I’m sure the technology exists, however there is no computer system in the world that could have landed on the Hudson. There is also no computer system in the world that can troubleshoot problems in the same way a human brain can. And finally, there is no computer system in the world that never fails.

The argument is generally centered around the rapid growth of the Unmanned (UAV) market, especially for military applications. However one quick look at the number of UAVs the military loses each year and it quickly becomes apparent that the system is not fail safe. Additionally, military UAVs do not carry passengers and have no reason for a flight crew due to the nature of the mission providing surveillance and communications relay to ground stations. If one crashes, it simply gets destroyed and the military buys a new one.

The future will definitely hold some changes in the way flights are staffed and pilots interface with aircraft. However, the age pilotless airliners is far from upon us.

Reuters – Middle East airlines ‘unstoppable’

“Aviation was made a strategic industry in Dubai 20 years ago. In Europe it is not strategic and it is not important for politicians to win elections. That is why airline lobbying is not heard, investments are blocked, taxes are increasing and as a result airlines do not have modern fleets and then they save money on products,” says Antiori.

In Europe and America, law makers have to worry about providing jobs, healthcare, economic stability of a nation, and a few other small tasks all constrained by tax revenue, budgets, and political will.  Within the Middle East, oil revenue pays for nearly everything.  The state supports a standard of living purely through monetary payouts to its citizens, and in turn there is little unrest or political dispute.  Taxes are non-existent and budgets are constrained only by imagination.  There is no democratic process, no law-maker has to win an election in Dubai.

The only way that Middle East airlines are able to expand at such a frantic pace is the billions of dollars of government assistance they receive to offset tremendous expenditures and losses.  No expense is spared which has resulted in highly extravagant service and airplanes that are replaced almost as soon as they arrive on the property.  In addition, most Middle East airlines pay near nothing for fuel, despite their claims they pay as much or more than their western counterparts.  Europe and America must also support large amounts of domestic travel utilizing smaller aircraft and competing with other modes of transportation, Middle East countries have little if any domestic service.

There is little evidence that the location of Middle East hubs provides any advantage for these airlines.  The Middle East is very central for those travelers going from many developing nations in Africa and Asia to Europe or the Southern and Eastern United States.  Outside of that market, their location provides little advantage.  The majority of air travel has been and will continue to be within and between developed nations in the west.  Those connections are mainly between the United States, Europe, and the Far East which puts the Middle East far out-of-the-way.

Developing nations also do not provide enough revenue to make such flights continuously profitable.  There is a significant lack of personal income in much of the developing world, including the Middle East, to support international air travel.  Almost every fast growing airline in the developing world is funded by a government and losses are covered by subsidy.

I would agree that for the near term the Middle Eastern airlines are going to continue growing and a phenomenal pace.  The question remains what happens when money becomes tight and the needs of the citizens outweigh the needs of the airline?  There is little evidence that without steep subsidies any airlines in the Middle East would be profitable or able to expand at such a pace.  Emirates was forced to dramatically cut expenditures amid the 2008 financial slowdown that rippled through the UAE. As economic tides have lifted, so have the airline’s expenses.

Many airlines have attempted to conquer the globe, and none have survived long enough to tell the tale.  Government subsidy can only last so long.

The Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 ended government intervention in pricing, route structure, and passenger service.  As a result, airlines were forced to compete against each other on price and service.

Tyler warns that new regulations adopted over the last few years are significantly harming the free market economics within the industry.  The latest regulations require airlines to bundle all taxes and fees into their pricing models.   “Consumers accept unbundled pricing models for everything from mobiles phones to cars,” he said.  In fact, it is very tough to find any industry where taxes and fees must are regulated into the advertised price.

In addition to the Department of Transportation, Congress has also passed the “Passenger Bill of Rights” which restricts airline operations.  Ground delay regulations are causing an increase in canceled flights due to steep penalties for flights delayed over 3 hours on the ground.  Congress has also proposed other rules which combat fees now being charged for such items as checked bags and exit row seating, a key revenue generator for airlines.

Airline taxes have also been on the rise, and the 2013 budget proposed by President Obama would further increase landing fees.  According to Tyler, taxes now represent 20% of the average airline ticket price.  ”The best way to kill an industry is to over-regulate and over tax it,” Tyler warned lawmakers.  He went on to point out the airline industry accounts for nearly $1.3 trillion in annual US economic activity and over 10.5 million jobs.

The government should let the traveling public decide if fees are too much.  Yet many travelers do not educate themselves about the cost and process of flying which results in many service complaints and new regulation.

Spirit Airlines is the best example of government meddling in airline affairs.  Spirit is known as the “ultra-low-cost” carrier in the United States.  Ticket prices start as low as $8 excluding taxes and fees.  Spirit then charges customers for almost every additional item including bringing a carry-on bag.

While this business model would be perfectly acceptable in almost any other industry, lawmakers have tried to kill off Spirit at every opportunity.  From laws requiring the inclusion of taxes in ticket prices to proposals banning charges for carry-on bags.

Tyler said it best in his closing remarks:

“The lack of vision for US aviation and the lack of a coordinated aviation policy is frankly shocking.”

Today I want to explain the real reasons of turning off devices from an airline crew standpoint.

Not everything related to flying the plane is up front.  Although all of our instrumentation displays and radio displays are in the flight deck, a very small number of those instruments are actually located there.  In most airliners, the instrumentation related to navigation, communication, and basic aircraft flight data is strewn throughout the airplane.  These instruments are then wired to the displays up front which indicate what is happening.  That means even though you’re in seat 33F, the computer telling the airplane exactly where it is may be located underneath the floor below you.

It’s not your cell phone, it’s everyone’s cell phone.  Sure, I’ve left my cell phone on during flight before.  The airplane escaped unscathed.  The issue is not those one or two errant phones, it’s the interference caused by 100+ passengers all using their phones simultaneously.  Even if a phone is not used for a call, it still transmits and receives signals and data at all times to remain connected to the network.  All of that communication creates a lot of RF radiation, and could potentially cause a lot of problems.

In addition to aircraft related issues, cell phones on their own will not get very good service at 35,000 feet and when they do, they hog up a lot of bandwidth which limits ground users.  Talk to any pilot who has left their phone on and they are universally frustrated with their phone’s dead battery from a constant search for service.

Take out your ear buds and take off your headphones.  I don’t care what excuse you have to listen to your music.  Takeoff and landing are the two most dangerous phases of flight.  In fact well over 50% of all accidents occur during those phases.  Additionally, ground related accidents are the only accidents you will ever evacuate for.  Having ear buds in your ears while operating on or near the ground will hinder your attention to announcements and may lead to a delayed evacuation.  This is not only a risk to you, but everyone else on board.

The latest round of criticism has come since American Airlines and a few others have been authorized to allow pilots to use iPads within the flight deck, even during takeoff and landing.  Before the FAA even came close to allowing this activity, it conducted hundreds of tests to ensure that the use of iPads was not going to interfere with the systems of the aircraft.  American Airlines had to prove that the iPad was safe to operate onboard every aircraft in its fleet.  How many iPads did they have on during the test?  Two.  And no, those two don’t include yours in seat 16A.  They were specifically installed and tested in the way they were going to be used.

An aircraft will not mysteriously fly out of control and crash due to electronic interference.  A very real concern is during an instrument approach where the pilot can’t see the ground until a few feet before landing. In that situation I need to know my instruments are showing me correct data because a few feet off course could mean a very big problem.

The bottom line is that turning off electronic devices is a federal law, enforced by flight crews. The law was not created to oppress travelers, rather to limit the potential for any problem related to interference.  Flying aircraft is a risky business, everyone must do what they can to limit the risk.

Original Story:  AirNZ to make passengers bid for upgrades via online auction  - Australian Business Traveller

Under the new system, any “Airpoints” member can log in to the AirNZ website and bid points to upgrade to the next cabin class (economy to economy plus, economy plus to business).  The upgrade bids are all reviewed and the winners are notified a few days before their flight.

When bidding, travelers are presented with a status bar which changes color depending on the likelihood their bid will be accepted and allows the user to vary their bid for the most likely upgrade.  Factors taken into account are load factor, frequent flier status, and the amount of points bid.

The system comes into effect May 30 at which time even the most loyal of travelers will be forced into a bidding system.  ”Gold Elite” members will receive just 3 one-cabin upgrades per year outside of the new system, forcing many to start spending miles on better seats.  In the US, most major airlines automatically upgrade their loyal frequent fliers to the highest cabin available on the aircraft.

Such a new model may allow for increased revenue.  Requiring frequent fliers to use their earned miles for better seats instead of free flights would increase the number of seats sold and decrease the incentive to book rewards based flights that may limit future upgrade potential.

This is definitely a program to keep an eye on.  Once one airline starts, it’s not long before many airlines around the globe follow.

Original Story:  Gulfstream 280 gets provisional type certificate  - AOPA Pilot

The 280 originally flew at the Israel Aircraft Industries factory in Israel and was certified by the Israel Civil Aviation Association in December.  The name of the aircraft was also changed from the 250 to the 280 after it was discovered that the number 250 was insulting to mandarin speakers.

The Gulfstream 280 is also exceeding expectations.  The aircraft has a range of 3,600 nautical miles at Mach .80 cruise, a full 200 mile increase over the original specifications.  In addition, the required runway for takeoff was shortened to 4,750 feet, which is 210 feet shorter than original specifications and 1,500 feet shorter than its smaller G200 predecessor.

Gulfstream is an icon in business aviation, producing arguably the world’s most sought after jets.  The G280 is a perfect next step for the company and a great addition to the super-midsize category.  Gulfstream expects to begin delivery later this year.

Original Article with full descriptions: 10 best domestic, foreign airports for flier freebies   - USA Today

Here’s the short list:

Original Story: U.S. Top Draw for Private Jets as Florida Flyers beat Asia  - Bloomberg

According to the 2011 FBO Survey compiled by Forecast International for Aviation International News, Teterboro Airport (KTEB) takes top spot for the busiest private jet airport in the world.  In fact, the private jet market in the United States is 10 times greater than Europe.

Much of the slow growth in emerging markets is due to the low number of large businesses capable of supporting jet ownership.  In many smaller countries, only a few large businesses exist with the need and infrastructure to operate an aircraft.

“We’re a mature-economy business,” said CEO Simon Pryce, who also states he believes there are 10 times more paved airports in the U.S. than China. “You need an economy’s net worth to get to a certain level before you have the right size of company to buy private jets. You also need the right sorts of demographics and geography.”

The rebound in private jet use comes as the US economy strengthens and companies are beginning to rediscover the productivity gains of using a jet.  During the Detroit auto-maker bail-out talks of 2008, it was discovered executives were flying their private jet to government meetings.  Public outcry led to executives shedding their jets for commercial travel and auto travel.

“Ultimately economics trump politics,” Pryce said. “It made no sense what was going on in America, the continued targeting of business and general aviation. It made no economic sense at all. It was a soft political target.”

Private jets are an essential tool of big business.  Nothing beats a face-to-face meeting in business.

Original Article: Could music make your in-flight food taste better?  - APEX Blog

Well, yes a part of it certainly is.  There’s no denying that food produced on a large assembly line such as the food given to airliners is nowhere near gourmet.  Also, given the cycle of cook, cool, cook, that the food goes through it certainly looses some freshness.

However, according to a 2010 study conducted by Unilever and the University of Manchester, audio cues on an airplane may be partly to blame for the taste of food on an airplane.  Researchers gave blind-folded participants the same meal over and over, changing only the background noise levels.

Sweetness and saltiness declined as the white noise in the background got louder.  As noise increased, the reported flavors of the food decreased however the crunchiness increased. More pleasant noise translated into a higher perception of flavor and taste, more uncomfortable noise meant lower perception.

NASA gives astronauts flavor enhanced food for the very same reason.  In space, it is apparently very hard to taste, partly due to the noise.

Personally, I think the ballet of eating food off of a small tray while knocking elbows with your seat-mate is the real culprit.  Pair that up with the awkward seat angle and tray table distance to make a very unpleasant meal.

Until airlines can solve that problem, it looks like maybe using some noise-canceling headphones might make that chicken or pasta more appetizing.

Original Story: Terrafugia preps Flying Car for New York auto show – TG Daily

The flying car is the ultimate traveling machine.  Imagine flying 400 miles straight line to your destination, landing, and then driving to your hotel, all without leaving the same vehicle.   If the weather outside is too bad to fly home, just take to the highway and drive.

Unfortunately you can’t quite take a family vacation in the Transition.  The maximum takeoff weight is 1430 lbs which translates into a 460 lb useful load.  Cruise speed is 105 kts and maximum range is 490 miles.  You’ll also need a 1700 ft runway to takeoff and land.

Terrafugia has also worked to certify the aircraft in the light sport category which means less training and looser medical requirements for pilots.  This decision opens up the doors to many more potential users.

Even with many technical problems solved, the uniqueness of the concept still requires a few questions to be answered before I will run out to buy one (which I might!):

What about maintenance?  When combining a car and an airplane, the FAA still has to call it an airplane and that means using a certified mechanic and certified parts.  Will the FAA come out with a rule change allowing normal auto mechanics to work on the car portion while Airframe and Powerplant mechanics work on the airplane side?  Can an owner change a tire on the side of the road and then go fly again without getting it signed of by a mechanic?

What happens when you get in an accident?  Are flying cars insured by a car insurance company or an airplane insurance company?  How does a car insurance company cover repairing airframe components after an auto accident on the highway?  What repairs will be needed and who can perform those repairs to restore your car’s airworthiness?  After a small fender bender leaving some scratches can you go fly, or do you need to have an authorized mechanic certify airworthiness?  Does every door-ding from a parking lot need to be inspected?

Even with these questions I would still love to own one.  While it won’t let you escape traffic, since you will still need a runway to takeoff and land, it will allow you to take a straight route instead of where the roads want you to go.  After the flight, just drive on to your destination.  In my city alone you could cut 30 minutes off of a drive each way.  It’s the perfect solution to cross town traffic and the eternal aviation problem of the last mile.