Using The Language of Aviation for Acceptance by Aviation!
The business of business aviation requires highly skilled individuals in all aspects of operations except for two.
Owners and or management of various business aviation companies (way too many), aka, wannabe sky Gods (way too often), may not even know which end of the jet airplane the hot air comes out of. They can pretend, and some will even lie about having skills in aviation, but many of them are not remotely sophisticated in the necessary skill sets to run an aviation operation. At least not if the business aviation operations involved are created to be profitable.
Based on facts and experience trying to determine the exact integer for sucess of these aviation operations, it is zero. The thing is, just because someone can tell a jet airplane from an elephant or duck, is no way a qualification.
Personally, I could care less who does what to whom in the business of aviation, except it is a serious business. I know, I understand that being in business, especially a leadership role, it is not a frigin hobby, and I hate to see the system being screwed up every day in every way by incompetence…
There certainly are a few well experienced individuals in a few leadership roles, but overall, the industry today is controlled by hedge funds, inherited wealth, or non-aviation people in the power/decision making positions that have minimum to zero concept how to make business aviation work efficiently.
The end results of these egregious failures; investors and people like Dennis Felix wind up stating that “if it Flies, Floats, or Fornicates, rent it.” Any way you want to slant that remark, it is exactly that overall impression and reputation of the business of business aviation as it operates today.
Owning a business aviation company requires no skill sets, requires no FAA oversight or approvals. That is how we wind up with owners and management of business aviation feigning superior knowledge, throwing around aviation terms they have zero idea of what they mean, while losing money every day.
So, if you do not know the difference between V1 or Vne, why they exist, and what active role they have in aviation, let’s face it, you are not an aviation professional, and you are most defiantly in the wrong business.
The other side of the equation is that professional aviation people normally know little to nothing about finance so having an MBA on the team is beneficial. Both sides most defiantly need the other to be successful. But an MBA running an aviation operation is not going to work for anyone.
There is this one extremely specific word lacking from the aviation sky god’s vocabulary, Innovation. Imagine if you can what benefits Innovation can, would, and will have in the world of business aviation. Imagine the value if someone had an original idea or thought that would actually work.
Let’s say for example I know what the problem is and have the answer to the problem. Let’s say I know how to use current and available technology to solve the (number one) problem within the business aviation ecosystem. A solution that would do something that has never worked simply because it was never understood. Let’s say it is possible to create an innovative feedback loop that will control all aspects of operations. Let’s say it, because there is. Let’s say because there is an Innovative system that will work, and will be extremely profitable.
FYI, I created and co-founded Jet Support Services Inc., aka JSSI in 1988/89. I created and co-founded Mid-West Air Charter at the request of the Federal Reserve Bank in 1969. The solution to their $850 billion a week float problem. That operation was known at the time as Mid-West Air Charter, then it became known as Airborne and today is DHL. I was also the CP and DO for MB-NA for 12 years from 1976 to 1988 and I have 21,000 hours PIC typed in several jets and checked out in 52 aircraft. Innovation is what I do, and flying is what I did.
If innovation sounds interesting to you because there really is an answer, please contact me at rick.eriksen@cox.net or https://www.linkedin.com/in/rickeriksen/
