Within the next few years the airline industry is expected to undergo a latter-day metamorphosis with the advent of the VLJ, a very light jet, previously known as the micro-jet.
The small jet aircraft was approved for single-pilot operation, seating 4 - 8 people, with a maximum take-off weight of 10,000 pounds.
If the Barnstable Municipal Airport plans to join Generation X airports, its terminal should be sized to accommodate smaller jets.
The VLJ is much lighter than business jets.
A number of designs are currently in development, and will feature advanced avionics with glass cockpit technology.
VLJs are intended to have lower operating costs than conventional jets, and will be able to operate from runways as short as 3,000 feet.
In the United States, where the majority of these jets are being designed, NASA and the FAA have encouraged their development and foresee their widespread use in point-to-point air taxi service.
The Small Aircraft Transportation System would provide air service to areas ignored by airlines.
These "on-demand" air taxi services depend on low cost projections and high demand to become a reality.
In total, over 3,000 VLJs have been ordered from three manufacturers alone.
Cessna received FAA certification to fly into "known icing conditions" on November 9, 2006.
Cessna received its FAA Production Certificate for the Mustang on November 23, 2006.
Eclipse Aviation, based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, has 2,500 of its Eclipse 500 aircraft on back order.
Eclipse received their full certification for their Eclipse 500 three weeks after Cessna's Mustang on September 30, 2006.
Eclipse expects to receive certification for flight into known icing conditions next month.
Eclipse has announced that they intend to deliver 515 airplanes this year and eventually plan to have a production capacity of 4 airplanes per day.
Eclipse has now received its FAA production certificate and the official delivery ceremony and keys were handed over on January 4, 2007.
Adam Aircraft announced that they have an order backlog of 282 of its Adam A700 VLJ offering.
Adam Aircraft is located in a suburb of Denver, Colorado.
Adam has a prototype plane flying now, with full certification expected in 2008. 101 copies of the Adam A700 were ordered by future air taxi provider, Magnum Jet.
"Will having a lavatory on board be the key factor in short flight success?"
Passengers needing to relieve themselves on the Eclipse 500 will be required to bring along a portable container.
Eclipse Aviation's CEO Vern Raburn suggests that most of his company's customers will be using the VLJ for short flights from 300-500 miles in length in 40-80 minutes and that the lavatory issue is not going to be a problem for VLJ customers.
Rick Adam, CEO of Adam Aviation, disagrees and says, "people are not going to get on a plane without a bathroom, at least they are not going to do it more than once".
The Adam A700 has a 7 seater configuration with rear lavatory with a privacy curtain.
The Cessna Mustang also has an emergency toilet, but it is located between the cockpit and cabin.
The Embraer Phenom 100 offers a fully enclosed lavatory with a solid door. These toilet-equipped planes are considerably more expensive than the Eclipse, but they may be preferable for owners, especially those planning on using their jet's full range.
The new air taxi service companies, which make up the bulk of the Eclipse orders, have done surveys that show that having a toilet is not a concern for most of their passengers.
The CEO of DayJet says that even if his company outgrows the Eclipse 500 in the future, he will also have his company's larger planes configured without a toilet.
Other manufacturers of VLJ’s include;
Spectrum Aeronautic; $3.65 million
Honda Aircraft; $3.65 million
Excel Jet; $1 million
Epic Aircraft; $1 million
Diamond Aircraft; $1.3 million
ATG Javelin; $2.8 million
Piper Aircraft; $2.2 million
Jetpod 200; $??
Cirrus Aircraft; $2.2 million
Viper Jet
Cruiserjet
Aerocomp Jet; $0.87 million
In addition to the multiplicity of manufacturers, many Massachusetts airports are gearing up for the VLJ’s.
Will the BMAC's monopoly on the sale of jet fuel resulting in cost prohibitive $2.00+ per gallon mark-ups keep these much quieter aircraft away from Barnstable?
A review of Massachusetts Aeronautical Commission (MAC) monthly meetings reveal that New Bedford Airport is actively pursuing extending its two runways in anticipation of expanded passenger air service.
With the prospect of a casino gambling project in the city, and a rail connection with Boston, low property values, and a never-ending supply of entry-level workers, New Bedford could become the Lost Wages of the east.
Plymouth airport is preparing for an invasion of the VLJ’s with its own expansion plans with MAC, and guess who is leading the parade?
None other that our own Dan Wolf, who plans four flights a day using VLJ’s.
Click on images to enlarge...
Plymouth’s potential foray into the airline business was discussed in MAC’s February, 2007 meeting minutes which follow;
"Mr. Welch, Executive Director of MAC, begins by speaking of noise levels at the Plymouth Airport, including those of VLJ’s…
Mr. Welch said there are times that we find out things from third parties and not from the airports themselves.
Mr. Maher indicated earlier that the type of aircraft and the type of operation could change the noise footprint at the Airport.
He said he thinks its’ 60 decibels that are considered an issue.
He asked Mr. Matt DeSorbo, the MAC’s Environmental Planner if it was 60 decibels.
Mr. DeSorbo said it was 65 decibels. Mr. Welch said we have a 75 and a 70 decibel noise line and there is a 65 decibel that is not considered to be offensive.
We are going to see more of that especially with all the press about the coming of the VLJs.
The FAR Part 77 surfaces that Mr. Adler spoke about earlier are going to become more of an issue as we get to the comment period and review period, which could take years.
Some of these things are designed for one part of the aviation community and everyone else is getting involved with it.
Mr. Adler said it’s by the strict interpretation of how they are reading it in the FAA’s environmental handbook, that there is criteria there that says by looking at it as if the noise model they use in the 17% figure had so many aircraft, it would be the operation as a whole that they would look at.
They are trying to get an understanding as to where they are coming from because any one operation if they have two aircraft and they add one, then you can easily see that you are going to see the 17% for that operation and not consider to look at how it affects the entire airport. This has been their challenge.
The good news is that the Plymouth Municipal Airport is going through this because without it, he thinks they would be at an impasse with them without this information. How other airports are going to deal with it is a good question.
Mr. Walter Morrison, the Chairman of the Plymouth Airport Commission said there are some other things there that are impacting this.
One issue that they would like to address is to tell people not to cancel in the air when they come in on an instrument approach because a Cape Approach wipes out the records.
Therefore, there would be no record of any instrument approach.When you secure an in-air cancellation, you have lost your approach.
When the Airport makes a request to the FAA for funding, they are told that they haven’t kept track of the amount of approaches into the Airport.
Chairman Allen asked Mr. Morrison if he discussed this with Mr. Dan Wolf. Mr. Morrison said he has not contacted Mr. Wolf."
It appears the FAA is on the verge of demanding 65 decibels or lower noise levels for commercial aircraft at all airports.
Are the VLJ’s the beginning of the end for the local airline’s noisy (115 decibel) Cessna 402’s?
If the flying future to Nantucket is VLJ’s will Wolf put up with paying $4.26 a gallon to buy the airport’s monopoly-priced jet fuel when he can buy the stuff for $1.89 and pump it from his own fuel tanks?
Would Dan Wolf opt to collect Passenger Facility Charges (PFC’s) and turn the revenue over to the Airport to fund its operations in exchange for the right to self-fuel his jet aircraft?
If the Barnstable Municipal Airport Commissioners (BMAC) decides to go along with Dan Wolf, and his new fleet of VLJ’s, by giving him the right to self-fuel,
what the hell are we doing in U.S. District Court defending ourselves against a Rectrix Aviation lawsuit?
If Dan Wolf intends to expand his operations to Plymouth and New Bedford using a fleet of VLJ’s, but plans to continue the use of Cessna 402’s in Barnstable, will other small airlines using VLJ’s compete for his Nantucket service at the BMAC?
I reviewed all the minutes of all of this year’s MAC meetings up until September.
The September minutes are not available, but I’ve posted the agenda for the MAC meeting.
Click on image to enlarge.
Note that the Barnstable Airport wasn’t included in the September agenda.
The only references this year to the Barnstable Airport were an approval for $8,000 to patch cracks in the runways, and a cryptic mention of the new terminal project;
"Chairman Allen said his biggest concern about getting to the Barnstable Municipal Airport is getting through the heavy traffic to get there.
He asked Mr. Richardson if this project
addresses the traffic situation.
Mr. Richardson said this project involves strictly the airside of the Airport.
They had previously looked at a by-pass road that would come in as an extension to Attucks Lane and this project is currently under grant.
They are trying to negotiate the next step for this project, which involves land acquisition and construction.
It will be necessary for them to work with the Massachusetts Highway Department (MHD) - District 5 on this effort.
He told the MAC that the Airport could use their assistance on this effort and it would be greatly appreciated.
There is also a proposal for a by-pass road that will come down along the east side of the Airport.
This concept goes back more than 10 years ago.
Mr. Welch said that the MHD, District 5 fully supports this land acquisition and construction project.
After motion duly made and seconded, it was unanimously VOTED to award the Barnstable Airport Commission state funding in the amount of $11,125 for the preparation of an Airport Master Plan & Airport Layout Plan Update."
I could find no evidence of MAC support for the new terminal in MAC meetings up until last month.
Michael Dunning and Doc Mosby must explain the need for urgency articulated in the last Council hearing.
If MAC promised money to fund the new terminal, the issue had to have been raised in secret.
Everyone else in town, including the Town Council, and the Town Manager are in the dark.
It's been six days since the October 3rd MAC imposed drop dead date. Where's the $15 million commitment from Beacon Hell?
Barnstable taxpayers and voters have a right to know what these seven appointees and their hired gun have in store for them.
In the meantime a month from now we can do something to mitigate the grip the Evil Aeronautical Empire has on us by voting YES on Question 3, and then voting for nine charter commissioners who promise to change the airport's autonomy in the next charter.
so..why do we need to spend $32 million on a new terminal?
Posted by: | October 09, 2007 at 02:24 PM
we don't the airport people want to see there name on a bronze plaque and get kick back for the Hyannis Big dig....Why elese would the keep a felon employed....
Posted by: | October 09, 2007 at 07:42 PM
"The HYANNIS BIG DIG"! What a great anology! That was classic, pure classic! Couldn't agree more!
Posted by: John Julius | October 09, 2007 at 09:27 PM
Why don't we all chip in and buy them a BIG bronze plaque. That should save us about $31 million dollars.
Posted by: | October 10, 2007 at 07:15 AM
you need to include kick backs for all of them..
Posted by: | October 10, 2007 at 08:06 AM
okay..so made we'll only save $28 million dollars, but they'll have enough money to GO AWAY.
Posted by: | October 10, 2007 at 10:36 AM
Let me understand this:
We settle with Retrix. Allow self-fueling of jet fuel. We impose passenger embarkation fees. And, we herald in a whole new era of air travel.
We get less noise, less pollution and more traffic.
How do we as residents lose?
Posted by: | October 10, 2007 at 10:39 AM
jets to nantucket is never going to happen.....less noise...never going to happen,,,,allow every one to sell jet fuel...the compitition should happen...East hamption, NY now has helo services check into their noise problems....And watch Hyannis start this service....Good luck.
Posted by: | October 10, 2007 at 11:29 AM
If Dan Wolf is asking for five VLJ flights a day into Plymouth Airport, why wouldn't he want to use those same aircraft for Hyannis to Nantucket flights?
Posted by: | October 10, 2007 at 11:40 AM
Plymouth there is no market for flights into Plymouth unless there is a casino to handle and the time shares will handel that market like they do in groton.
Posted by: | October 10, 2007 at 11:50 AM
asked who???
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