000 took approximately three flights to get use to when transitioning from the Garmin 430/530 GPS models. It would take considerably more lessons for someone with no Garmin experience to become adaquate, but once you do it becomes second nature. I believe it’s easier to scan the information without one’s eyes moving across the hardware that separates conventional instruments and the data they present.
My favorite feature of the G1000 is the radio transmission playback button. If you fly, then you know it can be easy to miss a call from ATC and asking them to repeat can irritate them. If you hear a transmission and you find yourself asking “Was that call for me?” or “Did he say 2,000 or 3,000 ft.” then simply push the playback button and hear the last call. If you repeatably push the playback button the recording continues to go further back. This comes in handy, all the time. 
In conclusion, I can’t find a reason why I would not choose the glass-panel display over the conventional steam instrument setup. If you lose power, including the emergency battery, then backup instruments that are not connected to the G1000 are available.
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AeroPremier Jet Center
Lakefront Airport in New Orleans, Louisiana is the brand new recipient of a third FBO by the name of AeroPremier Jet Center. Before Hurricane Katrina struck the city in late August 2005, the airport consisted of three FBO’s; Million Air, Atlantic Aviation and Aviaport. Million Air was the first to be up and running, Atlantic decided against rebuilding and focused on their KMSY base. Aviaport returned in February 2006 and lasted six months before turning in the towel.
Million Air has been the dominant FBO and still is to date, but in late 2007 a competitor by the name of Flightline First opened up and began to gain customers right away. To date, they attract approximately 20% of the traffic that comes to the airport.
AeroPremier is going to be the newest kid on the block, but are backed by experienced aviation professionals including a Captain for American Airlines with an FBO management background of many years. Their location on the field is the furthest away from the large active runway which appears to be their only downfall, but they have some things to offer that may appeal to corporate operators which I will list below.
The facility is the largest in the state of Louisiana. Two buildings are now being leased by AeroPremier; the McDermott hangar (previously used by Atlantic Aviation) and the former National Guard building. The McDermott building is complete. The National Guard building will begin renovation next month. Initially, the McDermott building will be the main base of operation and will offer 8,000 square feet of office space. Once the Guard building is completed, 32,000 square feet of more office space will be available, totaling 40,000 square feet of office space between both. The hangar portion of the Guard building will be utilized during it’s renovation for large aircraft totaling 50,000 square feet of space for aircraft.
McDermott Building
The National Guard Building
Aside from hangar space, adequate ramp space and tie downs will be available.
Maintenance will be a premier service of AeroPremier and so will their charter company. Mechanics will be available around the clock and on-call 24/7. The President of the company stated they will begin buying aircraft soon to initiate the charter. Their closest competitor is Flightline First, which operates a King Air BE200 and they are limited as to who they fly because of a pending a Part 135 certificate. This may give AeroPremier the advantage if they can get a fleet of airplanes and a line of pilots together quickly.
AeroPremier will open June 1st, 2008.
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Airlines WANT pilots to have a four year degree
College is important in aviation for two important reasons.
- It opens doors. In most cases, major airlines require or state that they prefer a four year bachelors degree. Every year tens of thousands of qualified applicants apply for a handful of positions. Many have met the specified flight time and have that precious piece of paper stating Bachelors across the top of it. To be competitive, you better have it.
- If you lose your medical, what are you going to do? To put it nicely you are screwed. The degree will give you a backup and the potential to make a nice living and stay competitive for other career opportunities. A degree in something other than Aviation Science would be best decision one could make. A degree in Business, English, History, Politics, Journalism, hell even Poetry is a better choice. Why? Because the world consists of more than how a turbine engine works and taking a course titled “Math for Pilots 101″ isn’t going to score you many points.
A college degree has no effect on ones ability to fly, but it does have bearing on ones ability to succeed in a challenging academic environment which is important to an airline who is about to spend several thousands of dollars trying training you. That’s why airlines prefer candidates with a degree. They know that an English degree won’t help you much, but they know you are able to memorize things such as places, dates, times, accomplish basic math etc, etc, and one can deduce that the person can also memorize flows, emergency procedures and other required tasks.
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Competition is for FBOs
Aviation may be perceived as a very competitive business. This isn’t so much the case for airlines as they all just struggle to stay afloat. You don’t see ads on television by airlines trying to cut each other’s throats. Most actually work together, somewhat. Ever heard of the Sky Team Alliance? If not, then you can look it up. I’ll just say that it consists of 11 member airlines and 16,409 daily flights to 841 destinations. So in short, it makes things a little easier for frequent flyer’s.
The real competitive part of the aviation industry is the General Aviation side. General Aviation can be considered an umbrella term consisting of Private owners, Corporations/Businesses, and Flight schools. It does not include airlines. FBO’s (Fixed Based Operators) are in business to serve these potential customers. Their main gig is to take care of the passengers and flight crew of these aircraft. This can consist of arranging hotel reservations, catering, and ground transportation, etc. The money however, comes from fueling these lovely aircraft. Since most airports consist of at least two FBO’s it is important to persuade or bribe flight dispatchers and pilots to send the business their way. Let’s take KMSY for example, Signature and Atlantic; two strong arms in the aviation industry. Signature’s price is about .60 cents higher per gallon, but claim they perform their job with greater safety than any other FBO *cough* *cough* *bullshit*. It’s a game and each have their own marketing scheme. Atlantic offers reward bucks. They give out points for fuel purchases. The bigger the fuel purchase, the more points acquired. Once so many is reached they may be redeemed online for a $100 AMEX gift card that can be reloaded. It’s a huge hit for pilots on the corporate side because they don’t buy the fuel, the company does (major perk). I’d like to see Signature offer something similar, but they are far too cheap.
KMSY is a class Bravo airport so the fuel is always higher. Always. Eight miles east is KNEW, a class Delta airport. It consists of three FBO’s; Million Air, Flightline First and the new AeroPremier FBO. Million Air has been there for decades while the other two are brand new. For comparison, Million Air is about a dollar cheaper per gallon than Signature and Atlantic at KMSY.
The General Manager there is also the V.P. of Million Air, a Citation pilot and a Police officer who is very well respected. Heck, I respect the hell out of him. He has two life times of success on one resume.
Now to get back to my blog, Flightline has the cheapest fuel prices in the city and they still can’t steal any customers from Million Air, at least not a handful. I work at Lakefront and I know that if pilot’s move their airplane, Addie will kick their a$$ to the moon and double their ramp charge if they choose to return. You gotta’ love his philosophy… I do.
In conclusion, the best way to a successful FBO is a great crew, lead by a great General Manager. That’s my .02 cents.
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Rolex watches
Ever since I can remember I’ve been fond of watches, Rolex in particular. The craftsmanship and ingenuity of these pieces are incredible. If you are a watch guy like I am then you know what I’m talking about.
I have two Rolex watches, a Submariner and Date. I consider them both to be my babies and I’m going to take this opportunity to use this post to show ‘em off!
This is my Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date:
It cost me $5,280 when I purchased it this past January. It is the one I wear most frequently. What attracted me to it, was it’s shine and blue face.
This is my Rolex Submariner:
This is the most common and well known Rolex to date. I inherited this one from my grandfather and it will always remain in my collection. It has a lot of sentimental value. It’s much larger and heavier than my Date, but is very rugged. It can take abuse!
If your an avid Rolex enthusiast or just interested in fine watches, I recommend this website: http://www.rolexforums.com
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Frontier files Chapter 11
This is depressing for me to hear because Frontier is great company and is one of my favorite airlines and on my personal list of potential companies to fly for.
Frontier said the decision was made after its principal credit card processor suddenly announced it would start withholding “significant proceeds” from the sale of purchased tickets. CEO, Sean Menke said the airline would survive the high cost of fuel and credit card issues, but if a large amount of the proceeds from tickets was withheld it would put them in a delicate position.
Flight schedules will remain the same and refunds will be issued if requested, as usual.
Go Frontier!
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Gulfstream 650!?
We all knew it was coming. It has been inevitable, but the statistics on this bird will make your head spin!
Since 1996 the Cessna Citation X has been the fastest civilian aircraft in the world. The top speed was a mind blowing .92 Mach (703mph). With long swept back wings this is one sleek looking airplane. The Citation X is powered by two Rolls-Royce 3007C1 engines, each with a thrust of 6700ft lbs! In testing, rumors have it that it briefly exceeded the sound of speed!
The Gulfstream 650 is larger, faster, flies further and in one man’s opinion…. better looking.
The G650 will exceed .92 and max out at .925 Mach. The power behind this beast are two Rolls-Royce BR725 engines, each with a thrust of 16,000ft lbs! The ceiling on both the Citation and Gulfstream is 51,000ft. The distance this airplane can fly is 7,000NM, meaning it can fly from Chicago, IL to Tokyo or Chicago to Dubai non-stop on a full tank of clean fuel from AeroPremier! 
In conclusion, the G650 is “AWESOME!” The price one will pay to reap the benefits is $59 million U.S. dollars.
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Commercial written exam is complete
The Commercial Pilot written exam is now done. I passed the exam today using a CATS (Computer Assisted Testing Service) testing facility at New Orleans Lakefront Airport. The cost was approximately $90. When you call CATS to schedule an appointment, be sure to mention that you are an AOPA member and provide your member number for a 10% discount.
The results were what I expected, a “B” average. I prepared by using only the Gleim computer software. It’s by far the best way to study for these tests. I used the same study method for my Instrument written and scored better than the Commercial (It’s usually the opposite)! The test was one hundred questions and you are allowed three hours to complete it. I finished it in fourteen minutes. I should have taken advantage of that time to achieve a better score, but I was confident that I was going to score high anyway. 
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Step 1: Private Pilot training
Flight training can be one of the most enjoyable experiences one can have in their life. Once you take a demo flight, one of two things will happen; either you are hooked for life, or it’s just not for you. If you decide to pursue aviation as a career or hobby, a Private Pilot certificate is the first step. If your dream is to fly a military fighter, then having flight hours will be a necessity. Once you start flying lessons you will experience challenges. I’ve seen many stop flying altogether when they realize that airplanes don’t really fly themselves, at least not at this stage of the game. After your first few lessons, your instructor will start to evaluate you on your pattern work and ability to land the airplane. Once he or she feels like you are comfortable and capable, the fun begins!
A major thing will happen somewhere in between starting your first lesson and earning your Private pilot certificate. Soloing an airplane for the first time is a major milestone in one’s life! The feeling you get when you land an airplane for the first time is worth a thousand words. The confidence gained through this experience will thrust you towards the check ride.
Requirements for Private Pilot:
- You must be at least 17 years of age.
- You must be able to read, speak, write, and converse fluently in English.
- You must obtain at least a third class medical certificate (or a driver’s license for sport pilot) and student pilot certificate.
- You must pass the pilot knowledge test with a score of 70% or better. All FAA tests are administered at FAA-designated computer testing centers (Lasergrade or CATS).
- The sport pilot knowledge test includes of 40 multiple-choice questions selected from the FAA’s sport pilot test bank.
- The private pilot knowledge test includes of 60 multiple-choice questions.
- You must undergo flight training. Many of the lessons will require more than one flight to make you comfortable and proficient.
- For a private pilot certificate issued under Part 61 of the federal aviation regulations, you must receive a minimum of 40 hours of flight time, including a minimum of 10 hours of solo (i.e., by yourself) flight time in an airplane.
- As an alternative to Part 61 training, you may enroll in an FAA-certificated pilot school that has an approved private pilot certification course (airplane).
- These schools are known as Part 141 schools because they are authorized by Part 141 of the Federal Aviation Regulations.
- The Part 141 course must consist of at least 35 hours of ground training and 35 hours of flight training.
- There is little difference between Part 61 training and Part 141 training, except that a Part 61 course has more flexibility to adjust to your individual needs.
- You must successfully complete a practical (flight) test, which will be given as a final exam by an FAA-designated pilot examiner.
This may seem like a lot, but the average from 0 hours to Private Pilot (35 or 40 hrs) is approximately three to four months, but I’ve seen it done in three weeks if you are able to fly at least two lessons a day. I wouldn’t recommend it however.
The day of your check ride, you will be nervous. After all, this is what you worked so hard to get to. Stay calm and confident and everything will go well. On the day of my check ride, my examiner told me that “It’s okay to be nervous. If you aren’t nervous I’d be afraid.” I was glad to hear that because I was almost shaking! You’ll find that more often than not, the examiner does most of the talking and will ask you questions during a story of his.
If the examiner is convinced you know what you should (hint: study the ASA oral exam guide) then you will proceed to the flying portion. Fly exactly as you were doing with the instructor. It’s okay to make a mistake, but stay focused and don’t give up. Again, if the examiner feels certain that you are safe he will approve your pilot certificate! You will never forget the day you carry your first passenger.
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I’m a web host reseller!
Definition:
A web hosting service is a type of Internet hosting service that allows individuals and organizations to provide their own website accessible via the World Wide Web. Web hosts are companies that provide space on a server they own for use by their clients as well as providing Internet connectivity.
The web hosting industry sure is blossoming! It is probably not something we think about, much less care to do, however they are forever growing just the like world wide web. A long time ago, when i heard the term “Web Hosting” I thought of a company with countless super computers and skinny guys with glasses running around them with clip boards trying to maintain them. The secret is that you do not have to own or rent a server to provide them to others. This is where to “reselling” comes into play. A reseller buys a block of disk space and bandwidth from a true host who may actually have those skinny guys with glasses running around! With that being said, with a basic understanding of computers someone could actually provide domain names like your own .com and space to host your web site. If problems occur, the customer informs the reseller and they, in turn go to the true host who fixes the problem.
What is the point of this? Simple. I am now a reseller. I was given a great price and I figured I could make a few bucks a month doing so.
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