China Will Take Our Corporate Jet Manufacturing Sector

One by one China has been taking our major industries from us. Often they borrow our technology, a.k.a. proprietary information theft, then copy our best technologies and sell them back to us, and to the rest of the world at the same time. But in reality, should we really be blaming China?

After all, China is doing what’s in its best interests. No, I’m not letting them off the hook for patent piracy, that is quite unfortunate, and although they don’t have a cultural basis for seeing things the way we do, they still operate in the same global trading realm, and they ought to follow the rules.

Rather what I’m saying is we shouldn’t blame China because here the United States we are our own worst enemy. When the United States makes an enemy anywhere in the world with any other government, China runs over and makes a friend, they replace us, and they gain a new trading partner. Therefore by our own stringent rules, we are alienating foreign governments that were once our best trading partners, or our friends and allies.

Indeed, I would submit to you we are doing the same things with our major corporations. Our government, specifically the Obama Administration, and our president himself has made those that own corporate jets look as if they are wasting money, and singled out those who fly on those corporate Jets as part of the top 1% of the rich folks who are hoarding the economic prosperity of our country.

Now then, I know this plays very good to his voter base and to the unions who claim that corporate executives are paid far too much.

No one can disagree that often corporate executives are paid too much, but that isn’t for the president to decide nor the American people, rather that is the shareholders and owners of the company’s decision.

Because we’ve been so hard on corporate aviation, we’ve essentially killed the industry, now that it is hurting, China sees an opportunity to come in and buy it on the cheap. In essence they will steal some of our technology, buy some of it, and they will in the end own all of that industry.

There was an interesting article in Aviation Today on November 14, 2012 titled; “Cessna, CAIGA Form Joint Venture for Citation Jets in China,” which stated; “Cessna formed a joint venture with China Aviation Industry General Aircraft Co. (CAIGA) to conduct final assembly of Cessna Citation jets for customers in China.”

Interestingly enough the Wichita Business Journal had an article on November 13, 2012 titled; “More than 8,000 Chinese intend to buy business aircraft,” by Daniel McCoy, which to me sounded about right. Remember there is much pent up demand in China, as previously private aircraft ownership wasn’t permitted, and then later only rarely.

I’d say it is our own darn fault for allowing this to happen, and it’s too bad because in the United States we make the best business aircraft and jet aircraft anywhere in the world. And now we are working to turn the whole industry over to China who will produce these aircraft in mass for their own market, and then turn around and sell them to the rest of the world, including here the US. Do you have any idea how many high-tech jobs we have in general aviation today?

Well, I guess it doesn’t matter that you don’t know the answer to that question, as we won’t have those jobs tomorrow, and we can thank ourselves for selling out this industry and putting it into a tailspin. Please consider all this and think on it.

Quiet Corporate Jets – The Ultimate Challenge For Aerospace Engineers, What About The Inside?

Not long ago, I was talking with a Beverly Hills CA resident who said they were working to limit the jet traffic at Santa Monica airport to only daytime flights. Airport noise is a common challenge these days as so many suburban and urban areas with their sprawl-like growth has encroached on areas once considered buffer zones.

As real estate becomes more costly, builders get closer and closer to airports. This presents safety issues as well as noise concerns, even if the airport was there first. Let’s talk about modern corporate jets and noise, but let’s turn this debate inside out, what about those flying inside the aircraft only a few yards from the jet engines?

There was an interesting article in Bloomberg “Aerospace Section” on December 16, 2013 titled “Silence Is Golden on Luxury Private Jets,” which stated;

1.) Billionaire owners spare no expense in reducing noise levels

2.) It can actually make a long flight more uncomfortable

On the second point the article explains that when you bring down the hum of the engine noise and noise of interior systems like refrigerators and air-conditioning units, other noises become noticeable, plastic rubbing together, or drum like sounds inside. This is counter-intuitive but makes sense.

Ironically, one of the largest corporate jets in the World carries a passenger who has been highly outspoken against such luxuries, Barack Obama, which many in the corporate aviation sector label as an unbelievable hypocrite with such divisive class warfare talk, especially considering the gentleman also talks about high-tech corporate jobs, which aviation manufacturing certainly is, and something the US is currently by far the best in the world at.

Interestingly enough, there are new strategies for dealing with noise and sleeping in modern high-tech homes, noise cancellation strategies, which work on Bose Principles for cancelling out sound waves made from such things as refrigerators and air-conditioning units – that I would assume aerospace sound engineers are also considering – although I’ve been unable to confirm it.

Anyone designing modern jet engines for aircraft or other uses is concerned with the noise, and great expense has gone into limiting the noise, ask anyone in the industry, even read some of NASA and the FAA’s reports on NextGen for general aviation.

The military aircraft designers are also fully engaged from fighters to transport aircraft, and from helicopters to UAVs – less noise means less chance of being heard and targeted by ground fire and shoulder launched (man-pads) SAMs (surface-to-air-missiles).

Also the military wants to protect the ears of the pilots, passengers and ground crew to prevent tinnitus which can lead to brain problems later. It’s a serious issue both outside noise and inside noise, so if you want to come up with a game-changing technology, put your mind on this problem. Please consider all this and think on it.

Additional Article Citation and Note: According to the NoiseBusters (trademark) website; “With jet engines emitting from 120 to 150 decibels of noise, airport professionals need the best possible hearing protection.”

Titanium and Jet Engines

Owing to their strength, resistance to corrosion and their ability to withstand high temperatures without getting deformed, titanium alloys are used to make critical parts of aircraft, rockets and missiles among others. One important application of this metallic material is in the manufacture of jet engines.

The jet engine is the lifeblood of today’s modern jet. It moves the aircraft forward and powers many of the jet’s other systems. It works by drawing in air while the jet is moving, compressing it and mixing it with fuel. The heated fuel produces a gas which is ejected, causing the aircraft to move forward at great speed.

Although initially designed in 1921, it was not until 1942 that the first American jet engine was made. Today’s engines weigh over 10,000 pounds and produce over 100,000 pounds of thrust.

Because a standard jet engine may have as many as 25,000 parts, it takes about two years to assemble and a testing period of five years before it is actually used commercially. A large part of that is made of titanium.

Over 65 percent of all titanium metal produced is incorporated into the construction of aircraft frames and engines. When Lockheed first produced the SR-71 ‘Blackbird’ in the early 1960’s, 85 percent of the plane was constructed from titanium that was smuggled in from the former Soviet Union.

That set the pace for many other commercial and military aircraft construction. Anywhere between 18 and 146 metric tons of titanium is used in the manufacture of most aircraft today.

This is especially important in the construction of jet engines which features rotors, hydraulics, nacelles and compressor blades. Almost 50 percent of all alloys used in aircraft parts utilize the titanium alloy 6AL-4v.

To suck in large amounts of air, the jet engine has a large spinning fan with titanium blades. These blades not only increase the engine’s efficiency but reduce noise. Other titanium-made components are the compressor and combustion chamber.

As David Harris of eNotes.com describes, “The intake fan at the front of the engine must be extremely strong so that it doesn’t fracture when large birds and other debris are sucked into its blades.”

Jet engines are made to withstand great temperatures, pressures and the stress associated with both. The middle compressor of these engines are made of aluminum but once the air and fuel mixture reaches the high pressure and high temperature section, the combustor, its chamber and turbine blades are constructed from nickel and titanium alloys. The most intense heat of the engine is felt here.

Harris continues, “Often, both the combustion chamber and the turbine receive special ceramic coatings that better enable them to resist heat. The inner duct of the exhaust system is crafted from titanium while the outer exhaust duct is made from composites – synthetic fibers held together with resins.”

Amazing, isn’t it? So the next time you see a jet, think about titanium – a space age metal that has a thousand and one uses.

Corporate Jet Owners Don’t Want to Be Tracked Either – Surprised?

Not long ago, I was talking to a wannabe private investigator and she was dead set on going after corporate criminals. Of course private investigators try to use all the tools at their disposal, and some of them who are less than scrupulous do not always follow the code of conduct known to private eyes.

Nevertheless, these days there is a ton of information online, and big data can take care of the rest. We shouldn’t be so surprising that corporate executives don’t much like being tracked, but let’s go ahead and discusses we might.

Obviously, many citizens and Internet users of social networking websites are quite concerned with all of the data tracking these days. They are worried that wherever they go with their cell phones they are being GPS’ed and tracked perhaps for reasons of marketing and advertising, but that doesn’t make it any more ethical. Many of these corporate executives, and the wealthy 1% don’t much appreciate having their corporate jet flights tracked either. Oh, you didn’t hear about that?

Well, there was an interesting article in this long debate and saga which was published in the Wall Street Journal way back on April 19, 2013 titled; “Why Jet Owners Don’t Want to Be Tracked,” by Mark Maremont and Tom McGinty.

The article noted that many activists were tracking oil company executives, and we’ve also read in the past where investors were tracking corporate executives to see which cities they went to. Perhaps they might have flown to a city where there are many corporate headquarters, and this might give the investors or stock market players an idea of which companies they might be investing in.

This of course gives the stock investors an unfair advantage because whatever the target merger and acquisition might be, their stock might rise drastically. There’s money to be made there. Then there are also challenges with terrorism, and kidnappings.

If a corporate jet from General Motors, General Electric, Boeing, Dow chemicals, or any of the oil companies is going to a specific airport in a specific country, those arrival times would be known because they would file a flight plan with the Federal Aviation Administration. If all of that was made public record, the terrorists or kidnappers could be waiting to kidnap the corporate executives and hold them for ransom.

Interestingly enough, you and I are more worried about someone tracking us to sell us advertising or doing a little marketing, or perhaps the future of the Gestapo where government becomes more like the visions portrayed in the movie 1984.

Everyone has different reasons for not wishing to be tracked. Many movie stars, sports athletes, and even racecar drivers (as the article pointed out) are quite worried about the overzealous paparazzi and fans trying to get autographs or impede their travels.

It’s serious business, especially when it comes to corporate jet and private jet itineraries. No wonder the aviation sector is up in arms about allowing all of this information to become public. Indeed I hope you will please consider all this and think on it.