Archive for the ‘Aviation’ Category

Eclipse to offer new jet Eclipse 400

Friday, May 30th, 2008

Eclipse Aviation now a 10 year old company announced today that they will be offering the new, ‘V’ tail jet they previewed at Airventure 2007 as the Eclipse 400.  They plan to have the jet in production and make deliveries by 2011. (Read Press Release)

Eclipse has now delivered over 200 of it’s 500 model jet and has back orders for 2,600 more.  They also announced…choose your press release words wisely…”a price change”; translated price increase for that jet bringing the total cost of it up to over $2.15 million.  Ahhh I remember when it was on 837,500 only a few short years ago.  Thanks oil prices for killing the dollar and driving up our prices!  Well the plane is still a great value at it’s new price even when compared to many twin turbo props and considerably better when compared to its other VLJ competitors. 

Personal Flight brought to you by FusionMan

Thursday, May 22nd, 2008

Don’t think this will be coming to your garage anytime soon, but hey we dream can’t we?

 FusionMan! 

Photo Courtesy of FusionMan Website

Yves Rossy started his ambitious project in 2001 to become ‘Rocketman’ and experience personal jet flight and May 14, 2008 he did it.  Now if only I could life would be complete! Check out his website

SID’s, STAR’s Airspace Redesign & You

Wednesday, May 14th, 2008

How well do you know your SID’s & your STARS?  Leave it to the FAA to change that!  Do you use a couple of different airports on those common business or personal trips?  Are you used to depart using the runway heading and then at x thousand feet turn left…well you get the picture.  You know them in your sleep, right?  Even if you didn’t have your approach plate in hand you could do it right?  Enter the FAA…

Might be better to not only have that approach plate handy, but write down the departure or approach procedure on your kneeboard.  The FAA is redsigning some airspace in different parts of the country and in a “Brilliant Move” refusing to publish the new procedures until the become final.  Yeah they are taking 40+ year old procedures, the term ‘old habits die hard’ ring any bells, changing them a refusing to publish them until they are final.  Hopefully the change which will be great when finished, won’t be a disaster in the short term!

NOTE TO SELF:  My SID & STAR may be wrong I better write down the whole thing and graph it prior to departure…extra confusion brought to you by the FAA.  Read related story 

Houston plane crashes with No injuries except for the Crab bites!

Wednesday, April 30th, 2008

I had to link to this article and video feed, because it is great.  Three buddies on the way back from a fishing trip to Houston, TX their Piper Cherokee goes down and no one is hurt!  Now that is a great story, but the unlucky guy in the back seat with the cooler gets bit all over by the crabs that escape the cooler…priceless  or wait is that just what he told his grilfriend!?

General Aviation Sales Strong Despite Economic Woes

Tuesday, April 29th, 2008

Cessna just came out with their newest jet the Citation XLS+ model priced at $11.595 million.  Avionics and Manufacturers are still kicking out the products as well in spite of some of the woes of companies like Adams Aircraft or the looming foreclosure and economic crisis.  Article from Aviation Today.