Re "Top House Republican proposes tax overhaul," Feb. 27
Your article misleadingly labeled the depreciation schedule for business aircraft as "special treatment."
The depreciation system that applies to the purchase of a business aircraft has been on the books for decades, and also applies to the purchase of delivery vehicles, trucks and forklifts.
Unfortunately, each time someone mischaracterizes business aviation, they are really taking aim at an industry that generates more than 1 million American jobs and is responsible for more than $150 billion in economic impact.
Not only that, the use of these aircraft support a host of important services, including disaster relief, medical care and law enforcement.
This kind of mischaracterization of business aviation tax policy may score political points, but it comes at the expense of Main Street. We should support this vital asset.
Ed Bolen
Washington
The writer is the president and chief executive of the National Business Aviation Assn.
Source: http://www.latimes.com/opinion/commentary
Showing posts with label Aircraft. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Aircraft. Show all posts
Sunday, March 09, 2014
Fledgling general aviation market in China already overcooked
Though investors are
interested in China's general aviation industry, many observers feel
that capital has not been used properly for the development of the
sector, according to the Shanghai-based National Business Daily.
Economies of scale have not really been achieved in any of the general aviation industrial parks in China and companies in the sector have been surviving with the help of government subsidies, said an industry researcher.
According to the Daily, market observers are concerned that the construction of industrial parks has grown rapidly before general aviation firms have had a chance to become profitable,
Figures from the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association of China (AOPA) show the country had 116 cities at county level and above that are constructing or are planning to build industrial parks for use by the general aviation industry. In the 56 disclosed projects, investment in each park stood at an average of 11.23 billion yuan (US$1.84 billion).
Several cities in Sichuan province in southwestern China plan to build such industrial parks, as does the neighboring municipality of Chongqing. In one project there, construction began in August 2012 on a site covering 790 acres and involving investment of 600 million yuan (US$98 million).
Baotou in Inner Mongolia and Kunming in Yunnan both have similar plans, with Baotou constructing a more than 2,000-acre aviation production base.
However, a market observer notes that the domestic production capacity for general aviation industrial parks in China are already enough to meet global demand for a couple of years at just over 1,000 small-size aircraft a year. A single industrial park in China can turn out 500 small aircraft a year. They warned investors to watch out for these possible traps before investing their money.
As of 2013, China had 178 general aviation operators and an additional 110 were in the course of being established. The majority of them have made losses as their business model has been too simple.
A securities firm stated that the general aviation sector in China mainly covers agricultural use, while the complete activities for the sector could run to 34 categories.
Source: http://www.wantchinatimes.com
Economies of scale have not really been achieved in any of the general aviation industrial parks in China and companies in the sector have been surviving with the help of government subsidies, said an industry researcher.
According to the Daily, market observers are concerned that the construction of industrial parks has grown rapidly before general aviation firms have had a chance to become profitable,
Figures from the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association of China (AOPA) show the country had 116 cities at county level and above that are constructing or are planning to build industrial parks for use by the general aviation industry. In the 56 disclosed projects, investment in each park stood at an average of 11.23 billion yuan (US$1.84 billion).
Several cities in Sichuan province in southwestern China plan to build such industrial parks, as does the neighboring municipality of Chongqing. In one project there, construction began in August 2012 on a site covering 790 acres and involving investment of 600 million yuan (US$98 million).
Baotou in Inner Mongolia and Kunming in Yunnan both have similar plans, with Baotou constructing a more than 2,000-acre aviation production base.
However, a market observer notes that the domestic production capacity for general aviation industrial parks in China are already enough to meet global demand for a couple of years at just over 1,000 small-size aircraft a year. A single industrial park in China can turn out 500 small aircraft a year. They warned investors to watch out for these possible traps before investing their money.
As of 2013, China had 178 general aviation operators and an additional 110 were in the course of being established. The majority of them have made losses as their business model has been too simple.
A securities firm stated that the general aviation sector in China mainly covers agricultural use, while the complete activities for the sector could run to 34 categories.
Source: http://www.wantchinatimes.com
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Cities’ call for firefighting aircraft may be answered by Russian air tanker
A company with access to three Russian-made amphibious air tankers has responded to a call put out by cities in Los Angeles County concerned about inadequate air support for fighting frequent wildfires.
Santa Maria-based International Emergency Services has sent a proposal to a local city council member offering to lease a twin-engine turbo-jet plane that holds nearly twice as much water as the Canadian-made Super Scooper, the CL-415.
The Russian BE-200 similarly scoops water out of a reservoir or the ocean without landing but can release water all at once or in four to eight bursts. In particular, it works in tandem with other water- and retardant-dropping aircraft and therefore increases drop volumes, company officials said.
“This is the future of fire fighting,” said Adrian Butash, marketing director for IES, which holds the exclusive rights to import the BE-200. The plane was made by Beriev Aircraft Co., a manufacturer based in Taganrog, a city located on the Black Sea about 600 kilometers from Sochi, the host of the recent 2014 Winter Olympics.
The plane, originally built for the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations, was flight-tested by Russian President Vladimir Putin during a recent demonstration in Russia. The water-scooping planes were used to battle forest fires in Russia, Portugal, Greece, Spain, Indonesia and Israel but not yet in the United States.
The company is in the process of getting clearance to fly the planes in the United States from the Federal Aviation Administration, company officials said. One official said it may be only a few weeks away from getting FAA clearance.
IES officials have contacted Azusa City Councilman Angel Carrillo, who is leading the effort along with the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments and Los Angeles County Fire Department to supplement the air attack used to fight wildfires.
Carrillo has said the Super Scoopers’ performance in the Colby Fire, which blackened nearly 2,000 acres and destroyed five homes in Glendora in January, was instrumental in containing the damage. But he said they are only leased from September through November and were here on a fluke.
“We can provide our aircraft to an entity like the San Gabriel Valley COG or Los Angeles County at a very affordable price,” said James Bagnard, IES program manager.
The cost of leasing one plane for a year would be about $16 million, he said. Leasing it for a 180-day fire season would be $8 million. Exact figures were not included in the proposal IES sent Carrillo. Bagnard had not heard back from the Azusa councilman.
However, at the San Gabriel Valley COG meeting Thursday, Carrillo said the cost of saving lives and preventing millions of dollars in property loss would be worth it. “If we can have an additional tool, why wouldn’t we want to have it?” he said.
Deputy Fire Chief John Tripp told the COG members the fire department can extend the lease of the Super Scoopers when red flag conditions persist. In fact, the Super Scooper lease had already been extended through the end of February.
On Tuesday, county Supervisor Mike Antonovich announced the lease will be extended until March 15.
“Although Los Angeles County is expected to receive some significant rainfall later this week, our region is still in a drought and fire danger remains high,” Antonovich said in a prepared statement.
Carrillo had asked the county to look into keeping a Super Scooper-type plane in Southern California 12 months a year. He said the state, the federal government and other Southern California counties could share the cost.
Bagnard, who grew up in Pasadena, said he has seen the San Gabriel Mountains on fire and believes his company’s plane can save lives and property. He said his company has many options to house the plane because the region has many airports.
It’s perfect for California since it can scoop 3,167 gallons of water in 18 seconds without landing, putting “more water on a fire per hour,” he said.
IES is talking with the state Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as CalFire, and the U.S. Forest Service, as well as the counties of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara about leasing a BE-200.
“The BE-200 has worked well with the CL-415s in Greece. They make a good team,” Bagnard said.
Using water-dropping aircraft in combination — especially at the beginning of the fire — could make a huge difference, according to the Wildfire Research Network in Tujunga.
The county used two Canadian 415 Super Scoopers on the Colby Fire, each dropping 1,600 gallons. In recent wildfires in Europe, planes are used in greater numbers at once. For example, Italy teamed up four in tandem to get a 6,400-gallon drop, according to the group’s 2011 report delivered to a conference in Washington, D.C.
Multiple aircraft tactics is just one of the improvements suggested by the group. The group also suggested pre-designating an incident commander for each geographic area before a fire breaks out. Another idea — night-flying helicopters — was added to the Forest Service fleet for the first time this year after a bill by Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Burbank, required the extra service. Los Angeles County Fire and L.A. City Fire have flown helicopters at night for many years.
Large, fixed-wing aircraft, such as the 415s, BE-200 or the C-130s, a military plane, can’t fly after what firefighters call “pumpkin time,” when the sun begins to set and turn orange, fire officials said.
Tripp told the COG the Super Scooper planes were not the key to containing the Colby Fire, but rather, it was a combination of air attacks and firefighters on the ground, plus good preparation from hillside homeowners who cleared brush and removed leaves from their roofs and gutters ahead of time.
Story and photos: http://www.presstelegram.com
Santa Maria-based International Emergency Services has sent a proposal to a local city council member offering to lease a twin-engine turbo-jet plane that holds nearly twice as much water as the Canadian-made Super Scooper, the CL-415.
The Russian BE-200 similarly scoops water out of a reservoir or the ocean without landing but can release water all at once or in four to eight bursts. In particular, it works in tandem with other water- and retardant-dropping aircraft and therefore increases drop volumes, company officials said.
“This is the future of fire fighting,” said Adrian Butash, marketing director for IES, which holds the exclusive rights to import the BE-200. The plane was made by Beriev Aircraft Co., a manufacturer based in Taganrog, a city located on the Black Sea about 600 kilometers from Sochi, the host of the recent 2014 Winter Olympics.
The plane, originally built for the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations, was flight-tested by Russian President Vladimir Putin during a recent demonstration in Russia. The water-scooping planes were used to battle forest fires in Russia, Portugal, Greece, Spain, Indonesia and Israel but not yet in the United States.
The company is in the process of getting clearance to fly the planes in the United States from the Federal Aviation Administration, company officials said. One official said it may be only a few weeks away from getting FAA clearance.
IES officials have contacted Azusa City Councilman Angel Carrillo, who is leading the effort along with the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments and Los Angeles County Fire Department to supplement the air attack used to fight wildfires.
Carrillo has said the Super Scoopers’ performance in the Colby Fire, which blackened nearly 2,000 acres and destroyed five homes in Glendora in January, was instrumental in containing the damage. But he said they are only leased from September through November and were here on a fluke.
“We can provide our aircraft to an entity like the San Gabriel Valley COG or Los Angeles County at a very affordable price,” said James Bagnard, IES program manager.
The cost of leasing one plane for a year would be about $16 million, he said. Leasing it for a 180-day fire season would be $8 million. Exact figures were not included in the proposal IES sent Carrillo. Bagnard had not heard back from the Azusa councilman.
However, at the San Gabriel Valley COG meeting Thursday, Carrillo said the cost of saving lives and preventing millions of dollars in property loss would be worth it. “If we can have an additional tool, why wouldn’t we want to have it?” he said.
Deputy Fire Chief John Tripp told the COG members the fire department can extend the lease of the Super Scoopers when red flag conditions persist. In fact, the Super Scooper lease had already been extended through the end of February.
On Tuesday, county Supervisor Mike Antonovich announced the lease will be extended until March 15.
“Although Los Angeles County is expected to receive some significant rainfall later this week, our region is still in a drought and fire danger remains high,” Antonovich said in a prepared statement.
Carrillo had asked the county to look into keeping a Super Scooper-type plane in Southern California 12 months a year. He said the state, the federal government and other Southern California counties could share the cost.
Bagnard, who grew up in Pasadena, said he has seen the San Gabriel Mountains on fire and believes his company’s plane can save lives and property. He said his company has many options to house the plane because the region has many airports.
It’s perfect for California since it can scoop 3,167 gallons of water in 18 seconds without landing, putting “more water on a fire per hour,” he said.
IES is talking with the state Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as CalFire, and the U.S. Forest Service, as well as the counties of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara about leasing a BE-200.
“The BE-200 has worked well with the CL-415s in Greece. They make a good team,” Bagnard said.
Using water-dropping aircraft in combination — especially at the beginning of the fire — could make a huge difference, according to the Wildfire Research Network in Tujunga.
The county used two Canadian 415 Super Scoopers on the Colby Fire, each dropping 1,600 gallons. In recent wildfires in Europe, planes are used in greater numbers at once. For example, Italy teamed up four in tandem to get a 6,400-gallon drop, according to the group’s 2011 report delivered to a conference in Washington, D.C.
Multiple aircraft tactics is just one of the improvements suggested by the group. The group also suggested pre-designating an incident commander for each geographic area before a fire breaks out. Another idea — night-flying helicopters — was added to the Forest Service fleet for the first time this year after a bill by Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Burbank, required the extra service. Los Angeles County Fire and L.A. City Fire have flown helicopters at night for many years.
Large, fixed-wing aircraft, such as the 415s, BE-200 or the C-130s, a military plane, can’t fly after what firefighters call “pumpkin time,” when the sun begins to set and turn orange, fire officials said.
Tripp told the COG the Super Scooper planes were not the key to containing the Colby Fire, but rather, it was a combination of air attacks and firefighters on the ground, plus good preparation from hillside homeowners who cleared brush and removed leaves from their roofs and gutters ahead of time.
Story and photos: http://www.presstelegram.com
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Used military planes sought for firefighting: As many as seven C-27 transport planes could be converted into airtankers
As many as seven large C-27 aircraft, military cargo and transport planes being phased out of the U.S. Air Force could find a new home fighting fires in San Diego County and other areas in the southwest.
Earlier this year U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and John McCain, (R-Ariz.) began urging the Department of Defense to authorize the transfer of seven soon-to-be-retired C-27s from the military to the U.S. Forest Service.
This week the San Diego board of supervisors voted to send a letter to the Department of Defense urging the same thing.
“The Forest Service is in dire need of additional firefighting capabilities,” Supervisor Dianne Jacob said. “Rather than allow these planes to just sit idle, these aircraft can be retrofitted and made available for fighting fires in our region where the fire risk is always high.”
Supervisor’s Chairman Greg Cox said he met with Feinstein two weeks ago, when he was in Washington D.C. with about 130 other members of a San Diego delegation, and first heard about the available C-27s.
Each plane can carry a payload of 25,353 pounds which could translate to a fire retardant capacity of 2,000 to 2,500 gallons, Jacob said during a supervisors’ meeting on Oct. 8.
“Ironically, I think most of these are probably newer aircraft than ones currently in use by the U.S. Forestry Service,” Cox said.
“These could be a tremendous addition to our firefighting arsenal not just in San Diego County but in Southern California.”
The Forest Service uses a number of different types of aircraft for fire duty, but according to recent news reports, its fleet has shrunk by 75 percent in the past decade. There are only 11 Forest Service air tankers in service today. Some are more than 40 years old.
The state of California has its own air fleet separate from the federal side.
Air tankers are planes fitted with tanks that carry large volumes of fire retardant to drop on a fire. According to the Forest Service’s website, air tankers don’t suppress fires, but they help firefighters on the ground by laying a line of retardant along the sides of a wildfire. The retardant temporarily cools the fire and slows it down giving firefighters extra time to construct a fireline to contain the blaze.
A report prepared for the forest service earlier this year offers both praise and caution about using the C-27 for firefighting.
“The C-27J aircraft design features are ideal for parachute operations, as well as low-level air tanker operations in diverse terrain,” said the report, prepared by Convergent Performance of Colorado Springs.
However, it said retrofitting them to carry heavy loads of retardant could be costly because of their design.
The report also said the C-27 would be the most expensive aircraft in the Forest Service fleet to operate.
At last week’s meeting, Jacob said she has been told by Feinstein’s office that the aircraft could be available within a few moths for transport duty, but that it could take 18 months or longer to retrofit the planes for air tanker duty.
Source: http://www.utsandiego.com
Earlier this year U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and John McCain, (R-Ariz.) began urging the Department of Defense to authorize the transfer of seven soon-to-be-retired C-27s from the military to the U.S. Forest Service.
This week the San Diego board of supervisors voted to send a letter to the Department of Defense urging the same thing.
“The Forest Service is in dire need of additional firefighting capabilities,” Supervisor Dianne Jacob said. “Rather than allow these planes to just sit idle, these aircraft can be retrofitted and made available for fighting fires in our region where the fire risk is always high.”
Supervisor’s Chairman Greg Cox said he met with Feinstein two weeks ago, when he was in Washington D.C. with about 130 other members of a San Diego delegation, and first heard about the available C-27s.
Each plane can carry a payload of 25,353 pounds which could translate to a fire retardant capacity of 2,000 to 2,500 gallons, Jacob said during a supervisors’ meeting on Oct. 8.
“Ironically, I think most of these are probably newer aircraft than ones currently in use by the U.S. Forestry Service,” Cox said.
“These could be a tremendous addition to our firefighting arsenal not just in San Diego County but in Southern California.”
The Forest Service uses a number of different types of aircraft for fire duty, but according to recent news reports, its fleet has shrunk by 75 percent in the past decade. There are only 11 Forest Service air tankers in service today. Some are more than 40 years old.
The state of California has its own air fleet separate from the federal side.
Air tankers are planes fitted with tanks that carry large volumes of fire retardant to drop on a fire. According to the Forest Service’s website, air tankers don’t suppress fires, but they help firefighters on the ground by laying a line of retardant along the sides of a wildfire. The retardant temporarily cools the fire and slows it down giving firefighters extra time to construct a fireline to contain the blaze.
A report prepared for the forest service earlier this year offers both praise and caution about using the C-27 for firefighting.
“The C-27J aircraft design features are ideal for parachute operations, as well as low-level air tanker operations in diverse terrain,” said the report, prepared by Convergent Performance of Colorado Springs.
However, it said retrofitting them to carry heavy loads of retardant could be costly because of their design.
The report also said the C-27 would be the most expensive aircraft in the Forest Service fleet to operate.
At last week’s meeting, Jacob said she has been told by Feinstein’s office that the aircraft could be available within a few moths for transport duty, but that it could take 18 months or longer to retrofit the planes for air tanker duty.
Source: http://www.utsandiego.com
Friday, October 11, 2013
Superior's Kestrel Aircraft late on loan payments to Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation
Two weeks after taking office in January 2012, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker traveled to Superior for a stunning announcement that suggested he wasn’t blowing smoke when he vowed Wisconsin would be “open for business.”
Kestrel Aircraft Company said it going to invest $120 million in a production facility that would employ 600 workers, the most new jobs in Superior since World War II. The company would produce a high-performance, single-engine plane made from carbon fiber.
The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, Walker's new public-private corporation that replaced the state's Department of Commerce, quickly stepped in with $18 million in Enterprise Zone Tax Credits and a $2 million economic development loan.
But nearly two years later, Kestrel has yet to open its factory and is now 90 days late in payments on two state-administered loans.
Moreover, the company has been having trouble meeting payroll for some 100 current employees, split between its operations in New Brunswick, Maine, and Duluth-Superior. One employee told the Bangor Daily News that direct-deposit checks have been arriving late and his health insurance was dropped.
Company president Alan Klapmeier -- a legend in the aviation world who with brother, Dale, once built a plane in the family barn in Baraboo -- maintains Kestrel is only awaiting further funding.
But this recent story out of Maine suggests that Klapmeier’s vision may never take flight, noting the difficulties in start-ups trying to compete in the airplane business.
Officials in Superior, meanwhile, continue to wait. Kestrel, which has received a $2.5 million loan from the city that isn’t due until 2015, made a presentation to the city council in July and said the company was still trying to raise money to move the project forward. The city is also providing two building sites in its industrial park for production facilities.
“You never say ‘never’ and never give up,” Superior Mayor Bruce Hagen said in a phone interview Wednesday.
Hagen, who worked in the administration of former Gov. Tommy Thompson before moving back to Superior, noted that Klapmeier has experience working with the Federal Aviation Administration on previous designs. He remains optimistic the project will eventually pay dividends for the Twin Ports area.
“Getting a new company going can be a rollercoaster,” he said.
Kestrel Aircraft has received two loans that are being administered by WEDC: a $2 million state loan and a $2 million State Small Business Credit Initiative loan, which is a federal loan.
According to WEDC, the last payment from Kestrel for either loan was in June, 2013. WEDC has sent Kestrel 30-day and 60-day past-due notices, and a 90-day notice will be sent out by mid-October.
“If no payment is made, the account could be determined to be in default and, in accordance with our policies, WEDC could pursue legal remedies if the default is not resolved,” said WEDC spokesman Mark Maley.
But Maley emphasized that WEDC has been reaching out to Kestrel and is working with the company as it continues to try and raise more capital.
“It’s not uncommon for startup companies to have cash flow issues in the early stages,” he said.
Maley, who started at WEDC this week, replacing Tom Thieding as spokesman, said the state remains optimistic Kestrel can move the project ahead.
“This is an innovative company that’s developing an aircraft that has the potential to bring hundreds of jobs to Wisconsin,” he said in an email. “WEDC is aware that there are risks involved in working with leading edge technology firms and manufacturers, but we believe in supporting startups that have long-term potential, and Kestrel is one of them.”
Klapmeier and younger brother, Dale, rocked the aviation world two decades ago with their single-engine, carbon-fiber plane featuring a parachute in the tail that deployed in emergencies.
The brothers eventually located their company, Cirrus Aircraft, in Duluth and eventually passed Cessna in the number of four seat-airplanes sold. At its peak in 2007, Cirrus employed about 1,350 people in Duluth and Grand Forks, N.D. But that number has slipped amid a decline in plane orders during the recession.
Alan Klapmeier was CEO of Cirrus before being fired in 2008. He and another Cirrus director, Ed Underwood, also left the board after being snubbed in an attempt to buy the new jet aircraft business, which Cirrus is hoping to bring to market.
While Kestrel continues to work through its funding issues, Cirrus is saying the general aviation business is picking up. The firm is posting more than two dozen job openings in Duluth and Grand Forks.
Original article: http://chippewa.com
Saturday, September 07, 2013
‘Aircraft too old for Saudi clearance’
Saudi Arabian authorities have denied clearance to a Boeing 747 aircraft that Biman has leased from Nigerian Kabo Air to carry Hajj pilgrims as it is ‘too old’.
The aircraft, leased by the Biman Bangladesh Airlines, was supposed to carry 582 Hajj pilgrims to Jeddah on Saturday morning.
“As per Saudi regulations, no aircraft over 20 years is given flying clearance and the one leased from Kabo is 21-year old,” a Biman official told bdnews24.com on condition of anonymity.
As the aircraft did not get Saudi authorities clearance, Biman used its own Boeing 777 aircraft to carry 419 pilgrims leaving behind 163 passengers.
The Biman official hoped to get the clearance within Sunday. “As the aircraft is old so they are checking all its documents,” he said.
The Civil Aviation Authority, Bangladesh (CAAB) had blacklisted Kabo for committing defraud in renting an aircraft in 2009.
Biman’s Managing Director Kevin Steele, however, claimed the aircraft was 20 years old.
“Kabo should have applied earlier to the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) of Saudi Arabia for clearance earlier,” he said.
He said the GACA was closed on Saturday and will resume operations on Sunday.
Steele, Biman’s first foreign MD, said, the national flag carrier has to pay USD 11,750 per flying hour for the aircraft.
Meanwhile, Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB) has expressed concern over smooth flight operation in the wake of complications on Saturday, the first day of the Hajj flights.
The platform’s chief Ibrahim Habib told bdnews24.com this was not the first time there had been problems with Kabo’s aircraft.
Former member of Biman Board of Directors, Kazi Wahedul Alam has termed leasing of aircraft from Kabo as ‘suicidal’.
Original Article: http://bdnews24.com
The aircraft, leased by the Biman Bangladesh Airlines, was supposed to carry 582 Hajj pilgrims to Jeddah on Saturday morning.
“As per Saudi regulations, no aircraft over 20 years is given flying clearance and the one leased from Kabo is 21-year old,” a Biman official told bdnews24.com on condition of anonymity.
As the aircraft did not get Saudi authorities clearance, Biman used its own Boeing 777 aircraft to carry 419 pilgrims leaving behind 163 passengers.
The Biman official hoped to get the clearance within Sunday. “As the aircraft is old so they are checking all its documents,” he said.
The Civil Aviation Authority, Bangladesh (CAAB) had blacklisted Kabo for committing defraud in renting an aircraft in 2009.
Biman’s Managing Director Kevin Steele, however, claimed the aircraft was 20 years old.
“Kabo should have applied earlier to the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) of Saudi Arabia for clearance earlier,” he said.
He said the GACA was closed on Saturday and will resume operations on Sunday.
Steele, Biman’s first foreign MD, said, the national flag carrier has to pay USD 11,750 per flying hour for the aircraft.
Meanwhile, Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB) has expressed concern over smooth flight operation in the wake of complications on Saturday, the first day of the Hajj flights.
The platform’s chief Ibrahim Habib told bdnews24.com this was not the first time there had been problems with Kabo’s aircraft.
Former member of Biman Board of Directors, Kazi Wahedul Alam has termed leasing of aircraft from Kabo as ‘suicidal’.
Original Article: http://bdnews24.com
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Rogozin Says Aircraft Makers Need New Recovery Strategy
24 July 2013 | Issue 5176
RIA Novosti
The Russian aircraft industry must implement a new development strategy to conquer lost markets, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said Wednesday.
"Despite all efforts, the Russian civil aviation market has been lost to a great extent by our manufacturers," Rogozin, who is responsible for the defense and aerospace industries, said at a government meeting to discuss the situation in the civil and military aircraft industries.
"The situation is unacceptable, so whether you agree or not, we must develop a strategy of new reconquest," he said, noting that up to 80 percent of all civil aircraft on Russian domestic flights are foreign-made.
According to company data, Aeroflot and Transaero, Russia's two leading airlines, fly mostly Boeing and Airbus planes, with just a handful of Russian-made Ilyushin Il-96-300, Tupolev Tu-214, and Sukhoi Superjet 100-95 aircraft in service.
Rogozin proposed that all major Russian aircraft brands should be revived as part of the new strategy.
"These are such national drivers as Tupolev, Sukhoi, MiG, Yakovlev and other well-known brands, which for some inexplicable reasons have been pushed almost into oblivion … ," he said.
Rogozin also proposed setting up a consultative body similar to the Russian government's Marine Board to regulate relations between the aviation industry and its customers.
Russia has produced only one totally new passenger plane since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Sukhoi Superjet 100 regional airliner. United Aircraft Corporation, the holding which incorporates the myriad elements of the Russian fixed-wing aircraft industry, is due to begin production of the MC-21, formerly known as the MS-21, mid-range airliner in 2017, according to Russia's Rostech holding, UAC's parent company. Aeroflot will be launch customer for the aircraft, with 50 on order.
The Russian civil aircraft industry faces massive competition from Airbus and Boeing, which have received orders for 734 and 692 airliners each so far this year, the Guardian reported last month. China has also announced it intends to start producing its own airliner, the Comac C919, which will compete head-on with the MC-21.
Russia currently produces no light aircraft, but at last month's Paris airshow, Rostech announced a tie-up with Austria's Diamond Aircraft to start production of a new 19-seat utility plane intended for local air services in Russia.
Source: http://www.themoscowtimes.com
RIA Novosti
The Russian aircraft industry must implement a new development strategy to conquer lost markets, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said Wednesday.
"Despite all efforts, the Russian civil aviation market has been lost to a great extent by our manufacturers," Rogozin, who is responsible for the defense and aerospace industries, said at a government meeting to discuss the situation in the civil and military aircraft industries.
"The situation is unacceptable, so whether you agree or not, we must develop a strategy of new reconquest," he said, noting that up to 80 percent of all civil aircraft on Russian domestic flights are foreign-made.
According to company data, Aeroflot and Transaero, Russia's two leading airlines, fly mostly Boeing and Airbus planes, with just a handful of Russian-made Ilyushin Il-96-300, Tupolev Tu-214, and Sukhoi Superjet 100-95 aircraft in service.
Rogozin proposed that all major Russian aircraft brands should be revived as part of the new strategy.
"These are such national drivers as Tupolev, Sukhoi, MiG, Yakovlev and other well-known brands, which for some inexplicable reasons have been pushed almost into oblivion … ," he said.
Rogozin also proposed setting up a consultative body similar to the Russian government's Marine Board to regulate relations between the aviation industry and its customers.
Russia has produced only one totally new passenger plane since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Sukhoi Superjet 100 regional airliner. United Aircraft Corporation, the holding which incorporates the myriad elements of the Russian fixed-wing aircraft industry, is due to begin production of the MC-21, formerly known as the MS-21, mid-range airliner in 2017, according to Russia's Rostech holding, UAC's parent company. Aeroflot will be launch customer for the aircraft, with 50 on order.
The Russian civil aircraft industry faces massive competition from Airbus and Boeing, which have received orders for 734 and 692 airliners each so far this year, the Guardian reported last month. China has also announced it intends to start producing its own airliner, the Comac C919, which will compete head-on with the MC-21.
Russia currently produces no light aircraft, but at last month's Paris airshow, Rostech announced a tie-up with Austria's Diamond Aircraft to start production of a new 19-seat utility plane intended for local air services in Russia.
Source: http://www.themoscowtimes.com
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Nigeria: Clearing Disused Aircraft from Airports
The desire to reclaim space, reduce mishaps and prevent unserviceable planes at the airports being used as cover for any plot that could compromise security informed the order to remove such assets. But the effort has not been without some drama, write Ahamefula Ogbu, Chinedu Eze and Emmanuella Okorie
Three things informed the removal of disused aircrafts from airports across the country: the threat by Boko Haram to attack Nigeria’s economic hub, the desire to curb the bird strikes as birds build nests in the parked planes and the removal of psychological effect of unserviceable planes, some of which crashed and parked at aircraft take-off point.
Unknown to many, the exercise was well planned and coordinated by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) which also aimed to free about two acres of land where the planes were parked, popularly called the “mortuary”.
According Mr. Joel Obi, minister of aviation, Stella Oduah’s spokesman, though the ministry did not have direct dealings with the removal of the planes, it backed the move because, “they were unsightly and constituted grave danger for obvious reasons. It forms part of the efforts to tidy up the airports and make them safer for users”.
However, barring the incident a few weeks ago where Lagos residents awoke to find two jets parked along Oshodi-Apapa expressway some metres from Sanya bus stop and another at Ighando road, people would not have known that the exercise was ongoing except on learning so from the media.
An old problem
According to Yakubu Datti, FAAN’s general manager in charge of corporate communication, “the issue of disused aircraft has been one of the issues that have been bedeviling the aviation sector. We are talking about several aircrafts belonging to different airlines that have been lying dormant at the local wing of the Murtala Mohammed airport for up to 10 years and these are aircrafts that are at the terminals whereby when there is take off, you see them.
“It was totally against any form of security or safety. In the first place in the case of safety, you are aware that bird strikes have been one of the major causes of aircraft accidents, so these abandoned aircrafts at the terminals created an easy nest for the birds to remain and they were just at the point of take off. So you now have an accident waiting to happen because by the time the birds come out when the flights are waiting to take off, an air mishap can happen.
“Secondly in this era of terrorism when vehicles are being used as shells for bombing, leaving such things provides easy arsenal for terrorism; so for safety issues especially we were given a mandate to ensure we evacuated those aircrafts immediately for the purpose of security and that was done because it was at the height of these bombardments by the terrorists where they also bombed the UN headquarters and there were threats that they were going to attack the artery of the economy which is the airport, so we needed to act on that directive immediately for the purpose of security and safety.”
A stitch in time
Datti continued: “We had almost 65 abandoned aircrafts across the country and the models range from Fokker 28, Embrear 100 to Boeing 727 and 737 which occupied over two acres of land in Lagos alone and these are very strategic lands that were needed for the transformation. For a long time, we had asked owners of these aircrafts to take them away but the people refused to do the right thing and so when this order came in, it became incumbent on us to do it and we ensured that we took all the necessary steps in conjunction with our now developed legal department. We were able to write the owners, gave them time to evacuate them; some responded and some who did not, after the expiration, there was also another extension given with due publicity and when it expired, we moved in and cleared the aircraft.”
While some responded, others did not which prompted them to consider the proposal by some people to be allowed to remove them and use the parts to offset the cost of the removal
FAAN denied it made money out of the removal saying, “we did not make money because in the first place, the process of making money will not allow us to achieve the objective which was to remove the present danger as at then and ensure that within one week, all the 13 aircrafts had been broken down and removed.”
The controversy
Datti denied they towed any of the aircrafts that were ordered to be removed and denied having a hand in the jets that caused a stir when residents woke up to see them parked by the roadside prompting a hoax that they had crashed.
“The ones that were seen on the roads are a separate issue; they were planes that were parked elsewhere, outside the airport but in one of the facilities under the confines of Nigerian Airports Management Agency. Those were part of the aircrafts that were to be moved away but the ones that were directly on the terminal were the ones that created immediate security issues which was what we did,” he said.
On the procedure to be adopted, he said: “We had insisted on dismembering the aircrafts where they were parked and removing them. We also created a window for owners to take them away, so those who showed willingness we allowed to take them and the way they take them was their responsibility. When it comes to movement of aircraft on the road, I am sure there are relevant agencies that have that responsibility. We are in charge of airports and our responsibility ends at the airport.
“We have the Federal Road Safety Commission, we have the police who are constitutionally mandated to look at issues that have to do with road transportation. They may have overlapping responsibilities but once something leaves our airport it leaves our confines. For instance, I cannot go to somebody who has converted an aeroplane into a restaurant for inspection because it has left our confines and there are clearly defined responsibilities in a democracy and we have to restrict ourselves to our areas of responsibility. If someone moves an aeroplane on the roads, it raises safety concerns on the roads and that is where the police and road safety commission comes in.”
So far all the abandoned aircrafts in Lagos are said to have been removed. Datti said they were almost through with Abuja as “it is almost finished. In Kano it is ongoing. Benin is where we have a little challenge because some of the aircraft belong to the defunct Okada Air, and they have a hangar there. We have been discussing to see how they can either move them to their hangar or elsewhere but we have invited our legal department to see ways we can persuade them because these are issues of safety and security.”
Removal not an emergency
The National Emergency Management Agency public relations officer for South-West zone, Ibrahimn Farinloye, said they were inundated with calls when the jets were sighted but discovered they were not crashed planes. “When we received the alert around 11.00pm that there was an air crash and we went and found out that it was scrap we informed the people. We were not informed when it was being towed as it was not an emergency. We are only involved in emergencies which towing of a disused aircraft is not,” he said.
When the buzz about the crash were on, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency under whose custody the said planes were parked came out to deny any crash as their equipment did not capture any crash or missing plane. Its director general, Nnamdi Udoh, was reported as saying that the junk belonged to the late Apostle Gabriel Oduyemi of Bethel Ministries and was released to Captain M.J. Ekeinde.
“The aircraft was actually released to Captain M.J. Ekeinde who will be using it for educational purposes in Badagry, Lagos. A cross section of the wings was removed to ease transportation to its new location.
“I affirm again that NAMA facilities are working at optimal level and this could have assisted in detecting any missing plane within the nation’s airspace. While we appreciate the concern of the public on sighting the plane at an unusual site, we urge that people should always contact police and local government officials for proper information before spreading the news on incident involving any aircraft.”
Quite a scare
Asked if he was aware of the towing of the planes on the road, the Lagos Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Nseobong Akpabio, said: “We were not informed, we were not involved. We thought it was a crash. They said they contacted the police, they did not contact us.
“People contacted us that there was a crashed plane at a filling station, so we thought it was a crashed plane until we did an investigation and discovered it was not a crash. We contacted the police and they said it was done at night when the road was free”.
Asked if the towing of aircraft on roads did not contravene any law, he admitted that “they don’t tow aircraft on the road but somehow, they contacted the police. Road Safety ought to have been informed on time for possible assistance but in this case, they did not inform us.”
On whether they arrested anybody, Akpabio quipped, “why should we arrest? We did not make any arrests”.
Possible Uses
Disused planes can be used for training and could serve as tourist attractions. In some countries there are those that have converted them to restaurants. People can use the parts to recycle in terms of plastics companies or furniture companies. Even though they cannot fly, the shells are still of value.
Aircraft boneyard is a term for a storage area for aircraft that are retired from service. Most aircraft at boneyards are either kept for storage or turned into scrap metal. Deserts, such as those in the Southwestern United States, are good locations for boneyards since the dry conditions reduce corrosion.
Notable aircraft boneyards
Boeing B-52s in storage or awaiting deconstruction in Arizona
• Kingman Airport, Kingman, Arizona
• Phoenix Goodyear Airport, Goodyear, Arizona
• Pinal Airpark, Marana, Arizona
• 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Tucson, Arizona
• Southern California Logistics Airport, Victorville, California
• Mojave Air & Space Port, California
• Roswell International Air Center, Roswell, New Mexico contains the remains of several large passenger and cargo jets, including at least two Boeing 747s and five Boeing 707s.
• Abilene Regional Airport in Abilene, Texas is home to many retired Saab 340 aircraft, primarily from American Eagle Airlines.
• RAF Aircraft Storage Flight, RAF Shawbury
• Alice Springs Airport in Alice Springs, Northern Territory is the first large-scale aircraft boneyard outside the United States.
Source: http://www.thisdaylive.com
Three things informed the removal of disused aircrafts from airports across the country: the threat by Boko Haram to attack Nigeria’s economic hub, the desire to curb the bird strikes as birds build nests in the parked planes and the removal of psychological effect of unserviceable planes, some of which crashed and parked at aircraft take-off point.
Unknown to many, the exercise was well planned and coordinated by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) which also aimed to free about two acres of land where the planes were parked, popularly called the “mortuary”.
According Mr. Joel Obi, minister of aviation, Stella Oduah’s spokesman, though the ministry did not have direct dealings with the removal of the planes, it backed the move because, “they were unsightly and constituted grave danger for obvious reasons. It forms part of the efforts to tidy up the airports and make them safer for users”.
However, barring the incident a few weeks ago where Lagos residents awoke to find two jets parked along Oshodi-Apapa expressway some metres from Sanya bus stop and another at Ighando road, people would not have known that the exercise was ongoing except on learning so from the media.
An old problem
According to Yakubu Datti, FAAN’s general manager in charge of corporate communication, “the issue of disused aircraft has been one of the issues that have been bedeviling the aviation sector. We are talking about several aircrafts belonging to different airlines that have been lying dormant at the local wing of the Murtala Mohammed airport for up to 10 years and these are aircrafts that are at the terminals whereby when there is take off, you see them.
“It was totally against any form of security or safety. In the first place in the case of safety, you are aware that bird strikes have been one of the major causes of aircraft accidents, so these abandoned aircrafts at the terminals created an easy nest for the birds to remain and they were just at the point of take off. So you now have an accident waiting to happen because by the time the birds come out when the flights are waiting to take off, an air mishap can happen.
“Secondly in this era of terrorism when vehicles are being used as shells for bombing, leaving such things provides easy arsenal for terrorism; so for safety issues especially we were given a mandate to ensure we evacuated those aircrafts immediately for the purpose of security and that was done because it was at the height of these bombardments by the terrorists where they also bombed the UN headquarters and there were threats that they were going to attack the artery of the economy which is the airport, so we needed to act on that directive immediately for the purpose of security and safety.”
A stitch in time
Datti continued: “We had almost 65 abandoned aircrafts across the country and the models range from Fokker 28, Embrear 100 to Boeing 727 and 737 which occupied over two acres of land in Lagos alone and these are very strategic lands that were needed for the transformation. For a long time, we had asked owners of these aircrafts to take them away but the people refused to do the right thing and so when this order came in, it became incumbent on us to do it and we ensured that we took all the necessary steps in conjunction with our now developed legal department. We were able to write the owners, gave them time to evacuate them; some responded and some who did not, after the expiration, there was also another extension given with due publicity and when it expired, we moved in and cleared the aircraft.”
While some responded, others did not which prompted them to consider the proposal by some people to be allowed to remove them and use the parts to offset the cost of the removal
FAAN denied it made money out of the removal saying, “we did not make money because in the first place, the process of making money will not allow us to achieve the objective which was to remove the present danger as at then and ensure that within one week, all the 13 aircrafts had been broken down and removed.”
The controversy
Datti denied they towed any of the aircrafts that were ordered to be removed and denied having a hand in the jets that caused a stir when residents woke up to see them parked by the roadside prompting a hoax that they had crashed.
“The ones that were seen on the roads are a separate issue; they were planes that were parked elsewhere, outside the airport but in one of the facilities under the confines of Nigerian Airports Management Agency. Those were part of the aircrafts that were to be moved away but the ones that were directly on the terminal were the ones that created immediate security issues which was what we did,” he said.
On the procedure to be adopted, he said: “We had insisted on dismembering the aircrafts where they were parked and removing them. We also created a window for owners to take them away, so those who showed willingness we allowed to take them and the way they take them was their responsibility. When it comes to movement of aircraft on the road, I am sure there are relevant agencies that have that responsibility. We are in charge of airports and our responsibility ends at the airport.
“We have the Federal Road Safety Commission, we have the police who are constitutionally mandated to look at issues that have to do with road transportation. They may have overlapping responsibilities but once something leaves our airport it leaves our confines. For instance, I cannot go to somebody who has converted an aeroplane into a restaurant for inspection because it has left our confines and there are clearly defined responsibilities in a democracy and we have to restrict ourselves to our areas of responsibility. If someone moves an aeroplane on the roads, it raises safety concerns on the roads and that is where the police and road safety commission comes in.”
So far all the abandoned aircrafts in Lagos are said to have been removed. Datti said they were almost through with Abuja as “it is almost finished. In Kano it is ongoing. Benin is where we have a little challenge because some of the aircraft belong to the defunct Okada Air, and they have a hangar there. We have been discussing to see how they can either move them to their hangar or elsewhere but we have invited our legal department to see ways we can persuade them because these are issues of safety and security.”
Removal not an emergency
The National Emergency Management Agency public relations officer for South-West zone, Ibrahimn Farinloye, said they were inundated with calls when the jets were sighted but discovered they were not crashed planes. “When we received the alert around 11.00pm that there was an air crash and we went and found out that it was scrap we informed the people. We were not informed when it was being towed as it was not an emergency. We are only involved in emergencies which towing of a disused aircraft is not,” he said.
When the buzz about the crash were on, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency under whose custody the said planes were parked came out to deny any crash as their equipment did not capture any crash or missing plane. Its director general, Nnamdi Udoh, was reported as saying that the junk belonged to the late Apostle Gabriel Oduyemi of Bethel Ministries and was released to Captain M.J. Ekeinde.
“The aircraft was actually released to Captain M.J. Ekeinde who will be using it for educational purposes in Badagry, Lagos. A cross section of the wings was removed to ease transportation to its new location.
“I affirm again that NAMA facilities are working at optimal level and this could have assisted in detecting any missing plane within the nation’s airspace. While we appreciate the concern of the public on sighting the plane at an unusual site, we urge that people should always contact police and local government officials for proper information before spreading the news on incident involving any aircraft.”
Quite a scare
Asked if he was aware of the towing of the planes on the road, the Lagos Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Nseobong Akpabio, said: “We were not informed, we were not involved. We thought it was a crash. They said they contacted the police, they did not contact us.
“People contacted us that there was a crashed plane at a filling station, so we thought it was a crashed plane until we did an investigation and discovered it was not a crash. We contacted the police and they said it was done at night when the road was free”.
Asked if the towing of aircraft on roads did not contravene any law, he admitted that “they don’t tow aircraft on the road but somehow, they contacted the police. Road Safety ought to have been informed on time for possible assistance but in this case, they did not inform us.”
On whether they arrested anybody, Akpabio quipped, “why should we arrest? We did not make any arrests”.
Possible Uses
Disused planes can be used for training and could serve as tourist attractions. In some countries there are those that have converted them to restaurants. People can use the parts to recycle in terms of plastics companies or furniture companies. Even though they cannot fly, the shells are still of value.
Aircraft boneyard is a term for a storage area for aircraft that are retired from service. Most aircraft at boneyards are either kept for storage or turned into scrap metal. Deserts, such as those in the Southwestern United States, are good locations for boneyards since the dry conditions reduce corrosion.
Notable aircraft boneyards
Boeing B-52s in storage or awaiting deconstruction in Arizona
• Kingman Airport, Kingman, Arizona
• Phoenix Goodyear Airport, Goodyear, Arizona
• Pinal Airpark, Marana, Arizona
• 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Tucson, Arizona
• Southern California Logistics Airport, Victorville, California
• Mojave Air & Space Port, California
• Roswell International Air Center, Roswell, New Mexico contains the remains of several large passenger and cargo jets, including at least two Boeing 747s and five Boeing 707s.
• Abilene Regional Airport in Abilene, Texas is home to many retired Saab 340 aircraft, primarily from American Eagle Airlines.
• RAF Aircraft Storage Flight, RAF Shawbury
• Alice Springs Airport in Alice Springs, Northern Territory is the first large-scale aircraft boneyard outside the United States.
Source: http://www.thisdaylive.com
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Savannah Economic Development Authority: Savannah a 'sweet spot' for aerospace in the South; will target aircraft suppliers
The Lowcountry coastline has become as popular with aircraft manufacturers as sunbathers and retirees.
Stretching from Boeing’s 4-year-old Dreamliner plant in Charleston, S.C., south to Gulfstream’s facilities in Savannah and Brunswick and on to Brazilian firm Embraer’s new military fighter production center in Jacksonville, the coast can claim aerospace capital of the South status.
And Savannah Economic Development Authority officials are intent on making Savannah the aerospace supplier capital of the corridor.
Last week’s announcement that aircraft parts supplier LMI Aerospace would expand its Savannah facility and nearly triple its local workforce underscored the potential, SEDA CEO Trip Tollison said.
With Gulfstream’s explosive growth — the local facility has doubled in size in the last five years — and Savannah’s proximity to Boeing and Embraer’s facilities, the “sky is the limit” for Savannah, Tollison said.
“We’re in a sweet spot geographically here, with the largest aerospace manufacturer in the South in our backyard and Boeing and Embraer within two hour drives,” Tollison said. “There are almost 30 companies that supply all three manufacturers. Our challenge is: How do we market to and work with those prospects?”
LMI is a “great foundation” from which to build a supplier hub, Tollison said.
The company opened its Savannah facility in 2003 with five employees. Once the new expansion is completed later this year, LMI will boast a local workforce of more than 150 employees and will have broadened the company’s local services to include machining and assembly of aircraft components.
SEDA will sell LMI’s Savannah success story in targeting other suppliers seeking to expand or relocate.
“Over time, this area promises to grow as an aerospace destination,” LMI CEO Ronald Saks said. “Obviously, we’ve been pleased with our experience here. They just need to keep working on the aerospace infrastructure.”
Infrastructure improvements
Building what Saks calls “aerospace infrastructure” is a challenge nearly as complex as the innards of an airplane wing.
Attracting the suppliers to the suppliers is one piece, Saks said. LMI’s expansion could lead some of its suppliers to open local facilities, and Savannah could then better court other companies those suppliers serve.
With more and more manufacturers embracing LEAN manufacturing practices — keeping a low parts inventory onsite and asking suppliers to deliver to the factory regularly, often daily — suppliers need to be close. LMI’s success locally is the result of its reputation for “just in time” delivery of parts to Gulfstream.
Workforce development is another issue in bettering Savannah’s “aerospace infrastructure.” Savannah Technical College’s aviation technology programs and Georgia Tech’s professional education courses provide needed resources.
The STEM initiatives in the local schools should prove beneficial as well, SEDA’s Tollison said. STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
“Gulfstream is increasingly happy with the progress we are making on the workforce development side, and we need to leverage and capitalize on that,” Tollison said. “We have caught on to what is going on in aerospace. We have scratched the surface.”
Aerospace infrastructure evolves with the size and activities of locally based manufacturers, said Gulfstream’s Ira Berman, the company’s senior vice president, administration and general counsel.
Gulfstream considers having suppliers nearby beneficial because it allows the business jet maker to be “more collaborative with the suppliers,” Berman said. Gulfstream has several local suppliers, including FlightSafety International, which has offered pilot training on Gulfstream aircraft at its local facility for decades.
“I don’t know that there is a supplier ecosystem,” Berman said. “Our presence here and the presence of other (manufacturers) in the I-95 corridor is what creates the ecosystem more than any critical mass of suppliers.”
Poised for growth
SEDA’s push into the aerospace supplier sector is pending.
The staff has done the research, identifying 28 companies that serve Gulfstream, Boeing and Embraer and 24 more that supply Gulfstream and at least one of the others.
The LMI expansion is a “great start” for the process because it involved wooing Valent Aerostructures. Valent machines and assembles aircraft components, such as wings, and was poised to announce the opening of a Savannah facility six months ago.
That process was interrupted when LMI approached Valent’s leadership about buying the company. LMI acquired Valent a few months later and decided to expand its Savannah facility rather than open a new plant for the operations it inherited from Valent.
Another recent announcement by an aircraft parts supplier relocating to the area should help SEDA’s efforts. Quaker City Plating is opening a facility in Brunswick in early 2014. Quaker City plates the metal used in fixtures in bathrooms and elsewhere on Gulfstream aircraft.
SEDA is finalizing a rebranding initiative that will involve a website update and new marketing materials. Once that is complete, SEDA will begin to reach out to its aerospace parts supplier targets.
“We’re excited about what’s coming on the branding side,” Tollison said. “Timing our push to when we roll that stuff out only makes sense.”
Count Gulfstream among those confident Savannah will attract additional suppliers in the future.
“Our work with SEDA and the city and county and state … we have enjoyed working with them,” Berman said. “They’ve helped us enormously.”
COASTAL AEROSPACE CORRIDOR
Three large aircraft manufacturers have located factories along the Southeast coast between Charleston, S.C., and Jacksonville, Fla. A look at their local operations:
BOEING
Where: North Charleston, S.C.
Opened: 2011
Employees: 6,000-plus
Product: Boeing fabricates, assembles and installs systems of the fuselage sections of the 787 Dreamliner, a wide-body commercial passenger jet, at its S.C. facility. The plant also serves as the aircraft’s final assembly and delivery facility. Boeing is the largest manufacturer of passenger airliners in the world.
EMBRAER
Where: Jacksonville, Fla.
Opened: 2013
Employees: 50
Product: The Brazilian company will build military aircraft for the U.S. Air Force in its Jacksonville facility when the plant comes online later this year. Embraer also manufactures commercial and agricultural aircraft and is known for its small commuter jets that seat less than 120 passengers.
GULFSTREAM
Where: Savannah, Brunswick
Opened: 1966
Employees: 8,500 Savannah, 190 Brunswick
Product: Gulfstream manufactures three models of its business jets locally, including the G650. Savannah is the company’s corporate headquarters. Gulfstream is the world’s leading business aircraft manufacturer.
Story and Photos: http://savannahnow.com
Stretching from Boeing’s 4-year-old Dreamliner plant in Charleston, S.C., south to Gulfstream’s facilities in Savannah and Brunswick and on to Brazilian firm Embraer’s new military fighter production center in Jacksonville, the coast can claim aerospace capital of the South status.
And Savannah Economic Development Authority officials are intent on making Savannah the aerospace supplier capital of the corridor.
Last week’s announcement that aircraft parts supplier LMI Aerospace would expand its Savannah facility and nearly triple its local workforce underscored the potential, SEDA CEO Trip Tollison said.
With Gulfstream’s explosive growth — the local facility has doubled in size in the last five years — and Savannah’s proximity to Boeing and Embraer’s facilities, the “sky is the limit” for Savannah, Tollison said.
“We’re in a sweet spot geographically here, with the largest aerospace manufacturer in the South in our backyard and Boeing and Embraer within two hour drives,” Tollison said. “There are almost 30 companies that supply all three manufacturers. Our challenge is: How do we market to and work with those prospects?”
LMI is a “great foundation” from which to build a supplier hub, Tollison said.
The company opened its Savannah facility in 2003 with five employees. Once the new expansion is completed later this year, LMI will boast a local workforce of more than 150 employees and will have broadened the company’s local services to include machining and assembly of aircraft components.
SEDA will sell LMI’s Savannah success story in targeting other suppliers seeking to expand or relocate.
“Over time, this area promises to grow as an aerospace destination,” LMI CEO Ronald Saks said. “Obviously, we’ve been pleased with our experience here. They just need to keep working on the aerospace infrastructure.”
Infrastructure improvements
Building what Saks calls “aerospace infrastructure” is a challenge nearly as complex as the innards of an airplane wing.
Attracting the suppliers to the suppliers is one piece, Saks said. LMI’s expansion could lead some of its suppliers to open local facilities, and Savannah could then better court other companies those suppliers serve.
With more and more manufacturers embracing LEAN manufacturing practices — keeping a low parts inventory onsite and asking suppliers to deliver to the factory regularly, often daily — suppliers need to be close. LMI’s success locally is the result of its reputation for “just in time” delivery of parts to Gulfstream.
Workforce development is another issue in bettering Savannah’s “aerospace infrastructure.” Savannah Technical College’s aviation technology programs and Georgia Tech’s professional education courses provide needed resources.
The STEM initiatives in the local schools should prove beneficial as well, SEDA’s Tollison said. STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
“Gulfstream is increasingly happy with the progress we are making on the workforce development side, and we need to leverage and capitalize on that,” Tollison said. “We have caught on to what is going on in aerospace. We have scratched the surface.”
Aerospace infrastructure evolves with the size and activities of locally based manufacturers, said Gulfstream’s Ira Berman, the company’s senior vice president, administration and general counsel.
Gulfstream considers having suppliers nearby beneficial because it allows the business jet maker to be “more collaborative with the suppliers,” Berman said. Gulfstream has several local suppliers, including FlightSafety International, which has offered pilot training on Gulfstream aircraft at its local facility for decades.
“I don’t know that there is a supplier ecosystem,” Berman said. “Our presence here and the presence of other (manufacturers) in the I-95 corridor is what creates the ecosystem more than any critical mass of suppliers.”
Poised for growth
SEDA’s push into the aerospace supplier sector is pending.
The staff has done the research, identifying 28 companies that serve Gulfstream, Boeing and Embraer and 24 more that supply Gulfstream and at least one of the others.
The LMI expansion is a “great start” for the process because it involved wooing Valent Aerostructures. Valent machines and assembles aircraft components, such as wings, and was poised to announce the opening of a Savannah facility six months ago.
That process was interrupted when LMI approached Valent’s leadership about buying the company. LMI acquired Valent a few months later and decided to expand its Savannah facility rather than open a new plant for the operations it inherited from Valent.
Another recent announcement by an aircraft parts supplier relocating to the area should help SEDA’s efforts. Quaker City Plating is opening a facility in Brunswick in early 2014. Quaker City plates the metal used in fixtures in bathrooms and elsewhere on Gulfstream aircraft.
SEDA is finalizing a rebranding initiative that will involve a website update and new marketing materials. Once that is complete, SEDA will begin to reach out to its aerospace parts supplier targets.
“We’re excited about what’s coming on the branding side,” Tollison said. “Timing our push to when we roll that stuff out only makes sense.”
Count Gulfstream among those confident Savannah will attract additional suppliers in the future.
“Our work with SEDA and the city and county and state … we have enjoyed working with them,” Berman said. “They’ve helped us enormously.”
COASTAL AEROSPACE CORRIDOR
Three large aircraft manufacturers have located factories along the Southeast coast between Charleston, S.C., and Jacksonville, Fla. A look at their local operations:
BOEING
Where: North Charleston, S.C.
Opened: 2011
Employees: 6,000-plus
Product: Boeing fabricates, assembles and installs systems of the fuselage sections of the 787 Dreamliner, a wide-body commercial passenger jet, at its S.C. facility. The plant also serves as the aircraft’s final assembly and delivery facility. Boeing is the largest manufacturer of passenger airliners in the world.
EMBRAER
Where: Jacksonville, Fla.
Opened: 2013
Employees: 50
Product: The Brazilian company will build military aircraft for the U.S. Air Force in its Jacksonville facility when the plant comes online later this year. Embraer also manufactures commercial and agricultural aircraft and is known for its small commuter jets that seat less than 120 passengers.
GULFSTREAM
Where: Savannah, Brunswick
Opened: 1966
Employees: 8,500 Savannah, 190 Brunswick
Product: Gulfstream manufactures three models of its business jets locally, including the G650. Savannah is the company’s corporate headquarters. Gulfstream is the world’s leading business aircraft manufacturer.
Story and Photos: http://savannahnow.com
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Avantair intends to 'restructure its affair'
CLEARWATER, FLORIDA - Avantair Inc., a Clearwater-based company that sells shares in its twin-engine turboprop aircraft to patrons who can schedule flights instead of flying on a commercial airline, told its fractional owners Friday it must "restructure its affairs in order to emerge healthy."
Read more: http://tbo.com/news/business/avantair-intends-to-restructure-its-affair-20130629/
Read more: http://tbo.com/news/business/avantair-intends-to-restructure-its-affair-20130629/
Monday, April 22, 2013
Aircraft restorer wants more space in Cameron Park
A proposal before the Cameron Park Design Review Committee would enlarge a business devoted to finding what’s left of vintage military aircraft and restoring them.
According to the agenda, an entity known as NARF would expand from 4,182 square feet to 9,780 square feet on Cameron Park Drive near the Cameron Park Airport.
An engineer working on project design said the owner is expanding his business of restoring the World War II-era aircraft, which he then sells to private collectors. He also sometimes pilots the aircraft himself to air shows and other events.
The expansion is not because the owner would be doing more work, the engineer said, but because the planes he fabricates parts for need more space. The owner could not be reached for comment Friday; nor could officials with El Dorado County’s development department.
Read more here: http://www.bizjournals.com
According to the agenda, an entity known as NARF would expand from 4,182 square feet to 9,780 square feet on Cameron Park Drive near the Cameron Park Airport.
An engineer working on project design said the owner is expanding his business of restoring the World War II-era aircraft, which he then sells to private collectors. He also sometimes pilots the aircraft himself to air shows and other events.
The expansion is not because the owner would be doing more work, the engineer said, but because the planes he fabricates parts for need more space. The owner could not be reached for comment Friday; nor could officials with El Dorado County’s development department.
Read more here: http://www.bizjournals.com
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Zlin 143Ls find no takers as bureaucrats prefer road, rail travel
Maoists and maimed roads bother them less than winged machines owned by the state.
Jharkhand’s top-notch bureaucrats decline flight comfort between districts and instead prefer five-hour road trips or AC three-tier discomfort through red bastions even at night, leaving three prized aircraft procured more than half a decade ago with no takers.
In August 2007, the state had imported the four-seater Zlin 143Ls from Moravan Aviation, a manufacturer based in the Czech Republic, for Rs 3.78 crore. The objective was to train aspiring pilots and ferry officials. The target was never achieved, first owing to trainer crunch, then due to unavailability of pilots and, finally, due to lack of maintenance.
Bright red and trendy to the hilt, the aircraft also remained in media glare after the CAG dubbed it “mindless” purchase. For four years, the planes idled in the state hangar.
In 2011, chief flying instructor Surinder Sinha mooted a proposal before then deputy chief minister Hemant Soren to allow IAS officers to use the planes for transit during meetings in the districts, a practice common in mother state Bihar.
The proposal was forwarded to then chief minister Arjun Munda who gave his nod and, at the same time, directed the civil aviation department not to charge the bureaucrats because travel costs would be borne by their respective departments.
The order was “widely circulated” among principal secretaries and secretaries. But, no officer has till date managed to gather courage to take wings. Ask them to fly to a far-flung district, they would straightaway spurn the proposal or more easily call off meetings.
Additional chief secretary Sudhir Prasad, who also heads the drinking water and sanitation department, claimed he was unaware of the order. “It was perhaps not widely publicized. If we have permission to fly, I will definitely like to fly,” he added.
Sukhdeo Singh, principal secretary (finance), echoed Prasad, but admitted that some bureaucrats had inhibitions regarding single-engine aircraft. “There may be two reasons for the Zlins not finding takers. One, bureaucrats are perhaps unaware of the provision. Two, many believe twin-engine planes are safer,” he said.
Principal secretary (social welfare) Mridula Sinha was expected to break the jinx by travelling to Dumka last month. But, she too called off her trip in the eleventh hour. “Yes, I was supposed to fly, but I got tied up with some other urgent work. I may travel next month,” she said.
Confirming that no babu had taken a Zlin ride till date, civil aviation secretary Sajal Chakraborty said it was unfortunate because the flights could have saved time and increased efficiency of the bureaucratic machinery.
“One can reach Jamshedpur in 20 minutes, Dhanbad in 30 minutes, Palamau in 40 minutes and Dumka and Sahebganj, which are farthest, within an hour and a quarter. I do not understand why they hesitate. Maybe, they think a single-engine aircraft is not safe enough. But, a Zlin is powered by a six-cylinder engine and it is an excellent training aircraft,” Chakraborty, himself a frequent flier, hoped to revive faith in air travel.
Story and Photo: http://telegraphindia.com
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Light Sport America: Mobile Classrooms Give New Aircraft Maker, Employees a Leg Up
BARTOW | Arthur Burns is
an Air Force veteran who worked on helicopter gunships. Nicole Mutton is
a young and eager graduate of an aviation academy. Larry O'Dell has an
extensive background in manufacturing.
In the very near future, all three will be producing aircraft for a new Bartow firm, Light Sport America.
Getting there has been an interesting process. For the last two weeks, Burns, Mutton, O'Dell and 14 other new hires have been training for their jobs in a high-tech mobile classroom parked outside Light Sport's headquarters at the Bartow Municipal Airport industrial park.
The innovative training program, facilitated by the Florida Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), will help Light Sport quickly establish its workforce and begin making planes.
"It's really been a godsend for us," said Harrell Ward, Light Sport's chief operating officer. "It's helped us find high-quality people and train them all at a base knowledge so we can bring them in and hit the ground, really running."
Light Sport has big plans. The new company settled here in January after buying the assets of Italian manufacturer StormAircraft, and Ward said he expects to produce its first planes by mid-June.
The propeller planes, classified as light sport aircraft, are small and simple to operate, ideal for aviation enthusiasts and government use, Ward said.
Prices will range from about $89,000 to $136,000. If all goes well — Light Sport has advance orders for about 60 planes — the company will have hired 45 employees or so by the end of the year, with plans to grow to roughly 100 by the end of 2014, Ward said.
Finding qualified candidates for aircraft manufacturing is no easy matter, Ward says, but his company has received a lot of help.
The Polk Works employment services agency helped with recruiting and screening applicants, and the Celebration-based Florida MEP is providing training services at no cost through a U.S. Department of Labor grant. The government funding is intended to help manufacturing firms train new hires in the 23-county region known as Florida's High Tech Corridor, addressing a shortage of skilled workers.
"It's advanced technical training, very hands-on," said Ted Astolfi, deputy director of the Florida MEP. "We don't have to teach the theory of manufacturing — why Henry Ford started the assembly line, all of those things. We come in and teach the skills the students need to do the job."
Light Sport is the first Polk County business to participate in the training, Astolfi said. The interior of the mobile classroom supplied by MEP is lined with computer stations running advanced virtual-reality software that simulates functions done on the shop floor.
Training wrapped up Friday for Light Sport's first group of employees, who will earn starting pay of $13.50 to $15.50 per hour.
It will be the first aviation-related job for Arthur Burns since he left the military in 2009. Burns, who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, said his jobs in recent years included cutting grass for the city of Lakeland and working at an Amscot office.
"A lot of people don't realize the aviation field is quite competitive, and jobs are few and far between," said the 33-year-old Winter Haven resident. "For us to be able to produce a quality aircraft like this here in Polk County, that's going to be sold potentially all over the world, it's pretty amazing."
Lakeland's Nicole Mutton, 24, said she struggled to find work since graduating from the National Aviation Academy in Clearwater last year. Landing the opportunity with Light Sport "doesn't even seem real," she said. "I'm so excited."
Larry O'Dell of Lake Wales is a former plant manager with experience in machining and design work. Despite his seasoned background, O'Dell, 68, said he spent several months looking for a job that wouldn't require a long commute.
"This is a great opportunity for me and everyone here," he said. "It gives me a fresh start. It gives me a chance to feel productive and useful."
Story and Photo: http://www.theledger.com
Light Sport America: http://www.lightsportamerica.com
In the very near future, all three will be producing aircraft for a new Bartow firm, Light Sport America.
Getting there has been an interesting process. For the last two weeks, Burns, Mutton, O'Dell and 14 other new hires have been training for their jobs in a high-tech mobile classroom parked outside Light Sport's headquarters at the Bartow Municipal Airport industrial park.
The innovative training program, facilitated by the Florida Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), will help Light Sport quickly establish its workforce and begin making planes.
"It's really been a godsend for us," said Harrell Ward, Light Sport's chief operating officer. "It's helped us find high-quality people and train them all at a base knowledge so we can bring them in and hit the ground, really running."
Light Sport has big plans. The new company settled here in January after buying the assets of Italian manufacturer StormAircraft, and Ward said he expects to produce its first planes by mid-June.
The propeller planes, classified as light sport aircraft, are small and simple to operate, ideal for aviation enthusiasts and government use, Ward said.
Prices will range from about $89,000 to $136,000. If all goes well — Light Sport has advance orders for about 60 planes — the company will have hired 45 employees or so by the end of the year, with plans to grow to roughly 100 by the end of 2014, Ward said.
Finding qualified candidates for aircraft manufacturing is no easy matter, Ward says, but his company has received a lot of help.
The Polk Works employment services agency helped with recruiting and screening applicants, and the Celebration-based Florida MEP is providing training services at no cost through a U.S. Department of Labor grant. The government funding is intended to help manufacturing firms train new hires in the 23-county region known as Florida's High Tech Corridor, addressing a shortage of skilled workers.
"It's advanced technical training, very hands-on," said Ted Astolfi, deputy director of the Florida MEP. "We don't have to teach the theory of manufacturing — why Henry Ford started the assembly line, all of those things. We come in and teach the skills the students need to do the job."
Light Sport is the first Polk County business to participate in the training, Astolfi said. The interior of the mobile classroom supplied by MEP is lined with computer stations running advanced virtual-reality software that simulates functions done on the shop floor.
Training wrapped up Friday for Light Sport's first group of employees, who will earn starting pay of $13.50 to $15.50 per hour.
It will be the first aviation-related job for Arthur Burns since he left the military in 2009. Burns, who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, said his jobs in recent years included cutting grass for the city of Lakeland and working at an Amscot office.
"A lot of people don't realize the aviation field is quite competitive, and jobs are few and far between," said the 33-year-old Winter Haven resident. "For us to be able to produce a quality aircraft like this here in Polk County, that's going to be sold potentially all over the world, it's pretty amazing."
Lakeland's Nicole Mutton, 24, said she struggled to find work since graduating from the National Aviation Academy in Clearwater last year. Landing the opportunity with Light Sport "doesn't even seem real," she said. "I'm so excited."
Larry O'Dell of Lake Wales is a former plant manager with experience in machining and design work. Despite his seasoned background, O'Dell, 68, said he spent several months looking for a job that wouldn't require a long commute.
"This is a great opportunity for me and everyone here," he said. "It gives me a fresh start. It gives me a chance to feel productive and useful."
Story and Photo: http://www.theledger.com
Light Sport America: http://www.lightsportamerica.com
Friday, March 29, 2013
Augusta, Maine: Panel urged to extend aviation tax break
AUGUSTA — Representatives of the aviation industry are urging a legislative committee to support the proposed extension of a sales-tax exemption that they say has generated hundreds of thousands of dollars in business for their firms.
LD 279, sponsored by Sen. Andre Cushing, R-Hampden, would permanently exempt aircraft and aircraft parts from Maine's sales tax.
Lawmakers passed a temporary exemption in 2011. It is scheduled to expire in July 2015 unless it's extended by the Legislature.
The Legislature's Office of Fiscal and Program Review has said the exemption would cost the state $608,000 in lost revenue annually, adding up to about $2.5 million through its expiration in 2015.
In written testimony to the Legislature's Taxation Committee, Cushing said the 5 percent sales tax on aircraft and aircraft parts "blackballed Maine among the aviation community."
No New England state taxes aircraft parts; Vermont is the only one that taxes aircraft sales, according to industry sources.
Mark Goodwin, vice president of Northeast Air, which runs a maintenance and repair facility at the Portland International Jetport, said in written testimony that the tax exemption brought more than $700,000 worth of work for American and foreign clients that Northeast Air would not have been hired to do without the exemption.
In anticipation of the work, Goodwin said, the company invested $500,000 in facility renovations and hired two mechanics at $55,000 a year plus benefits, and plans to hire two more mechanics this year.
"Aircraft are not just transportation for the wealthy or businesspeople," he said. "They bring business to Maine, create jobs and they support our growing industry in Maine."
Jon Block, a lobbyist for C&L Aerospace, an aircraft supply and maintenance company in Bangor, said in written testimony that the company started with 22 employees when it began operating from the Bangor International Airport in 2010. It now employs 100 and plans to increase its work force to 170 because of new business, he said.
The temporary tax exemption was passed as part of the state's current two-year budget. It was championed mainly by Senate President Kevin Raye. The Republican, now out of office, used the tax exemption in a campaign ad in his unsuccessful run last year for Democratic U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud's 2nd Congressional District seat.
The new proposal is endorsed by the LePage administration. It is co-sponsored by prominent Democrats from the Bangor area, including Rep. Adam Goode of Bangor, House chair of the Taxation Committee, and Sen. Emily Cain of Orono.
http://www.mainelegislature.org
http://www.kjonline.com
LD 279, sponsored by Sen. Andre Cushing, R-Hampden, would permanently exempt aircraft and aircraft parts from Maine's sales tax.
Lawmakers passed a temporary exemption in 2011. It is scheduled to expire in July 2015 unless it's extended by the Legislature.
The Legislature's Office of Fiscal and Program Review has said the exemption would cost the state $608,000 in lost revenue annually, adding up to about $2.5 million through its expiration in 2015.
In written testimony to the Legislature's Taxation Committee, Cushing said the 5 percent sales tax on aircraft and aircraft parts "blackballed Maine among the aviation community."
No New England state taxes aircraft parts; Vermont is the only one that taxes aircraft sales, according to industry sources.
Mark Goodwin, vice president of Northeast Air, which runs a maintenance and repair facility at the Portland International Jetport, said in written testimony that the tax exemption brought more than $700,000 worth of work for American and foreign clients that Northeast Air would not have been hired to do without the exemption.
In anticipation of the work, Goodwin said, the company invested $500,000 in facility renovations and hired two mechanics at $55,000 a year plus benefits, and plans to hire two more mechanics this year.
"Aircraft are not just transportation for the wealthy or businesspeople," he said. "They bring business to Maine, create jobs and they support our growing industry in Maine."
Jon Block, a lobbyist for C&L Aerospace, an aircraft supply and maintenance company in Bangor, said in written testimony that the company started with 22 employees when it began operating from the Bangor International Airport in 2010. It now employs 100 and plans to increase its work force to 170 because of new business, he said.
The temporary tax exemption was passed as part of the state's current two-year budget. It was championed mainly by Senate President Kevin Raye. The Republican, now out of office, used the tax exemption in a campaign ad in his unsuccessful run last year for Democratic U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud's 2nd Congressional District seat.
The new proposal is endorsed by the LePage administration. It is co-sponsored by prominent Democrats from the Bangor area, including Rep. Adam Goode of Bangor, House chair of the Taxation Committee, and Sen. Emily Cain of Orono.
http://www.mainelegislature.org
http://www.kjonline.com
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Aircraft drive 5.7% jump in big-ticket orders: Yet bookings for durable goods fall 0.5% outside of transportation
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — Orders for long-lasting U.S. goods surged in February largely because of gains in the volatile aircraft and defense segments, but demand was mixed for other manufacturers.
The split verdict on durable goods suggests U.S. manufacturers continue to expand modestly but at an uneven pace. Still, orders have accelerated sharply over the past few months and businesses appear to have boosted investment, a positive sign for the economy.
In recent trades Tuesday, U.S. stocks moved higher, as the reports on durables and home prices outweighed a decline in consumer confidence.
Durable-goods orders climbed 5.7% last month to a seasonally adjusted $232.1 billion after a revised 3.8% drop in January, the U.S. Commerce Department said Tuesday. Economists polled by MarketWatch forecast a 4.6% gain, largely because of a snapback in bookings for Boeing jets.
Yet orders outside of transportation fell 0.5% to mark the first decline in six months. Most of the decrease was concentrated in fabricated metals (-4.4%), heavy machinery (-2.2%) and network-communications equipment (-7.6%).
Orders for primary metals and computers, however, both turned positive after retreating in January.
Computer bookings, a major category of business investment, rose 4.9%. Orders for primary metals, another leading indicator of demand for manufactured goods, edged up 1.7%.
The biggest increase in orders took place in commercial aircraft, a typically see-sawing category. Orders soared 95.3% in February after a 24% plunge in the prior month. Auto orders also rose 3.8%, reflecting strong demand for new cars and trucks.
Orders for core capital goods, a key barometer of private-sector business investment, dropped 2.7% after a 6.7% increase in January. It was the largest decrease since July.
Shipments of core capital goods, a category used to calculate quarterly economic growth, rose 1.9% in February. The bigger-than-expected increase indicates that growth in the nation’s economy in the first three months of 2013 could turn out somewhat higher than the current MarketWatch forecast of 2.5%.
Orders for January, meanwhile, were revised to a 3.8% decline from a prior reading of a 4.9% drop.
The durables report can be herky-jerky from one month to the next and subject to large revisions, so economists look at longer trends. In the past three months, orders are running at a double-digit annual pace compared to the three months before that.
The “monthly numbers are very volatile,” said chief economist Ian Shepherdson of Pantheon Macroeconomic Advisors. “What matters is the trend, which is strong.”
In separate reports Tuesday, new home sales slowed in February and consumer confidence posted a surprisingly large drop.
Source: http://articles.marketwatch.com
The split verdict on durable goods suggests U.S. manufacturers continue to expand modestly but at an uneven pace. Still, orders have accelerated sharply over the past few months and businesses appear to have boosted investment, a positive sign for the economy.
In recent trades Tuesday, U.S. stocks moved higher, as the reports on durables and home prices outweighed a decline in consumer confidence.
Durable-goods orders climbed 5.7% last month to a seasonally adjusted $232.1 billion after a revised 3.8% drop in January, the U.S. Commerce Department said Tuesday. Economists polled by MarketWatch forecast a 4.6% gain, largely because of a snapback in bookings for Boeing jets.
Yet orders outside of transportation fell 0.5% to mark the first decline in six months. Most of the decrease was concentrated in fabricated metals (-4.4%), heavy machinery (-2.2%) and network-communications equipment (-7.6%).
Orders for primary metals and computers, however, both turned positive after retreating in January.
Computer bookings, a major category of business investment, rose 4.9%. Orders for primary metals, another leading indicator of demand for manufactured goods, edged up 1.7%.
The biggest increase in orders took place in commercial aircraft, a typically see-sawing category. Orders soared 95.3% in February after a 24% plunge in the prior month. Auto orders also rose 3.8%, reflecting strong demand for new cars and trucks.
Orders for core capital goods, a key barometer of private-sector business investment, dropped 2.7% after a 6.7% increase in January. It was the largest decrease since July.
Shipments of core capital goods, a category used to calculate quarterly economic growth, rose 1.9% in February. The bigger-than-expected increase indicates that growth in the nation’s economy in the first three months of 2013 could turn out somewhat higher than the current MarketWatch forecast of 2.5%.
Orders for January, meanwhile, were revised to a 3.8% decline from a prior reading of a 4.9% drop.
The durables report can be herky-jerky from one month to the next and subject to large revisions, so economists look at longer trends. In the past three months, orders are running at a double-digit annual pace compared to the three months before that.
The “monthly numbers are very volatile,” said chief economist Ian Shepherdson of Pantheon Macroeconomic Advisors. “What matters is the trend, which is strong.”
In separate reports Tuesday, new home sales slowed in February and consumer confidence posted a surprisingly large drop.
Source: http://articles.marketwatch.com
Monday, March 25, 2013
Photos and Video: Military Aircraft Departs Bermuda
March 25, 2013
On Sunday morning [March 24] the fleet of military aircraft that had stopped at LF Wade International Airport departed the island. The aircraft left in two different groups, with the first leaving at around 11am, and the second group leaving around 45 minutes later.
A few people gathered at the airport to watch the nine aircraft depart, and a few of the planes did a ‘fly by’ over the east end after taking off. You can view photos of the military aircraft arriving in Bermuda on 20 March here, and a video of the second set of military aircraft arriving in Bermuda on 22 March here.
Photo Gallery: http://bernews.com
Friday, March 22, 2013
VIDEO: Lawmakers propose state aircraft fleet to fight wildfires
DENVER – When a Colorado wildfire rages out of control — as with the
16 fires last year that destroyed 647 homes and killed six people —
authorities call the U.S. Forest Service for aerial support dropping
slurry and water on the blaze.
“It’s not a matter of if, it is a matter of when,” said Sen. Cheri Jahn D-Wheat Ridge. “And when we make that phone call to the federal government, that we have a fire and we need assistance, you hope they can show up.”
Jahn and Sen. Steve King, R-Grand Junction, plan to introduce a bill next week creating a state fleet of aircraft to fight fires.
In a perfect world, King said Colorado would have three air tankers, three command and control planes and three or four helicopters.
“We don’t have any of that,” he said. “What we have is 4 million acres of dead trees, dead biomass. We have hopefully the end of a very long drought. We have the 2012 fire season rolling right into the 2013 season.”
The lawmakers plan to introduce a bill detailing the program, which would leave about 40 days of the legislative session to address the issue.
The U.S. Forest Service has a fleet of tanker planes, privately owned and contracted by the agency, dating from the 1950s that respond to wildfires across the nation.
Jahn said that fleet has dwindled from 44 planes a decade ago to nine, leaving officials in fire-prone Western states wondering what happens when resources are tapped.
Calls to the Forest Service on Thursday were not immediately returned.
The authors of the bill are developing a budget for the project and a timeline for implementation. It’s urgent, though, they said, given a 2013 wildfire season that burst into flames before the first day of spring.
“We are one lighting strike, one careless match throw, one terrorist intentional match throw away from a catastrophic wildfire in Colorado,” King said. “God help us if that is in one of our watersheds.”
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection owns a fleet of 58 aircraft including 23 air tankers that can hold water or the red fire retardant known as slurry.
King said the California agency estimates the cost of the air program is $1.5 million a plane, per year, including pilots, fuel and slurry.
King wouldn’t estimate how many planes a smaller state like Colorado would need, but given his perfect-world scenario with nine aircraft it could run the state around $9 million a year, not including purchasing the planes.
King said the federal government might provide the aircraft to the state, which is what happened when California launched the program.
Leaders of both the Senate Democrats and Republicans support the bill. Both are from Colorado Springs and talked about watching the Waldo Canyon fire encroach on the city, where it destroyed 346 homes and killed two people.
“If we don’t get to them quickly, every fire has the potential to turn into a Waldo Canyon,” Senate Republican Leader Bill Cadman said.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Forest Service is attempting to address the issue, awarding a contract in June for seven modern tankers to help fight fires across the country. However, that contract has been mired in a squabble over how it was awarded and planes have yet to be delivered.
Another possible source for help is the C-130 fleet owned by the Department of Defense.
During the Waldo Canyon fire, two of the C-130s sat at the Peterson Air Force Base for 48 hours before jumping into action, joining the Forest Service tankers.
Officials are trying to change a law that allows military aircraft to assist only when all other resources have been expended. The change would mean the eight C-130s across the nation could be called into action sooner and more often.
Story and Video: http://www.gazette.com
“It’s not a matter of if, it is a matter of when,” said Sen. Cheri Jahn D-Wheat Ridge. “And when we make that phone call to the federal government, that we have a fire and we need assistance, you hope they can show up.”
Jahn and Sen. Steve King, R-Grand Junction, plan to introduce a bill next week creating a state fleet of aircraft to fight fires.
In a perfect world, King said Colorado would have three air tankers, three command and control planes and three or four helicopters.
“We don’t have any of that,” he said. “What we have is 4 million acres of dead trees, dead biomass. We have hopefully the end of a very long drought. We have the 2012 fire season rolling right into the 2013 season.”
The lawmakers plan to introduce a bill detailing the program, which would leave about 40 days of the legislative session to address the issue.
The U.S. Forest Service has a fleet of tanker planes, privately owned and contracted by the agency, dating from the 1950s that respond to wildfires across the nation.
Jahn said that fleet has dwindled from 44 planes a decade ago to nine, leaving officials in fire-prone Western states wondering what happens when resources are tapped.
Calls to the Forest Service on Thursday were not immediately returned.
The authors of the bill are developing a budget for the project and a timeline for implementation. It’s urgent, though, they said, given a 2013 wildfire season that burst into flames before the first day of spring.
“We are one lighting strike, one careless match throw, one terrorist intentional match throw away from a catastrophic wildfire in Colorado,” King said. “God help us if that is in one of our watersheds.”
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection owns a fleet of 58 aircraft including 23 air tankers that can hold water or the red fire retardant known as slurry.
King said the California agency estimates the cost of the air program is $1.5 million a plane, per year, including pilots, fuel and slurry.
King wouldn’t estimate how many planes a smaller state like Colorado would need, but given his perfect-world scenario with nine aircraft it could run the state around $9 million a year, not including purchasing the planes.
King said the federal government might provide the aircraft to the state, which is what happened when California launched the program.
Leaders of both the Senate Democrats and Republicans support the bill. Both are from Colorado Springs and talked about watching the Waldo Canyon fire encroach on the city, where it destroyed 346 homes and killed two people.
“If we don’t get to them quickly, every fire has the potential to turn into a Waldo Canyon,” Senate Republican Leader Bill Cadman said.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Forest Service is attempting to address the issue, awarding a contract in June for seven modern tankers to help fight fires across the country. However, that contract has been mired in a squabble over how it was awarded and planes have yet to be delivered.
Another possible source for help is the C-130 fleet owned by the Department of Defense.
During the Waldo Canyon fire, two of the C-130s sat at the Peterson Air Force Base for 48 hours before jumping into action, joining the Forest Service tankers.
Officials are trying to change a law that allows military aircraft to assist only when all other resources have been expended. The change would mean the eight C-130s across the nation could be called into action sooner and more often.
Story and Video: http://www.gazette.com
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Controversial Banner Ads Raising Eyebrows
Banner planes are a big part of the Spring Break campaigns for many local and national businesses, but, a few of the ads this spring are raising eyebrows.
The banner plane companies have differing policies about the ads they tow and where they display them. Some find the advertisement banner for Trojan condoms offensive.
Airsign Inc, a company out of Bronson, Florida has been pulling the banner over Panama City Beach, targeting spring breakers.
An Airsign spokesperson said the company tries to stay away from elementary schools and churches.
Managers at Fort Walton Beach based Boomer Aviation said they do not have that problem because they do not accept controversial ads, but they are taking heat for this one anyway.
"We don't pull controversial banners,” said Jim Jones, the chief pilot for Boomer Aviation. “My boss was just speaking to me about that the other day. He's had to tell people that's not us. We don't do that."
Boomer has been pulling banners over the beaches in Bay, Walton and Okaloosa counties for more than 30 years.
They try to do deals with local businesses. "We've been flying up and down the beach advertising to all the Spring Breakers,” said Jones. “For all the local clubs here on the beach."
While they do occasionally accept contracts from national advertisers, they said they stay away from the controversial ones.
Source: http://www.wjhg.com
http://www.airsign.com
http://www.aerialad.net
The banner plane companies have differing policies about the ads they tow and where they display them. Some find the advertisement banner for Trojan condoms offensive.
Airsign Inc, a company out of Bronson, Florida has been pulling the banner over Panama City Beach, targeting spring breakers.
An Airsign spokesperson said the company tries to stay away from elementary schools and churches.
Managers at Fort Walton Beach based Boomer Aviation said they do not have that problem because they do not accept controversial ads, but they are taking heat for this one anyway.
"We don't pull controversial banners,” said Jim Jones, the chief pilot for Boomer Aviation. “My boss was just speaking to me about that the other day. He's had to tell people that's not us. We don't do that."
Boomer has been pulling banners over the beaches in Bay, Walton and Okaloosa counties for more than 30 years.
They try to do deals with local businesses. "We've been flying up and down the beach advertising to all the Spring Breakers,” said Jones. “For all the local clubs here on the beach."
While they do occasionally accept contracts from national advertisers, they said they stay away from the controversial ones.
Source: http://www.wjhg.com
http://www.airsign.com
http://www.aerialad.net
Marion County, Florida: Mystery flights are special ops training exercise
The flights out of Gainesville encompass between four to eight aircraft and are made up of Black Hawks and Chinooks, Burns said.
The Chinooks, a heavy-bodied helicopter, have distinctive tandem rotor blades. Black Hawks are smaller and are the military's go-to utility helicopter. Both have big engines and typically fly low in combat situations, which are what the exercises are simulating.
The Special Operations Command oversees special operations of the U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines.
"There are no exercises in the Ocala area, but Ocala is directly in the transit route," said Burns, who would not specifically say why aircraft were taking off from Gainesville for exercises in the Miami area.
A press releases issued by Miami Dade County advises that the exercise includes the use of military helicopters and simulated gunfire. The training is meant to prepare participants for combat missions in urban areas and to prepare forces for upcoming overseas missions, according to the release.
A multitude of Marion County residents have reported being awakened or disturbed by the low-flying aircraft. Some have reported seeing fixed wing aircraft as part of the low flights, but Burns said any fixed wing aircraft as part of the operation are flying at between 30,000 feet and 40,000 feet
Bob Cook, who lives near Baseline Road and Fort King Street, said he was frightened when he saw the aircraft come over his home Saturday.
"I turned and ran. That's not right what they are doing," he said.
Cook said the aircraft were no more than 150 feet above the ground and whipped the tree tops with their propeller wash.
Burns did not say how low the aircraft were flying, but did say they were within Federal Aviation Administration compliance.
"Sometimes when people are not used to seeing or hearing those type of aircraft they seem a lot closer than they are," he said.
Some locals also reported seeing the aircraft flying without lights.
Burns said some of them do fly without lights because, "We are trying to simulate a combat experience as closely as possible."
Story and Reaction/Comments: http://www.ocala.com
New Il-476 Cargo Plane Tests Stalled by Weather
MOSCOW, March 13 (RIA Novosti) - The first Defense Ministry test flights of the prototype Ilyushin Il-76MD-90A
(also known as the Il-476) heavy-lift transport plane at a flight test
center near Moscow were postponed indefinitely due to bad weather on
Wednesday, the Ilyushin Aviation Complex press service said.
The first flight at the Zhukovsky flight test center was set for 12.00 Moscow time (08.00 GMT) on Wednesday, according to the Russian Defense Ministry’s program. “The flight has been canceled due to the meteorological conditions. Everything was completely ready for the start of the tests but the flight had to be put off due to a heavy snowfall,” a company spokeswoman said.
The bad weather is expected to last another three days, so it is difficult to say when the first test flight will take place, she said.
The test program will consist of a series of 22 test flights, she said earlier in the day. After each flight, experts will collect and process data to make any improvements necessary to the aircraft.
The Il-476 is a significantly modernized variant of the Il-76 Candid transport plane, featuring a new wing, fully-digital flight control system, new cockpit with advanced digital displays and PS-90A-76 turbofans with improved fuel efficiency, Russian aerospace holding United Aircraft Corporation says.
The plane carried out its first prolonged test flight from the Aviastar plant in Ulyanovsk where it was built, in late January. That flight lasted four hours and 25 minutes at altitudes of up to 10,000 meters (33,000 feet).
Russia's Defense Ministry signed a contract last October for delivery of 39 Il-76MD-90As, to be built before 2018. UAC said on Tuesday it was in talks with the Defense Ministry on a contract for an unspecified number of Il-78 tanker aircraft, which are based on the Il-76MD-90A.
Aviastar hopes to build up to 100 Il-76MD-90As by 2020 for Russian state customers.
Source: http://en.ria.ru
The first flight at the Zhukovsky flight test center was set for 12.00 Moscow time (08.00 GMT) on Wednesday, according to the Russian Defense Ministry’s program. “The flight has been canceled due to the meteorological conditions. Everything was completely ready for the start of the tests but the flight had to be put off due to a heavy snowfall,” a company spokeswoman said.
The bad weather is expected to last another three days, so it is difficult to say when the first test flight will take place, she said.
The test program will consist of a series of 22 test flights, she said earlier in the day. After each flight, experts will collect and process data to make any improvements necessary to the aircraft.
The Il-476 is a significantly modernized variant of the Il-76 Candid transport plane, featuring a new wing, fully-digital flight control system, new cockpit with advanced digital displays and PS-90A-76 turbofans with improved fuel efficiency, Russian aerospace holding United Aircraft Corporation says.
The plane carried out its first prolonged test flight from the Aviastar plant in Ulyanovsk where it was built, in late January. That flight lasted four hours and 25 minutes at altitudes of up to 10,000 meters (33,000 feet).
Russia's Defense Ministry signed a contract last October for delivery of 39 Il-76MD-90As, to be built before 2018. UAC said on Tuesday it was in talks with the Defense Ministry on a contract for an unspecified number of Il-78 tanker aircraft, which are based on the Il-76MD-90A.
Aviastar hopes to build up to 100 Il-76MD-90As by 2020 for Russian state customers.
Source: http://en.ria.ru
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