The “Long Ranger” Rides High in Value

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In the midst of all the usual confusion with the economy, real-estate woes and the subprime lending practices offering fuel for a possible recession, general and corporate aviation value trends continue to remain generally stable. Even the nearly $100 per barrel price for crude oil seems to get at the most a raised eyebrow at the pump. After a possible grumble, it’s wheels up, and life goes on. It’s the American way.
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World Fuel to Acquire AVCARD

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The upcoming merger between World Fuel Services (WFS) and AVCARD is expected to generate significant growth opportunities for both companies. “We will now be able to market our flight support and third-party services to all of AVCARD's customers, while at the same time providing AVCARD's robust data capture and reporting solution to our current customers, as well as those of our strategic partners,” said Paul H. Stebbins, WFS chairman and CEO, in a company statement.
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Signature's Portfolio Bulges with New FBO Acquisitions

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Signature Flight Support's acquisition spree passed new milestones this fall. In October, Signature acquired Marathon Flight Services at Kissimmee, Fla., Gateway Airport and Carolina Air Center in Hilton Head, S.C. This month, Signature announced it had acquired Regent Aviation's FBOs in St. Paul and at the Rochester International Airport in Minnesota.
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Identifying Expansion Opportunities in the Middle East

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Sales of aircraft at this week's Dubai Airshow have already exceeded $75 billion and are a fresh indicator of business aviation's fast-paced growth in the Middle East. "Interest in Boeing Business Jets and VIP models continues to grow in the Middle East, and, in fact, 29 percent of our customer reside there, followed by 26 percent in North America and 23 percent in Europe," says Vicki Ray, a Boeing spokeswoman.
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Bombardier's Learjet NXT Reels in Letters of Intent

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Bombardier's new Learjet NXT product was launched less than one month ago, and the midsize aircraft has already generated more than 65 letters of intent. In size, the aircraft falls between Bombardier's $13.3 million Learjet 60XR and $21 million Challenger 300. It seats eight passengers, has a 3,000-nm range, a high-speed cruise of Mach 0.82, and a transcontinental range pushing 3,000 nautical miles.
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Avfuel's Creativity Enhances FBO Visibility

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FBOs seeking to refuel their business development efforts consistently have access to new tools, thanks to Avfuel, a fuel source and a provider of unique marketing support for FBOs. AVCLUB, a program launched this year for Avfuel's FBOs and pilots, is an online forum that enables pilots to earn and monitor AVTRIP Points, which accumulate toward savings bonds, and discounted rates on industry magazines and AC-U-KWIK books.
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PFM and ARINC Develop New Automated Management Features

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Professional Flight Management recently announced that it is working with ARINC Direct to jointly develop technology solutions that automate flight management departments. Projects under way include enabling PFM to display domestic and international off/on position reports directly from ARINC, with automated updates; enabling PFM to pull online fuel data from ARINC Direct; and enabling PFM customers to request and display ARINC Direct flight plans without leaving PFM.
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Worldwide Sales Boost GA’s Record-Breaking Growth

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Honeywell’s 2007 Business Aviation Outlook forecasts the delivery of approximately 14,000 new business aircraft through 2017, generating industry sales of $233 billion. For this year alone, the delivery of more than 1,000 new business jets was forecasted –up from 861 in 2006. Next year 1,300 deliveries are expected.
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U.S. Stock Jitters Ripple Through Global Markets

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If there were any question that amergence of a global economy is a reality, one would only have to look at the impact U.S. markets had on global markets during the second week of August. The jitters experienced in U.S. markets with noticeable declines in a wide range of stocks set a rippling effect into world markets. While negative speculation created a wave of sell-off frenzies, the seasoned investor, like a professional pilot flying through unexpected turbulence, remained steady knowing their knowledge, expertise and skills would see them through into calmer air. Behind every cloud is a silver lining. As markets recover from a case of jitters, it is a proven fact a global market does exist even though each market is an independent entity. The good news is products and services remain strong, and the opportunity for economic growth is limitless.
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Multi Service Aviation Expands Line of Services

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U.S. Bank's acquisition of Multi Service Aviation (MSA) in 2005 has given pilots access to a greater range of services, according to Jill M. Heisterkamp, MSA's communications and media manager. U.S. Bank products accessible to the general aviation industry include business equipment leasing, corporate banking, treasury management, corporate and purchasing cards -- such as the Voyager Fleet Card. Look for details on these products at this year's NBAA show.
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The Impact of the Atlantic-Mercury Merger

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On the heels of the merger between Atlantic Aviation and Mercury Air Centers Inc., Atlantic is working to rollout Atlantic Awards, its loyalty program for pilots, across the new organization, says Sue Sommers, Atlantic’s vice president of sales and marketing. This is one of the few changes that the merger is expected to have on Atlantic's service package, Sommers says.
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FBOs Find Success with Sport Programs

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FBOs across the country that are offering new training programs for sport licenses are attracting a special genre of recreational pilots. The two-year-old sport program at St. Charles Flying in St. Louis "adds a new dimension to our school," says Dennis Bampton, president of St. Charles Flying. "We have graduated 34 new sport pilots and currently have 10 additional students enrolled in our sport program. We are trying to appeal to older individuals who have always wanted to fly."
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Cirrus' "The Jet" Is Halfway Through Development

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Cirrus unveiled the mock-up of its single-engine personal "The Jet" earlier this summer, but a flying prototype is still in the works. Key advantages of the new concept include one pilot, extensive cubic feet for passenger use, a top speed of 300 knots and a range of 1,000 nm. The current price is in the $1 million range. A unique configuration of aircraft parts makes this concept particularly innovative, says Mike Van Staagen, vice president of Cirrus' Advanced Development Group.
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