What's an LSA?

The LSA market -- or Light Sport Aircraft -- has arrived. And Phoenix East Aviation has 10 of the new Cessna C-162 Skycatchers on order already for flight training. 

With Cirrus and Cessna aircraft manufacturers both entering this field, it's clear that the "sport" market is hot.  The availability of technology in these aircraft is awesome: the latest materials and avionics are found in LSAs that used to be found only in business jets.  The selection in avionics ranges from a few standard gauges to glass avionics by Garmin.  It seems LSAs are incorporating some of the best characteristics of full sized aircraft, including adding the best avionics available ... with the result being a cutting-edge aircraft that is excellent for both a training aircraft (especially in the case of Cessna's C-162 model that Phoenix East has ordered) and for the recreational pilot to own.

Ask Phoenix East about our fleet of aircraft.  As a student you will fly single engine Cessna C-172SP (many equipped with glass cockpits), the new Diamond DA-42 twin engine marvel (PEA is taking delivery now ofthe five aircraft ordered), the aerobatic 8-KCAB for upset recovery training -- and soon also the C-162 Skycatcher. Call PEA and talk to an Admissions Officer about how soon you can start your training or check out our web site at www.pea.com. Phone 1-800-868-4359 toll-free in the U.S. or 1-386-254-6842 worldwide.

Why Do Airlines Merge?

The big news this week in aviation circles is the proposed merger between Delta Airlines and Northwest Airlines. If government regulators at the U.S. Justice Department approve this deal, it will make the Delta-Northwest combination the world's biggest carrier.

Since you want to be part of this exciting industry and make it your career, it would be helpful for you to understand a little about why airlines merge. Mergers are intended to achieve several goals. They can widen route networks, attract more high-profit corporate travel contracts and also strengthen pricing power through their stronger market positioning. Plus mergers can bring important cost savings -- from optimizing the combined aircraft fleets to streamlining (saving money) on reservations systems, technical systems and administrative functions.

In the  case of the Delta-Northwest merger, Delta's chief executive officer said that the combined carrier would be aable to reduce its costs by $1 billion a year, plus push more of its capacity to high-profit international markets -- and offer a huge network, with service to more than 400 cities in 67 countries. If the deal does get approved by government regulators, full consolidation of the two companies is not expected to be complete until 2012.

What's next: United Airlines and Continental? Or United and US Airways?

How Safe Is Flying?

Just in case your parents are concerned about safety and flying, here is an excellent (quantifiable and verifiable) statistic to convince them that a career as a pilot is indeed safe:

In May 2006, Mr. Nicholas Sabatini, the FAA's chief safety official, gave a speech to an audience of international air safety investigators. As part of his speech, he made safety statistics meaningful: He said that if you flew on a U.S. jet once a day, every day, 365 flights a year, it would be 43,000 years before you had a 50-50 chance of being in a fatal crash.  In other words, the risk is almost zero.

Regional Airlines - Important to Aviation and New Pilots

Regional airlines may quite likely be your first job as a young professional pilot. They have become very important partners to the major or legacy airlines. Regionals carried 156 million pasengers in the US in 2006, with 14,000 flights per day. This accounts for 50 percent of the US domestic schedule. Nearly one in four airline passengers travel on regional airlines.

The regional airlines typically serve smaller cities and feed passengers to the larger legacy airlines. An example is SkyWest, which operates 60% of its flights on behalf of Delta and 40% for United. SkyWest also devotes 15 of its 436 aircraft to Midwest Airlines. The company also purchased Atlantic Southeast Airlines (ASA) in 2005.

Some 40 percent of the US commercial airline fleet is operated by regionals airlines with its 1,700 jets and 1,100 piston and turboprop aircraft.

For new pilots looking for opportunities with airlines, this is especially important: Each additional regional jet requires seven to nine new pilots -- and in the national/regional airline sector, 28 of 34 airlineswere hiring in 2007. Of the major/legacy airlines, 11 of 15 were hiring last year.

Airlines Say Major Issue is Shortage of Pilots

As part of the commercial airline industry forecast for 2008, presidents of airlines were asked what are the major issues currently facing them. Here's what they said:

Peter Bowler, President, American Eagle: "The industry will face pilot staffing issues in the next year".

Chuck Howell, President, Great Lakes Airlines: "The industry will face the following three issues this year: fuel, pilots and consolidation."

Michael Magnusson: President, Saab Aircraft Leasing: "The pilot shortage is a real problem and holding regionals back in many instances, not only in the US, but worldwide."

John Moore, President, ATR North America: "The other big issue is associated with finding and keeping qualified people, especially pilots and engineers..."

John Sullivan, President, CommutAir: "Availability of pilots."

Joe Randell, President and CEO, Air Canada Jazz: "Pilot shortage."

To find out more about pilot training and a career as an airline pilot, contact Phoenix East Aviation. Ask to speak to an Admissions Officer (phone 1-386-258-0703 worldwide or 1-800-868-4359 in the US) for details or go to www.pea.com.

Japan Set to Start Manufacturing Jet Aircraft

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries expects to announce this week that the company plans to move forward with its Mitsubishi Regional Jet, a 96-seat, single-aisle plane. The jet will use new engine technology and new manufacturing methods that the company hopes will allow it to leapfrog existing regional jets.  The company is reported to have lined up financial and technical support from Toyota Motor Corp, Boeing and Pratt & Whitney jet engines.

Regional jets are smaller commercial planes with a range of about 2,000 miles. In recent years, airlines around the world have rushed to purchase these smaller jets. It is not clear at this point whether Mitsubishi would next move into building larger jets. The company is reported to be firming up orders from All Nippon Airways, Japan Airlines, and Vietnam Airlines.