Crunch Time...

Well as my first semester at Purdue comes to a close, the real fun begins. Entering dead week I have one thing on my mind...fitting all my flights in. I have eight days to fit in three flights and the FAA written exam. This doesn't sound so bad except, I also have to write a paper and study for the written test and for a non-related math exam. The big topic for me this week...time management.

As the current pilots no doubt know, this test is nothing to blow off. It has three parts: written, oral, and practical. Many pilots have stressed to me not to blow off the oral portion so I've been cramming for that, but on a flight earlier this week, I realized my maneuvers were a little rusty, so I've really been trying to hit those hard. Then I got to thinking the written part is what I'm taking in three days, I should probably study for that. My advice for student pilots...get started early! I've learned my lesson and I wouldn't wish this pressure on anyone.

If there is any advice out there on how to study, let me hear it, I need all the help I can get. Otherwise wish me luck and I'll let you guys know how it goes.

My First Car

Well like most everyone in the world, a person's first car usually very special to their owner. Well it was not any different in my case. My first car was a 1994 Jeep Wrangler. Ever since my dad bought it for himself i dreamt of driving it around. It was the Sahara edition with the bigger engine and some extra features. It was a 5-speed manual, 4.0L 6-cylinder in-line. This was very powerful engine for this car since it is extremely light. It had the soft-top which made it perfect for going to the beach but it was extremely hard to put back on.

A month before I got my license I would drive it around my neighborhood when my parents weren't home. So I made sure that I would pass my drivers' test and get my license. Honestly I was not sure that I would get that car once I got my license but my dad surprised me once I got home with my brand new license and he handed over the keys. That was one of the best feelings I ever felt. This car is not the most comfortable since it has leaf-spring suspension, but the good side of having this suspension is that it is extremely durable. Jeep changed that suspension in their 1996 Wrangler when it was redesigned to a coil-spring suspension which is some what more comfortable.

Since it had the soft-top it made it a little hard to unzip the plastic window when I came up to a tollbooth. Sometimes I would even be sweating in the car since the air-conditioning didn't work. But none of that mattered because it was my first car and no matter what I still love it more than any other car. I makes me really sad looking at other Jeep Wranglers around the streets ever since I sold mine last year. When my father and I were about to hand the car over to it's new owner, this guy was telling me what he was going to do with the car. He was saying that he was going to change all the bumpers to chrome and many other things. That felt like he was stabbing my heart. Sometimes I still think about my baby and I hope that the mean old guy is taking good care of it. I still dream of someday tracking down this guy and buying my car back!

A Civil Fighter?

Speed and maneuverability are key words pilots look for in planes that they one day hope to own. Of course the military always owns the most advanced aircraft that can reach speeds breaking the sound barrier, but one company is beginning to challenge the theory that general aviation pilots can’t fly fighter jets. The Aviation Technology Group (ATG) is developing a new high speed private jet awaiting FAA certification that resembles a military fighter. The Javelin MK-20 not only looks like a military trainer, but it also performs similar to one, reaching speeds as high as 500 knots.

ATG spares no expense in the design of this brilliant aircraft and prices them at around 3 million dollars per airplane. ATG flew their first Javelin prototype out of their headquarters in Colorado in September 2005 and have since been funding for airworthy certification. As of now there have been 153 orders for ATG’s high speed jet and they expect many more orders once it is approved for the market in the skies. The Javelin seats two people in a fighter type fashion, with the pilot in the front seat, and its design allows it to reach altitudes of 45,000 ft.

The one question that is on pilot’s minds is whether the Javelin can perform similar maneuvers to fighters such as the F-16 and F-18 Superhornet. ATG is manufacturing versions approved for the military to use as trainers, but the executive Javelin is not meant for aerobatic and military maneuvers, but rather as a light business jet with good fuel economy and unbeatable performance. The aircraft can fly up to 3.5 hours without refueling and with its advanced digital avionics it could be the future of light business travel for VIP’s.

Deadly Raptors

Ever since the birth of aviation, the United States Air Force continually designs the most technologically advanced and superior combat aircraft. Each decade a new type of fighter is released into service and the dawn of the jet age introduced a completely new era of airplanes and warfare. The creation of stealth technology completely inverted air combat and allowed bombers, such as the B-2 Spirit, to go undetected by the enemy. However, in the late 1990’s the US Air Force unleashed its deadliest fighter yet, the F-22 Raptor, combining stealth capability with speed and advanced weapons.

The Raptor’s main function is for surprise ground attacks and enemy intelligence through its communication features. The F-22 fighter is the newest addition to the United States military and didn’t go into service until December, 2005. Lockheed Martin Aeronautics and Boeing Integrated Defense Systems worked together to make the Raptor the most sophisticated jet fighter in the fleet. It is the first fighter to utilize stealth capability using radar absorbent material that prevents the reflection of radar waves on its metal surface. However, it is much different than Stealth bombers that fly upwards to 40,000 feet, because the F-22 had to be shielded at low altitude combat as well. Designers had to eliminate any aspects that could reflect a radar signal and also disguise its inferred emissions to prevent being detected by heat seeking devices.

The Raptor is not a cheap aircraft to operate, especially with costs around $138 million per plane. The military was supposed to have around 700 in their fleet but to this date they only have 183. The F-22 engines play a major part in the extreme cost of the fighter because not only are they powerful enough to push the airplane to Mach 2, but each engine can also change pitch. Finances must also cover the missiles that are internally concealed within the fuselage. Overall the F-22 Raptor is a great success for the American military and even won the Collier Trophy, American aviation’s most prestigious award. The fighters are spread among seven squadrons, and to this day they continue to protect freedom for all Americans.

Union of Superpowers

Everyone is beginning to feel the results of oil rising to $100 a barrel, especially when it becomes time to pay at the pump. However, major corporations are also making drastic changes to their methods in order to make a profit with extremely high fuel prices. Now, United Airlines and Delta Airlines have been discussing one of the biggest mergers in airline history. The nation’s 2^nd and 3^rd largest carriers began talks that they would keep United’s name and headquarters in Chicago.

This corporate takeover is an example of a popular method companies use to combat high jet fuel costs and prevent going into bankruptcy. Delta Airlines has already set up a committee to determine what strategic methods will be most beneficial to the carrier, and whether a merger is the best option. There is also concern on making a final decision before Delta’s CEO is replaced and a new administration comes into power. Current plans reveal that if the airlines do merge, Delta’s hub in Atlanta would be an operational center for the new company with Anderson being CEO of the combined carriers.

However, Delta and United aren’t the only airlines that have recently talked about a merger. Delta has also considered a merger with Northwest Airlines since Anderson was former CEO of that company, but Anderson denies any motive for coming to Delta solely to merge with his former company. Whatever the case may be, experts say that it is imperative that Delta mergers with another airline instead of risking going alone with fuel prices rising. Consumers are main points on the issue because of the routes and ticket prices they pay to get to their final destination. A union of United and Delta would seem to be beneficial to most customers because if the plethora of routes Delta has on across the Atlantic and United having networks in the Pacific region. It is certain that any merger will not be an easy one but today in the airline business, almost every possible method must be utilized in order to survive the day to day struggle.

A Final Test of Skill

As winter is fast approaching, the main concern among college students is finishing up the semester with good grades on their final exams. The last couple weeks after Thanksgiving consist of extensive studying for what could be some of the hardest tests they could ever take. However, flight students must also prepare for not only written tests, but testing their skills of flying in a Piper Warrior.

Purdue University uses the term Phase-Check as a cumulative review for the flight course the student is completing. They are always given once the student has completed all the requirements in the course, unless the end of the course requires a check ride to receive a certificate, whether it is for Private Pilot, Commercial, Instrument, Multi-Engine, etc. The phase checks don’t necessarily need to be given by FAA designated examiners, because it is only required by Purdue University. Instead most of the full time flight instructors at Purdue test the students, but can’t be the instructor that the student had for the course.

The phase check is almost identical to a check ride except there is no license given upon completion. Instead, it signifies whether the student can pass on to the next level of flying course that Purdue offers and also is the final grade of the semester in that course. There is an oral exam given prior to flight and then about a one hour practical test is given afterwards. Each course gives plenty of solo practice time and dual instruction so that the student will be successful on the phase check. It is also the responsibility of the student to study the material given in the course and make sure they are proficient on the maneuvers. Just as a normal check ride, there are certain limits that the pilot must stay in to pass each maneuver and can only miss a given amount of questions on the oral exam. As long as students take the phase check seriously and give it the same amount of time and effort as the rest of their exams they will move on to their next level of flying career.

The Flying Palace

Traveling in luxury these days is usually reserved for the wealthy and famous because of the high prices even for business class seating. Doctors, lawyers, and actors are mainly the people who can afford to have their own private jet and fly to wherever they please. The President of the United States is also fortunate enough to have a Boeing 747 to act as Air Force One and transport him all over the world. John Travolta is an example of a famous actor who was able to purchase a Boeing 707 and outfit it as his personal traveling home. Travolta even received the training necessary to get his type rating in a 707, which allows him to fly his entire family around in the aircraft. However, none of them compare to the most recent private purchasing of a large airliner, in this case the newly released super jumbo Airbus A380.

This past Monday, the first day of the annual Dubai Air show, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Al-saud, chairman of Kingdom Holding Company became the first person in history to purchase the largest commercial airliner ever built. Airbus is refitting the A380 according to the Prince’s specifications to make the largest VVIP aircraft ever to take the skies. Al-saud is already the current owner of a Boeing 747-400 and is ranked 13^th on Forbes Magazine’s list of global millionaires.

A normally configured A380 reportedly sells for over $300 million but it has not been released on how much the luxury superjumbo will cost for buyers. The aircraft is has about 2,000 feet of usable floor space that can be used for bars, casinos, bedrooms, showers, and even a pool and gym. It is estimated that the special edition plane will be best suitable for 15 passengers as well as the separate areas for staff and crew.

Airbus success for their corporate jet market has gone full circle starting with their smallest A318 Elite to the A380 Flying Palace. This new deal is also placing further stress on Boeing in situations where the wealthy want to upgrade to the biggest and advanced form of air travel. Airbus won’t likely have the specialty plane ready until 2013, especially with their recent history of delivering far beyond their due dates. Most will agree that the time waiting will be well worth it, when with the right amount of money the sky’s the limit.