Arizona Aviation Journal

Phoenix, AZ – August 26, 2010 — Conklin & de Decker will host the 11th Annual Aircraft Acquisition and Planning Seminar in Scottsdale, Arizona on November 30 – December 1, 2010 at the Scottsdale Cottonwoods Resort.

Unique from other seminars and workshops, the Conklin & de Decker Aircraft Acquisition Planning Seminar is the only seminar that is designed to help the aircraft buyer, owner or aviation professional to understand how to make an informed  decision when  buying and owning an aircraft. This Seminar will focus on the many areas of concern affecting the aircraft owner during the acquisition process.

Created for the aircraft owner, manager or aviation professional that is faced with the need to acquire an aircraft or develop the plan for changing the aircraft fleet, this 2-day seminar is a must for anyone who needs to determine the best aircraft for their mission. Attendees will also learn about the often confusing Federal and State taxes associated with aircraft acquisitions, depreciation and like-kind exchanges, as well as, the analysis behind the various financing alternatives and ownership structures.  The latest in aircraft valuation and appraisals, insurance, and the importance of a competitive acquisition process will also be covered in this comprehensive seminar.

“This is a must attend event for anyone involved in the acquisition and operation of business aircraft,” commented Nel Stubbs, Conklin & de Decker co-owner and seminar chairwoman.  “We are excited to offer this seminar again this year and we have a great group of experts in their respective fields lined up for this event.  Attendees will learn about all aspects of purchasing and operating an aircraft in one exceptional program,” added Nel.

Register on or before November 1, 2010 and pay the discounted price of $795 per person. If you register after this date, you will pay the regular price of $995 per person.  For more information about this seminar contact Christine Preston at 602-404-1854 or Christine@conklindd.com, or visit the Conklin & de Decker web site at www.conklindd.com.

Jeff Tripp addresses attendees. Seated from left are Kevin Shirer, Casey Denny and Jim Lane

Communicating the value, importance and economic impact of the state’s airports is a core message for the Arizona Airports Association, (AzAA) and for the first time the organization was able to bring that message to representatives of municipalities across Arizona.

The 2010 Annual Conference of the Arizona League of Cities and Towns was held in Glendale, another first, at the Renaissance Glendale Hotel on August 24th through the 27th.

Jim Lane, Mayor of Scottsdale, introduced the three-member panel representing AzAA, to a well-attended session of attendees from across the state, from Page to Sierra Vista. Kevin Shirer, a project manager for Woolpert, Inc., Jeff Tripp, Airports Projects Supervisor for Mesa Falcon Field Airport and Casey Denny, Deputy Director, Phoenix Mesa Gateway Airport and current AzAA President, each took about 15 minutes on the topic of “Unlocking Your Airport’s Economic Potential.” Information presented varied from the number and types of airports in Arizona to the funding mechanisms in place.

If the questions at the end of the session were any indication, the subject generating the most interest was that of the state aviation fund, monies generated from aviation taxes, that are used to fund airport development projects across the state.

President Denny clearly articulated that over the last ten years 43% of the fund had been diverted by the state legislature to help feed the general fund in an effort to balance the state budget. Denny explained that those were funds that had been earmarked for airport projects.

After the presentation, attendees thanked the panel for the overview and suggested that this was an important session, one that should be repeated in years to come. It was also suggested by attendees that the League formally address the diversion of state aviation funds for non-aviation uses.



Casey Denny, AzAA President addresses attendees

From left, Stacy Howard, AOPA Regional Representative, Casey Denny, President of AzAA and Robin Benning, Queen Creek Town Council member

Daytona Beach, Fla., and Prescott, Ariz., Aug. 17, 2010 – For the 11th year in a row, the annual “America’s Best Colleges” guide published by U.S. News Media Group has ranked Embry-Riddle’s aerospace engineering program #1 in the nation and has also named Embry-Riddle to the top tier of universities granting mainly bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

Highlights of the rankings of more than 1,400 accredited four-year schools will be posted today at www.usnews.com and will be published in the September 2010 issue of U.S. News & World Report, available on newsstands Aug. 31. The 2011 “Best Colleges” guidebook will be on newsstands Aug. 24.

In the specialty category of “Best Undergraduate Aerospace/Aeronautical/Astronautical Engineering Programs at Schools Whose Highest Degree is a Bachelor’s or Master’s,” Embry-Riddle’s Daytona Beach, Fla., campus took first place and the University’s Prescott, Ariz., campus was #3.

Additionally, in the broader category of “Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs at Schools Whose Highest Degree is a Bachelor’s or Master’s,” Embry-Riddle’s Daytona Beach campus was ranked #11, up one spot compared to last year, and the Prescott campus climbed from #34 to #17.

Among the 118 schools in the category of “Best Regional Universities (South),” Embry-Riddle’s Daytona Beach campus was ranked #10, up two notches this year. That list includes institutions in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia that grant primarily bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

“I am proud of our College of Engineering faculty at both of our residential campuses for achieving an impressive ranking,” said Embry-Riddle President John P. Johnson. “Their emphasis on getting students involved in hands-on applied research makes Embry-Riddle the best choice for individuals seeking careers in aerospace engineering and sciences.”

The pool of eligible schools for the “Best Colleges” engineering rankings is based on accreditation by ABET Inc., which evaluates college and university programs in applied science, computing, engineering, and technology. The rankings for the engineering programs are based on the judgments of deans and senior faculty, who rate each program they are familiar with. A few engineering schools with small doctoral programs are placed in the bachelor’s and master’s category.

The rankings for the “Best Regional Universities (South)” category are based on peer assessment (25%), graduation and retention rates (25%), faculty resources (20%), student selectivity (15%), financial resources (10%), and alumni giving rate (5%).

Embry-Riddle is now a doctorate-granting institution: a Ph.D. in aviation degree program launched earlier this year and a Ph.D. in engineering physics degree program begins next month. The University offers a wide range of engineering degrees: bachelor’s degrees in aerospace engineering, civil engineering, computer engineering, electrical engineering, engineering physics, mechanical engineering, and software engineering, and master’s degrees in aerospace engineering, computer and electrical engineering, engineering physics, mechanical engineering, and software engineering.

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the world’s largest, fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace, offers more than 30 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in its colleges of Arts and Sciences, Aviation, Business, and Engineering. Embry-Riddle educates students at residential campuses in Prescott, Ariz., and Daytona Beach, Fla., through the Worldwide Campus at more than 170 campuses in the United States, Europe, Asia, Canada, and the Middle East, and through online learning. For more information, visit www.embryriddle.edu.

“It is an emotional day at the CAF for our volunteer-members and staff,” said CAF President Stephan Brown. “There were more than a few tears of joy shed by those who have worked over these past few years to see FIFI fly again. Today is a new beginning for this historic warbird. Thanks to the dedication of our members and the support of Jim Cavanaugh, the B-29 can once again return to telling the stories of the men and women who sacrificed their lives for our freedom.”

Following more than four years of work, FIFI returned to the skies just before 9 a.m. on Thursday morning for a beautiful 39-minute flight. Back on the ground, the crew exited the B-29 with massive smiles and unimaginable excitement.

“She ran like a top,” said CAF Colonel, and one of the pilots for the B-29, Paul Stojkov. “It’s a very special day. A lot of us have been waiting for this for four and a half years. We have to thank everyone involved for their help in getting her to this point.”

“I’m speechless,” said CAF B-29 Crew Chief Dave Miller. “I can’t express in words my appreciation for the opportunity to work with FIFI and for the help of everyone involved in working to get her back in the air. Thank you to the entire CAF family.”

“I am deeply pleased to see FIFI fly again after such a long wait,” said CAF General Staff member, Neils Agather. “Today’s flight is a product of the dedication of many people, Gary Austin, Dave Miller and many more volunteers. We must also thank Jim Cavanaugh for his support. My parents, Vic and Fifi, would be proud.”

The CAF Airpower Museum will open its doors at 7 a.m. on Sat. Aug. 7, for visitors who would like to get a front row seat for FIFI’s pre-flight preparations and flight. Visitors to the museum will be ushered to the main hangar for an up-close view of the crew preparing this massive bomber for flight. Once FIFI begins to head for the runways, visitors will be escorted to a prime viewing area, to witness the B-29’s crew training.

“Saturday is the perfect opportunity for our community to come out to the CAF and see FIFI fly,” said CAF President Stephan Brown. “Throughout the morning, the B-29 crew will be completing the required crew training that includes ‘touch and gos’ at Midland International Airport, it will be quite a show.”

The CAF Airpower Museum is located at 9600 Wright Drive near Midland International Airport. Admission to the museum is $10 for adults ages 18-64, $9 for teenagers ages 13-17 and seniors age 65 and older, $7 for children ages 6-12, and children age 5 and under receive free admission. The CAF would like to encourage visitors to take Interstate 20 or Highway 80 (Business Interstate 20) to FM 1788. This route will avoid additional traffic congestion for Rock the Desert also being held in the area.

The B-29 was originally fitted with the Wright R-3350-57AM engine, which had a less-than-desirable reputation since its inception.  True to this reputation, FIFI has experienced numerous problems with her engines in the 30-plus years she has been flying with the CAF.  Following the discovery of metal shavings in the engine oil, the B-29/B-24 Squadron held a lengthy series of meetings with CAF personnel and experts in the field of aircraft restoration, and the decision was made to not fly the plane again until it could be fitted with engines that are a custom built combination of the R-3350-95W and R-3350-26WD engines. The refit required reworking the engine mounts and some of the engine cowling, making it a lengthy undertaking.

When the Commemorative Air Force (then Confederate Air Force) began searching for a B-29 for its collection of historical military aircraft, World War II had been over for 21 years. The Superfortresses that helped end it had long since yielded to new generations of jet-powered strategic bombers and vanished. According to the U. S. Air Force, no B-29s remained in inventory, even at storage or disposal depots. But the CAF colonels had faith, and it paid off.

In 1971, a pilot reported sighting a number of what might have been B-29s in the California desert near China Lake. The CAF learned the aircraft were indeed Superfortresses that had been parked at a Navy weapons center for 17 years. They had been used for gunnery targets and abused by heat, sand and vandals. After much negotiation, paperwork and a painstaking process of elimination to find the best survivor, the CAF added B-29 SN44-62070 to its fleet. That was just the beginning of the task. The complete restoration to CAF standards of airworthiness was a long and expensive project involving more than three years of fund-raising and hard work. Late in 1974, the CAF’s B-29 was christened FIFI and joined the other World War II fighters and bombers to preserve the memories and teach lessons of mankind’s greatest war.

Collecting, restoring and flying vintage historical aircraft for more than half a century, the CAF ranks as one of the largest private air forces in the world. The CAF is dedicated to Honoring American Military Aviation through flight, exhibition and remembrance. A non-profit educational association, the CAF has approximately 9,000 members and a fleet of 156 airplanes distributed throughout the country to 74 units located in 27 states for care and operation. For more information, visit www.commemorativeairforce.org or call (432) 563-1000.

The roof to Chase Field was open recently prior to the Arizona Diamondbacks baseball game with the Washington Nationals, giving arriving passengers to Sky Harbor a nice view of the field.