China successfully flies into airplane manufacturing

by Meg Massie on

China’s very first fully homegrown aircraft has hit the skies at last, bringing China’s aviation industry another step closer to competition in the global market. The ARJ-21, a regional aircraft built at the Shanghai Aircraft Manufacturing Factory, flew its maiden flight last Friday, after delays from suppliers held up the jet for about eight months.

With its new jets, the Aviation Industry Corp of China, or AVIC, expects to compete with Canada’s Bombadier Inc and Embraer SA of Brazil. AVIC officials expect the ARJ-21 to be certified airworthy by early 2009, and the company will start delivering planes to customers by the second half of next year if all goes according to plan.

According to the Chinese government, airlines have ordered 206 of the jets so far, and demand is expected to increase. Experts estimate that China’s growing domestic airline industry will require about 900 new mid-sized regional jets over the next twenty years, and the ARJ-21 should control most of that market.

The jets are designed to carry 70-110 passengers and have a flight range of 3,680 kilometers, or 2,286 miles.

Talking travel with an insider of the personal jet industry

by Jerry Guo on

Bob Knebel is vice president of sales for Flexjet, a subsidiary of the jet-maker Bombardier which sells shares of private jets to frequent fliers. This is a relatively new trend in the marketplace. He’s here to give a glimpse into what actually goes on in the world of ultra jet-setters.

For owners of private jets, is the airport process totally different from what we commoners have to bear? Can you go straight onto the tarmac and lift off?

First, and foremost, it is important to know that security at general aviation airports is taken as seriously as it is at the larger commercial airports … and always has been. That said, a passenger will go through a brief identification/security screening process by the Fixed Base Operator (the base of operations for business jets transiting through this airport), and then again with the crew flying your aircraft. The entire process is personal, and much quicker than that at a commercial airport. And, yes, depending on the particular airport policies, in many instances you may drive your car on to the ramp, making the job of loading your luggage directly on to your aircraft just that much easier.

I’ve seen quite a bit of advertising for private jet vacations. Is this something you’re seeing–hop-scotch trips through Eastern Europe or South Asia by jet, for instance?

Flexjet recently launched a new advertising campaign and through our research we found most of our customers use their private jet primarily as a business tool and not so much a glamorous perk. It’s an investment in productivity and their most valuable asset: time. Certainly some will use their private jet to accomplish a special vacation trip that would not otherwise be possible within their time constraints, or through areas which might offer less-than-reliable commercial travel options.

Tell us a bit about the Flexjet 25 program. Does this make private jet travel accessible to previous first-class travelers? For what kind of crowd has fractional jet ownership become affordable?

Flexjet 25 jet cards offer the highest form of pain relief for travelers who have spent countless hours waiting at the airport for delayed or canceled flights. They give travelers a way to sample private aviation without assuming ownership of a plane, and offer an excellent opportunity for those interested in fractional ownership as a way to test out private aviation without the commitment. (Although, I must say, after flying private few go back to commercial travel.)

Additionally, what is unique about the Flexjet 25 Jet Card program is that it allows customers to purchase flying hours in 25-, 30- and 35-hour increments in our Bombardier Learjet 40 XR, Learjet 45 XR, Learjet 60 XR, Challenger 300 or Challenger 604 aircraft. Here are some additional key benefits:

If you could “borrow” one of the Flexjet jets, what would be your ideal around-the-world itinerary?

I would travel to the world’s most difficult to reach destinations, places which offer unique learning experiences and opportunities to create life-long memories for my family.

Do Flexjet jets come with a service staff? Do fliers still have to go through those annoying safety demonstrations? Are the flight attendants at least prettier?

All of our flight crews are selected not only for their excellent experience and strict adherence to safe operating procedures, but also for their “servant’s heart”. Our largest aircraft, the Challenger 605, includes a flight attendant as a full-time member of the crew. They are the most professional, in terms of both appearance and demeanor, in the sky. Safety demonstrations are required by the Federal Aviation Administration, and we do our best to make sure they are brief, and delivered in a respectful manner.

What are the three emerging markets you’re seeing for luxury travel?

  • Entrepreneurs who have recently sold their company.
  • Highly compensated executives who no longer have access to the corporate fleet for their personal travel.
  • Business owners looking for a safe and reliable means for creating more time with family.

For the uninitiated, would you go over the different models you guys offer? Is there a type of flier that goes with each jet?

Bombardier Aerospace, the world leader in business aviation, designs, manufactures, maintains and operates every aircraft in the Flexjet fleet including the Bombardier Learjet 40 XR, Learjet 45 XR, Learjet 60 XR; and long-range Bombardier Challenger 300 and Challenger 604 and 605 jets.

How much is the growth in private jet ownership? Are our skies going to be absolutely clogged with these air taxis in 10 years?

Despite the current economy, the fractional ownership industry is growing and, according to data from the Federal Aviation Administration, demand for Flexjet’s fractional shares is growing faster than it is for the industry as a whole. In 2003, we had 10% of the total fractional aircraft market and by 2007 that number has grown to 20%. This year Flexjet has experienced growth in revenue and flight hours of more than 15% over last year and we have seen even more significant growth in orders in that period.

As for the potential for the air taxi market clogging the skies, we believe this is not likely. Business aircraft tend to utilize smaller airports, which do not have the saturation problem found at larger commercial airports. In addition, today’s business jets are equipped with sophisticated navigation equipment which enables them to fly more directly to their destinations. And, finally, the air taxi market is still an emerging concept, and the overall acceptance of the concept by potential customers is yet to be proven.

Get a pilot license in 20 hours and for $340 bucks

by Jerry Guo on

At some point in the last couple of years, chances are you’ve come across the term “very light jets” or the catchy acronym VLJ. These are Chevy Suburban-sized planes that let you avoid the hassles of flying commercial.

But what about the flip-side of this trend towards the ultra-small? I’m talking about propeller planes that fit only two passengers and weigh less than 1,300 pounds. To encourage people to get a pilot’s license, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has come up with a new class of licenses for these “sports planes.”

Instead of the standard 40 hours of flight-time instruction as well as many hundreds of dollars you’ll have to pay, you can get the sports pilot license in 20 hours and for a couple hundred of dollars. Best of all, these sports planes can cost half as less as conventional planes: $80,000 instead of something like $200,000.

Hell, even I can afford to do this (maybe).

%Gallery-15647%

Curious to know what it’s like to fly a 757 for a commercial airline? Follow along with Gadling’s resident pilot, Kent Wien, in Cockpit Chronicles.

Travel by Flying Saucer?

by Martha Edwards on

There might soon be a new way to get around, and it’s something you would expect to see on the pages of a comic book from the 1960s — the flying saucer. Okay, it’s not really a flying saucer like the one that belonged to that little martian guy on the Flintstones. It just looks like one. It’s actually an eco-friendly plane of sorts, developed under the CleanEra Project at Delft University. It cuts down the environmental impact in a few ways, including:

  • Using propellers rather than fuel-hungry jets, though this creates a concern because it makes for longer flight times. And, as you’ll know if you’ve ever flown in a prop plane, it is freakin’ loud.
  • Using composite materials, which make the body of the plane weigh less and therefore use less fuel
  • Using a ergonomic design, which also decreases the amount of fuel needed.
  • Accommodating more passengers. One of these flying saucers could potentially hold up to 800 passengers.

It’s just in the planning stages right now, so we’ll have to sit tight and see if anything comes of it.

(Via Autoblog Green)