Dan,
Aviation industry plan to going green or "Carbon Neutral" as we say is to use Renewable Jet Fuels, very similar to renewable diesel fuels in nature and manufacturing process's. Delta Airlines has even bought an old refinery in PA to convert to making renewable jet fuel. It's a good plan in principle; knowing the scale of fuel used in aircraft and both current, future capacity for renewable jet fuel let's just say we have a ways to go before we get there.................. and to answer the 1st question; batteries won't be the answer anytime soon for aircraft. Not just the energy density of the battery to consider; the amount of electrical power that would have to be installed at the airports to support commercial service is beyond comprehension for most of us. Scale is just hard to wrap one's head around.
Dan
I worked with Maurice Miller, aka Mo Miller. He left the family Indiana dairy farm for school until he finished with a PhD in nuclear physics prior to the Korean War. He was drafted and asked to teach nuclear applications to the high ranking Army officers, including base Generals. After he was released from the Army Lockheed hired him. One of his first projects was to evaluate nuclear power for bombers. The USAF developed a nuclear reactor they could stuff into a B-36. He told me his first question was "Why have a bomber that could not support bomb payloads due to the weight/balance from the nuclear reactor". While the project wasn't successful, it did fly. Fortunately for him Lockheed found other programs for him when that one ended. He was a very interesting guy who always drove a Corvette after they came on the market. When he retired in his middle to late 70's, he was married to a 30 year old French fox who was quite the looker, gold digger, you bet and he knew it. Right before he retired the doctor and his French fox wife forced him into a mommy van. I think that is what killed him...not being able to drive his 'Vette. He and I always got to work early in the morning so he would come into my office and we would drink coffee so I could ask him about his life. He was a very interesting guy to talk to since he had mingled with some of the aviation business leaders of his time.
Looks like I am going to need a relatively fast all weather aircraft to shoot for my new oil and gas client. They are wanting me to consistently document numerous drilling sites around the country, starting in West Texas and then branching out. The shooting schedule would make airline travel inconvenient to say the least. Might be old school, but I am still partial to Cessna 182's and now they are decked out with the latest Garmin glass panels and autopilots/air conditioning. They aren't the fastest wings in the fleet, but I used to regularly beat the airlines to Chicago in mine, and that was when commercial travel was reasonably on time, these days they don't even leave on the same day ....................... They are rock solid and I have 1,500 hours in them, guess I'll start searching.
DanNehmer wrote:
Dan,
Aviation industry plan to going green or "Carbon Neutral" as we say is to use Renewable Jet Fuels, very similar to renewable diesel fuels in nature and manufacturing process's. Delta Airlines has even bought an old refinery in PA to convert to making renewable jet fuel. It's a good plan in principle; knowing the scale of fuel used in aircraft and both current, future capacity for renewable jet fuel let's just say we have a ways to go before we get there.................. and to answer the 1st question; batteries won't be the answer anytime soon for aircraft. Not just the energy density of the battery to consider; the amount of electrical power that would have to be installed at the airports to support commercial service is beyond comprehension for most of us. Scale is just hard to wrap one's head around.
Dan...Show more →
Dan,
There are a few companies around here that recycle "vegetable oil" for reuse.
Yes sounds great on paper but in real time?.....I guess they will show us the "path" to this new Carbon Neutral area!
Thanks!
Dan2
Thanks Bill! I get mine from VanBortel in Arlington. He is the go to Cessna guy. The client is telling me to get a new one, so I’m going to zip up to Wichita and talk to the factory. Might look at a 206.
JWilsonphoto wrote:
Thanks Bill! I get mine from VanBortel in Arlington. He is the go to Cessna guy. The client is telling me to get a new one, so I’m going to zip up to Wichita and talk to the factory. Might look at a 206.
Dang, that's a big jump to a 206, outta get ya around pretty good and haul all that gear and a grand kid or two
Heck, I’m thinking a PC12 would look really good in the hangar🤣they would hardly notice it amongst the $300 million dollars of equipment that’s getting delivered next month!
A couple of evenings ago as I was shutting down the Cub I noticed that my airworthiness certificate had blown out of the clear plastic holder above and behind my head. I was anticipating a long, drawn out ordeal with the FAA in order to get a replacement. I contacted a gentleman this morning around 11 and by 3 this afternoon I was laminating my new certificate! Two guys in the North Texas FISDO really cared about solving my problem and I appreciate them tremendously!
JWilsonphoto wrote:
Thanks Bill! I get mine from VanBortel in Arlington. He is the go to Cessna guy. The client is telling me to get a new one, so I’m going to zip up to Wichita and talk to the factory. Might look at a 206.
Jim, Kerrville is lots closer and Turbo 231 much slicker, IMHO, based upon many hours in one back in the day. Not a glass panel to be seen. But by golly it was slick as snot off a hot pane of glass.
Right you are Tony, and I've flown them as we shot them for various articles. One problem that I have with Mooney is spending $700,000+ with on a product that seems to file bankruptcy every couple of years. I've got a guy in one of my hangars that has a very slick Ovation+ and he is scared to death that he's going to wake up one morning and discover that it is a paperweight because Mooney has closed it's doors again.
If I was going to go that direction I'd probably go with a new G36 Bonanza. I'm just starting to look, it's going to take a couple more meetings before I have a handle on what I'm comfortable buying. A fresh off the line G36 would be a fantastic airplane to own and fly!
A fun thing to plan and figure out what plane to buy, especially in the caliber you are talking Jim, I'm sure the one you buy will be a nice one.
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Those pool pixs are beautiful as well. I'm guessing that other building is a little guest house or changing room ?
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And get the leaves off that tree before they all fall in the pool......What a chore. I would help my dad in his last five years of life clean his pool and it's a pain in the azz but he's done it since I was a kid...Kudos to dad.
Jim, roger the bankruptcy issue. I never owned one, just got lucky to have an owner at a local strip who’d rent his to me. I’m so out of date, I had no idea about the “going broke” issue. The aircraft I want for you is the one with multiple backup systems, e.g., chute (one that actually works). I haven’t had a chance to fly a Cirrus (but I can dream). That said, I’m old enough so that next, but best flight I get to take will be the phenomenal “one way-er”
Don't take that one anytime soon Tony, we can't afford to lose guys like you my friend! We already have a very disproportionate number of horses rear ends vs horses heads.................can't have people like you ducking out on us!
Just read a report showing that the Texas economy, in spite of Brandon's concerted efforts in the other direction, is the strongest in the country. Imagine what we could be doing if we had real leadership in a few national positions. I'm excited to get rolling with this new oil & gas client and start contributing to "drill baby, drill!".
They are rock solid and I have 1,500 hours in them, guess I'll start searching. 
...What a chore. I would help my dad in his last five years of life clean his pool and it's a pain in the azz but he's done it since I was a kid...Kudos to dad.