What is a Domain Name Worth?

Recently I have had some offers from individuals and competitors to purchase the domain BusinessJet.com and the associated business. But, what is a domain worth? Should the value include the "potential" for the site? Should the value only reflect the present value of future cash flows from the site?

It's a little bit like having some vacant real estate in Manhattan. Is it worth more if someone builds a skyscraper on it than if they build a parking garage? Or is it worth the same amount?

Any ideas, comments, or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Raytheon Considers Selling Aircraft Division

Raytheon recently reported that they had a top notch quarter and that they were considering selling Raytheon Aircraft (makers of the Hawker 4000, Hawker 850XP, Hawker400XP, and the Beechcraft line) as well as taking the company public or spinning it off to shareholders. The Witchita Eagle quoted company chairman and chief executive Jim Schuster as saying, "Raytheon Aircraft's performance is stronger than it's been for many, many years. The general aviation market is very strong and it looks like it will be strong for some time."

Over the years there have been a number of rumors that Raytheon was trying to unload Raytheon Aircraft. However, management at Raytheon must be commended for continuing to invest time and resources in a division that may or may not be on the auction block.

Learjet went through a number of owners before finally finding a home with Bombardier, and I hope that RAC can either go it alone, or find a nice home where it can continue to grow and provide quality products and service to its customers.

I'll catch up with you in a little while.

CNN reports Eclipse 500 VLJ given certification

CNN's website is reporting that acting Transportation Secretary Maria Cino travelled to the EAA air show in Osh Kosh, WI to make the announcement.

"These planes have clearly captured the public's imagination," said Ed Bolen, president of the National Business Aviation Association.

The NBAA defines VLJs as single-pilot jets that weigh 10,000 pounds (4,500 kilograms) or less. They generally have two engines, five or six passenger seats, automated cockpits and cost half as much as the most inexpensive business jet now in service.

Six other very light jets are in the process of being certified by the FAA.

Honda Motor Co. announced Tuesday at Oshkosh that it will start accepting orders for another VLJ, the HondaJet, this fall.

Honda Jet Specs & Performance Data

The seven-seat jet has reached 43,000 feet and 412 knots so far in 240 hours of flight testing, and is expected to have a range of over 1,000 nautical miles, according to Honda's preliminary figures. Final specifications, as well as a price point, will be forthcoming later this year. The two GE-Honda HF118 turbofan engines are mounted on pylons extending vertically from the inboard section of the wings. The company says the result is better outside and inside for aerodynamics and ergonomics, respectively. The jet's distinctive features, which include a "natural laminar-flow" wing and nose, "help it achieve far better fuel efficiency, larger cabin and luggage space and higher cruise speed than conventional aircraft in its class," according to the company's news release. Fujino made clear that Honda intends to find its place among the growing choices in the small-jet field. "We emphasize three key attributes -- performance, quality, and price," that will resonate with buyers, he said.

Honda to begin sale of "HondaJet"

Today at the EAA Airshow in Osh Kosh, Wisconsin, Honda announced that they would begin selling the HondaJet.

The HondaJet is a unique aircraft in that the engines are mounted on pylons above the wings rather than below the wings (Boeing 737) or on the rear fuselage (most business jets).

This is an important announcement because Honda is a world-wide leader in nearly every industry that they participate in. This could bring a lot of pressure on some smaller American companies. However, the $4,000,000 price point places it in above the Mustang and in the range of the new Embraer VLJ.

The full press release can be read at BusinessJet.com.

Gulfstream VI (6) comes in fourth place

Oriol Servia's Gulfstream 6 (which we affectionately refer to as the Gulfstream VI; in defernce to the former Gulfstream numbering convention: GI, GII, GIII, GIV, GV) came in fourth place in the most recent Champ Car race in Edmonton, Canada. More details will follow.

Mobile technology aids Swedish evacuation

By Thursday morning, almost all Swedish citizens had been evacuated from Lebanon after a gruelling four-day, round-the-clock operation coordinated by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Stockholm.

The Swedish evacuation effort, supported by mobile phone technology, has been held up as a "model of order" by commentators in other countries such as Canada, Australia and the US which, on Thursday, were only beginning their own evacuations.

According to foreign ministry spokeswoman Nina Ersman, text messaging has been a major tool in the Swedish evacuation operation.

Over the course of the last week Swedish citizens were sent a series of five text messages on their mobile devices letting them know what to do. Additional messages informed Swedes to get to a certain hotel at a certain time, depending upon their priority status.

"The GSM technology allows us to do this," said Sjöberg.

The Swedish government also footed the tab for the entire operation. Wow!


http://www.thelocal.se/article.php?ID=4384

A BBJ for $125K

The M Club by MarquisJet has announced that they are selling club memberships for use of a Boeing BBJ for $125,000! Obviously this is an introuctory rate and more details will follow as I can find them.

Bombardier Gets Orders For 2 Learjet 60 XR Jets

Bombardier Aerospace has received two firm orders for its new Bombardier Learjet 60 XR midsize jet from two European operators.

Bombardier Aerospace, a division of Montreal-based Bombardier Inc. didn't provide the value of the orders.

One jet will be delivered to Nove Holding of Sofia, Bulgaria and the other to a customer in the Czech Republic. It will be managed by ABS Jets of Prague.

GULFSTREAM FIRST TO OFFER SYNTHETIC VISION COCKPIT

I have seen this thing, well, mockups of it. If it works as well as what I have seen, I really believe that it will enhance safety in poor weather conditions. Gulfstream has been doing a lot of research in the past few years on the heads-up display, Enhanced vision displays, and now the synthetic vision displays. I think this will be a huge strategic advantage for Gulfstream in the next few years as their technology moves well beyond that of their peers.

Read the press relase below or visit the Gulfstream website. Gulfstream's currently for sale at BusinessJet.com.

GULFSTREAM FIRST BUSINESS JET MANUFACTURER TO OFFER SYNTHETIC VISION COCKPIT

Synthetic Vision-Primary Flight Display (SV-PFD) Augments Safety of Gulfstream Jets

Robert Baugniet
Corporate Communications
(912) 965-7372

SAVANNAH , Ga. , July 17, 2006 – Gulfstream Aerospace will be the first business-jet manufacturer to offer synthetic vision technology for new production and in-service aircraft.

Gulfstream will offer its Synthetic Vision – Primary Flight Display (SV-PFD) as an optional upgrade to current operators of PlaneView ®-equipped Gulfstream G550, G500, G450 and G350 business jet models. Following certification by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 2007, Gulfstream also will begin offering the optional upgrade to future customers and current customers awaiting completion of their new PlaneView-equipped aircraft.

"With its real-time, pilot’s view of the world beyond the cockpit windshield, SV-PFD increases a pilot’s ability to accurately interpret the depth and texture of terrain, obstacles, runways and approaches,” said Pres Henne, senior vice president, programs, engineering and test, Gulfstream. “It is the next logical step in display technology, resulting in faster and more accurate tactical flight decisions by pilots and ultimately increased safety of flight.”

$100-a-barrel Oil

Today I read an interesting article on $100-a-barrel oil at Businessweek's website. The possibility of $100-a-barrel oil definitely hurts the airlines and the trucking industry and seems to be a boon to oil & gas exploration companies and railroads (which are much more fuel efficient than trucking companies). However, I wonder what this will do to the business aviation market. Obviously it becomes more expensive to operate aircraft, but a 50% to 100% increase in fuel prices doesn't necessarily make it prohibitively so. Also, the price of flying commercially will increase and this tends to be the baseline comparison for supporting the "cost advantage" of business aviation. The other, and perhaps more important, advantages are: security, time, flexibility, and safety.

It really will not be difficult to make the assumption that a justifiable decision to use business aviation at $50 or $70-a-barrel will be justifiable at $100-a-barrel. This will benefit the manufacturer's who are producing new composite aircraft such as the Beech Premier I, the Hawker 4000 (if it's ever certified), the Challenger 300, and the new Falcon. It may also help the turboprop market (King Air's, PC-12, and TBM700)in their quest to fight off the faster yet more fuel hungry VLJ's.


Exceprt form the BusinessWeek Article:

Going from producers to a key consumer, what effect would $100 oil have on the airline industry?

A further significant increase in oil prices would hit U.S. airlines hard, probably aborting the current earnings recovery and conceivably endangering the survival of one or both bankrupt airlines, Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines. U.S. airlines have already seen fuel prices rise dramatically over the past several years.

Jet fuel averaged about 80 cents per gallon during 2000 to 2003, but rose to $1.50 per gallon in 2005 and $1.95 per gallon during the first five months of this year. Most airlines have limited fuel hedges in place because the high and volatile oil and jet fuel prices make such strategies expensive. Moreover their poor credit profiles often necessitate posting cash collateral to enter into swaps or other derivative transactions.

Airlines have been able to raise airfares over the past year, largely offsetting the higher fuel prices. This has been made possible by strong demand—reflecting the healthy economy—and reduced supply (significant reductions in flights, mostly in the domestic market, by bankrupt airlines).

However, a move to $100-per-barrel oil would drive fuel costs beyond what could be recovered in higher airfares (as happened in the fourth quarter of 2005, when hurricanes shut down refining capacity in the Gulf region, causing jet fuel prices to spike sharply). Furthermore, high oil prices could well slow the U.S. economy, eroding pricing power for airlines.

Bombardier Releases Aircraft Market Forecasts

Farnborough, England, July 17, 2006

20-year commercial aircraft market forecast calls for 11,000 deliveries in 20- to 149-seat market worth $370 billion US·

Five-year baseline corporate aircraft market forecast predicts 600 to 700 deliveries annually from 2006 to 2010 Bombardier Aerospace today released its aircraft market forecasts for the commercial and business aircraft markets.


Business Aircraft Market Forecast
According to Bombardier’s first-ever public annual business aircraft market forecast, deliveries of all business jets is expected to grow significantly.

For the 2006-2010 period, corporate aircraft manufacturers could deliver an average of 600 to 700 business jets annually, excluding the very light segment, a significant increase from the 540 units delivered during the 2001-2005 period.

The forecast indicates that most primary market drivers are currently stable or positive. These include: an installed base of 13,000 business jets which, on average, require replacement every six years; the U.S. gross domestic product forecasted growth of three per cent next year; a surge of concept buyers in international markets; a healthy balance in the pre-owned aircraft segment; and a strong rate of new aircraft introductions.

Bombardier is well positioned to benefit from the demand in new aircraft with its current line of business jets, the largest in the industry, that features the Learjet, Challenger and Global families and innovative services including its leading Flexjet fractional ownership, Skyjet’s international charter program, and the new Corporate Shuttle Solutions concept.

While not quite a biz jet, still very cool . . .

Canada’s Viking Air to restart Twin Otter line

Found this article on AINONLINE.COM - great site for general aviation information.

Viking Air is an experienced aerospace manufacturer that has specialized in de Havilland Canada (DHC) products for over 30 years. It has moved a step closer to confirming it will restart production of the widely used 19-seat Twin Otter short takeoff and landing aircraft, to be designated the Twin Otter Series 400. A total of 844 turboprop DHC-6 Twin Otters were manufactured in DHC’s Downsview (Toronto) factory between 1965 and 1989, with more than 600 still in operation worldwide. Viking, which recently acquired type certificates for seven de Havilland heritage aircraft, including the DHC-2 Beaver, DHC-3 Otter and the DHC-6 Twin Otter, will host an operators’ forum in Victoria, British Columbia from September 13 to 14. This will evaluate and measure demand, while outlining the aircraft specifications, commercial terms and delivery program. An undisclosed number of firm commitments will be required to ensure new production, said Viking president and CEO David Curtis. “We have had positive certification discussions with Transport Canada and having thoroughly evaluated the business case, can see no major obstacles that will prevent a production restart,” Curtis added. “Work is continuing in this area and between now and September we will continue to work with our supply chain partners and Transport Canada to further refine the business case.” Approximately 35 percent of the aircraft is in production for spares support, including complete wing assemblies. “The Twin Otter remains uniquely in-demand in the 19-passenger transport category,” claimed Curtis. “De Havilland Canada had it right from the start. It is in a class by itself in terms of size, speed, strength and versatility. Twin Otters are in huge demand today with very few good airframes available, and prices climbing to new highs. A decent 20-year-old 300 Series fetches well over $2 million on amphibious floats, making it a viable candidate for new manufacture.” An important element of Viking’s program will be to apply innovation and new technology in the manufacturing process, which will be critical to the program’s commercial success. Discussions continue with the Canadian government to secure this innovation and to further enlarge and diversify aerospace activity in Western Canada. The Twin Otter has proven its performance and versatility in extreme conditions. In 2001 the Twin Otter was chosen as the only aircraft capable of executing a mid-winter evacuation of a critically ill patient from the South Pole where it was minus 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Further demonstrating its unique capabilities, NASA’s Glenn Research Center employs its Twin Otter to carry out icing research in treacherous conditions. “Good design is simple; good design is timeless; good design solves the right problem the first time,” said Curtis. “With a few upgrades such as current production PT6A-34 engines and upgraded avionics and systems, we intend on making a good thing that much better.” Curtis remarked that the production rate he anticipates, while not yet specified, will be sufficient to satisfy the market demand and will make the Twin Otter Series 400 available and affordable to operators worldwide.

Mustang Updates by Cessna

Mustang on Track for Certification Later this Year
Farnborough, England, July 17, 2006 – With more than 1,400 total flight hours and more than 850 flights accumulated by the three Citation Mustangs flying in Cessna Aircraft Company’s certification program, the Citation Mustang remains on track for Federal Aviation Administration certification later this year and European Aviation Safety Agency certification in second quarter 2007. Cessna is a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company.

With nearly 250 orders, the Mustang is sold out into the third quarter of 2009. Currently, about 60 percent of Mustang orders are from outside of the United States, with 30 percent from Europe. Other significant markets include South America and Australia.

Fifteen Mustangs are currently on the production line in Independence, Kan. The first flight of the fourth Mustang occurred June 15, two weeks ahead of schedule. This jet will enter service as a marketing demonstration aircraft later this year.

The Citation Mustang program was announced in September 2002. The six-seat business jet will be certified as a FAR Part 23 aircraft, with a cruise speed of 340 KTAS and maximum operating altitude of 41,000 feet.

Cessna Citation Mustang Tested to Commercial Airliner Standards
Farnborough, England, July 17, 2006 – Cessna Aircraft Company, a unit of Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT), does more comprehensive and exhaustive testing on its aircraft than any other general aviation manufacturer. The Cessna Citation Mustang has completed five lifetimes of structural fatigue testing, qualifying it as a no-life-limit airframe.

“Cessna consistently goes beyond what is required when testing and certifying an aircraft, often more than doubling or tripling the hours or cycles considered baseline for certification,” said Russ Meyer III, Citation Mustang Program Manager. “For example, instead of the fatigue test article completing the baseline durability test of two lifetimes (30,000 hours) with no damage to the aircraft structure, we will continue testing to five lifetimes (75,000 hours). Many parts of the aircraft are tested to the same levels as commercial airliners. Ensuring Cessna customers have the safest possible aircraft is always our top priority.”

The following is an update on testing and certification activities for the Citation Mustang.
• FAA certification tests that have been completed include:
o Flight envelope expansion to maximum airspeeds
o Aircraft stability and control
o Environmental chamber testing (from -40 degrees to 120 degrees Fahrenheit)
o Autopilot certification
o Climb certification
• FAA certification tests in progress include:
o Natural icing (flight into known icing)
o Garmin G1000 avionics
o Aircraft performance
o Engine handling and operation
• More than 3,100 hours have been accumulated on the Mustang’s Pratt & Whitney Canada PW615F dual-channel FADEC engine. Pre-certification development is complete on the engines. The engine has been certified in Canada.
• Static testing is more than 95 percent complete.
• The main landing gear surpassed its goal of 75,000 landings, reaching more than 100,000 landings. The nose landing gear has 45,000 landings out of 75,000.
• Structural fatigue testing is complete with 75,000 aircraft cycles.

Recent Milestones for Cessna’s Citation Business Jet Programs

Farnborough, England, July 17, 2006 – Cessna Aircraft Company, a unit of Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT), has reached the following milestones in its business jet programs:

Mustang – With more than 1,400 flight hours and 850 flights, the Mustang program continues to move toward certification later this year. Mustang training will begin at the FlightSafety Cessna Learning Center in Wichita, Kan., in the fourth quarter of 2006. Training will be made available in Farnborough, UK, in the second quarter of 2007.

Citation CJ1+ – Customer deliveries started in December 2005, and the fleet is showing strong growth with 20 aircraft already flying. The CJ1+ received European Aviation Safety Agency certification March 13. The 2005 U.S. Federal Aviation Administration certification for the CJ1+ was awarded in just over 200 flights and 400 flight hours, spanning eleven months. The Citation CJ1+ is the successor to Cessna’s CitationJet and Citation CJ1 fleet, which exceeds 575 aircraft and has logged more than 1 million flight hours.

Citation CJ2+ – The CJ2+ earned European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification July 10. The CJ2+ received U.S. Federal Aviation Administration certification in just over 80 flights and 190 flight hours in October 2005, with first customer deliveries in April. Maximum payload for the CJ2+ was increased by 350 pounds over the CJ2. Among many performance enhancements, the CJ2+ has the ability to direct climb to 45,000 feet in 28 minutes at maximum takeoff weight, and uses less runway at maximum weight limits, taking off in 3,360 feet and landing in less than 3,000 feet.

Citation CJ3 – The CJ3 earned EASA certification June 16. Nearly 100 aircraft have joined the worldwide fleet. The CJ3 includes the same avionics and performance advancements as the CJ2+, with a 24-inch length increase in the passenger cabin, as compared to the CJ2+.

Citation Bravo – The last Bravo is on the production line preparing to enter service this fall. With nearly a decade of production, the Bravo fleet includes 337 aircraft. The Bravo is the successor of the Citation II. As with all of its legacy aircraft, Cessna will continue its support of the Bravo fleet through its business jet service network, the largest such network in the world.

Citation Encore+ – The Encore+ continues on its path toward certification in the early fourth quarter of this year. Since the first flight this spring, the two aircraft in certification flying have surpassed 250 hours. First customer deliveries are on track for first quarter 2007. The Encore+ succeeds the Encore, offering dual-channel Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) engines with 3,400 pounds of thrust and the most advanced avionics suite in its class, the Collins Pro Line 21. Full fuel payload increased 300 pounds over the Encore.

Citation XLS – The 500th XL/XLS was delivered to European Flight Service AB, the largest jet charter operator in Sweden, on June 27. Since the first Cessna Citation XL was delivered in 1998, more Citation XL and XLS aircraft have been delivered than any other corporate business jet in the world. Currently, there are 68 XL/XLS aircraft operating in Europe, making it the company’s second largest market for this airplane. The XLS is well-suited for European flying because of its stand-up cabin, ability fly non-stop to most European countries, short field performance and low operating cost.

Citation Sovereign – Since its entry into service in September 2004, the fleet of Sovereigns has grown to nearly 80 aircraft, surpassing 300,000 fleet hours. To further enhance the operational ability of the Sovereign, the maximum ramp weight and takeoff weight will increase by 300 pounds at no cost to operators and no modification required. Category II approach and Steep Approach certification were recently completed. This allows operators with the proper letter of authorization (LOA), to use London City airport.

Citation X – The world’s fastest civil aircraft has nearly 260 aircraft in its fleet and more than 813,000 fleet hours.

Farnborough Takes Off

The Farnborough Airshow started today with a flurry of press releases and announcements. Cessna led the pack with a total of 5 press releases followed by Gulfstream with 3 and the rest of the business aviation pack had one or two. A lot of these press releases are made up well in advance and simply say that such and such a company has decided to add pewter lav handles to the their complement of interior completion options (hardly a noteworthy event in the whole of business aviation, unless you manufacture lav handles). Most of these will be ingnored unless they touch on a topic that hasn't been covered previously.

I will add some of the relevant press releases as the day and week passes. Due to the sheer volume I may truncate some of these to save your eyes and I may post some without any editorial commentary as they will most likely be self-explanatory.

Let me know if you have any funny or strange Farborough experiences that you'd like to share with the rest of the group.

Farnborough & VLJ's

Not a lot of news has been coming out the business aviation industry in the past few days, and for good reason. From Monday 17 to Sunday 23 July 2006, aviation enthusiasts and the aerospace industry will be focused on one place - the 45th Farnborough International Airshow.

Throughout the days of the FIA, I will be updating both BusinessJet.com and BusinessJetBlog with headlines and information as it becomes available. BusinessJetBlog will have the most common entries and most complete information - but as the blog for BJC this is to be expected.

AINonline has a great feature article this month on the future of the Air Limo industry using very light jets (VLJ). I think the most telling part of the article regards the lack of financing that many of the air-taxi operators are facing. Finding adequate funding (and customers) is the key to success in any industry. That is one of the reasons that NetJets has done so well, it has access to cheap/free capital through it's parent company Berkshire Hathaway. NetJets can make large purchases of aircraft before the end customer steps forward to buy those shares because of the ability of Berkshire to allocate the capital to the venture.

I'd like to know what everyone else thinks about the "air limo" industry and what the future holds for the commercialization of the VLJ's.

Eclipse 500 Update

Eclipse Aviation recently released the final and official performance numbers for the VLJ Eclipse 500. The Eclipse 500 has a top speed of 370 knots and will have a useful load of 2,400. Very impressive numbers that either meet or beat (in the case of useful load) the original performance specs. I have to admit I was skeptical that Eclipse could pull off all of their numbers. And, I was proven right (but not really). The original NBAA IFR range (with four occupants and a 100nm alternate) was 1,280nm. The first 100 airplanes will have a range of 1,050nm. But, the credit belongs, not to the critic but to the man in the arena. My hat is off (it would be nice to have a Eclipse hat to take off) to CEO Vern Raburn and all of the employees, sub-contractors, stakeholders, and investors in the Eclipse 500. This plane has the potential to change (although not as radically as originally predicted) the aviation industry.

FAA Certification of the Eclipse 500 is still a few weeks away, but for all intents and purposes the Eclipse 500 is the first VLJ to pass the certification finish line.

FOXJET ACQUIRED, HEADING FOR FLIGHTLINE

Tony Fox, the man whose vision conceived the Very Light Jet category, announced this week that he has sold Foxjet International to Millennium Aerospace Corporation of California.

“My dream is to see the Foxjet flying during my lifetime, and I decided it was time for me to pass the torch to a team with the time and resources to make that happen,” said Fox, who at 84 years still manages a multi-million dollar business conglomerate. He is an inventor with 96 patents to his credit, and owned a team of rocket-powered race cars that still holds a world speed record. “I’ve talked with fifty or sixty different prospective buyers recently, and I was convinced Millennium Aerospace has what it takes to get the Foxjet airborne. That’s the most important thing to me.

I found some old foxjet ads that are interesting along with the entire press release - I've archived them on BusinessJet.com for your future reference.

Sino Swearingen SJ-30

Sino-Swearingen is hoping to deliver the first $6.19 million SJ-30-2 by the end of July.

I remember reading about the initial reports of this aorcraft while I was in law school - it's nice to see it actually finishing up the certification and delivery process.

Hawker 4000

Raytheon is still in the process of certifying the Hawker 4000. Because the process has taken such a long time, Raytheon recently had to apply for a seven-month extension to meet certain requirements that went into effect after that aircraft's type certification application date of May 31, 2001. Raytheon has also asked for a two-year fuel-tank ignition prevention exemtion (that's a mouthful) and a one-year exemption for the hydraulics systems rules. The purpose of these exemptions is to allow time for additional testing and development needed to meet these additional rules.

Te Hawker 4000 was originally introduced at the 1996 NBAA as the Hawker Horizon and was expected to be certified in 2001.

I had a chance to look at the Hawker 4000 at the 2005 NBAA in Orlando and the aircraft has a nice ramp presence, well appointed cabin, and a handsome cockpit. The only shortcoming with the aircraft is that I wish Raytheon had used an arched doorway (like the distinctive Hawker 800/850 doorway), just for some family continuity. I am looking forward to seeing the first of these aircraft delivered. Hopefully very soon.

Gulfstream 6 Champ Car

No, Gulfstream hasn't announced they are developing a new GVI. The Gulfstream 6 is PKV Racing's number 6 Champ Car driven by Oriol Servia's and sponsored by Gulfstream. Oriol has put together a decent season to date and was challenging for the lead of the race this weekend when an unfortunate accident knocked him out of the running. The race was eventually won by American A.J. Allmendinger, his 3rd in a row.

Throughout the course of the season the BusinessJetBlog will keep you informed of the progress of the Gulfstream 6, Oriol Servia, and PKV racing.

The PKV Racing site summed up Oriol's race in the following manner "Servia, who started fifth, dropped to sixth on the opening lap. When the leaders pitted during an early yellow flag on lap 11, the Gulfstream – PKV Racing team decided to stay out moving Servia into second place. He ran in second until lap 25 when he was forced to pit after experiencing a problem with the left front of the car. Rejoining the race in 12th place, but with plenty of clear track, Servia was able to unleash his car and rapidly began to gain track position. He was already ninth by the time the leaders began to pit for the second time, between laps 46 and 50, moving him into fourth. More importantly the track position Servia gained by being out of sequence and running on clear track really paid off when he made his second stop on lap 54. Servia came out of the pits following the stop in fifth place, but one lap later dropped to seventh when he and Alex Tagliani touched wheels allowing Justin Wilson and Tagliani to get by. Servia, who easily had enough fuel to finish the race, regrouped and was once again on the move. When Phillipe and Tagliani, who were using different out sequence strategies, pitted on lap 64 and 70 respectively, Servia was back in fifth. At that point he began to use his fuel advantage to press the car ahead. Six laps later, Phillipe came up from behind and appeared to miss, or even forget about, his braking point ramming Servia from behind and sending both cars sliding into the tires."

New Topics

In the next few weeks I will explore a few topics that don't seem to get much press in the aviation industry. If you have any ideas for topics you would like to learn more about this summer, please let me know in the comments section and I'll be happy to do a little research.

First, I plan on taking an objective look at the usability of the major aircraft manufacturer's websites. I am developing some criteria such as ease of navigation and availability of information right now, if you have any other idea, let me know.

Second, I plan on looking at the online gift shops of the major business jet manufacturers and determining who has the best selection of goods at low prices, etc.

Third, I plan on looking at the ease of "ordering" hard copy brochure and information regarding the various aircraft and services offered by the major businessjet manufacturers.

Finally, I will take a look at the VLJ's as they begin to hit the market and have some concrete performance numbers and how they actually stack up against the light jets and turboprops currently on the market

If you have any ideas or would like to learn about anything else related to the business aviation community, please let me know.

Vacation

My wife and I recently spent the week in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida on vacation. It really is a wonderful place - it is near Destin, but just far enough off the beaten path that you don't feel like you are at a Carnival. We had a good time going to the beach, playing cards and going to the movies.

I was truly amazed at the number of private aircraft flying into DTS for the 4th of July weekend. But, it appeared that the delightful staff at the FBO handled everything without a hitch.

Can't wait to get back to work on BusinessJet.com and my other ventures.

4th of July

Today is the 4th! Always a good day (because it is dated July 4, 1776, many people believe it was signed on that date—it was signed August 2 by most of the delegates) to remember the fifty-six men who signed their lives away with their Decleration of Independence. According to Wikipedia, some historians believe that the Declaration was used as a propaganda tool, in which the Americans tried to establish clear reasons for their rebellion that might persuade reluctant colonists to join them and establish their just cause to foreign governments that might lend them aid. The Declaration also served to unite the members of the Continental Congress. Most were aware that they were signing what would be their death warrant in case the Revolution failed, and the Declaration served to make anything short of victory in the Revolution unthinkable.