Our local NPR station did a great piece on the Delta Heritage Museum (listen here.)
Listening to the conditions the passengers endured in the DC-3, it makes all those Indiana Jones scenes where he flies from the US to 5 points on the globe before he gets to his destination seem a tad less glamorous.
This weekend I had the privilege of observing operations at a couple of airports in the Southeastern United States. The weather in this region over the weekend was typical of this time of year. Relatively mild afternoons (high 40s fahrenheit) bracketed by crispy, cold nights that just barely make the freezing mark. We all know what this means for morning operations: frost. I was able to witness first hand a dozen airplanes cast in to the “delayed†category for nothing more than a than a slight lack of degrees during the night.
As we spread the word of the JetSocks Delay Prevention System (DPS), I have admittedly been looking forward to this fall’s first freeze coming my way, so I was ready to observe. It came and went and I was able to watch and learn just as I had hoped. Above all else there was one thing about the frost event that I witnessed this morning. Bare in mind that this very same event occurs all over the globe on far more mornings than I get to see and be a part of, but fortunately our solution works for every single one of them.
The scene is an outstation airport with no deicing capability. Departure scheduled for 9:30 a.m. and a really nasty layer of frost on everything sitting on the ramp, airplane included. So the crew did the only thing that they could do: wait. The temperature when the crew arrived at about 8:45 was reported at 29 degrees fahrenheit and there was a high overcast. The short version of the story was that the flight finally left at nearly 11 A.M, almost two hours late. Two hours. If you’re reading this then you know what two hours means to the rest of your day’s operations, but that’s not really what I want to point out about today.
Today was no different than dozens and dozens of other days at any given station. The story above makes it clear that a bad layer of frost can stick with you far into the morning; it doesn’t just magically vanish with the daybreak. Without JetSocks, your pre-dawn flights are obviously going to fall victim to frost like this, but let me ask you: how many departures do you have scheduled before 8:30 or 9:00 in the morning? Flights just like the one in our story that end up late because it can take hours, not minutes, for the sun to solve your problem. Were this particular flight protected by JetSocks it would have left on time. No ifs, ands, or buts. On time out, on time off, and on time in. And all with no extra ground crew.
There simply isn’t a need to accept these types of delays any longer. Let me put it this way: winter departures on time — no extra ground crew, no deicing fluid. Sound good? Contact us today to learn how we can save your company money. It really is that simple. Kind of exciting, isn’t it?
I was interviewed on Atlanta Business Radio this week. Check out the interview here. The good stuff (i.e. my part of the interview) starts around 21 minutes in. Many thanks to Amy Otto and Lee Kantor of Atlanta Business Radio.
The FAA has updated it’s regulations (parts 91 subpart F, 125, 135) that allowed airlines to fly with “polished frost”. Operators are now required to ensure all flying surfaces are clear from frost accumulation before take-off, where until now if the frost was light and smooth, they could fly.
The FAA says there are 4 ways to comply with the new rules.
We are partial to #4, obviously. Wing covers are the only preventative measure of the four that is reasonable. Deicing, hangaring, or waiting for the frost to melt all cost extra time and money. Wing covers are the way to go, and go on-time.
The new regulations go in to effect January 20, 2010. That’s less than 2 months.
Contact us today to get started with your wing cover lease and easily be compliant with the new regulations.
Source: Aviation Week