The higher we soar the smaller we appear to those who cannot fly
A long time ago a Lockheed Constellation took off from the Detroit airport one evening bound for Miami. In a window seat over the wing sat a young teenage boy on his very first flight.
The plane roared into life and was soon above the moonlit clouds, blue fire belching from all four of her mighty engines. It was if one was doing a shift in a steel mill on the night shift.
It was a mighty aluminum work horse of the sky, droning every southward, until at one point the air became laden with humidity and the penetrating perfume of tropical night blooming flowers. We had landed in Miami and all the opulent ladies with fur stoles now departed their seats carrying their north country badges of honor draped over their arms.
The kid got up, too, and stepped into a wonderland only previously existing in the imagination of a Michigan farm boy. Orville and Wilbur were right, men were meant to fly.....and I thought so, too!!
Little could I know that my future in aviation would hold an array pf exciting and powerful adventures working daily in the marketing of business jets for the Boeing Company, and subsequently traveling the world for another European aerospace powerhouse responsible for competitive intelligence.
In the perfect role, a business aircraft can serve as a dominating business tool, providing competitive advantages that are dramatic force multipliers. And as I continue to develop additional business ventures to add to my current menu of activities, I see a capable aircraft playing a pivotal role in enabling my plans to become successful realities.
So, at this point I want to share some of the options I am considering. The vision of this hardware representing my companies is something tangible that serves as a reminder of what all the daily hard work is really for. Now, I state the future in those terms because I believe we all respond much more positively to tangible goals than those that cannot be quantified so succinctly. Even if it's the desire and ability to serve others that is really at the root of why we show up each and every day.
Prior to our response to Covid 19, I attended several aviation shows and began my analysis of mission capabilities and unraveling the total cost picture, to reverse engineer the business income required to own and operate specific aircraft platforms. I can tell you that my Dad, who was a Piper Cub pilot, would be absolutely amazed at how far aviation technology has come over the decades.
I have discovered that different aviation manufacturers all have different corporate cultures and I feel myself being drawn strongly by the individual professionals of specific companies much more so than other competitors. With that being said, I have determined over the years that there comes a point in the evaluation process when 'picking your dance partner' is the right move for me to make, and so the ensuing continuing evaluation is focused on dethroning your initial selection.
If I had to decide today on a manufacturer, it would be Embraer from Brazil. And I have provided photos and videos here of the two models that may make the most sense for my startup operations; the Phenom 100EV and the Phenom 300E. In truth, photos don't capture the magic that surrounds these aircraft like a kind of mystical aura that can only be absorbed in person. And I have.
Now, on the other side of the turbine engine coin are a number of amazingly capable turboprop planes that can achieve near jet-like speeds and altitudes. And they can do it for a fraction of the operating cost of jet engined aircraft. So.......the plot thickens. Some can even rival or exceed the purchase cost of the entry level Phenom 100EV........gees, just when you thought you had things figured out!!
So I am once again looking forward to the next humongous show the NBAA (National Business Aircraft Association) promotes in Las Vegas. This one is Big folks.......displays completely fill the cavernous Convention Center, and with so many aircraft on display at the Executive Airport it's just about impossible to see everything even over the course of many days.
But everyone there is excited.......the air is filled with unbridled expectant enthusiasm, from both attendees and display staff. And just like the Paris Air Show and the other at Farnboro in England, many of the displays also feature their own hospitality chalets, with the best food morsels and an array of libations along with very comfortable negotiating atmospheres.
I'll keep you posted on developments and upload more photos and videos of the contenders.
Great to have you along on this epic journey.......fasten your seat belts and hang on!!!
All the best.............Trey
1 Comment
Wow, do you have the jet yet? Do you have a pilot’s license? Great adventure. Nice to see your volunteer rewards. Best wishes to you always.