Just when I thought there was a manageable number of acronyms in the new air taxi space, such as SATS, VLJ, and FAA, along comes a handful of new ones, brought into the limelight at aviation gatherings in Florida on June 14 and 16, 2006.  (How about NGATS, JPDO, CASA, ADS-B, GPS/WAAS, and RNP? -- more about them in a minute.)

Panelists with expertise in various aspects of air taxi activities were featured at two of these events. One was the annual meeting of FATA (Florida Aviation Trades Association) in Fort Myers with a session moderated by Dr. Ken Stackpoole of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.  The other was Release 1.0 Esther Dyson's Flight School:Air workshop in St.Petersburg devoted entirely to the air taxi market.

Most of the excitement continues to revolve around the new VLJs (Very Light Jets), some nearing FAA approval.  These will be the aircraft for new air taxi services poised for take-off soon, most notably, DayJet, which named five airports in Florida for operations beginning in the fall.  However, while the future VLJ air taxi services have been garnering much attention, operator SATSair is already providing air taxi service in the southeast with a fleet of 15 revolutionary single-engine propeller Cirrus SR22's (the parachute plane ). Most of its customers are entrepreneurs and land developers, and flights average two passengers each. In May, it flew 1000 passengers.  Any-point to any-point air taxi service does not appear to be in the immediate future -- operators are picking their airports.

Modernization of aircraft and air space management has spawned new acronyms that we'll see more and more.  The five-year SATS (Small Aircraft Transportation System) project under NASA formally ended in 2005.  More prominent and active now is NGATS (Next Generation Air Transportation System) under control of the JPDO (Joint Planning & Development Office) comprised mostly of NASA and the FAA.  Congress directed creation of the JPDO in 2003.

Upgrading from a largely analog radio ground-based, labor intensive air traffic control systems will be part of NGATS mission with technologies enabling optimal air taxi operations as well as the airlines.  See Capability Concepts on the JPDO/NGATS website.  You will be hearing more about ADS-B (Automatic Dependence Surveillance -Broadcast)  and RNP (Required Navigational Procedures), which have to do with computerizing situational awareness between aircraft in the air and on the ground, and automated flight paths, possibly replacing radar and some human air traffic control intervention/monitoring.  Mentioned more than once is that the U.S. is behind some other parts of the world in this area.
Government and the private sector collaboration takes place through the NGATS Institute, which is free and open to everyone.

WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System) satellite implementation will be one of the top enablers of air taxi operations.  WAAS takes GPS signals and significantly improves the accuracy.  Read article1 and article2 for more on RNP & WAAS, and see the FAA site for ADS-B.

Following the FATA events, CASA (Consortium for Aviation System Advancement) also held a membership meeting. This group grew from the Southeast SATSLab, which was part of the discontinued SATS project.  Directed by Ray Wabler, it is helping define what an NGATS airport would look like, and is proposing an airport classification/rating system combining letters A-F (facilities) and 1-7 (services). 

The aircraft and technology industries supplying the pieces and parts of an upgraded air travel system will need to pass FAA muster. Although this is not new, Ed Iacabucci, CEO of DayJet, made a good point at Flight School about relations with the FAA -- how they have been successful garnering favorable actions/approvals by taking a co-operative approach with proposed solutions, rather than confrontational complaining.

On a less technical note, a business idea that surfaced at the CASA meeting was of companies setting up office space at, or near, small airports.  Business people can meet face-to-face (after arriving in their air taxi) without wasted time renting cars, calling taxis, or otherwise driving back and forth to an office in town -- and then, jump in the plane and leave for their next meeting.  Timeliness rules these days.

Had enough with the acronyms?  No?  Here's more, in part, courtesy of CASA. 

 7/4/06

 
Eclipse Aviation CEO Vern Raburn and assistant Kathleen Murray flew to Flight School from New Mexico in this model 500 VLJ.  Looking it over at the final dinner-reception are a few of the 100 event attendees and host Esther Dyson (in front with all-blue attire).
 

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