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How many times have we heard it said of light sport aircraft? “Oh. They might sell a few, but they’ll never have any effect on real aviation.” “They’ll never amount to anything on my airport.” “I mean, like, for crying out loud, don’t they have snowmobile engines in those things?”

The worm has turned. Cessna showed up at Oshkosh last week with an LSA with a Rotax engine. True, it was a “proof-of-concept” airplane. Even if, as seems likely, it goes into production there is no guarantee that the final version will have a Rotax engine.

Makes no difference. Cessna—the 800-pound gorilla—has an LSA with a Rotax engine. Cessna is taking LSA seriously. The world will never be the same again.

The interesting thing is that Cessna (according to my inside source at Cessna) doesn’t see LSA as just a toy airplane for old pilots with no medical. Cessna sees this as the potential training aircraft of the future. As—thank goodness and at long last—a less expensive entry aircraft. As the first step for pilots who will upgrade to bigger, better, and more expensive airplanes just as pilots have for lo these many years.

In short, Cessna hopes LSA will replace the ubiquitous—and old—Cessna 150/152.

Makes sense to me. These little LSA cost less, burn less fuel, and leap tall buildings. The cabins are often wider, they carry more weight, visibility is better, and they are beautiful. If any aircraft can put the excitement back into primary training, LSA might.

Pay attention, folks. These may well be the pioneering years that we will be talking about for decades to come!

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(NOTE: To see the “update” of 7/25/06, see the comment to this BLOG.) 

I just received one of the most interesting and well-done press releases I have ever seen. It came from Honda, and it never mentioned a product.

A Ms. Alicia Jones of Honda e-mailed this release to invite me to “a major Honda news conference on Tuesday, July 25, 2006, at AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wis.” Furthermore, she said I can attend in person, via webcast or via teleconference.

Talk about hype! I wouldn’t miss it for the world. And she never mentioned a product! She never said what it was about at all. Just that it’s “major”.

Of course we all know—or think we know—what this is all about. It’s certainly no secret that Honda has been flying the HondaJet, a brand new and rather different jet that fits into the Very Light Jet arena. We also know the HondaJet is being shown at Oshkosh. What nobody told us, however, is whether it is simply a proof-of-concept airplane or if will really be produced.

My not-so-daring bet is that tomorrow Honda will announce that the HondaJet will, indeed, become a production airplane.

I have no idea how old Alicia Jones is, but I’d guess she is nowhere near old enough to know how many times Honda has remade its image in my mind. Does she remember the 1950s when we ugly Americans thought Japan would forever remain a source of cheap trinkets? Or the 1960s, when Honda introduced small motorcycles in the U.S.A? (It’s ad campaign featured ‘happy’ people riding—the text: “You Meet the Nicest People on a Honda.” Brilliant!)

Then, Honda built cars. It was more than I could digest. In one of my brilliant moments, I opined that nobody was gonna buy cars made in Japan. (Don’t laugh. Detroit thought the same thing.)

Now, Honda may produce a jet. I’m not laughing this time. (Stay tuned—this BLOG will be updated tomorrow.)

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…the U.S. Representative from Florida whose district includes Orlando. He’s also the House aviation subcommittee Chairman who isn’t afraid to fight for what he thinks is right. Fortunately for airports, he thinks they’re a vital part of commerce. He’s a man who likes to speak his mind.  Time and again, Rep. Mica has taken the Transportation Security Administration (and Congress) to task for staffing levels, lack of clear direction, and for failing to fund and install in-line baggage screening systems at the nation’s commercial airports. A year ago, Mica suggested a temporary tax to pay the billions necessary to install such systems, and he meant ‘temporary.’ At least it was a solid proposal … dead in the water … but a proposal nonetheless. Recently, Rep. Mica said he wants to put a moratorium on U.S. airports building any more infrastructure to handle the embattled Airbus A380 until at least after the aircraft is actually in service. Seems reasonable enough, though airport groups will make the point that because of the time it takes to create such infrastructure, delaying plans may in time only hurt the individual airport/community. That assumes a fleet of A380s materializes. Now Mica says it may be time to consider creating a BRAC-type process as the feds and aviation try to come up with a reauthorization bill for FY2008 and beyond. The BRAC (Base Realignment & Closure) process was created to evaluate U.S. military needs and to create a list of bases subject to closing. An independent third party assessing our transportation needs, fee structures, and beyond seems like a reasonable proposal. And, it is a proposal. Thanks for reading. jfi  

Back in the early 1960s, when the “Cold War” was in full swing, we college boys would sit around, smoke our Kaywoodie pipes (thus demonstrating that we were “cool”) and argue about such heady subjects as where the first Soviet bombs would fall. Some said Washington, DC, the seat of guvmint. Others opined it would be the financial center, New York, NY.

One of us—I forget who—said it would be the transportation centers, such as Atlanta. If I remember right, we didn’t pay much attention to him. He didn’t even have a Kaywoodie.

That was over four decades ago. No nuclear bomb has fallen in anger in the entire world since then, but if that argument arose today, I would pay more attention to the transportation center theory.

As I write this, Israel has attacked Lebanon and the first bombs struck the Beirut airport. They were conventional—not nuclear—but their purpose was to cripple transportation.

Transportation is more important now than in the 1960s. I am told—by a friend who used to live there—that Lebanon is very much dependent upon outside trade for goods and services, much of which is flown in. So are we, and so is the rest of the world. Busting up the world’s airports might very well be high on the target list.

Today others would surely argue in favor of the communication (read: computer) centers.

With my luck, I’ll probably be using my laptop at a major airport. I don’t have a chance.

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… back in 1985. I was the media guy for the National Air Transportation Association. Then-U.S. Representative Mineta was midway into a 20-year career representing the district around San Jose, CA, which subsequently named its international airport for him. Mineta was the key draw for NATA’s annual convention that year.  Upon first meeting Mineta – and in subsequent meetings – one is first struck by his demeanor. He’s calm; measured; a gentleman. Such traits perhaps account for much of his success in forming coalitions, getting legislation passed, and advancing the cause of aviation. For the latter he is much credited. While talking this week with Eric Byer, VP of government affairs for NATA, he summed up the feeling of many regarding Mineta, who retired on Friday as the Secretary of Transportation: “We’re losing a great guy. He knew every mode [of transport] … upside and down.” Byer relates that Mineta’s D.C. office was situated in such a way that he could see rail, highways, and the airport – all forms of transportation which he oversaw. Fitting. He’s a Democrat who became the longest serving DOT Secretary in history, for a Republican Administration. He got stuck with creating the Transportation Security Administration, and at times seemed to be the only voice of reason as TSA scrambled to find its roots. And, if there’s one individual that we can point to today who is responsible for not allowing racial profiling at U.S. airport checkpoints, it’s Norm Mineta. As a Japanese-American, he never forgot his family’s internment during World War II. He was determined not to allow others to suffer similar indignities. We could use a few more Norm Minetas in Washington. We wish him safe travels on his road ahead.  Thanks for reading. jfi   

Not all days were like yesterday, but yesterday was not atypical. I spoke at lunch in Reno—great group of people. Afterwards, I dashed to the airport with just enough time to check in and make the flight to Vegas where I grabbed a fast-food sandwich and milk to go. That was the modern-day version of inflight dining.

The flight to Chicago was pleasant enough, even if I did sit next to an otherwise pleasant high school teacher who explained to me that my idol, economist Adam Smith, had just tried to apply Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution to the world of economics. That was rather startling to me since Darwin was born more than a quarter century after Adam Smith wrote his great book, The Wealth of Nations. I managed to keep my mouth shut, but it was difficult.

We arrived in Chicago on time, and I was prepared. I had called my hotel in the ‘burbs last week and been advised that a taxi from the airport would cost about $45. That was as cheap as a rental car so I opted for the cab. Only thing is, in Chicago I learned that the cab would be not $45, but $90 to $100! Each way!

Now, of course, I needed a rental car. This was after midnight, only a few rental car counters were open, and they had a captive market. The price worked out to be more’n 50% higher than it would have been if rented in advance last week.

Rental cars have become dictatorial, obnoxious, maniacal beasts. All by themselves they turn on lights, lock and unlock doors, and will not allow you to turn the ignition until you have hit the exact combination and order of some combination of brake, gear shift, and seat belt. Typically, the burglar alarm goes off during this time and will not stop. The odometer reads in kilometers if you wish miles and vice versa. Don’t even try to change it—you can’t.

This was the first rental car wherein I could not operate the rearview mirror on the windshield. It had more buttons than a 747, and I pushed all of them. All of a sudden a woman’s voice came from the bowels of the dashboard, informing me that she was from ONSTAR emergency service and what was the nature of my emergency? I told her the problem was it was one in the morning and I was a tired old man driving a rental car in Chicago. I had not called her, the car had, and I had no idea how to hang up.

And they wonder what causes road rage. The truth is that most of us live in a world in which we have absolutely no control over anything and we’re mad as hell about it.

And I haven’t even mentioned computers!

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News out of Europe this week is that co-chief executive Noel Forgeard of EADS, parent of Airbus, and Gustav Humbert, CEO of the aircraft manufacturer, are being pushed out – more fallout from the recent news of delivery delays for the double-decker airliner, the A380. And, as reported in The Wall Street Journal (July 3), Foregeard and other EADS executives are under scrutiny for sales of the company’s stock in March, just prior to announcements in A380 delays.
 

During an interview this week with Steve Van Beek, executive vice president of policy for Airports Council International-North America (for an upcoming August feature in AIRPORT BUSINESS), the discussion turned to the A380 and the investments airports have either made or are contemplating to accommodate the aircraft. Van Beek remains optimistic that, over the long term, the current A380 delays and Airbus setbacks will prove only temporary setbacks. On the subject of infrastructure investment, he says that six-month delays in A380 deliveries should not significantly impact decisionmaking at those airports looking to keep their plans moving forward. In other words, by the time the “second tier” airports are ready for the A380, Van Beek projects, the A380 program should be pretty much on track.
 

Still, one would have to imagine that there are quite a few airport board members out there who will prefer a ‘wait and see’ approach.
 

Thanks for reading.
jfi

I am a charter and founding member (whatever that means) of the Greater Northern Alabama Lying Pilots Coffee Drinking and Hangar Talking Society. Members who are in town meet weekday mornings at Mullins Restaurant in Huntsville, AL, where the special each morning is two sausage biscuits for one dollar! That’s all we do, by the way. We eat breakfast and talk.

We get a small but interesting crowd. At one time or another we get a FedEx pilot, a USAirways pilot, two retired rocket engineers, one surgeon pilot, and a high-tech aerial photographer (he has taken pictures from the Panama Canal to Minnesota).

And this morning Matt Rainey showed up. We hadn’t seen much of Matt lately. He has been busy.

Matt, an engineer, has been the acting product manager for the Army’s light utility helicopter (LUH). That means he had to get manufacturers to bid, then get the Army to buy (that is called a Milestone C Production Decision by Army leadership).

We’re talking about a huge contract here—322 twin-turbine helicopters plus maintenance, training, and supplies. The total cost will be in the neighborhood of $3 billion before all is said and done.

The contract was recently let to EADS and a slew of other companies such as Socata, CASA, ATR, and, it seems to me, just about everybody else who ever built any part of any aircraft.

While loading up biscuits with honey at Mullins this morning, Matt explained the process much better than I could understand it. Matt is by far the youngest member of our group, and it truly amazes me that he was in charge of all that.

Our Army and National Guard will be using those helicopters for years to come. For the rest of my life I will probably be bragging about knowing the guy who got the job done.

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