Monday, March 19, 2007

More than 20 years of Providing High Quality Tourism Management Software Systems

Established in 1982, started as a private software house under the parent company of Formula Vision Technologies, Ltd., specializing in the development, marketing and implementation of computer applications for the air transport and travel industry markets for the use of airlines, tour operators, tourist services and distribution networks. Formula Vision is a Managing holding company for emerging companies who develop and promote Proprietary IT Solutions targeting International Markets. The Formula Group is one of the largest software groups, operating internationally.

Now, Formula Travel Solutions, Ltd. (FTS) is a leading technology company, providing advanced software solutions for the travel industry. Tour operators, wholesalers and airlines use the company’s products, as smart marketing and management tools, creating competitive advantages through technology.

FTS has earned its reputation through its commitment to high quality products, excellent service and customer satisfaction. All team members are experts in their fields; listening carefully to their customers' needs. With over 20 years of experience in travel management, technology and software development, FTS has provided its worldwide customers with solutions that have enhanced their businesses and improved their positions in the market. FTS has accumulated vast and valuable know-how and experience in information systems, state-of-the-art technology in airline and travel industry commercial operation. Their expertise and products are successfully distributed on five continents.

FTS has earned its reputation as a leading software house by its commitment to the development of high quality products, such as the AMSYS 2000, an airline management system for low-cost and charter airlines; and the TOPAX Management, a complete platform of integrated products, providing solutions for all business and operational requirements: management, distribution and connectivity. The TOPAX major breakthrough in travel management has helped companies transform their businesses into powerful distribution platforms, inventing new possibilities and providing them with a truly competitive edge.

FTS is a Formula Group company; a global software group with more than 4,000 professionals, providing a broad range of IT solutions and complementary services to customers in more than fifty countries. FTS is represented by three offices including Area Sales and Regional Sales.

FTS clients include: Asian Trails, Turismo Thai, C.C.T. Corporation, Federal, Travex, Jet Tour, and I.T.C., all of Thailand; Israir, Aviation Links, , Sky International Tours, Holiday Lines, Arkia, Isram, Amiel, Open Sky, and Caspi Aviation, all of Israel; Valuair and Kenair of Singapore; Pegas of Russia; Sata Air Acores of Portugal;; I Explore of Australia;; and Cairo Express, Destination, Eastmar Tours, Escapade Travel, Gezira Travel, Midland, Sakkara, South Sinai, and Travco, all of Egypt and NOUVELLES FRONTIERES of France

FTS is partnered with IBM, and Microsoft and is also an Extraordinary Member of the European Regional Airlines Association (ERA).

ArticleTrader.com

Honda To Conquer The Skies

The sky is the limit! And Honda Motors has already announced its plans to accept sales orders in the U.S. for their very first jet, the HondaJet. Honda made the announcement at the Experimental Aircraft Association AirVenture 2006.

Honda also announced that they have plans to enter the aviation industry and to build a business alliance with the co-developer of the HondaJet, Piper Aircraft Inc. Honda Motors and Piper Aircraft will work together and collaborate on sales, services, and development in the general aviation business. Complete details on the collaboration of Honda and Piper Aircraft were, however, not included in the announcement.

The first public world debut of the HondaJet took place at the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) AirVenture 2005 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The EEA AirVenture is the largest annual aviation gathering. The HondaJet was built using the latest technology in the aviation development industry, the patented over-the-wing engine-mount configuration, a natural-laminar flow (NLF) wing, fuselage nose, and the advanced all-composite fuselage structure. The said features were the innovative output of a 20-year aviation research of Honda Motors. Some say that the HondaJet was an aircraft version of the Honda Civic.

Satoshi Toshida, Senior Managing Director of Honda Motors said: “Aviation has been an important dream of Honda for more than four decades. Our goal is consistent with the philosophy of other Honda products -- to provide convenient and efficient transportation that will make people’s lives better. We are excited now to enter a new dimension of mobility. In Piper we believe we have a partner we can collaborate with in our effort to bring new value to customers in the very light jet market.”

“Honda is a company with a rich heritage of bringing high quality, innovative products to market. This business alliance is a perfect fit given the commitment both Piper and Honda have to providing our respective customers with world-class products and services. Piper is very excited about this alliance and the way it complements our vision for the future,” said James K. Bass, President and CEO of Piper Aircraft, Inc.

The HondaJet’s main specifications include a 7-seater capacity, two GE-Honda HF118 TurboFan engine, and maximum speed of 778 km/hour (420 knots), 12,497 operational ceiling, and a range of 2,037 km. As of the moment, the development of HondaJet by Honda Motors and Piper Aircraft is still ongoing. Moreover, Honda is currently building automotive products such as Honda motorcycles, cars, and other Honda Civic parts in 13 manufacturing plants in the U.S. and other regional subsidiaries.

About the Author
Terry Brown is a 32 year old from Houston Texas, and an enthusiast for anything auto-related. He currently writes auto-related articles for several publications.

ArticleTrader.com

Florida Sun n Fun

The vacation rental villas in the Kissimmee and Orlando area experience an upturn in renters around this time every year, with those magnificent men in their flying machines turning up in the sunshine state to enjoy a whole week, wallowing in their hobby.

This week in Florida,12th -18 April, the annual Sun n Fun event takes place in Lakeland.

Hundreds of private pilots and anybody with an interest in aviation generally will be attending the event at Linder Regional airport at junction 22 of the I4.

Many will not even attempt to visit the major theme parks of Disney and Universal, instead driven by the vapour and heady smells emitted from the mighty engines and sleek lines of these aircraft will spend days visiting the event, so much on offer and every aspect of aviation and avionics will be covered.

The Sun ‘n Fun fly-in, has been promoting aviation safety through education for more than 29 years. As they prepare to celebrate their 30th anniversary, you are invited to join them and experience their annual convention held each April. Our event has grown to become the second largest aviation convention of its kind.

There is something here for everyone. Its an opportunity for the kids to get out of the pool at their Florida villa rental and get close up to these “birds” a day out from the theme parks.

More than 450 workshops and forums are available to our guests. They are informative, educational and, quite often, entertaining. Many offer the novice an opportunity for hands-on experience and the expert an outstanding refresher course. Each day has a full schedule of events.

A daily air show is scheduled to keep those who enjoy airplane noise thoroughly entertained. If you are more for a quieter entertainment, be sure to stop by the Florida Air Museum at Sun 'n Fun. Our museum is open all year long.

As we begin to focus more on our year-round programs, we hope to have many opportunities for future volunteers. There are many volunteer programs that meet different schedules and commitments. You can volunteer for a day, week, month or all year.

If you share the love of aviation, come, join the fun, volunteer and become part of the family. We are sure you will find it a very rewarding experience.

Events are planned around the festival including a trip to the orange groves and a visit to the factories to see how one of Florida’s assets, the orange, is turned into the juices enjoyed by millions throughout the world.

So if you are in town and at a loose end at your vacation rental villa hop in the car and head for Sun ‘n Fun less than an hour from Mickey and Minnie at Disney.

About the Author

Herman Nuncrush, 58 year old ex London cabbie lanquishing in the Florida sun

ArticleTrader.com

Dubai Airlines

Dubai, prospering from near-record oil prices, plans to invest $20 billion to create a company that will lease planes, develop airports and make aircraft parts to tap into growing demand for air travel in the Middle East and Asia. The family ruled emirate, which owns the largest Arab airline, may buy as many as 50 wide-body aircraft from Boeing and Airbus in the next four years, said Rashid Al-Malik, project director for the planned company, which will be called Dubai Aerospace. "It's not surprising Dubai is moving into these activities because the whole focus of the aerospace industry has shifted eastward in recent years," said Doug McVitie, managing director of Arran Aerospace, a forecasting company in France.

Mr. Al-Malik said Middle Eastern governments including Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar had ordered as many as 300 aircraft for delivery in the next five years and Dubai Aerospace would order its first this year.

The Dubai Government at the weekend announced the formation of Dubai Aerospace Enterprise as a holding company with six operating subsidiaries.

Dubai Aerospace Enterprise will be chaired by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed al Maktoum, chairman of the Emirates airline group and president of the Dubai department of civil aviation.

Dubai's ambitious foray into the aerospace industry will build on the presence the emirate has already established in the aviation sector through the development of Dubai international airport and the rapid expansion of Emirates into one of the world's leading long-haul airlines.

The business concept here is to create a new hub for aviation, from the leasing and maintenance of planes to training personnel at a new university to operating other airports and even manufacturing aircraft. It clearly makes excellent business sense to lever off Emirates position as a major buyer of aircraft to promote the DAE to the aircraft manufacturers like Boeing and Airbus.

About the Author
Written by H. Stephanoff.

ArticleTrader.com

The Value of Airplane Accident Claims

Airplane accidents are devastating tragedies. Almost every year, these accidents become the headlines of news stories. In all cases, lots of lives are being taken which brings trauma to their surviving dependents. Losing you love ones from such incidents is really a painful experience. So, if you’ve lost a relative or you’re a survivor of such accident, you can file an aviation accident claim to recover compensation on the pain and suffering and financial crisis that you’ve gone through.

Based on researches, the assistance provided to survivors and family members of death victims are based on the type and place of the accident. In the United Stated, smaller airplane accidents that happen outside the country provide limited financial assistance to the victim’s beneficiaries. Major aviation disasters, on the other hand, that happens in the U.S. can include a complex interaction of state and federal law, or international law.

Fortunately, airline companies are given certain post-accident requirements in the federal law that they have to follow. These include setting up of family support services including grief counseling and support; designating individual caregivers to assist each family; working with families to identify and return remains and possessions; and setting up a communications network with families. Every survivor or the relatives of the victims of an airplane accident can obtain these benefits as aviation accident claims.

Additionally, smaller commuters and commercial air operators also have their own assistance response plans in case of an airplane accident. There are also a lot of persons and institutions you can contact for help and assistance such as the Red Cross and other agencies including law enforcement agencies, representatives of companies who may be involved in the accident, representatives of insurance companies, lawyers who represent victims of accidents, lawyers who represent the parties involved in the accident, and the news media.

Indeed, every airline company has a professional responsibility to all their passengers in every trip. As we all know, many lives are at risk during this time and we cannot avoid these things to happen. After all, airplane accidents are unanticipated. They can happen anytime. I just hope that the injured and relatives of the victims can receive the compensation that they deserve. After all, these airplane accident claims can never bring back the lives of those persons and cannot totally compensate to those who have suffered intense pain and suffering due to the incident.


Source: ArticleTrader.com

Saturday, March 17, 2007

Uk Airport Car Parking

Going
on holiday can sometimes be quite stressful, getting everything together,
have we got this? did we remember that..? etc.. There are however some
websites and services out there which can greatly help you. Most people
will have heard about airport car parking, but how many fully know just
what a hassle saving and money saving service it really is ?

Take for example our experience leaving from one of London’s busiest
airports, Heathrow. For the past eight years or so my family and I have
gone on holiday from Heathrow airport and left the job of arranging parking
for our car to the very last minute, by this I mean we would organize
all our other holiday things then drive off to the airport and organize
our parking then, just before we departed. On a couple of occasions we
have had near misses when we thought we would not be able to get into
the car park we always used. The last time we traveled was in August 2005
and on that occasion we did NOT get into our usual car park, we could
not believe it, we panicked, what are we going to do now?, our flight
leaves in 3 hours or so! The car park security officer directed us to
another car park and thankfully we got parked, but we ended up paying
a lot more than we usually did. Anyway after this ordeal I decided to
see what we could do about this on our return.

Straight away I found www.uk-airport-car-parking.co.uk
(ACP) , a small portal of sorts which arranges car parking,
airport hotels, airport lounges and just about everything you might need
when planning for a holiday. I could not believe what I was seeing, this
site showed me all available car parks at Heathrow
airport (and all other UK airports by the way) and compared
the online price against the “drive on” rate, which we had
been paying for about the last eight years!! Instead of paying the whole
parking charge on airport, now I have the option of booking my parking
bay and then parking my car at an unbelievable 45% less
of what it used to cost us. I don’t even want to work out what this
could have saved us over the years.

But that’s not the end of it, it’s not just about saving money,
from this site I can see all security measures in place, I can also read
previous customers feedback which is extremely important when trying to
get a unbiased opinion and it also gives me peace of mind knowing that
my car parking space is reserved.

For me personally security of an airport car park is
one of the major requirements and from this site you can see all security
measures in place such as security fences, barrier controls, manned
and CCTV surveillance. In fact the car parks shown all had the
AA/Police gold standard award for security.

I booked online for our holiday this year, I saved money, I definitely
got my parking space and I know my car will be secure and well looked
after. I also got my airport parking voucher instantly online and by email
with full directions and a telephone number to call, what more could I
ask for, an absolutely fantastic car parking service, why didn’t
I do this before? You’ll find car parks both ON and OFF the airport

Worthy of a mention also is the
fact that you can book car parking in conjunction with an airport
hotel. Again with an easy online booking system, you can reserve
rooms within your budget and get parking packages. The
beauty of booking airport hotels with parking is that you can arrive the
day before your flight and start your holiday a day early, this is especially
useful for people who have a long way to travel to the airport. I was
also amazed at just how little extra a hotel room cost with a parking
package as apposed to car parking alone. You can choose from 3
or 4 star hotels and as with airport parking you will receive
instant directions and contact details by email.

Also this year we’ve opted
to book into an airport
lounge. I’d never thought of my family and I going into an airport
VIP lounge before, but on the site it showed me all options of Executive
lounges we could use. With a whole range of facilities like TV, complimentary
bar, newspapers, magazines, snacks, phone and fax – the lounges
are the best places to reclaim your peace of mind just before take-off.

No doubt about it this site has saved me a lot of money and in fact it
has also increased the pleasure of our holiday by giving us a lot less
hassle and worry. The fact that we will be using an airport lounge this
year will add to the enjoyment of our holiday also, so a big thanks to
ACP.

http://www.articles.co.nz/Article/Uk-Airport-Car-Parking/89524

Supporting and Facilitating the Aviation Industry - IATA Distance Learning

IATA distance learning programs provide flexible learning modes for students who want to achieve their personal and professional objectives but are too busy to pursue regular full time courses. The courses harness the potential of the latest technology to reach out to students and enable them to study anywhere, anytime and at their convenience. These courses are categorized as Aviation, International Travel and Tourism or International Cargo Agents courses. A number of specializations are offered under each category. Most of the courses are designed for senior managers, middle managers, supervisors, and technical staff.

Course Content

The IATA distance learning courses under the Aviation category relate to financial accounting, marketing, airport operations, cargo marketing, customer service, air transportation and station management. The international tourism and travel courses aim to empower its students with relevant skill in the area. These include courses at the foundation level, managerial level, consultancy level and senior management level. Courses on global distribution system fares and ticketing and on travel agents marketing are also offered.

The Cargo Agents category offers an introductory course and courses such as cargo rating, dangerous goods regulations at the initial and recurrent levels and a specific Cargo English distance learning course. The registration for all IATA distance learning courses is valid for 18 months and students can take only one examination per examination session as the examinations for all the courses are held on the same day. The exam can be attempted twice if the examination sessions fall within the registration period mentioned above. The enrollment is cancelled if the student fails the examination twice.

Training Institutes

The IATA Training and Development Institute has a large collection of management and skills courses for those interested in the aviation industry. The International Academy of Travel offers a course on IATA Approved Online Galileo GDS. The ICS Learn courses are endorsed by British Airways and are designed to give travel agents a through understanding of flight requirements, rates and ticketing issues. The course enables the students to gain points for the internationally recognized IATA point system. Travel Agent Education offers IATA distance learning courses under the categories Independent Agent, Airlines, Cruise, Tours and Travel Agents. Each category has 12 courses which have to be completed to get the career certification. The IATA/UFTAA programs are jointly offered by the International Air Transport Association and the United Federation of travel Agents Association. The courses are designed for those who wish to make a career in the tourism industry.

If you are keen on making a career in International Air Transportation services, these courses are just designed for you. You can take them at your own pace and place!

Jim Zorn is web master of the Guide to Distance Learning. Please visit to learn more about online colleges and universities, distance learning degrees, majors and courses offered.

http://articles.spiinz.com/?type=art&art_id=3272898706&start=1

Knowing The Civilian Aviation Authority

In the United Kingdom, one of the most important regulatory bodies in the aerospace industry is the Civilian Aviation Authority, or the CAA. The CAA was created in 1972 to act as a public organization to oversee all elements of British domestic aviation. The CAA was formally made the government’s aviation regulator with the Civil Aviation Act in 1982, which replaced the Department of Transport in this role. Aerospace professionals, from engineers to pilots, need to know about the CAA’s regulatory functions and jurisdiction in order to better understand the British aerospace industry.

Aerospace professionals should first understand the jurisdiction in which the CAA provides regulation and consultation. The Civilian Aviation Authority is the sole regulator for flights within the United Kingdom, from small charters to regularly scheduled airliners. However, the international nature of airline travel has required consultation and team work with European aviation organizations in order to facilitate safe and efficient travels. When international regulations come into effect, the CAA’s offices in London act as the local office for the European Aviation Safety Agency. CAA officials also act on regulatory boards of the EASA which determine regulations and enforcement policies.

The CAA has broad authority as the United Kingdom’s regulatory of aviation and aerospace activities, which should be understood by aerospace professionals. The function of the CAA that professionals will become most familiar with is the licensing of aviation and aerospace professionals. Flight crew, engineering, and air traffic controller licensing all run through the CAA and regular license upgrades and renewals are required. In a similar vein, the CAA monitors medical regulations and facilitates physicals for aviation personnel that are involved in regular flights.

Aerospace professionals may become intimately familiar with the professional licensing aspects of the CAA but there are a number of other functions that are equally important. The CAA regulates the United Kingdom register of aircraft, which is necessary to maintain an accurate record of all planes in the region. As well, the CAA regulates the licensing of airplanes and other aircraft in the United Kingdom. The CAA not only regulates individual aircrafts and professionals but leads the charge against unfair aerospace business practices. The CAA’s regulatory function allows it to manage public aviation organizations while regulating against private monopolies. In all, the CAA’s jurisdictional and regulatory functions allow it to deal with safety and economic issues in the UK’s aerospace industry. Aerospace professionals who understand the nuances of the CAA will function better in their jobs.

http://articles.spiinz.com/?type=art&art_id=1230216864&start=1

Understanding The American Aviation Certification Process

For flight professionals and pilots alike, one of the most important aspects of their professional lives is maintaining proper certification in their job area. Whether it is a flight attendant, mechanic, or First Officer, everyone involved in the daily transit of the public by airplane must maintain a certain level of certification in order to remain airline staff. The problem for many pilots, especially on international airlines or regular international flights, is keeping track of the hodgepodge of certification standards across the world.

The United States offers a particularly strong model for flight certification and a quick study of their certification process can help flight professionals learn what questions to ask in their jobs. The number of certified pilots in the United States has decreased over the last 25 years, lowering from 825,000 licensed pilots in 1980 to 618,000 active pilots in 2004. There are also hundreds of thousands of flight dispatchers, attendants, mechanics, and others who are licensed by the federal government to work aboard airline flights.

Pilots in the United States must receive a certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) before taking off. Four different types of certification are available for American pilots looking to get in the air. Student certifications allow young aviation enthusiasts the opportunity to learn how to fly with the help of a qualified and experienced flight trainer. Students are only allowed to fly solo under special circumstances. Flight students must spend a number of hours in the classroom before setting foot in the cockpit.

The next level of certification is private flight certification. Those with a private piloting license can fly for recreation or alone but cannot take any compensation during flight except in extreme circumstances. Pilots who earn a private certification must spend 40 hours in the air before completing their license requirements.

For pilots who want to work for hire while flying, acquiring a commercial pilot’s license is paramount. Commercial pilots can work for pay in a number of capacities, including cargo flights, charters, and contracting out to government agencies. Pilots who want to earn a commercial license must learn about FAA commercial regulations, pass a test, and spend 250 hours in air to fulfill their certification requirements.

The final level of certification in civilian aviation is Airline Transport licensing. This level of certification allows pilots to attain the level of captain for major airlines and regularly schedule commercial flights. The standards are extremely high for Airline Transport licensees, with 1,500 hours in the air required to meet federal regulations. As well, there are a number of tests, evaluations, and other obligations that need to be met to acquire an Airline Transport license.

Article Source: http://www.articles.co.nz

Airline Security And Aviation Professionals

There have always been a number of issues with safety and security in the aviation and airline industry, particularly in terms of flight safety. Over the last five years, since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, there has been a particular concentration on developing new ways to ensure the security of flights around the world. It is often difficult for airlines and the federal government to find the right balance between airline security, economic concerns, and meeting the needs of the average traveler. However, a number of safety and security issues have come to light over the last few years that should be considered by flight professionals as they go through the early part of their careers.

One airline security issue is the possibility of hijacked flights and in-flight violence of a terrorist and non-terrorist variety. The United States and other governments have been working to find a way to build uniform terminal security processes that allow airline agents to find weapons and other hazardous materials before they are brought aboard flights. As well, the United States has developed the Federal Flight Deck Officer program. This program was established in 2002 as a response to concerns that there were too few air marshals aboard American flights to stop potential hijackers. The Flight Deck Officer program is a federally funded and voluntary program that allows pilots to carry concealed weapons under the same training used for FBI agents. Since the program is voluntary, pilots need to consider their opinion on armed pilots and make an informed decision.

An important safety issue for airlines today is the use of aging land-based navigation systems to guide flights into airports around the United States. The federal government, flight personnel unions, and the public alike are interested in using satellite aided navigation to offer an inexpensive and modern approach to keep runway incidents down. The cost of the cumbersome instrument landing system (ILS) is much more expensive than the use of space satellites to ensure the safety of flights.

Finally, pilots and flight professionals should be aware of personal and health reasons in terms of flight safety. One of the key issues today in terms of health and safety for pilots is the rule about mandatory retirement of pilots at age 60. It is important for pilots to understand the gravity of their positions and work with airlines and the government to come up with a health standard that is both fair professionally and ensures the safety of every passenger in the United States.

Article Source: http://www.articles.co.nz

Navy Vs. Marine Aviation

The primary difference is in the "life-style" of a Marine and a Sailor. Marines all consider themselves combat riflemen first, and whatever job they have second. Generally, Marines have to meet a higher physical fitness and disciplinary standard than any of the other services.

The flying training program is much the same. In fact, Marine and Navy pilots go through the same flying training program (for the most part).

The Active Duty Service Commitment is real. It costs almost a million dollars to train a military pilot or navigator, and the military services want to make sure they get their money's worth (and are not just training someone for an airline pilot's job).

The active duty service commitment (A.D.S.C.) for Navy and Marine Corps pilots is 8 years (following graduation from flight training). The A.D.S.C. for Navy and Marine Corps NFOs (following training) is 6 years (following completion of training and designation as an N.F.O.).

The ADSC for Air Force pilots is 10 years, following completion of flight training, and 8 years for navigators (following training).

The Navy and Marine Corps does not have a "Palace Chase" program, and -- just for info, the Air Force rarely (if ever) allows pilots and navigators, who are on their initial active duty service obligation to participate in "Palace Chase".

As I said, flight training is expensive, and the services want to get their money's worth. I spent several years as the first sergeant of various Air Force flying squadrons, and I never (not once, not a single time) saw a pilot or navigator on their initial active duty service obligation approved for a "Palace Chase" or "Palace Front" active duty separation. Not once. Not even close (unless they were disqualified from flying for such reasons as medical).

In an F-18 (or any other Navy aircraft), the pilot is called "a Navy Pilot." In a two-seat aircraft, the other officer (who navigates and operates the weapon systems) is called an "N.F.O." (Navy Flight Officer). As a group, they are both referred to as "aircrew."

Any military member, aboard the aircraft (of whatever type) who is flying on the aircraft, with a job to perform aboard that aircraft, as part of the aircraft crew is an "aircrew member." That means, on two-seat aircraft, such as the F/A-18, both the pilot and the NFO is referred to as "aircrew."

On other types of aircraft, there would be more than two "aircrew members." For example, the EC3 "Hawkeye" carries a crew of five. All of them (pilot, co-pilot, NFO, enlisted techs) are "aircrew" on the aircraft.

With the Marine Corps when you join them they will give you a chose of 3 MOS that you can pick from, but you can only pick one of the three no matter if you don't like any of them. I'm afraid that's the way the Marine Corps does enlisted job choices. If can always of to there web site or call someone from that branch and ask them questions.

But, quite simply, you're not going to become a Marine Corps pilot unless you (1) get a college degree (2) get commissioned (OCS or PLC), and (3) pass the flight aptitude tests and flight physical. About one candidate out of every five makes it through the selection process.

Article Source: http://www.articles.co.nz

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for www.CombatCloth.info/. CombatCloth.info carries the best selection of combat clothing, gear, and accessories on the market.

Please Rate this Article

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Aircraft Back Up Avionics Power in Case of Lightning Strike

During inclement weather aviation becomes much more serious. When you are flying in bad weather you must rely on your instruments instead of looking outside. During intensive storms it is possible to be hit with lightning, which could instantly fry all your electronic equipment. If you cannot see and have no instruments you could easily become disoriented and feel the effects of vertigo.

So many of these new instruments are flat panel displays with LED panels. Therefore the instrument panel containing the essentials could be run off the rumble of the engine and the bumpy-ness of the air from the bad weather. By using the vibrational energy from the aircraft’s engine and harmonic resonance we can save the energy from the alternator and thus save fuel.

In an emergency we could additionally use the bumpy air to power up the landing lights. These energy needs would work using electromagnetic induction technology to charge a capacitor instead of the headlights working off a battery or alternator. Currently there are some nifty micro-flashlights being used which you can buy which use a similar technique and are available thanks to the Everlite Flashlight technology research lab. These smaller flashlights work by shaking them for about thirty seconds and shine for about 6 minutes and they shine quite bright since they use a very bright LED light. Here is a link to this home use flashlight:

http://www.modernoutpost.com/gear/details/ee_shakelight.html

Here is a quick movie you can watch online to see how this technology works.

http://www.modernoutpost.com/gear/movies/ee_forever.MPG

I propose we use the engine rumble and bumpy air light the aircraft interior lights in the cockpit and the landing lights in emergencies. Additionally the LED instruments in case of lightning strikes and at minimum the artificial HSI. Generally you have to wait thirty seconds for the aircraft engine’s oil pressure to come up and you would be going thru your checklist anyway. This does not mean that the aircrafts strobes, cockpit or landing lights would not be hooked up to the regular system, only that you would not be asking for any juice, thus the alternator does not have as much drag on the engine and saves fuel consumption. Once the engine comes up to oil pressure the aircraft can then taxi out and each bump in the taxiway keeps the lights running and once airborne the air buffets would do the same. If they get too dim from too smooth taxiway, yah, we wish, then the system would revert back to the battery or normal system. Perhaps this is a good way to save fuel and potentially save lives? Think on this.



http://www.ArticlesAlley.com/

Aviation Jobs: Plenty Of Opportunities Available

The recent bankruptcy announcements for Northwest and Delta Airlines has sent a shudder through the aviation industry as expected job cuts loom and possible further bankruptcy filings are considered. These are not good days for many carriers as high legacy costs, pricey jet fuel, and inefficient management practices have worked together to bring down some of the bigger names out there. Fortunately, all is not bleak in the industry and, in fact, many jobs are being created for the opportunistic person. Knowing where to look can present a challenge, but finding the right job can be a rewarding experience. Let’s take a look at some options that may be right for you.

Discount Carriers. Led by Southwest Airlines and JetBlue, discount carriers continue to grow stronger while legacy carriers [including American, Continental, Delta, United, Northwest, and USAir] struggle. Many discount carriers were born during a period of deregulation that has gained strength since the 1980s which gave discount carriers a place to grow. Only the fittest have survived and they are the industry job makers today.

Airport Operations. Your local airport is staffed by people who manage the facility on behalf of airport operators. Besides government workers who man the towers and provide security, every airport has a staff of personnel to assist in the management of the facility. Common positions include building and grounds maintenance, marketing, customer relations, and administration. Find out which airports are in your area, who is managing that airport, and then apply directly to the managing company.

Government. The Federal Aviation Administration or FAA is tasked with regulating the aviation industry. FAA jobs are listed on their own site at www.faa.gov and they are always looking for capable and experienced personnel. In addition, many state and local governments manage and regulate airports and are a good source of employment as well.

Private Jet Operators. A segment of the industry not understood by some is business aviation. Private jets carrying individuals, families, business people, and more operate from airports all over the country. These companies have their own staff of flight coordinators, dispatchers, pilots, technicians, flight attendants, administrators, and more. Leading operators include: Netjets, Executive Jet Management, Jet Aviation, TAG Aviation, Atlantic Aviation, Flight Options, Flexjet, Regal Aviation, Pacific Jet, New World Aviation, and more. Apply directly to each company for employment.

Private Companies. Some corporations own and manage their own fleet of jets. In these cases they have their own in house flight department consisting of pilots, flight attendants, maintenance technicians, flight support personnel, administrators, and more. Jobs are listed through major employment sites including Monster, Career Builder, and the Aviation Employment Board.

If working in the aviation industry is appealing to you, these options present alternatives to the traditional legacy carriers. The world is changing and with it are the opportunities. Keeping your options open by looking in the right places will help you successfully navigate this ever changing and exciting industry.

Matthew Keegan is the owner of a successful article writing, web design, and marketing business based in North Carolina, USA. He manages several sites including the Corporate Flight Attendant Community and the Aviation Employment Board. Please visit The Article Writer to review selections from his portfolio.

http://www.ArticlesAlley.com/

Monday, March 12, 2007

Entering Business Aviation, Part V: Tips on Finding Work

I will not pretend that this is the easiest topic to write about. In fact, my knowledge of how one finds work as a private flight attendant is based chiefly on what others have shared with me. You can find some useful tips within the many threads written on the Corporate Flight Attendant Community message boards, but to save you from culling through hundreds of threads I will highlight various standout points and include others that have been shared with me over the past several years by industry insiders:

* Cold calling. Time honored and time tested this is an important method for finding work and it is also one of the hardest for the majority of people to do. If you do not have the skills to contact strangers you will find an important avenue for securing work omitted. Even the unskilled can accomplish much by attempting this step...practice, practice, practice and you will get the hang of it. You many never feel comfortable doing it, but you accomplish much by trying. Always keep this in mind: every person that you meet is a potential contact for helping you find work; conversely, you may also be able to help someone out too.

* Attend conferences/meetings. Attending NBAA related conferences and events will get your name and face out there. Preferably, you would also attend events where a lot of pilots hang out, especially pilots of cabin class jets which include the Global Express, G-V and Falcon Jet 2000. The NBAA's annual conference is a very important venue for networking as well as are their one-day regional conferences.

If you are an NBAA member you get a copy of their directory which lists many companies that fly these very same jets. In addition, membership will give you access to their message boards and other important information on events that they host.

How about attending the annual NBAA Flight Attendant Conference? Yes, it can be an important place to learn more about the industry, attend seminars, and network. Many of the newer folks find it helps them gain a better understanding of private flying, while some veterans will tell you to save your money for the big conferences. Your call: conference fees, hotel and transportation charges can add up significantly. Not many people have the luxury of attending every event.

* Local airport events. Is your airport hosting a seminar? Is an important industry leader speaking? Well, why not attend? Sure, aircraft de-icing/anti-icing may not be the most exciting topic, but it is to pilots. Guess what? Some of the same people you want to fly with will be attending. Guess what? There is usually a social time afterwards. After the recent crashes involving corporate jets you certainly do want to be knowledgeable about industry best practices involving ice. Oh, by the way, have several copies of your résumé with you and copies of your business card to hand out. Yes, get business cards made up and be prepared to share them liberally.

Consider joining your local airport's advisory board, helping out with special community outreach programs, organizing an airport wide event, etc. Anything that you like to do and that helps get your face and name out there is a plus. In this business your name is golden. Promote it and protect it for all that it is worth! Become an expert self marketer/promoter.

* The internet. Do Google searches and start reading and bookmarking every page that interests you pertaining to business aviation. The internet has more information then any library and it is updated frequently.

* The Corporate Flight Attendant Community. This website was created by me to be a resource center for private flight attendants, those who aspire to become one, and their supporters. I draw upon industry leaders as well as the private flight attendants themselves to communicate what is going on in the industry, particularly from the cabin crewmember's point of view. Helpful articles, relevant links, catering information, résumé posting, and message boards are some of the more important features of the community. This is truly a niche community one that has gained the attention and respect of many in the industry.

Of particular importance for learning/growing/networking are the message boards. Mostly everyone who participates is already working in the field as a crewmember either full time or on a contract basis. Others are working on the skills they need to enter the industry, while still others offer important help or guidance to the industry. Let me say this: your screen name is your business and I do not reveal who you are if I happen to make the connection between your screen name and true identity. Many business relationships and friendships have been made between our members because of the message boards. By participating in our Open Chat time or via p.m. [private message] contact you can "meet" our members.

* Job sites. There are many sites on the internet listing aviation related jobs. They include: Skyjobs, Plane Jobs, AviaNation, Climb to 350, AEPS, and the Aviation Employment Board. This last community, the Aviation Employment Board is run by me and is a companion to the Corporate Flight Attendant Community. Naturally, it is my preferred method but some of the other sites are helpful too. Unlike the Aviation Employment Board, most will charge you a monthly fee to register. A big hint: if you do sign up check out the jobs listed on the "pay sites" with the free sites. See if you notice any difference in jobs listed. If you are a corporate flight attendant, do not expect many jobs to be listed publicly in any case. There just aren't all that many available at any given time and most companies do not want to publicly advertise their openings.

* Agencies. AirCareCrews; Integrity Flight Crews, LLC; Jet Professionals, Inc.; J.S. Firm; Turner Services are all some of the names out there associated with providing hiring services. Expect to pay a fee in most cases; do not expect many opportunities. Your call.

As one of our message board members has advised: build your own sources. You may find that something works better for you than another person. Much depends on your own initiative; I find that those individuals who do the most exploring have an easier time finding work. If flying corporate is something that you want, be persistent. Another good trait: be flexible. This includes having a willingness to relocate and being available to work 24/7/365.

Article Source: http://www.thatarticleguy.com/articles

Matt is the admistrator of the Corporate Flight Attendant Community at www.corporateflyer.net and www.cabinmanagers.com Matt also manages the Aviation Employment Board at www.aviationemploymentboard.com

Entering Business Aviation, Part III: Training Options

Time for some training! So, you are not sure what type of training you will need or how it compares to the commercial side of aviation. For starters, there are some very big differences.

Please be aware that the Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) do not require that a flight attendant be assigned to an aircraft with fewer than 20 seats onboard. With that being said, it is a good idea -- regardless of federal regulations -- for the person who is in charge of the cabin area to have adequate training.

There are quite a number of programs out there that train or claim to train business flight attendants. Some programs are excellent while others are awful. Caveat emptor -- let the buyer beware -- is the siren call for all of you seeking training. Do not be lulled by a low price as anyone can say they offer training, but will it get you work? Will it be recognized by the companies doing the hiring? Is the program accepted by the FAA? These are some of the things you need to uncover as you do your research.

While commercial carriers generally offer training that can last as long as six weeks, your training will be no longer than 5 or 6 days. That's it! However, those days will be jammed pack and should include the following: food handling and service; emergency training including inflight emergency, medical and defibrillator/AED training; extensive classroom time to include: decompression, hazardous materials, firefighting, passenger briefings, ditching, and more. Some programs include make-up consultations, food and wine pairing, résumé writing, and other topics. While each can be helpful consider how much of the program's schedule is geared toward core topics vs. peripheral issues.

Who do I recommend? Well, that is a touchy subject. As mentioned previously, training is not a legal requirement therefore program curriculum can vary widely. When talking with training operators, be prepared to ask a lot of questions, read their website, obtain their literature, and shop wisely. The two longest running and most well know programs are operated by FlightSafety International and FACTS/AirCare; most charter and private operators prefer their training. Alteon Training, LLC is a Boeing training company that started cabin attendant training in 2003 while Beyond and Above Corporate Flight Attendant Training got started in 2002.

Article Source: http://www.thatarticleguy.com/articles

Matt runs the widely popular Corporate Flight Attendant Community website at www.corporateflyer.net and www.cabinmanagers.com In addition, his busiest site is the Aviation Employment Board at www.aviationemploymentboard.com

Entering Business Aviation, Part II: Pay Rates for Flight Attendants

Pay. You know that aviation pays better than commercial, in most cases a lot better, but you aren't sure what the going rate is for a corporate flight attendant. It might surprise you to learn that pay rates vary widely depending on the type of account, your location, your responsibilities, experience, and more.

Over the years I have discovered that the pay range is not set in stone. Typically, fractionals pay less than charter operators [Part 135] who pay less than owner accounts [Part 91]. Are there exceptions to this rule? Of course. Other factors as mentioned above can play a significant role in determining what you will make. These include:

* Location: business flight attendants based closer to major metropolitan areas command the highest salaries. New York and Los Angeles are the two most trafficked areas for private flying. Between corporate moguls and Hollywood celebrities, the two metropolitan areas produce some of the most significant amounts of flying in business aviation. If you are located in Pocatello or Burlington the chances of you finding work in the first place are remote, unless a fractional operator hires you and allows you to airline to reposition for your flight.

* Responsibilities: So, what are you? Will you be treated as a passenger who serves other passengers or will you be expected to manage the entire cabin from the cockpit door on back? Is there a difference in service? Yes, but in the perception of the company doing the hiring there may not be. The written job description may differ from what the job actually requires. It may take several interviews for you to find out if the company places value on your culinary expertise, your safety training, your related job experience, etc. Generally, those companies looking for someone with "no experience necessary, will train" will pay less than those who state they want an employee who is up to date with their training and has flown for a number of years.

Other questions to keep in mind: How often will you be flying? Will you be flying between set cities or traveling internationally? How may days per month? How many soft days v. hard days will you have per month? Will you be on call? Will you be expected to work in the office on days off? Will you be expected to "look after" children a/k/a play the nanny role when not flying? Will you be supervising other flight attendants?

* Experience: The more experience flying corporate, the better. Companies should reward you based on your business flying background, safety and security training, culinary expertise, world languages if flying internationally, management skills, people skills, etc. Some companies require that you act as a personal assistant to the CEO. Extra compensation should be expected for these additional responsibilities.

So, what is the pay range? These figures are not absolute, but the U.S. salaries that I have heard for corporate flight attendants falls into three general categories. These are some generalized salary ranges:

* Fractionals: 33K to 43K, corporate experience not always required. These companies will train you to their specifications. One of the big pluses for fractionals is that you can live mostly anywhere; at least one company will allow you to airline to meet up with the aircraft [they also let you accumulate and keep your airliner miles].

* Charter: 45K to 75K, depending on location of aircraft and your experience. Much of what I've heard as the quoted salary is in the low to mid-50s range. Indeed, the NBAA supports this data with a recent survey showing that the average corporate flight attendant is paid just over 53K per year.

* Owner: 25K to 100K+. Let's not kid ourselves. There are companies that will expect you to jump through hoops to fly on their aircraft and for peanuts [and you know they don't serve peanuts to their passengers!] On the other hand, if you are a chief flight attendant your salary will probably start at 75K and can easily exceed 90K. The higher salary can be expected when you have a "VP" title and be in charge of several flight attendants. Oh, by the way, don't forget that you will be flying in addition to your office duties... guess who has to cover for sick employees when no one else can be found?

100K+?! Let's just say that this amount is unusual, but I did confirm 110K for one flight attendant flying internationally some time back. Generally, never expect anyone to reveal their salary to you... why should they?

What about flying contract? Wow... you had to ask. If I told you that you can expect an average of $300. - $350. per day plus per diem would that suit you? The amounts being paid for contractors vary just as widely as they do for full time flight attendants. I have heard of flight attendants flying for $0 just to get the experience and hours [how could a company conscientiously allow that to happen? Okay, stupid question!] I've also heard of a flight attendant making $600 per day flying internationally. Contract rates vary widely and depend, again, on your location, responsibilities, experience, etc.

Questions to ask yourself:

* What am I worth? If you think that the job merits 60K per year, then you need to make a case for earning 60K per year. If the company insists on paying 35K, guess what? You won't make anything near 60K, you'll be crossed off their list and the person settling for 35K will get the job.

* What will I settle for? Can I justify the lower salary just to get some work? If I have flown for years and are willing to take a 20-25K pay cut, will I be able to live on the lower salary? Can I expect to renegotiate my salary once hired [don't make me laugh...]?

* What benefits can I expect? 401(k), medical, dental, vacation, sick/personal days, and the like are some of the expected benefits when working full time. Other considerations: do they pay for uniforms? Is there a uniform allowance? What about salary reviews/job performance reviews? Is there room for promotion? Can I ever transfer to another account? Will they pay for my training? What is their policy on job termination/severance? Is this a family friendly environment?

The more you know about your needs, wants, and desires before you are interviewed, the better opportunity you will have to be adequately compensated. Find out what is important to you: i.e., lower salary v. living where I want; job security v. higher pay; public visibility v. anonymity, etc. Stick with your principles and act upon them while negotiating your next position. One final question to ask yourself once a job offer has been tendered: can I live with myself if I accept this position?

Article Source: http://www.thatarticleguy.com/articles

Matt manages the Corporate Flight Attendant Community at www.corporateflyer.net and www.cabinmanagers.com The Aviation Employment Board is his most popular site at www.aviationemploymentboard.com

Entering Business Aviation, Part I: Types of Aircraft

The jets that people fly in corporate aviation are usually a lot smaller than those found with the airlines. Exceptions to the rule are Boeing's BBJ and Airbus' Corporate Jet, both of which are based on some of the smaller types of aircraft marketed to the airlines.

A corporate flight attendant is typically utilized on a "cabin class" aircraft. They are larger aircraft with usually 19 or less seats, where you can easily get up and walk around the cabin. Compared with a Westwind, Lear, or Cessna, the larger jets have an aisle to walk up and down upon and the headroom usually is adequate to allow easy passage of anyone under 6' tall.

Some of the major producers of cabin class aircraft include: Bombardier Challenger/Canadair, Dassault Falcon Jet, and Gulfstream aircraft. In addition, Embraer has recently entered the market and there are various Hawker 800XPs and other similarly sized aircraft that sometimes will utilize a flight attendant. It really all depends on what the customer wants.

Across the board, corporate aircraft are exquisitely outfitted. Just about every creature comfort imaginable is included; literally the corporate boardroom is transplanted from the 41st floor to 41,000 feet!

Custom mahogany cabinetry, full leather seating, premium carpeting, wood-veneer paneling, chenille sofas, are some of the things found in the cabin, while the galley can be equipped with elm-burl wood, complete with personalized crystal barware. Many galleys also contain items such as a high temperature oven, microwave, dual Krupps coffee maker and hot cup.

Most of the Gulfstream aircraft in flight are under the designation of Gulfstream II, III, IV, and V. Although in the past few years, the company has changed the designations to 200, 300, 400, 450, 500, 550 with the lower numbered aircraft being smaller in size.

Dassault Falcon Jet has several popular entries including the 900 and 2000. In a few more years the 7X will make its debut as the newest entry in the Falcon Jet family.

Bombardier has several aircraft under the Challenger and Canadair moniker. Their newer aircraft will all have the Bombardier name, but in the meantime, the popular Challenger 604 and Global Express along with their 5000 model are some of the cabin class aircraft being flown today.

Lastly, Embraer has recently entered the business jet fray with their Legacy aircraft. Long a builder of regional jets, Embraer aircraft should start showing up increasingly as they are the low cost price leader in their category.

Article Source: http://www.thatarticleguy.com/articles

Matt manages the Corporate Flight Attendant Community at www.corporateflyer.net and www.cabinmanagers.com In addition he runs the Aviation Employment Board a job resource center for aviators at www.aviationemploymentboard.com

Air Show Boost For Malta Hotels

Holidays to Malta are to get a late season boost from the island's air show which is set to be the best ever this year, with tens of thousands of islanders and tourists attending the event over the weekend of September 23 and 24.

Making the event a truly international one, as well as the Armed Forces of Malta participating, the French, Italian, Dutch Swiss and Spanish will all have planes and crew in attendance, plus the British Royal Air Force and US Air Force.

Among the planes taking part are two Alpha jets from France, one of which will be doing an aerial display, six F-16's with two Dutch F-16's flying, and from the RAF two Harriers and two Tornados, with one of the Harriers expected to do an aerial demonstration.

Ticket prices for the Saturday or Sunday are low compared to many international air shows, ensuring access is available to many of the Maltese population as well as enthusiasts and veterans who travel from around Europe for the weekend. Prices this year are 4.5 Maltese (around US $12) for either day, with public transport to the show available throughout the island.

With the tourist season beginning to slow down, many of the hotels in Malta see the air show as a tourist attraction and organise transport to and from the event.

An advantage of holding the show in the second half of September is that the Malta weather can almost be assured to be good, with the all important clear skies allowing viewing of the participating planes.

Malta Vacation Boost

The air show is seen by many in the Malta holidays industry as evidence that Malta can produce events which will not only prove an attraction to those tourists already on the island, but also as part of a package of other attractions to draw new tourists to the island.

The first half of the year has been a disappointing one for the Malta holidays industry, with a drop in tourists for the first six months of the year compared to the same period last year.

Commenting on the recently released figures showing a drop in visitors, one independent travel guide for Malta http://www.yourmalta.com believes that events like the air show should be promoted more.

'Malta needs good news', they say, 'and if potential tourists could see on a Malta map of events quality displays such as the air show it would be a good reason to visit the island.

The island needs to compete against other destinations in the Mediterranean, but while most of them are seeing an increase in visitor numbers, Malta is showing a drop'.

Many hoteliers and others in the holiday industry are hoping that cheap Malta flights might become a reality in the near future. There has been talk of low cost carriers from the UK and Ireland providing services to the island for some time now, but no deals have been struck yet.

Unemployment on the island is high at over 8 per cent, and tourism is a major employer, but many feel that the government is reluctant to see the national carrier Air Malta face potentially subsidised competiton. But by doing nothing the island faces the danger of the whole tourist industry suffering.

'Malta can be a high quality destination with low cost fares', comment the travel guide. 'We already have good accommodation like the Malta Hilton, so potentially we can do it'.

Malta is hoping that the air show is a step in the right direction.



Article Source: http://www.articles4free.com

For a destination guide about Malta and Malta properties visit www.yourmalta.com/map The guide includes the latest Malta weather and cheap holidays in Malta.

Flying with Family? Air Travel Tips

Planning a family vacation that will take you far from home? If you are, then it is quite likely that, much like millions of others, you will be booking a flight for your jaunt. And why not? After all, air travel is the quickest and, even with today’s restrictions, most convenient, cost-effective, and safe way to get where you need to go. Air travel with the whole family, especially with younger children, needs to be well planned, though, to make it an enjoyable rather than horrifying experience. From the entertainment of the kids to planning the minimum amount of interruptions or delays, a bit more thought needs to be involved.

Kids love airplanes, so if the children are older, they should be easily entertained by the experience of flight. However, smaller children, with more needs and much shorter attention spans, may require some craftiness on the part of the parent. First and foremost, anything that you think you may want to have on hand while onboard needs to be compliant with current rules and regulations of both the individual airline and the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA). Information can be found on the web, and it is generally quite current, so checking the restrictions the day before or even the day of travel can assure you that you will be allowed to board with your carry-on items. This will include toys for the kids, food items to soothe them or generally keep them sated, and so forth.

Also, air travel with the kids may need to be modified when considering the schedules the kids are used to. Smaller children are creatures of habit, and any deviation from their routine can cause quite a problem, as any parent can attest. Consider how long a particular flight may last. What is best for your family—a really long flight, or a layover in another airport? Another point of air travel that may not matter to adults, but can be a huge problem for families, is whether you want to have the children on a very crowded flight. If you would rather be on the plane with fewer people for the kids to disturb, then book accordingly. Choose off-peak times and dates for your air travel, if possible.

In the end, air travel with the children is still the best bet for going long distances. Though extra planning and possibly extra items need to be taken into consideration, air travel for the family is the absolute best way to get where you need to be, and quickly.


About the Author:

Robin Cooper wants to share her knowledge to help you book the perfect air travel vacation.

http://www.articlemaniac.com/article/50890/flying-with-family-air-travel-tips.html

Air Charter Services And It's Advantages

Though private air charter services are used extensively by business and luxury class, still the aviation through air charters is unfamiliar to many people around the globe. Air charter services are best suited to executive business travel and personal vacations, as private air charters eliminates many time-consuming formalities but still provide extra features that are to be found no where else.

It should be noticed that private air charters do not lack any facility from the conventional airlines, and air charter service providers make it dead-sure that the best facilities are offered to their customers, including, catering, food, ground facilities, and return services, etc. Let us have a detailed peep into the advantages that private air charters offer to us.

The very first advantage that almost anybody can notice in hiring the private air charters is the freedom of scheduling. Unlike conventional airlines, private air charters provide full freedom to choose the schedule of the flight. There is absolutely no limit, as most of air charter service providers have it open for seven days a week and for 24 hours a day. There are no chances of missing the flight, as it is you who have set the time of the flight, and you can alter it also, if you need to! Most importantly, there is no chance that a flight is delayed. Private air charters are singularly for your service, and they wait for your arrival before the take off!

Private air charters also provide better options for the choice of airport. This ultimately saves a lot of time in traveling through car and ground transportation. Most of the scheduled airports are crowded, but with the facility of air charter services, you can have your own preference for the airport.

Security and privacy are two other issues that are solved meticulously with air charter services. Luggage loss is a major problem in scheduled aviation, but with private air charters, you are free of such issues. If you are traveling with your office colleagues and want to discuss some plans, or want to practice for the seminar or a presentation, you have the luxury of utmost privacy and you can enjoy it to the fullest extent. If you are taking some time off from your busy life, and are traveling with your family members; traveling with private air charters would be the most stress free, enjoyable and relaxing way to travel!

No wonder that with so many options and facilities, air charter services are attracting the eyes of big organizations or corporate giants, but it still remains a quandary as why general public is not motivated by these facilities. Cost is the major factor, but those who know what they are paying for, understand that air charter services are worth their weight in gold!

About the author
Max Stephen is the author of this Private Jet Service article,

http://www.articlemaniac.com/article/30336/air-charter-services-its-advantages.html

Corporate Flight Attendant Jobs - An Alternative To Commercial Airlines

If you think that the major airlines are the only job possibilities for flight attendants, then you're missing out on one of the fastest growing areas in the aviation industry. In the wake of 9/11, many of the major airlines cut back on flights in reaction to the decreased demand for air travel among the general public. In response, many corporations have turned to either manning their own mini-air forces, or to hiring smaller airlines for their business and corporate trips. If you've never considered corporate flight attendant jobs, the differences may surprise you.

Salaries vary for corporate flight attendant jobs, but are generally better than commercial flight attendant jobs.

First, the nitty-gritty. Expect that those hiring for corporate flight attendant jobs will be looking for experienced flight attendants - two or more years in flight experience is the norm. You may need to relocate to be where the corporate flight attendant jobs are - the big jobs in corporate flying are in Los Angeles and New York. That said, the salaries for corporate flight attendants tend to run between $33,000 and $100,000 depending on the type of company for which you fly. There are several types of players in the corporate flight arena:

Fractional Operators are airlines that service several corporations, giving each business partial ownership of the airline. They'll generally pay the least of all the corporate operators, though there are exceptions. Starting salaries are in the $30,000 range, depending on flight miles logged. Many fractional operators don't require any previous corporate flight attendant training, and will train you to their own specifications. Each company has its own requirements, to which you'll have to adapt. One other advantage to working for a fractional operator is that where you live may not be as important, as they'll often allow you to airline to meet up with a plane.

Charter Operators pay a bit more as a general rule. Corporate flight attendant jobs with charter operators often offer a starting salary of $40,000. Charters let their aircrafts and crews for individual runs rather than having them on standby for part owners or full owners, therefore you're likely to log more in air hours than with either other model. The actual salary that you're offered will depend on your experience and the location of the hiring company, but the average salary for corporate flight attendants working for charter operators is $53,000.

Owner Operators are companies that own their own aircraft and staff them with their own employees. The salaries vary widely from company to company, as do the expected duties. Corporate flight attendants working for an owner operated corporate airline may make as little as $25,000 - and be expected to do everything from take dictation to serve coffee - or as much as $100,000 if they supervise other flight attendants.

One other thing that deserves mention is the possibly of flying 'contract'. Much like working long-term temp nursing or other assignments, a contract corporate flight attendant is available to work on a contract basis through an assignment agency. Pay is often $350 and up per diem when you're on assignment, and may include transportation to and from the flight's originating city and a meals allowance.

Corporate flight attendant jobs are often considered to be the elite jobs in the flight crew world. If you're interested in corporate flight attendant jobs, you'll find more information by joining a discussion forum devoted to flight attendants and crew.

About the author
Rita Henry is a contributing editor for Flight Attendant Jobs, the leading job site for the Avaition Industry.

http://www.articlemaniac.com/article/13600/corporate-flight-attendant-jobs-an-alternative-to-commercial-airlines.html

Friday, March 9, 2007

Aviation Week Site Increases Content/Improves Navigation

AVIATION WEEK, New York, the largest multimedia information and services provider to the global aviation, aerospace and defense industries, has relaunched its website at http://www.aviationweek.com. The redesign has increased the amount of available content, and improved the site's navigation to make that content more accessible.

AviationWeek.com boasts a current average of over 800,000 page views and 180,000 unique visitors per month who are predominantly executives and engineers from aerospace and defense manufacturers, airlines, armed forces, government agencies, MRO service providers, educational and R&D institutions. "The new design of our website makes it easier for these users to find the information they need, and we hope that the new content and improved navigation will attract even more visitors," said Anne McMahon, AVIATION WEEK's Director, Information Marketing. "We have added a wealth of new content and set the stage for a host of exciting new features that will change the way A&D industry professionals connect with their colleagues."

"The new AviationWeek.com is evidence of AVIATION WEEK's ongoing commitment to digital transformation," said Tom Henricks, president, AVIATION WEEK. "Our website is the world's leading online destination for aviation, aerospace and defense industry professionals, and its traffic represents a truly global audience that continues to grow."

About AVIATION WEEK

AVIATION WEEK, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, is the largest multimedia information and services provider to the global aviation, aerospace and defense industries, and includes the publications Aviation Week & Space Technology, Defense Technology International, Business & Commercial Aviation, Overhaul & Maintenance, ShowNews, Aviation Daily, The Weekly of Business Aviation, Aerospace Daily & Defense Report and the World Aerospace Database. The group's web portal, http://www.aviationweek.com, offers the industry's most reliable news, information, intelligence and features, and its Aviation Week Intelligence Network (AWIN) at http://www.aviationweek.com/awin is the industry's most integrated business tool for managers, business developers, buyers and technical professionals across the entire aviation and aerospace field. The group also produces 12 major conferences and exhibitions in the MRO, defense and programs sectors.

Information is available at http://www.aviationweek.com/conferences.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies

Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE:MHP) is a leading global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial services, education and business information markets through leading brands including Standard & Poor's, McGraw-Hill Education, BusinessWeek and J.D. Power and Associates. The Corporation has more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2005 were $6.0 billion.

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BNP/is_3_26/ai_n18619148

Australian aviation

International Civil Aviation Organisation predicts continued aviation industry growth

A forecast from the United Nations' International Civil Aviation Organisation predicts that the global passenger traffic will continue growing for the next three years.

The growth follows the recovery from the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks and the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak. The report states that the global airline passenger traffic is expected to grow by 7.6%, 6.5% and 6.2% in 2005, 2006 and 2007, respectively.

Airline travel started its recovery in the latter half of 2003, rebounding by 14% in 2004, The Associated Press reported. The rebound was partly caused by the recovery of Asia-Pacific region airlines, which were also hit the worst by the SARS outbreak. Stronger economies and sustained growth in the Middle East also aided the rebound.



http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0CWU/is_2005_July_29/ai_n14838091

Airline Customer Service Careers

The United States airline industry has gradually moved on, away from the bankruptcy of four major carriers, a few years ago. However, this also resulted in the materialization of various discount carriers that have now come to the forefront of the aviation industry. What Are The Different Job Titles In The Aviation Industry? Customer Service job opportunities in the airlines industry includes these job titles: - Ramp Agents - Customer Service Agents - Reservation Agents - Baggage Handlers - Line Service Technicians Management positions include: - Customer Service Manager - Airport Operations Manager - Station Manager Who is Hiring? The commercial carriers offer excellent employment opportunities. For customer service personnel, the turnover rate can be pretty high, depending on certain factors. These include the working conditions and the airline. While trying to identify a customer service placement in an airline, most of the time you are required to work within the airline operations. However, there are certain positions at the Airport Authority or a separate vendor within the airport. Listed below are the airlines that hire agents for customer services: Legacy Carriers: Continental, Northwest, US Air, American, Delta and United are all legacy carriers. In the US, these carriers have been of great help in setting up the aviation industry. However, only Continental and American have been able to evade bankruptcy. Therefore, pursuing a career with a legacy carrier can definitely be risky. Foreign Carriers: Depending on your choice of carrier, you are sometimes required to speak the language of the concerned carrier country, as well as English. The carriers include Mexicana, British Airways, Korean Airlines, Lufthansa, Air Canada, Japan Airlines, Air France, KLM and other flag carriers, along with the different discount carriers from various countries all over the world. Discount Carriers: Discount airlines are the best contenders today. Jet Blue and Southwest are two of the best and since both are expanding, the hiring of personnel takes place on a regular basis. Other carriers include USA 3000 and Spirit. Regional Operators: These operators act as "feeder" airlines for the bigger carriers. Regional operators include Republic, American Eagle, Great Lakes, Colgan, Shuttle America and Comair. Charter Carriers: Many airlines fly chartered flights and some even fly special scheduled flights. Charter carriers include Xtra Airways, Sun Country and Miami Air. Cargo Carriers: These carriers move goods and merchandise and even equipment, from one place to another. Job opportunities here include placement as equipment handlers and sales agents. The principal cargo companies are FEDEX, Emery Worldwide, DHL, Amerijet and UPS. In 2005, Maxjet Airways and EOS Airlines, two of the most recently launched airline carriers, indulged in a recruitment spree, prior to their first few flights. As is the case with most startups, long-term opportunity questions can never be sufficiently answered. Many new aviation ventures have been known to fail. The airline industry does provide job opportunities that are promising and stable. While the wages for those who wish to work on an hourly basis is generally low, the benefits, which include flight privileges, are fairly reasonable. Despite all these factors, the aviation industry has always been an interesting prospect for millions of people. The decrease in fuel prices and the strength of the economy have witnessed a rise in the job opportunities in customer service.

Article Source: http://articles-collections.com

About the Author

Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solution's Six Sigma Online offers online six sigma training and certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.

Tuesday, March 6, 2007

The Bulgarian Aviation in the XXI Century

The 27th of June 1947 is the beginning of the Bulgarian civil aviation when has been made the first regular passenger flight between Sofia and Bourgas, folded by years of fast development. The economical and political relationships with the Soviet Union made possible that the national airline "TABSO", then "BALKAN", could fly with the newest airplanes of the soviet air industry. Those are the "golden years" of the Bulgarian civil aviation. The economical stability of the Bulgarian people made the air transport one of the most popular transports. But after the changes in 1989 came the sunset of the Bulgarian civil aviation. The dramatic nosedive of passengers, the big prices of the oil were fatal for the Bulgarian aviation. The attempts to build private airlines were absolute failure. Typical example is the first private airline in Bulgaria - "Jes air". The attempts to reanimate the public airline BALKAN by privatization led to her failure.

But more important is the condition of the Bulgarian aviation today. It is not so black as it seems to be. The new public airline Bulgaria air slowly but effectively is taking her position in those business and is making her destination network bigger and bigger. The exploitation of new airplanes from West Europe and America instead of the old Russian increases the company image and the quality of the service. This is an important precondition for attracting passengers and successfully rivalry vs. the other operators. It is not a secret that in this moment the most important for the Bulgarian economic is the charter business. The lots of Bulgarian charter operators are taking care of the transportation of the foreign tourists to the Black Sea coast in the summer season and to the mountain resorts in the winter. For successfully rivalry those operators have very high quality of service.

In spite of all the problems are not little. The biggest one is with the percentage of the transported passengers. In the recent years man can see one bad tendency - the number of the transported passengers by foreign airlines is growing dramatic. Other problem is the old airplane park (recently solved for a little by the leasing taking of 6 to 7 Boeings and Airbuses). The chronic insufficiency of money and the absence of state help are the main reason for the bad rivalry of the Bulgarian charter operators.

To solve these problems, in 2001 is created the Bulgarian Airlines Association (ABA). Its main aim is to protect the interests of the Bulgarian operators in front of the government and to fight for their consolidation.

Here is an introduction of some of the Bulgarian airlines:

Air Sofia
Air Sofia is a private airline. It was built in 1992. The main activity of Air Sofia are the cargo and charter flights. The company operates with 6 choppers Mi-8, 1 airplane An-26, 1 L-410 and 2 An-12.

Hemus air
Hemus air is built in 1991. It makes only regular flights. It was the second biggest operator in Bulgaria but after the collapse of "Balkan" is now the biggest. It has 17 aircrafts - three Tu-134s, one L-410, seven Yk-40s, three Tu-154s and three BAe-146s. Hemus air makes flights to Varna and Bourgas (in Bulgaria) and Oslo, Leipzig, Tirana, Bucharest, Skopje, Bratislava, Beirut, Tripoli, Pristine, Larnaca, Dubai and Athens.

Bulgarian Air Charter (B.A.C.)
Bulgarian Air Charter is built in 2000. It makes only charter flights from Varna and Bourgas to West Europe. B.A.C. has six Tu-154s and two or three MD-83.

BH air
BH air is the airline of the Bulgarian biggest tour operator - Balkan Holidays. It is the biggest charter operator in Bulgaria. It has with five Tu-154s and two or three Airbus 320s. BH air delivers passengers from Birmingham, Cardiff, Bristol, Liverpool, Manchester, Edinburgh, Leipzig, Berlin, Düsseldorf and Zurich.

Viaggio air
Viaggio air was the youngest but most perspective airline in Bulgaria. It operated with only two airplanes (ATR-42) but it flew to Athens, Istanbul, Vienna and Kiev of very cheap prices (two-way ticket to Vienna costed only 199€). Not a long time ago Viaggio air was bought by another bulgarian airline - Hemus air.

Other Bulgarian airlines are: Bright Aviation Services, Inter Trans Air, Vega airlines, Heli air, Aviostart, Air Net 21(those are cargo operators) and Air Via (Via Vita Est) which is the second biggest charter operator in Bulgaria after BH air.

Article Source: http://www.articlecube.com

What We ve Learned From Birds About Flight - and Why It Took So Long

Eons ago, Zork stood outside his cave and watched a vulture spread his wings and soar off a cliff. Zork decided to try this himself. Too late, he realized that his lift to drag ratio was about zero - no lift and lots of drag - and he had the glide ratio of a brick. Zork's decedents gave up on aviation for 50,000 years.

Since humans first looked up at birds in flight, we have been trying to fly like them, often with painful or even fatal consequences. Even with the technology available today, we are just beginning to be able to apply some of the technology that has existed in birds for, oh, 150 million years, such as variable geometry wings, vectored thrust, and fly-by-wire.

To accomplish sustained flight, an object must have some means of generating lift. In airplanes, this is done by moving an airfoil shape through the air with some means of propulsion. The amount of lift generated is a function of the airfoil shape, the angle at which the airfoil encounters the air stream, and the speed at which the airfoil moves through the air.

Birds, however, have combined their lift generating and thrust producing functions into one assembly - the wings. Early observers believed that birds simply flapped their wings up and down, and that bird-like flight could be duplicated by simply flapping their arms vigorously - like Zork - or by building some kind of contraption that flapped its wings. They assumed that if a bird flew by flapping its wings, that they could too by duplicating the motion. However, they failed to understand how a bird actually flies and how much energy it would take. So "flapping" never got off the ground. Sorry about that.

Even the great Leonardo DaVinci spent many years working on totally impractical ornithopters (flapping wing) aircraft, in part because he, too, failed to understand how birds flew.

Birds fly by "flapping" their wings, true, but the actual motion and physics are much more complex. As a bird's wing moves down, the feathers also rotate downward automatically. Air is pushed to the rear (thrust) and lift is generated on the top surface. As the wing transitions to move upward, the feathers rotate in the opposite direction, producing thrust from the top surface of the wing and lift. Think of their wings as a propeller that goes 180 degrees then reverses.

Toward the end of his life, Leonardo did design a device that used a rotating screw-like structure. Igor Sikorsky, it is said, was inspired by Leonardo's work to become a world leader in helicopter development. It's worth noting that helicopter blades and propellers are really a form of screw, so Leonardo was not far off on that one. He also designed a glider which could be turned by the pilot shifting his weight, foretelling the hang glider.

Leonardo - and Zork - also failed to understand how much energy is required to take off and sustain flight. Aircraft - and birds - must generate more lift than they weigh just in order to take off. This requires the development of several enabling technologies.

The first is a light flying structure that can support its own weight while in the air. Many early craft could not. Birds have a very light structure (Thanksgiving Turkeys not withstanding) and extremely powerful muscles to power their wings. A voracious appetite for high-energy foods provides the power.

A second enabling technology was the development of an internal combustion engine that was light, yet produced enough power to move the machine fast enough to generate lift greater than weight. And higher performing engines could not be developed until higher octane fuels became available.

To illustrate the problem, the Wright Brothers' 1903 Flyer weighed 605 pounds without a pilot, and had a 12 horsepower engine. With a pilot, that's over 60 pounds per horsepower. The Cessna 172, a popular, but hardly spectacular performer, runs about ten pounds per horsepower.

But getting airborne and staying there are two different things. Whether bird or machine, a flying object must be controllable or it simply falls out of the sky. A future article will look at stability and controllability.

Bottom line - we have learned a lot from birds about flying. It just took 150 million years.

Article Source: http://www.articlesarea.com/

Gravity Prevention Anchors for Warfare

Military research is working on some pretty great technologies. Of course one of the coolest things they dream of is beating gravity. That’s right Anti-Gravity, imagine the benefits to NASA, military aviation and construction. We could build tall buildings, bridges or even Pyramids.

Anti-gravity as a weapon makes sense too. For instance take your enemy and raise their tanks and infantry up to about 100 feet? Then if they still try to fight you, well, just turn it off and they fall to the ground and splat, you win. And any army equipment dropped from 100-feet is hardly usable to the next set of enemy troops, which find broken bodies on the ground and squished military equipment, which looks like pancakes.

Not then with this technology soon to be here we must remember that our enemy will also have these technologies soon enough and thus we must prepare to counter such an ominous use over the force of the physics of gravity. I therefore propose we develop gravity anchors, which will shoot into the ground and keep the vehicle from falling or floating into the sky. All personal at the point would be advised to put on seat belts or hang on for their lives until the anti-gravity weapon device stops. Since such an antigravity device will need lots of energy chances are it cannot be used for very long. Once the enemy turns it off, you simply unhook your anchor. A good design for the anchor would be a pointed cylinder with pop out hooks. When deployed it will be shot into the ground out the bottom of the tank or vehicle straight down from the center of gravity into the ground, at which point the side hooks will be immediately deployed sideways. When picked the side hooks will retract and then the anchor will be with drawn back into its tubular storage system. This technology is only about 10 maybe fifteen years away, so we need to start thinking here.

"Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives

Article Source: http://www.articlesarea.com/

Reviews on Aviation Headsets

Trying to find the best aviation headset for you can be difficult because there are so many to choose from. The following reviews on the David Clark headset, Telex headset, and Peltor headset will help you understand better how each aviation headset works and which one is the best for you.

David Clark Headset
This aviation headset brand is very popular among pilots. David Clark headsets have been around for decades and truly offer an impeccable performance for the pilot. Both aviation headsets and electronic noise canceling headsets are available. There are many different headsets that make up the David Clark line. There are the basic headsets that are more affordable with only basic features, and then there are midline models with more features and comfort, and top of the line models as well. There are also other models that have different features and design aspects that appeal to pilots.

Telex Headset
There are a variety of Telex headsets on the market, but in general the Telex headset is a good product. Most pilots will tell you that it is nothing like the Bose headset, but since it is considerably cheaper it really does work well. These headsets work very well and are also comfortable, which is important when you are flying. The last thing you want is an aviation headset that is uncomfortable or annoying because when you are in the sky you simply want to enjoy the open air.

Peltor Headset
The Peltor headset is also available in several different styles. But all of them provide comfort to the pilot and reduced noise. There are even some Peltor headsets that offer music and cell phone capabilities, which is really cool. Many pilots enjoy these features and buy Peltor headsets because of them. Regardless, the Peltor name brand means comfortable and high functioning aviation headsets.

Which One to Choose?
Now that you have a basic review of the David Clark headset, the Telex headset, and the Peltor headset you can begin making your choice on the headset for you. Remember you should try each of them out, compare them, and consider all of your needs, including budget, before making a choice. Once you decide on the aviation headset for you it is time to buy.

You can find plenty of retailers selling any and all of these aviation headset brands. You can search the Internet to compare prices or you can find used models as well if you aren't ready to invest in a new model. There are lots of options available to you when it comes to buying an aviation headset.


Source: http://www.a1articles.com

Aviation Insurance – More Than Sky- High For The Fly Boys

Those magnificent men in their flying machines…” Ever since the Wright brothers pioneered our ascent into the skies we have strived to fly higher, faster, further with aeronautical advancements surpassing one another at an ever-increasing rate.

Taking to the skies is, of course, much more than the romantic notions upheld in quaint versions of “Up, up and Away” or “Come fly me, let’s fly, let’s fly away…” It is, for most aircraft owners, a significant part of their livelihood and not to be contemplated without the proper insurance.

Aviation insurance is different from other forms of insurance in that it is very subjective. Due to the vast array of aircraft types, uses and pilot experience, policies should always be specifically tailored to suit the unique requirements of each individual applicant. For this reason it is recommended that a broker, specialising in aviation insurance be engaged to arrange cover.

When applying for aviation insurance, several matters will be taken into account including:

• Sum insured: Aviation policies are divided into

i. Hull: The loss of or damage to the aircraft.

ii. Liability: Loss of or damage to property belonging to others and/or bodily injury to others as a result of the insured’s negligence

Aviation insurance is based on “agreed value”. This means that, in the event of a total loss in respect of the hull, the amount agreed to in the policy is what will be paid upon acceptance of the claim.

It is vital that the aircraft be insured for its true value as major difficulties can arise for the owner if the amount is under or overinsured. For example, if an aircraft is grossly underinsured, the agreed value will not be enough to enable the owner to replace it.

In the case of overinsurance, the insurer may decide to approve a lengthy repair process, costing more than the market value but less than the agreed value. This will result in major delays to plans of getting “back in the air”.

Liability is a different issue with settlements determined in most large cases by the courts.

• Type of aircraft: Generally, helicopters cost more to insure than fixed wing aircraft. Here in Australia, this is partly due to the manners in which they are employed, for example, mustering livestock and heavy industrial use.

Helicopter accidents are also more likely to result in a total loss of the aircraft than fixed wing accidents. What would seem a relatively minor “heavy landing” in a fixed wing aircraft would most likely write-off a helicopter.

The best way to ensure the lowest price possible is quoted for the aircraft, fixed wing or rotary, is to be clear with the insurer exactly what it will be used for. For business owners, it may be worthwhile considering whether diversifying from the central business function is worthwhile if diversification results in more hazardous usage of the aircraft.

• Pilot Experience: Pilot experience and qualifications are the most important aspects of determining the amount of the premium and level of coverage. In some cases, cover may not be extended if the pilot has not enough hours in the air logged.

If any persons other than the owner are to be flying the aircraft it is the owner’s responsibility to ensure all details regarding additional pilots be accurate and up to date. Inaccurate information can lead to a claim being rejected. There are basically three types of pilots able to fly the insured aircraft:

i. Owner: Self explanatory

ii. Open Pilot Warranty: The Open Pilot Warranty (OPW) is the minimum standard of requirements that must be met in order for a pilot to fly the insured aircraft. Although names of OPW pilots do not have to be notified to the insurer, it is crucial to ensure that all OPW pilots meet the requirements for the insured aircraft. Remember that the OPW for one type of aircraft may not be satisfactory for another.

iii. Named Pilots: These are persons you will be permitting to fly the aircraft but who do not meet the OPW standards. Using Named Pilots will generally mean a higher premium.

It is useful to consider the insurer’s position here. An aircraft is a high level of risk to the insurer. In order to underwrite that risk it must be worthwhile. Since most aircraft accidents are statistically due to pilot error, more premium must be charged for less experienced pilots to justify the risk.

Once cover is granted, renewal after one year is not always automatic.

As the renewal date approaches, cover is re-evaluated along with the premium. This can have a positive outcome as pilot experience and any additional training undertaken will be considered when calculating the new premium.

Overall, the main issue to be understood is that all information given regarding the aircraft to be insured and its pilot(s) is to be as accurate and up to date as possible. Whether or not this leads to a premium one may deem “cheap” is irrelevant. What is relevant is that the premium will be a true reflection of the risk.

And that is as insurance should be.

Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com

About the Author:
QuoteSphere was developed to help those that are in the middle of an insurance crisis. In the United States we have seen a continuing rise in the cost of insurance, and there seems to be no end in sight. The cost of aviation insurance has taken the largest increase at 65% in the past 3 years. www.quotesphere.com