Blog Archives
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AviationPros LIVE 2013
By Ronald Donner - Thursday December 6, 2012As this year soon comes to a close, many of us have already turned attention toward aviation tradeshow planning for next year. For all of us here at Cygnus Business Media, planning for AviationPros LIVE, formerly the Cygnus Aviation Expo is in full swing. Details and specific sessions will be available in the weeks ahead in Aircraft Maintenance Technology, Airport Business, and Ground Support Worldwide magazines, as well as regular updates on this website. We are very pleased to announce that AviationPros LIVE has partnered with Boyd Group International for the 2013 event. Michael Boyd, chairman of Boyd Group International, will outline the major issues facing aviation today and provide keen insight into the best and worst... -
What Would Thomas Jefferson Say About TSA?
By Art Kosatka - Wednesday December 5, 2012
Actually, I think we can come pretty close. I’ll admit it’s been taken just a tad out of context from The Declaration of Independence, where Jefferson was referring to the British Government sending additional customs officials and courts of admiralty into the colonies to enforce trade laws and prevent smuggling. But the operative phrase in founding our great nation was: “ He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance. ” In the opinion of many, that description fits TSA just fine, the difference being that it's not the King of England, but our own government that seems to have gotten out of hand. There have been several recent Congressional hearings... -
Out With The Old — In With The Older
By Ralph Hood - Wednesday December 5, 2012
Airport Business online, reporting on an NPR All things Considered Program, brought out a trend that I had not really noticed. Regional flights are reversing past trends by returning to turbo-prop — rather than jet — aircraft. This is a fuel-saving move, and Regional Airline Association President Roger Cohen says we can expect this to continue. Predicting what airlines will purchase and operate has always been a difficult and risky job. The first such wave I remember was the original switch from piston-powered airliners to jets in the 1950s and 1960s. The president of Eastern Airlines was WWI ace Captain Eddie Rickenbacker. Under his direction, Eastern enjoyed the unbelievable honor of being the first U.S. airline to operate... -
Taxibot Demo Day
By Steve Smith - Tuesday December 4, 2012
We got a first-hand look at the Taxibot towing system during a special demonstration put on for the media on the Monday before Thanksgiving at Chateauroux Airport. “Someday you can say you were a passenger of the very first jet towed by a Taxibot,” said Ran Braier, Taxibot project director for the Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd., as we sat inside an A320 with the pilot firmly at the controls of both the plane and the Taxibot underneath. Yes, you heard that right. The pilot controls the speed of the Taxibot and essentially steers the vehicle with his tiller during towing procedures that, ideally, take the plane all the way to the runway without any power wasted from the plane’s engines. There are a few characteristics that... -
Social Media Branding with Pinterest and Instagram
By Agnes Huff - Wednesday November 28, 2012Keeping up with the latest social media tools is not an easy task. But forward thinking airports tend to be the early adopters who benefit from getting in ahead of the competition. Now is the time for airports that are not already using Pinterest and Instagram to reach their travelers, to get on board. From generating interest in your airport to catching the attention of travellers with the new wave of social media, Pinterest and Instagram are essential tools for savvy airport marketers. Pinterest just recently launched business accounts and Instagram can be used in a fun and creative way to grab the public’s attention. Pinterest is considered the third largest social network in the world with about four million visitors a day. The... -
More On TLD
By Steve Smith - Tuesday November 27, 2012
We were somewhere over the Atlantic on our way back to ORD when you read last week’s GSW e-newsletter. Since we couldn’t cover everything in one blog, here are a few more highlights of our trip to France to see TLD’s Taxibot demo: Our trip started not much later than the time we arrived Sunday morning and made our way to the Sheraton, located at CDG. There, we met Fadi Anbouba, vice president of sales and service TLD America. Over espresso, Fadi told me more about TLD. Although TLD itself has been operating for the past 22 years, at least three of its former divisions, such as Ace, TRACMA and Lantis-Cochran, were true pioneers in GSE and began more than half century ago. TLD makes 15 lines of equipment and more than 100 models... -
Does Cutting Manpower On The Ramp Really Save Money?
By John Goglia - Tuesday November 27, 2012
Sitting at the terminal at Incheon International Airport after a quick trip to Seoul, Korea (well, not that quick if you include the flying time), I watched a new Airbus A-380 being towed to the gate. Soon thereafter catering trucks started toward the aircraft to prepare it for departure. What struck me was that the trucks were being marshaled into position. Not one, but two human beings were actually making sure the catering truck got as close as it needed to the aircraft – but no closer. As you all know, this is not a common sight at U.S. airports these days as it needs to be. For years now, the thinking all over the United States has been if a job could be done with less staff, then by all means eliminate the staff and save on... -
Business As Usual?
By Ralph Hood - Wednesday November 21, 2012
I remain amazed. If you watch, read, or hear the “news,” you could get the idea that the world is rolling along as usual, yet we are in dire straits. Like Nero fiddling while Rome burns, we go about business as usual while we are head over heels in debt and running up more debt every day. How can aviation and airports survive and thrive if our country continues to follow the path of Greece et al? We should all bookmark http://www.usdebtclock.org/ , an amazing site that continuously calculates and displays every facet of our national debt, including how much it amounts to per taxpayer. In other words, how much is your share? (Click on any of the figures and you’ll get a definition at top center.) The next time the news dwells on... -
Industry Events Showcase Airport Leaders In Retail & Concessions, Sustainability
By Brad McAllister - Wednesday November 21, 2012
In early November, I made my way to the annual Airports Going Green conference, held each year in downtown Chicago and organized by the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) and the Amercian Association of Airport Executives (AAAE). I have attended this event for the past three years, and I don't intend to stop. It seems that the program is more comprehensive each year — and attendance is growing, bringing in more than 300 airport and aviation professionals from the U.S. as well as from abroad in 2012. The agenda included an airport sustainability directors track and a technology and innovation track. One session, 'Closing the Loop: Toward a Net Zero Airport,' featured key case studies of net-zero programs at airports today, like... -
BTC School Board Meeting
By Ronald Donner - Wednesday November 21, 2012As you’ve read in my recent blogs the school board which governs Blackhawk Technical College met last week and one of the agenda items was public comments relating to the suspension and possible closing of this long-time aircraft maintenance technician program. Numerous supporters turned out and many had a chance to speak in support of continuing the program. I was there along with other graduates, local aviators, current students, EAA chapter members, school instructors, aviation business owners, and more. During my three minutes I provided a quick overview of the industry, the need for AMTs and also information on the demographics of the current and aging aircraft maintenance technician workforce. Alan Klapmeier, CEO of Kestrel...
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Events
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- 06/17/13 - 06/23/13
- Paris Air Show
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Conference/Expo, Paris,
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- 06/19/13 - 06/20/13
- 2rd China Aerospace Propulsion Technology Summit
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Conference/Expo, Shenyang,
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- 06/24/13 - 06/24/13
- Ultrasonic Testing Level 2 Training Course
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Training, Houston, TX
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- 06/25/13 - 06/27/13
- SMART Terminal Asia 2013
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Conference/Expo, Jakarta,
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- 06/29/13 - 06/29/13
- Rotors 'n Ribs Helicopter Fly-in
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Conference/Expo, Goshen, IN
