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Guest Allen Howell joins the conversation about the role of aviation in the Haiti disaster, as well as the private jet business in general. Allen is the CEO of Corporate Flight Management which offers aircraft services and charters from facilities in Smyrna and Nashville, Tennessee. He also writes at the Plane Conversations blog which offers content about private jet travel.
- Air Force Brings Order To Haiti Airport
- Airlines organizing Haiti earthquake aid
- Tighter airline security could increase business jet use
- U.S. Airlines May Raise Fares, Fees Further in 2010 Profit Bid
- Government fixes up airline gripe site
David Vanderhoof has another This Week in Aviation, and Steve Visscher and Grant McHerron from the Plane Crazy Down Under podcast have their Australia Desk report.
Follow the @AirplaneGeeks on Twitter, send us email at thegeeks@airplanegeeks.com, or leave a message on our listener line: (361) GEEKS01.
This episode’s opening and closing music is provided by Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. Visit his site at http://www.brotherloverocks.com/.
I have been wondering about fuel supplies at the Port-Au-Prince airport and how much they can stock? Also, if the tanks have been damaged in the earthquake? They have seen an usual amount of traffic but imagine the military would be bringing in fuel for the relief efforts.
Hawker Fan,
Everyone one is talking about how little fuel there is. I am aware that the Airfield had only two Fuel Bowsers on the field at the time of the quake. One of the procedures implemented by U.S.A.F. was you need to be able to get out in order to land. Which is why the high diversion rate, too many aircraft are burning to much avgas getting there and waiting, so if they landed they wouldn’t be able to get out. I believe that procedure is easing.
With the arrival of the Amphibious Assault Group lead by USS Battaan off the Coast, The Marines should be able to improve the fuel infrastructure. They have two systems in the group one is the Tactical Airfield Fuel System (TAFS )and The Amphibious Assault Fuel System( AAFS). They will continue to fly in Fuel Blivets large balloons full of Avgas, from the USS Carl Vinson and the Bataan. Also the Bataan with the AAFS can actually pump fuel via hose from Ship to Shore.
Most Special Operation C-130’s have 1,800 Lbs palletted fuel drums than can be removed and used as tanks. Helo’s can also be ground fuelled from the 130s also.
Hope this makes some sort of sense.
Check out: http://blog.usni.org/2010/01/20/haiti-how-to-fuel-disaster-recovery/
[Kim writes…]
I really enjoyed the conversation with Allen Howell. I have seen CFM’s very busy operation at MQY when taking aircraft in for avionics service at Carpenter Avionics …. one of the great small, family owned shops that used to be easy to find in general aviation, but not any longer. It was especially interesting to hear Allen discuss the pooling of 135 empty legs through such software as that Ed Iaccobucci developed for Dayjet. I understand it was very sophisticated. On a far simpler level, one of my employers has advertised its empty legs on its own website …. and been called on the carpet by the FSDO. The feds’ position was that by listing empty legs available for charter, the 135 company was holding itself out to be a scheduled carrier ala Part 121. Go figure. Its done all over the country as far as I know.
I think it was Rob who mentioned the possibility of the TSA fitting their bag scanners with sizers to keep carry-on under control. The only time I have seen such was pre 9-11 in only one section of security at IAD. Each scanner belt was fixed with an aluminum template that limited anything on the belt to the prescribed size. Crews thought it was great. Continental Airlines sued on the basis that the template, being used only in a security area that primarily served its passengers, was putting it at a competitive disadvantage. I haven’t seen such templates since. In the late 90’s, Delta went to the expense of having carry-on sizers built and placed at every gate: “If it doesn’t fit in here, you must check it”. Passenger either hated it or ignored it. Delta gave up, of course.
Now, with all the extra fees that you guys discussed, I read where my former employer is #1 in such income. Approximately $26 million in the past year. With numbers like that, you know these fees are never going away.
Oh …. Allen speculated on what annual usage the airlines probably got out their aircraft, in comparison to average utilization of a typical business jet. When I retired the figure was an average daily utilization of over 11:00 on the 767ERs I flew across the North Atlantic. I imagine it was a little lower …. but not by much …. on aircraft used exclusively in the domestic operation: probably in the 9 – 10 hour range.
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