Back to Business
By Ed Downs
The editorial staff of In Flight USA made a promise to our readers last August when it was decided to print monthly editorials that dealt directly with issues of concern to the aviation community. We promised to go beyond the usual tone of topical editorials, which smartly criticize a situation and or people and then back away from the subject, satisfied that word crafting alone will solve problems. We promised to make sure problem identification was accompanied by recommended solutions. We committed to changing or altering the content of In Flight USA when needed to address issues of importance.
For example, our expressions of concern over national policies that effectively abandoned America’s leadership in space exploration and science has been answered by the inclusion of a new feature focused on enabling our readers to enjoy the transition from The Skies to the Stars. Recent political rhetoric and a continued strategy of creating a class struggle in America has resulted in an innocent bystander, business aviation, taking well publicized hits from political luminaries. While In flight USA has always carried news and features about the business side of aviation, the decision has been made to significantly enhance our coverage of this important partner in America’ s air transportation system. A dedicated section will highlight business applications of fixed wing and rotor aircraft in addition to the technological advancements propagated by this sector of aviation. Additionally, In Flight USA will cover the services provided by America’s network of FBOs that specialize in serving this important sector of aviation.
But, inclusion of such a dedicated section presents no shortfall of challenges. The subject mater to choose from is stunningly wide and diversified. Recent political remarks have basically painted a picture of “evil and wasteful corporate jets” as the mainstay of business aviation. Regrettably, the general public readily buys such rhetoric and the corporate jet has been vilified as the poster child of a corrupt free-enterprise system. The fact is the corporate jet is the smallest participant in the world of business aviation. So how would you, the reader, explain business aviation to a critic of this multi-billion dollar industry that employs hundreds of thousands of people around the world? As in previous editorials, let’s look at it by the numbers.
1. Typical GA aircraft, often perceived as purely recreational, are definitely part of the business aviation scene. Many advanced singles, twins and light jets are operated by private individuals for primarily business purposes. It is their business use that makes them affordable. Given the hostility and inconvenience of airline travel, even an advanced LSA can more than compete with business airline travel in terms of cost and point-to-point travel time for trips of up to 500 miles. Step that up to a Cirrus and the Airlines will find a strong competitor at distances of up to 1,500 miles. And remember, airlines now serve less that 10 percent of this country’s airports, with the other 90 percent open to the GA business traveler. The fact is, business use of GA type aircraft has grown so recognizable that even the NTSB maintains separate safety records for this type of flying, which does very well from a statistical standpoint.
2. Perhaps the most recognizable use of business aircraft is the air taxi side of business aviation. These are “on-call” services that meet stiff FAA requirements for training, equipment maintenance and operational safety. Aircraft used vary from light, single-engine fixed-wing and rotorcraft to large airline type turbojets. Many classic air-taxi operations have expanded their business by becoming managers for shared-ownership type operations, which now have a set of FARs dedicated to this special form of on-call jet transportation. Corporations will join forces and jointly own a corporate plane, which is maintained and crewed by an air taxi type business. These aircraft are flown and maintained by pros, but operated by a Cessna 172 owner who might use his personal plane for the furtherance of his personal business. This merger of classic air taxi operators with shared ownership has greatly expanded the use of corporate aviation.
3. Many corporations own and operate what amounts to mini airlines with a full-time staff and services. These corporations are now crossing over to the shared ownership side of the market to defer cost, but some major corporate operations continue to flourish. This writer has worked in such an environment, and the wide range of aircraft made going to work fun. Aircraft I flew ranged from a DC-3 to a Lockheed JetStar, with everything in between. Did that mean we had a lot of executives flying around in luxury? Not a chance, as this mini airline was used to transporting highly skilled specialist to a variety of remote points throughout the U. S. And this writer’s personal experience is not unique.
4. Many FBOs specialize in executive services for business aircraft. This writer has used, and continues to use, these types of facilities when I fly cross country. They typically have excellent services, 24-hour maintenance, very nice pilot lounges (full R&R facilities) and hangar availability for transient aircraft. A visit to one of these FBOs will make one swear off airline terminals and remind old timers of the days when flying from one place to another was an almost formal event. Thousands of skilled technicians work for these fine businesses and FAA certified maintenance and overhaul services are the rule. Many GA pilots tend to avoid these big guys and miss out on a rewarding experience. Give it a try, and check out their information center for a copy of In Flight USA.
Yes, our new business aviation section will have plenty to choose from. And don’t think this is not for you just because your executive airplane is a Cessna 150. Technology and equipment highlights will be amazingly applicable to all forms of flying. We invite our business friends to send us news announcements. We openly invite service providers to keep us up to date with what is happening in your region. Let us help you answer recent negativity with positive, accurate, information.
Finally, let’s deal with the elephant in the room. What does an aviation enthusiast do when confronted with open criticism of the use of business or corporate aircraft? Simply ask the negative commenter to explain why the critic is hiding behind a machine, and not addressing the people of concern. Bad guys who rob a bank may use a Ford as a get-a-way car. The focus is on getting the bad guys, not on vilifying Ford. This is as it should be. But the recent financial bad guys and those who have taken taxpayer handouts for personal gain, along with the federal agencies and politicians who aided them, are not the subject of rhetorical focus. Instead, “tough talk” is directed at the machines they use. Folks, that is a classic us of “spin” that misdirects criticism away from the true culprits and selects a highly visible alternate that many envy and/or do not understand. This writer has searched his memory carefully, and cannot remember ever seeing a Cessna Citation sneaking money out of a bank, taking taxpayer bailouts or foreclosing a home. Ask your critic to clearly explain what their problem is with those using the machine being criticized, and then ask them if they plan to do more than just gripe. Suggest that promoting the destruction of a totally uninvolved industry is not a proper response when dealing with disreputable individuals. Give it a try.
