Jetsocks

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?

The simplicity of the JetSocks System seemed to catch most people we met at the RAA Convention a little off guard. It’s not often that a new product is introduced in this industry that is so fundamentally, well, simple. In discussions between convention days, Damon and I were actually thinking of ways to complicate things in order to stimulate longer Q & A sessions with potential customers. We were able to laugh with a few of you about this and were forced to explain that JetSocks really is this simple. More than once, a new contact finally shrugged his shoulders and enjoyed the fact that JetSocks may be the one product made for airplanes that is just plain easy. I assure you that simplicity is the end to which we work on your behalf every day. We want JetSocks to be the one aspect of your winter operations on which you can rely every morning.

At the conference, we also learned more about the way operators look at their day-to-day operations in winter months. During one conversation, somebody made a statement that stuck with me. When asked by a co-worker how much money he thought they wasted each year on de-icing, one man simply replied, “It depends on how bad a winter we have.” This is one of the most important things that the JetSocks System addresses: unpredictability. Allowing operators to reliably get more winter originators out on time provides them tremendous control over an aspect of daily operations that was unheard of until now. You know the impact a late originating flight has on the day’s schedule. Now envision a scenario in which you have more aircraft in position, fewer displaced passengers and crews, maximization of duty times, saved fuel, improved maintenance costs, and you are able to wave as you pass the competition languishing in line for the de-ice pad while your flight leaves as scheduled.

A quick note about the environment: environmental concerns grabbed more attention at the conference than we expected. The traveling public increasingly expects our industry do more to protect the areas in which we operate. In addition to the cost savings, JetSocks provides dramatic environmental benefits including radically reduced levels ADF and less fuel burned by both aircraft and GSE. Plus, JetSocks are made from a 100% recyclable material. You CAN be Green. We think you should brag about it.

If we missed you at the conference or if you have additional questions, send us an email or give us a call. We look forward to cultivating all of the relationships we started and we hope you will be in touch and allow us to help you save money. Take control of your winter operations. Do it with JetSocks.