Tag Archives: Terrafugia

480 General Aviation Trip Booking with Flightbridge

We talk with the founder and CEO of FlightBridge, which provides booking and reservation technology for services related to General Aviation trips. In the news, we look at pilotless airliners, the purchase of roadable airplane maker Terrafugia, the preliminary report from the NTSB on the recent Icon A5 crash, general aviation safety trends, the outlook for the A380, and Fort Worth delivers last F-16 fighter.

Guest

FlightBridge founder and CEO Dudley King.

FlightBridge founder and CEO Dudley King.

Dudley King is the founder and CEO of FlightBridge Inc. He’s a “repeat entrepreneur” with a historical focus on technology services and consulting.

FlightBridge is a booking and reservation tool for services related to General Aviation trips. As Dudley says “There’s more to a trip than flying a plane and passengers from point A to point B. Rental Cars or limos, catering, crew accommodation, and FBO services are just some of the logistics that must be coordinated and run smoothly for a successful trip.”  

FlightBridge supports these efforts with an online booking and operations management tool that is completely tailored to private aviation. FlightBridge was developed with input and feedback from flight department staff, crew members, FBOs, and service providers.

Before founding FlightBridge, Dudley spent over 20 years in custom software development for customers that included several fortune 500 companies and leaders in the aviation industry.

Aviation News

Airbus Looking Forward to a Pilotless Future

Airbus Chief Technology Officer Paul Eremenko says the company wants to develop autonomous aircraft and technologies that will allow a single pilot to operate commercial jetliners: “We’re pursuing single-pilot operation as a potential option and a lot of the technologies needed to make that happen has also put us on the path towards unpiloted operation.”

Terrafugia Sale May Accelerate Flying Car’s Arrival

Chinese firm Zhejiang Geely Holding Group has acquired Terrafugia. Founder Carl Dietrich moves to chief technology officer and the Transition market entry is planned for 2019, followed by a 4-seater VTOL craft in 2023. See the press release: Zhejiang Geely Holding Group completes acquisition of Terrafugia, Inc.

National Transportation Safety Board Aviation Accident Preliminary Report

The NTSB released a preliminary report on the fatal Icon A5 crash of November 7, 2017. The report details data received from the Icon’s onboard “digital data module that recorded basic GPS, engine, and flight parameters. The airplane was also equipped with a Rockwell Collins engine control unit that recorded engine parameters.” The data seems to confirm eyewitness accounts that the pilot was flying as low as 11 feet above the water.

NTSB: GA Safety Best In 50 Years

The NTSB reports that in 2016, the general aviation accident rate dropped below 1 fatal accident per 100,000 flight hours. It’s the first time the rate has been that low in 50 years. Most aviation fatalities (almost 94%) occurred in general aviation accidents. Other forms of transport, like cars, trains, and boats, all showed increases. See the NTSB press release: Highway Deaths Lead National Increase in Transportation Fatalities.

Does Lack Of A Deal In Dubai Mean The End For A380 Jumbo Jet?

Leading up to the Dubai Air Show, the speculation was that Emirates would order between 36 and 38 A380s, but that didn’t happen. Analyst Richard Aboulafia noted that at least 30 aircraft are needed “for annual recurring breakeven.” Sir Tim Clark said Emirates won’t order any more until Airbus assures the airline that it will keep production open for 10 to 15 years.

How the F-16 fighter jet put Fort Worth on the aerospace map

F-16 production is moving out of Fort Worth. Lockheed needs the room at the plant for the ramp-up of the F-35.

Mentioned

#PaxEx Podcast 52: Bending Bluetooth to become an onboard network

Max and Mary Kirby talk with Ron Chapman, president of ASI Group, which provides low-cost in-flight connectivity solutions to the business aviation market, and is now working in the commercial airline space.

Zahorsky Aviation: Worldflight 2017

Karl-Heinz Zahorsky and Karl Karbach chronicle their journey around the world with a Piper Malibu. Web page in German and English: Logbook entries, photographs, route maps.

Etihad Airways A380 Flyover at the 2017 Abu Dhabi GP

Airbus A380 and the Al Fursan Aerobatic Display Team performing a low flyover of the 2017 Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi GP.

Boeing 747 jumbo jet: Pilot farewells the iconic plane. Mark Vanhoenacker is also the author of Skyfaring: A Journey with a Pilot.

Credit

Intro music courtesy Brother Love from his Album Of The Year CD. Outtro by Bruno Misonne from The Sound of Flaps.

Episode 169.5 – 2011 AOPA Aviation Summit, Part 1

AOPA Aviation Summit 2011 - Terrafugia Transition

This Special Edition of the Airplane Geeks podcast is the first of two parts with interviews from the 2011 AOPA Aviation Summit. This three-day event was held 22-24 September 2011 in Hartford, Connecticut. Max recorded brief interviews with exhibitors, speakers, and participants.

In Part 1, you’ll hear from:

Donald Purdy, ASRS Expert Analyst and CALLBACK Editor from the NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System.

Nadia Marcinko, Founder/CEO of Aviloop, the daily aviation deal website at www.aviloop.com.

Chris Donald from Big South Fork Airpark, www.BigSouthForkAirpark.com.

Ronald Jarmon from Island Air Express, a Panama City, Florida Flight School.

Carl Dietrich, CEO/CTO of Terrafugia, makers of the Transition roadable airplane. www.terrafugia.com.

Randy Gawenda, Sales Representative, Frasca International, makers of flight simulators. www.frasca.com.

Clay Murphy, a pilot and user of ForeFlight, and then Jason Miller,Co-Founder and Principal Developer at ForeFlight.

LtCol Tony Vallillo and Major Stephen Rocketto from the Civil Air Patrol, Connecticut Wing and Thames River Composite Squadron, Groton, Connecticut respectively.

Lynda Meeks from Girls With Wings, encouraging girls to become interested in aviation.

Eileen Minogue, Director of Operations , Patient Airlift Services, part of The Air Care Alliance and working with the Wounded Warrier Project.

Alexander Tock from King Schools. tock172 on Instagram

Stephen Marshall, General Aviation Sales/Marketing Director, Amsafe seatbely airbags

Follow the Airplane Geeks on Twitter and on Facebook, send us email at thegeeks@airplanegeeks.com, or leave a message on our listener line: (361) GEEKS01.

Opening and closing music is provided by Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at http://www.brotherloverocks.com/.

Episode 155 – Bryce Soars

LET Aircraft Industries

Guest Bryce Kujat has been flying since 1999 with about 6000 hours, including night cargo along the Gulf Coast in a C-310 and BE-58. He’s flown Lear 35, Caravans in Africa, experimental Navy surveillance aircraft, and charter in the Caribbean. Bryce holds a glider commercial and instructor license and he flys with the Cleveland Soaring Society. Bryce now flies low level atmospheric research aircraft over the Pacific Ocean for the Naval Postgraduate School.

The week’s aviation news:

Steve Visscher and Grant McHerron provide their Australia Desk report and talk about Tigar Airways and the carbon tax in Australia. Be sure to listen to the Plane Crazy Down Under podcast, and follow the show on Twitter at @pcdu. Steve’s at @stevevisscher and Grant at @falcon124.

This week on Across the Pond, Pieter Johnson talks with Dave Robinson from Aviation Ancestry about that historical archive. Dave is @aeroancestry on Twitter.

Aviation Ancestry

 

Mentions:

Follow the @AirplaneGeeks on Twitter and on Facebook, send us email at thegeeks@airplanegeeks.com, or leave a message on our listener line: (361) GEEKS01.

Opening and closing music is provided by Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at http://www.brotherloverocks.com/.

Episode 116 – Roving Reporters

David, Rob, Dan, and Max discuss the week’s aviation news. We also have Kimon’s report of a zero-G flight experience, David’s interviews with the MS760 team and The Fighter Factory from the Oceana Airshow, and Max’s interview with Carl Dietrich, co-Founder and CEO of Terrafugia, developers of a “flying car.” Pieter Johnson came in with another Across the Pond, and Steve and Grant from the Plane Crazy Down Under podcast have their Australia Desk report.

The week’s aviation news:

Mentions:

Follow the @AirplaneGeeks on Twitter and on Facebook, send us email at thegeeks@airplanegeeks.com, or leave a message on our listener line: (361) GEEKS01.

Opening and closing music is provided by Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at http://www.brotherloverocks.com/.

Episode 108 – AirVenture Oshkosh 2010

Guest Stephen Trimble, author of The DEW Line on FlightGlobal joins in as we talk AirVenture Oshkosh 2010 and also military aviation. A sleep-deprived Dan brings us a bit of airline news to round out the GA, military, and commercial aviation conversation.

That’s Rob Mark and Dan Webb at Oshkosh in the photo, by the way.

The week’s aviation news:

Mentions:

This episode is dedicated to Mike’s mom.

Follow the @AirplaneGeeks on Twitter and on Facebook, send us email at thegeeks@airplanegeeks.com, or leave a message on our listener line: (361) GEEKS01.

Opening and closing music is provided by Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at http://www.brotherloverocks.com/.