European future - airspace restrictions, user fees, and FWI

Many of us have been fascinated with the air-car concept including me,
and I've been keeping a close eye on the companies working on it (Moller
not included!) Terrafugia (www.terrafugia.com) is working on a
"conventional" folding aircraft and pal-v in the Netherlands are working
on a convertible autogyro concept (http://www.pal-v.com) that looks
pretty cool.

There are a couple of items of the pal-v website that drew my ire as an
American private pilot:

1. The website describes 4000 feet and above as "commercial airspace"
and that could give the uninitiated a sense that it's some sort of
forbidden area where "regular folk" can't or shouldn't go. It might be
regulated airspace in Europe but it's important for us to maintain that
the default should be freedom to airspace with regulation of airspace
put in for safety of traffic management management only. The way
airspace is discussed on this website exposes the kind of thinking that
has strangled personal flying in Europe and is slowly encroaching on
pilots in the US.

2. They are trying sell the dream of personal flight and go through "a
day with the PAL-V" (http://www.pal-v.com/index2.php?page=busy&c=) with
a minute by minute account of a business day that includes flights from
Santa Monica to San Diego then San Francisco and back to Santa Monica.
Repeatedly and casually included in this future vision are take off and
landing user fees. They mention paying user fees no later than the
second paragraph. Arghhhh! Noooo! BAD IDEA!!!

3. Thought this little gem from that same narrative was too good not to
sha "After some internal office work and emails you receive your
customer with a small ***drink*** in the office bar at 17:00. You
discuss tonight’s football match. Client is very passionate about football.

You excuse yourself and call your friend at the big telecoms company who
had offered you tickets for the match. He still has 2 available and you
invite your customer to the match in San Diego. He smiles and says
“Yeah, of course…”. You convince your customer of the possibilities and
invite him into the backseat of your PAL-V.

You leave at 18:30, arrive at the airstrip at 18:47, unfold, check and
take off at 18:57 for San Diego...."

So to sum up, an organization that is supposedly selling the future of
flying thinks we should be more restricted by airspace, pay user fees,
but should be able to fly passengers in their machine less than two
hours after drinking. Oh boy...

-Aviv

So to sum up, an organization that is supposedly selling the future of
flying thinks we should be more restricted by airspace, pay user fees,
but should be able to fly passengers in their machine less than two
hours after drinking. Oh boy...

Sounds like this company needs you to demonstrate that plasma mag-lev
device you brought to the Pool Party a couple of years ago!

:-)

I'd still be demonstrating it, were it not for that little 3-year-old
brat who broke it. (Thankfully with the power off!)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Jay Honeck wrote:
So to sum up, an organization that is supposedly selling the future of
flying thinks we should be more restricted by airspace, pay user fees,
but should be able to fly passengers in their machine less than two
hours after drinking. Oh boy...

Sounds like this company needs you to demonstrate that plasma mag-lev
device you brought to the Pool Party a couple of years ago!

:-)

I'd still be demonstrating it, were it not for that little 3-year-old
brat who broke it. (Thankfully with the power off!)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"


If the power supply is still working, all you need is 15 minutes and
some balsa wood, superglue, aluminum foil and speaker coil wire from the
Shack.

I can't wait to see if it's possible to make those things practical :-)

-Aviv

Aviv,

1. The website describes 4000 feet and above as "commercial airspace"
and that could give the uninitiated a sense that it's some sort of
forbidden area where "regular folk" can't or shouldn't go. It might be
regulated airspace in Europe

It's not.

Repeatedly and casually included in this future vision are take off and
landing user fees.

They seem to be rather clueless.

3. Thought this little gem from that same narrative was too good not to
sha "After some internal office work and emails you receive your
customer with a small ***drink*** in the office bar at 17:00.

Nice...

So to sum up, an organization that is supposedly selling the future of
flying

If they are as clueless about building their product as they are about
flying, they'll be lucky to get as far as Mr. Moller. And look where he
got...

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

On Jul 16, 5:00 am, Thomas Borchert
wrote:
Aviv,

1. The website describes 4000 feet and above as "commercial airspace"
and that could give the uninitiated a sense that it's some sort of
forbidden area where "regular folk" can't or shouldn't go. It might be
regulated airspace in Europe

It's not.

Repeatedly and casually included in this future vision are take off and
landing user fees.

They seem to be rather clueless.

3. Thought this little gem from that same narrative was too good not to
sha "After some internal office work and emails you receive your
customer with a small ***drink*** in the office bar at 17:00.

Nice...

So to sum up, an organization that is supposedly selling the future of
flying

If they are as clueless about building their product as they are about
flying, they'll be lucky to get as far as Mr. Moller. And look where he
got...

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

Indeed look where he got - his hand in other peoples wallets to the
tune of millions...

denny

On 2007-07-14, Aviv Hod wrote:
1. The website describes 4000 feet and above as "commercial airspace"
and that could give the uninitiated a sense that it's some sort of
forbidden area where "regular folk" can't or shouldn't go. It might be
regulated airspace in Europe

It's not, at least not in this part of the world. Most of the airspace
is class G up to FL185 (it recently changed, it used to be class G up to
FL245 - I think this was a change to be more in line with other parts of
the world, such as the United States).

--
Yes, the Reply-To email address is valid.
Oolite-Linux: an Elite tribute: http://oolite-linux.berlios.de

Denny,

Indeed look where he got - his hand in other peoples wallets to the
tune of millions...


Hehe. Good point. Snake oil and salesmen...

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)