It’s fascinating how apparel that has origins in military use, makes its way into fashion, from cargo pants to dog tags.

To be fair the aviation industry, more than the military, had a critical role to play in marketing the aviator design by Ray-Ban. Aviator sunglasses have earned their reputation not only through looks alone, but through the glamour, respect and mystique that surround pilots and the aviation industry.

At any given time, a legion of young boys and girls around the world have dreamed of becoming pilots who sport the essential pair of aviator sunglasses. I for one, know that I wanted to be a pilot and it remains a dream of mine to this day.

Furthermore, aviator shades are forever immortalized in great film classics such as the 1986 hit Top Gun, which featured revolutionary mirrored sunglasses that sparked a fashion craze. Almost every single actor in that film wore a pair of aviator shades at one point during the movie. Today, many of the world’s biggest celebrities sport aviators for almost any occasion. Some of them wear classic styles, but some are downright outrageous, gilded in gold and diamonds.

In the end, the simple aviator design is timeless and will continue to be a fashion icon for years to come. You can be sure that you are not buying into a fad, but into a classic design that will never go out of style.

When you do buy a pair of these sunglasses, you won’t want to take them off. Wear them every day, wear them to the club or wear them when you go shopping. Remember tha
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Aviator sunglasses have grown to be a permanent fixture of fashion since the 1960′s, when the shades utilized by pilots needed to be custom tailored to fit the jet era. At this point, the pilot needed to be capable to put on and remove his or her pilot glasses without taking off their flight helmet. The sunglasses changed contour and started possessing straight arms which allowed the glasses to slip on and off from the front. The actual sides of the lenses had been molded to squares so that they wouldn’t bump into the sides of the flight headgear. The result of these modifications were pilot sunglasses that were different and emblematic of the Air Force, Navy, and Army.

In 1982, Randolph Engineering earned the agreement to start providing these glasses and they have been producing these since that time. The style of the glasses has remained mostly identical since their intro in the market.

Randolph Engineering has produced a few minor alterations and one of those is in the frames. They now are available in matte chrome and matte black surface finishes as opposed to just shiny silver and gold and this is to lessen the glare from reflections. They are currently also designed to take in just about any lenses so these need not be only sunglasses. The second major change is they are available in the original straight arms, the bayonet arms, the traditional eyeglass shape arms, or the skull arms. These days, you can even select the color of the lenses for prescription sunglasses. Many people have in addition found that these kinds of aviator sunglasses have been very useful because of their wide frame and resulting bigger scope of view.

In conclusion, Randolph Aviator Glasses undoubtedly are a style of sunglasses that will never actually go out of fashion and may at this point be utilized for functional and aesthetic purposes.

During WWII, aviator sunglasses received to pilots so that they could steer clear of the harmful glare from the sun when they were flying missions. The sunglasses weren’t only practical, they were also considered very dashing. So much so they started to be worn by people who were not flying planes.

In the 1970s, women began wearing aviator glasses in addition to men. This fad didn’t require that long now, aviator sunglasses are worn almost exclusively by men. They often have lightly tinted lenses of either yellow or blue. In some cases, they are mirrored.

Aviator Sunglasses have wire rims that are very lightweight. They have a very masculine turn to them which is probably the reason they have appealed to men since the 1940s. Today, you will notice many film stars along with other male celebrities wearing aviator sunglasses.

It is true that aviator sunglasses never walk out style, despite the reason for putting them on has changed. During WWII, the glare of the sun was a concern because it could prevent a pilot from doing his job properly. Naturally, these sunglasses were essential for pilots.

Today, sunglasses continue to be accustomed to keep your glare from your eyes as we do things outside once the sun is out. The bright sunlight bothers most people and many people find it very difficult to determine when driving or performing a task when the sun is at its brightest. Like the pilots in WWII, a lot of us feel that it is essential to wear sunglasses when driving a vehicle or operating heavy machinery to prevent problems for ourselves or others. However, sunglasses today are not just used to keep the glare out.

Eye cancer, macular degeneration and cataracts are all linked to the ever increasing ultra violet rays from the sun. We owe it to ourselves to maintain the sun from our eyes not only so we are able to see, but so that we can see later on. Although cataracts may be treatable with laser therapy more often than not, eye cancer could be deadly. There’s a form of melanoma that attacks the eyes and can cause blindness as well as death. Dangerous skin cancers like melanoma are in an all time high and therefore are mostly of the cancers that are growing at a truly alarming rate.

Macular degeneration can also cause weak eyesight and blindness. Why should you go through these problems whenever you age when you are able avoid them by putting on sunglasses?

If you want to buy a pair of sunglasses which will protect your vision from the glare of the sun and also look good now and for ages to come, buy pair of aviator sunglasses. Unlike other forms of sunglasses, aviator sunglasses never walk out style.

Aviator sunglasses presented in the market in a variety of colors, styles and designs. The lens colors presented in the market include charcoal, smoke, brown, silver, gray and golden and silver color. The lenses are generally made of the material polycarbonate. It is a hard type material that makes the lenses distortion free and tough. One way to purchase fashionable aviator sunglasses with least amount of money may be the online wholesale stores. They presented huge variety to choose from for the general buyers as well as retailers.

Wholesale Discount Sunglasses is a direct wholesale resource that offers an array of aviator sunglasses in reasonable and affordable price. If you are searching for a gorgeous pair of aviator sunglasses of a retailer who wants to purchase aviator sunglasses in bulk log on to www.wholesalediscountsunglasses.com

On February 12, 2009, a fatal regional airplane crash near Buffalo, New York, killed 50 people. During the probe into the deadly crash, investigators have so far found evidence that pilot fatigue and pilot error played a role. The tragic crash of Continental Connection Flight 3407 in Clarence Center has now come under intense scrutiny, highlighting the importance of regional aviation safety and the need for better training and stricter regulation of pilots, particularly those flying regional and commuter routes.

The investigations into the pilots flying the doomed Continental Connection flight found that the captain had lied in his job application to Colgan Air, a subsidiary of Pinnacle Airlines, Corp., and the operator of the ill-fated flight, about his failed check rides. He only reported one of three failed FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) check rides in his application. Investigators also discovered that the co-pilot had flight-hopped across the country from Seattle where she lived with her parents to Newark, her home base, in the early morning hours before the flight. According to officials, she had told a Fed-Ex flight crew that the Colgan pilot lounge at the Newark airport had “a couch with her name on it.” Investigators surmised that the young co-pilot could not afford to live in the New York area on her low starting pilot’s salary.

After reviewing tapes and records of the flight, investigators believe that the pilots made critical mistakes in the moments leading up to the crash that violated protocol and contributed to the fatal crash of the Buffalo flight.

New Bill Creates High Hopes for Aviation Safety

In late July, both the House and Senate introduced independent legislation as a result of the Flight 3407 crash. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee introduced the “Airline Safety and Pilot Training Improvement Act of 2009″ which would strengthen the FAA’s safety programs and reform the aviation industry by improving pilot training and inter-carrier accountability, mentoring and aviation safety-related practices. The legislation also has an aim to reduce pilot fatigue and make pilot records more accessible.

Among other things, the House bill considerably increases the flight hours required for an airline transport pilot license (from 250 to 1500 hours), mandates training on stalls and stall recovery, requires pilot mentorship programs, demands comprehensive pre-employment screening by airlines and calls for the maintenance of a pilot records database to provide airlines with easy access to a pilot’s entire flight record.

Additionally, the bill mandates that the FAA create a new “pilot flight and duty time rule” and plans to monitor fatigue risk in pilots. The bill requires air carriers to create fatigue risk management systems. Regional airlines, which have been accused of using less rigorous safety and hiring standards than national carriers, face the potential for stricter safety inspection standards under the bill: the bill requires the Inspector General to report back on whether regional carrier safety inspectors have adequate experience to ensure passenger safety on regional flights.

The Senate Commerce Committee also approved a similar bill titled “The Federal Aviation Administration Air Transportation Modernization and Safety Improvement Act.” The bill will reauthorize FAA operations for the next two years and requests an independent scientific study on pilot fatigue. The findings of this study will then have to be included in the FAA’s upcoming flight-time and duty-time rules for pilots.

The Senate bill has been delayed by the current Health Care debate, but will soon be moved to the senate floor for a vote. A conference committee will then merge the House and Senate bills before a final bill is considered by both houses.

Meanwhile, the FAA has been working on updating “propeller era” rules and establishing new rules and guidelines that deal with flying time and pilot fatigue. Legislators hope that the new FAA rule, scheduled to be released on November 19, will make significant leaps in preventing pilot fatigue.

Aviation Tragedies Prompt Stricter Regulation

In many regulated industries, catastrophic events can propel significant changes in regulation. In the case of regional air carrier safety, however, greater regulation years ago may have prevented some recent airplane accidents.

According to the National Transportation Safety Board, pilot ability may have been a factor in the vast majority of regional air carrier accidents in the past 10 years. Pilot fatigue related accidents have also long concerned the board, which has included pilot fatigue on its list of “most wanted safety fixes” since 1990.

With the recent action on aviation safety legislation, it is clear that congressional representatives are taking the reports on pilot ability and training seriously. Some in congress disagree with the notion that regional carriers share the same level of safety as the major airline carriers, even though the FAA imposed one level of safety for the entire carrier industry in 1995. The proposed legislation seeks to increase pilot training and development to create a baseline standard for all commercial pilots, whether they fly major or regional carriers.

However, proposed legislation does not address one major concern: pilot pay. Pilots and safety advocates argue that pay has deterred more experienced pilots from taking jobs with regional airlines, where pay scales are lower. Proponents of the bill hope, however, that raising the training and development standards of pilots will eventually equally affect the standards in wages. Legislators also hope that the FAA will have addressed the issue of wages during their update of aviation safety rules.

Finally, proponents of the new legislature hope that implementing stricter aviation safety-related practices and directly managing the issue of pilot fatigue will greatly improve passenger and flight safety for all air carriers, including commuter and regional carriers.

About the NTSB Coding Manual

NTSB is the arm of the US government responsible for maintaining the standards of the US aviation industry. The coding manual, much like other manuals found in non-private organizations responsible for defining safety in the workplace, is comprehensive and provides codes for describing all aspects of accidents. The codes are fed into a mainframe computer to analyze the accident. In the document, instructions for using the codes assigned to the various aspects of aviation, definitions and a worksheet are included. Codes for the events of what happened follow that, with the phases of operation next, and finally codes for causes, factors and other events – which is where the chocks are named. Aviation chocks fall under code 17126 in the NTSB Coding Manual, under Section IA, Miscellaneous aircraft/equipment subjects. The document is comprehensive in nature, but relatively easy to find what is being searched.

The Importance of Wheel Chocks in Aviation

Any rolling vehicle is a hazard, but an airplane can be particularly hazardous because it is much heavier and more likely to do damage than a pedestrian truck or other vehicle. A single pilot can manage a chock when it is on his list of required items when he lands, and when the plane is a military or cargo aircraft, the pilot will have to depend on the team to place the aviation chocks to secure it from rolling.

Chocking Basics

Aviation wheel chocks work the same as chocks used in mining, construction, shipping or other industries. The airplane must be stopped and the engine turned off, and the chocks must be fit snugly to the tire and the surface on which it’s sitting. The chocks should also be tested with the aircraft before use, and if the payload changes, adjusting the chock may be necessary. Made from impact-resistant urethane, they are FOD free, that is foreign object damage free and will not rot or split as the old-fashioned wooden chocks of the past did. They are not only resistant to lubricants and fuels, but are lightweight and easy to move around, even with their high load-bearing capacity.

Aviation chocks are to be carefully considered and used, to uphold expectations for safety established by the NTSB

The aviation courses studies call for aggression and enthusiasm, but at first, it is almost as much as you can muster. later on as you start getting right and thick into the scheme of things, then you start taking in the charts, the graphs and the diagrams and you even fall in love with them. Even though I knew that going for aviation courses would call for every bit of my concentration and every bit of discipline that I could muster, sometimes the repeated preflight checks would almost bore me. However, after about eight near death misses, I have now understood the importance of even something as mundane (mind you, mundane only to a pilot) as pre flight checks.

Read from afar, the 45 hours of flying, 25 with the instructor and the others alone that one needs to put in before they can become a pilot seem almost too little. But not when you are up there in the skies. The good thing is that everything unfolds just as you learnt it in your aviation courses; at least this is what happened to me. I also realized that to fly, and of course, this means to take off and to land safely, one has to put all doubts aside. Flying really starts within a person’s mind and maybe that explains why some people find it hard and fail their exams altogether.

Use of AIP and frequency selection, radiotelephony, meteorology, transmission technique, phraseology, conversion of units, aviation law and many other units all require a level head to muster everything. However as I learnt during my aviation courses, a level head alone is not enough. There is a serious need for the best PPL training resource that one can find online, in the libraries, in the school or anywhere. Actually, I think that my training in a private aviation school is what played the biggest part in my passing the exams because the instructors gave us everything. They also encouraged us to seek other resources.

The diagrams, the charts and the easy to understand and follow instructions did the trick. Though the training manuals for the aviation courses looked overwhelmingly oversized (3000 pages each), they really were self explanatory, so simplified and so comprehensive, covering even extra details. That, plus the technical support from the instructor is what makes a private training school ideal. Flying is not only about passing the exams, but it is much more than that. It is a passion. I think going for aviation courses was the smartest thing I ever did. Aviation Courses | My Story

Aerospace professionals should first understand the jurisdiction in which the CAA provides regulation and consultation. The Civilian Aviation Authority is the sole regulator for flights within the United Kingdom, from small charters to regularly scheduled airliners. However, the international nature of airline travel has required consultation and team work with European aviation organizations in order to facilitate safe and efficient travels. When international regulations come into effect, the CAA’s offices in London act as the local office for the European Aviation Safety Agency. CAA officials also act on regulatory boards of the EASA which determine regulations and enforcement policies.

The CAA has broad authority as the United Kingdom’s regulatory of aviation and aerospace activities, which should be understood by aerospace professionals. The function of the CAA that professionals will become most familiar with is the licensing of aviation and aerospace professionals. Flight crew, engineering, and air traffic controller licensing all run through the CAA and regular license upgrades and renewals are required. In a similar vein, the CAA monitors medical regulations and facilitates physicals for aviation personnel that are involved in regular flights.

Aerospace professionals may become intimately familiar with the professional licensing aspects of the CAA but there are a number of other functions that are equally important. The CAA regulates the United Kingdom register of aircraft, which is necessary to maintain an accurate record of all planes in the region. As well, the CAA regulates the licensing of airplanes and other aircraft in the United Kingdom. The CAA not only regulates individual aircrafts and professionals but leads the charge against unfair aerospace business practices. The CAA’s regulatory function allows it to manage public aviation organizations while regulating against private monopolies. In all, the CAA’s jurisdictional and regulatory functions allow it to deal with safety and economic issues in the UK’s aerospace industry. Aerospace professionals who understand the nuances of the CAA will function better in their jobs.

                                           SUNIL KEWALRAMANI                  February 18, 2009

As investments, airlines are best left to relentless optimists and colourful egomaniacs. Over the long term, a diversified portfolio of airline stocks has reliably lagged behind broader market averages. Airlines’ long-run operating margins have averaged just 2 per cent since 1950, says UBS.

In 2007, during the Paris Air Show, the aviation industry was flying high….the world economy was booming and credit was plenty.  Customers who had booked from Boeing and Airbus could get a premium for waiving their bookings in favour of companies interested to jump on the aviation industry growth story.  Today, airlines are happier returning their aircraft than taking delivery.  In 2008, the Amex Airline Index has plunged more than 70 %.   Not only has the game changed, the dominant players have changed as well. At Farnborough this year,  Middle-East’s Etihad Airways has ordered 45 aircraft from Boeing and 55 from Airbus, worth about $ 20 Billion at list prices.  It reinforces Middle East’s position as one of the few regions where airlines have the financial clout to expand aggressively.

Singapore Airlines, which reported its third-quarter results on 10th February 2009,, is one of the less terrible operators. It has the two qualities every carrier needs to withstand troughs: a strong brand and a patient majority shareholder (state-owned Temasek, in SIA’s case). On top of that, it has one of the world’s better-looking balance sheets: cash in the bank exceeds long-term liabilities by more than three to one; a youngish fleet of fuel-efficient aircraft; and one of the most highly rated management teams around. As such, the world’s largest airline by market capitalisation is an industry benchmark. If SIA is struggling, pity the rest.

SIA is indeed suffering. The September to December period, traditionally its most profitable, saw net income almost halve. Operating metrics were solid: passenger load factors down only 3 per cent, while costs (excluding fuel) fell 5.5 per cent. But it came a cropper on hedging, locking in purchases of jet fuel at much higher rates than the period’s average of a barrel. Losses should widen: 44 per cent of fourth-quarter fuel requirements – well above the industry average – have been pre-bought at 1 a barrel, compared with today’s spot price of .

As those hedges fall away, however, SIA has a real opportunity to stand out from the pack by protecting its dividend. China Eastern had recently rejected Singapore Airlines’ bid to expand its operations. What is more, cash flow after capex over the first nine months almost covers last year’s dividend. In an industry that oscillates between varying degrees of over-capacity, preserving the payout would really hammer home the difference between the leaders and the laggards.

For Vijay Mallya—the self-proclaimed “king of good times” who patterns himself after Richard Branson, the launch of Kingfisher Airlines three years back seems to have come as a cropper. Slower economic growth due to unexpected world crisis along with dramatic fuel price rise earlier this year has taken the tails out of the airline industry. There are urgent demands being made for reducing sales taxes from 26 per cent to 4 per cent which could help reduce air fares.  A sanguine Mallya has called for India to ease its restrictive FDI policies, which currently prohibit foreign airlines from holding stakes in domestic Indian carriers.

Although oil prices have retreated of late, threats by OPEC to cut production coupled by the threat of inflation which could return in the wake of extremely expansionary monetary policies of the world central banks, could cause fuel prices to go up again.  Fuel costs make up about 65 % of costs on long-haul flights but only about 30 per cent of costs for short-haul flights. Qantas, one of the world’s most profitable airlines has recently grounded aircraft, suspended routes, chopped capacity, cut jobs and struck a deal with its long-haul pilots to lock in the company’s 3 per cent per annum wages policy until 2013.  In the wake of 9/11 and SARS, the Australian carrier had performed better than its peers, picking up market share as well as aircraft abandoned by airlines who could not afford them.

According to a report by Frost & Sullivan, the price of Indian fuel is based on international parity pricing, despite the fact that international crude is refined in India.  Aviation turbine fuel (ATF) rates in India, represent 40-45 % of ticket costs as compared to the global standard of 35 %.  In the backdrop of high fuel prices, domestic passenger numbers has fallen significantly from a year ago according to the Indian aviation industry.  Jet Airways  recently laid off 10 % of its workforce, only to relent and take them back under duress.  GoAir has laid off a significant chunk of its expatriate pilots. SpiceJet has announced reductions in its daily flights from 117 to 100.  Kingfisher Airlines is negotiating sale of two of the five A340-500 aircraft it had committed to buy from Airbus in 2007.  Both Spicejet and GoAir are returning planes to lessors.  It is also contemplating deferring taking deliveries of 29 narrow-bodied A320s .  In response, some have adopted the use of winglets on the wing tips to reduce fuel consumption, others are flying their aircraft at higher altitude, choosing parking bays closer to the runway to reduce taxing time.  Some are cutting down the amount of water in toilets and for human consumption they carry while others are carrying lighter plastic cutlery, food trays etc. Even the Indian government has recently pitched in by withdrawing the customs duty of 5 % on jet fuel.  In addition, oil companies are reducing ATF prices by Rs 9429.87 per kilo litre with immediate effect.

American, Continental and Delta have reduced flights to various destinations. Pratt and Whitney estimates that its EcoPower engine-washing process saves Hawaiian $ 1 million in fuel annually across 31 Boeing 767 engines.  Eight senior pilots and the US Airline Pilots Association have filed complaints with the Federal Aviation Administration stating that US Airways is pressuring pilots to use less fuel than they feel is safe, in order to save money. By removing six seats, JetBlue reduced an A 320 weight by approx 904 lbs.  Air Canada is considering removing paint and primer from its 767s to save 360 lbs per plane.   Alaska Airlines indicated in 2004 that removing just 5 magazines per aircraft could save $ 10,000 annually in fuel.  It’s new beverage cart, at 20 lbs lighter, could save $ 500,000 in annual fuel costs.  Yet, fashion favouring turbo-prop aircraft, the most fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly in the skies, should help sustain order books for the same. ONEWORLD alliance of various airlines will jointly explore options for collective buying of fuel. 

Mergers and Acquisitions enable capturing abandoned  territories :

In 2003, Air France bought rival KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and has succeeded in luring passengers away from European rivals by offering long-distance connections through its Paris and Amsterdam hubs.  Lufthansa acquired Swiss International Air Lines Ltd in 2005. It aims to match last year’s record profit by capitalizing on rivals’ weakness and by harvesting routes abandoned by competitors.  This is analogous to Southwest’s model, where Southwest is capitalizing on players who have pulled off during the downturn in the aviation industry precipitated by high oil prices. Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines are planning to merge.  Continental and United Airlines are also planning a close alliance.

Elite class of rising carriers emerges on the scene :

According to an article in The Wall Street Journal, the strength of this club (which includes Southwest, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Ryanair and Deutsche Lufthansa) underscores the growing gulf between the haves and the have-nots. These powerful players are able to hedge costs, borrow money, buy new planes and pamper high-paying customers while their poorer rivals cut routes and seek cash infusions. On Singapore Airline’s five new Airbus A 380 super-jumbo jetliners, first-class passengers sleep on sheets made by French fashion house Givenchy, while coach passengers have USB ports for connecting their own electronic devices next to their seat-back video screens.  In the face of a severe industry downturn, Singapore Airlines’ operating profit rose 60 % in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2008.

Southwest Airlines  as a role model :  It’s discount-model has kept it profitable for 35 years.  It aggressively hedges fuel costs and thus has avoided current high fuel prices, to which most of the other carriers have succumbed.  It has hedged fuel at $ 51 a barrel.  The efficient hedges have enabled Southwest produce gains of $ 455 million in 2004, $ 892 million in 2005, $ 675 million in 2006 and $ 439 million for the first nine months of 2007.  It  has $ 3.7 Billion of cash in the bank and a market capitalization of $ 9.9 Billion, more than the combined market value of the six-largest conventional U.S. carriers. 

Next-Generation aircrafts :  Airbus has demonstrated its ability to fly its A380 aircraft with a synthetic liquid fuel processed from a gas called gas-to-liquid (GTL) in a three-hour flight between Filton, UK and Toulouse, France.  The new A380 has fuel efficiency of 2.9 litres a passenger for every 100 kms and carbon emissions of just 75g per passenger per km—17% less than that emitted by the Boeing 747.  Boeing 777 is the most fuel-efficient plane in its class.  The 747-8 will be 16 % more efficient than the 747-400 (and 11 % more efficient than the A380).  The A350 is the Airbus’s response to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Besides, EADS’s A400 M, once in service,will be capable of carrying a payload of up to 37 tonnes over ranges of up to 4700 nautical miles. Launched on July 8 2007—7/8/7 in US date format (date was chosen for impact), demand for the high-tech and futuristic 787 Dreamliner—a long-range 250 to 300-seat jet whose carbon-fibre body is set to make it 20 % more fuel-efficient than comparable models has been astounding. Dreamliner’s advanced aerodynamics (smooth wiring technology, spoilers that droop when flaps are deployed, and laminar flow nacelles lower drag) increase efficiency and reduce fuel consumption.  Higher bypass ratio allows engines to be quieter. Boeing has received orders from more than 60 customers for 892 aircraft, worth $ 145 Billion at list prices. Boeing’s energy use and carbon dioxide emissions at its major facilities are believed to have fallen 24 % between 2002 and 2007.  The Chinese white 90-seat ARJ21-700 jet is called “Xiang Feng” or “Flying Phoenix” and its appearance broadcast live on state television. 100 of the 180 bookings have come from Kunpeng Ailrines, a new venture between China’s Shenzhen Airlines and the US-based Mesa Air Group.  The arrival of the “Flying Phoenix” will truly mark the ascent of China as a leading world superpower and will energize growth in the Asian subcontinent.

Green Ross to SpiceJet’s rescue : indicative of sound contrarian call

Spicejet of India has chose as its suitor W L Ross & Co.  W L Ross has made his reputation on contrarian calls — buying into the steel industry in the US when no one would touch it, for example, and snapping up a Japanese bank when it was saddled with bank loans in 2000.

Low cost model here to stay

Air Deccan pioneered new ticketing channels at internet kiosks, petrol pumps and India post offices which helped bring down distribution costs by 12%-15% as compared to opting for a GDS (Global Distribution System) and for travel agents through the legacy system. If the motive is to cater to the large inclusive consumer base at the bottom of the consumer pyramid then the business model must create a scaleable product that delivers higher volumes at lower price points above very low costs with wafer thin margins.  The low cost model is about innovations, efficiency and enhanced asset utilization which are increasingly necessary in times of high fuel prices. The cost per available seat km of a low-cost carrier is significantly lower than that of full-service carrier.  The average revenue per seat for Ryanair, Europe’s biggest budget carrier, is Euro 39, as against Euro 247 for British Airways and Euro 57 for EasyJet, another low-cost carrier. It therefore implies that the airline with the lowest revenue per seat is at a comparative advantage and has significant cushion to tide over this rather cyclical industry.

The Indian aviation is still one of the country’s sunrise industries and both airlines and investors consider India as a compelling market. In my opinion, the oil bubble would have burst due to more durable demand destruction by the time the next Farnborough show is held in 2010.  The fundamentals viz. that India’s 1 billion people generate just 16 million domestic trips a year, is still very much intact.  This, coupled with the emergence of investors with deep pockets will ensure that the industry emerges stronger after the chastening shock. Equilibrium is expected to be found in the next two years as airlines are working to optimize capacity, rationalize routes and cut loss-making routes.

By simply raising fares, the distinction between low-cost and full-fare airlines will diminish, resulting in an undifferentiated business model. The government, on its own part, has to up its ante and improve its infrastructure. It is not uncommon to witness planes circling over destination zones in Mumbai and Delhi several times before being allowed to land, thus causing wastage of precious fuel.

The current scenario is almost reminiscent of the last downturn in the aftermath of 2001 terrorist attacks on the US.  That setback proved short-lived and so I believe will this one be.

Oil prices have retreated under the impact of unwinding of speculative positions by hedge funds and demand destruction is taking centre stage. The future belongs to the bold and daring, and not the timid and weak. The stage is set for survival of the fittest.  In the process, men will be separated from the boys.  The ongoing turbulence presents a tremendous opportunity for aviation industry players to emerge stronger than ever before.  The 2010 Farnborough air show promises to be dominated by a new set of industry players, ones that emerge victorious after trial by fire.

Note : Mr Sunil Kewalramani is a WHARTON BUSINESS SCHOOL MBA and CEO, Global Capital Advisors.  He may be reached at worldequity@sunilkewalramani.com. 

Bullet Points :

1)      The arrival of the Chinese “Flying Phoenix” will truly mark the ascent of China as a    leading world superpower and will energize growth in the Asian subcontinent.

2)          For Vijay Mallya—the self-proclaimed “king of good times”,  the launch of Kingfisher Airlines three years back seems to have come as a cropper.

3)          Launched on July 8 2007—7/8/7 in US date format (date was chosen for impact), demand for the high-tech and futuristic 787 Dreamliner—a long-range 250 to 300-seat jet whose carbon-fibre body is set to make it 20 % more fuel-efficient than comparable models has been astounding.

4)          The fundamentals viz. that India’s 1 billion people generate just 16 million domestic air trips a year, is still very much intact. 

5)          Rather than lean on the government for largesse, the aviation industry players need to pull up their socks, adopt global best practices, learn the art of effective hedging of fuel requirements, stimulate consumer demand and capitalize on battle-routes abandoned by their weaker rivals to strengthen their position in the world aviation industry. 

How To Buy An Aviation Headset

One of the most important features to consider when considering the purchase of an aviation headset is to determine how the headset feels and fits when properly placed on the pilot’s head.  Specifically, when placed on the head and fitted over the ears it is important to given attention to comfort.  Questions to ask include the feel of the headphones and whether they give a sense of being a quality pilot supply or do they feel “cheap.”

Additionally, it is important, prior to purchase, to wear the headset for a period of time.  This is measure is important to take because the pilot will be wearing the headset as long as the aircraft is airborne.  Therefore, it is important to keep the headset on for a minimum amount of time to make sure that the fit remains comfortable and reflects the extended time while airborne so that the comfort level remains the same.  A good rule of thumb is to wear the headset for at least a minimum of 15 to 20 minutes in order to get a good feel of the headset being utilized for a longer period of time.

Active Noise Reduction

Also, when in the market for an aviation headset it is important to consider a number of features that are critical as well as those that may be convenient.  As far as critical features are concerned, it is important to consider a quality aviation headset that has a significant active noise reduction level.  Generally, these levels are measured in dB which stands for decibels.  Obviously, the higher the dB level the greater the noise reduction.

In addition, there are three specific reasons why an aviator will want to purchase a aviation headset that utilizes an active noise reduction system.

The first reason is that it will help to reduce or minimize the ongoing sounds that bombard the aviator’s ears.  Specifically, those ongoing sounds include the drone of the airplane engine or noise of the propellers.

Additionally, an active noise reduction feature will allow the pilot to concentrate better on flying the plane and attending to the safety of flying and landing their aircraft.

Also, the use of an active noise reduction process helps the pilot to be attuned to noises that may signal a mechanical difficulty or a problem with the landing gear.  Specifically, an active noise reduction system filters out specific noise decibels and allows the pilot to be more attentive to unusual sounds that might be heard.