ELECTED OFFICIALS A REAL DISGRACE TO ALL

THIS AND THAT

CONTINUED

ICON

ICON is one of the very few LSA’s that has an “IT” factor. ICON is producing an airplane that is a fun and safe machine, but $139,000 is really pushing the limit for a 100 mile per hour airplane. ICON has around 950 orders, fully refundable deposits, on the books. Assuming that 350 of these buyers follow through and purchase the ICON at $139K where is the market to sell more. 

At Oshkosh ICON announced the new price of their plane is going to be $189K. I call this the “kiss of death factor”. The market for this plane at $139K is limited. Now at $189K I believe that there is almost a null market.

Terrafugia has priced their flying car at $289K. I do not know what these companies are thinking, but after the few buy, there will be no one left. Will both of these airplanes go the way of the Fisker automobile? I certainly believe so.

FAA

I belong to a group in Phoenix that is comprised of ATC, Tower Managers and Airport Managers called the Phoenix Aviation Users Work Group. We discuss what is happening at airports and with the airspace.

It is sad to see that a lot of these FAA people are near retirement or are retiring. They paid they dues starting out as tower controllers at small airports. A good number of these people are also GA pilots. They have paid their dues and moved up through the system.

Due to the large number of openings to be filled, I do not see controllers working their way through the system. They are placed where a hole exists without any experience. It is sad for me to say that I do not trust these newer controllers, and I have to question their decisions to make sure my flight is as should be.

You “old timers” will be dearly missed by the aviation community.

ELECTED OFFICIALS A WASTE

I wrote a column in July on how turning on ADS B OUT 24/7 could save lives. For a $1,000 investment we could all see traffic on our IPads. I sent this column with a cover note to my US Senators and Congressman from Arizona asking them to look into this matter. I never heard back from any of them.

Unless I send them a check for $10,000 they just do not care. What a bunch of useless ingrates.

YARNELL FIRE

We had a horrible fire about 70 miles NW of Phoenix a month ago. 19 HOT SHOT firemen were killed trying to defend the town of Yarnell from being consumed.

The Arizona Business Aviation Association (AZBAA), chapter of the NBAA, went to work requesting donations for the surviving families in Yarnell. Clothing, water and shopping cards were donated and driven to Yarnell this last week.

AZBAA is the same group that flew a plane full of donations to those affected by hurricane Sandy. AZBAA raised so many donations that the Citation X would not hold them all, and they also had to drive an 18 wheeler to NJ with the balance of goods donated.

This makes me really proud to be part of our aviation community.