View to a Thrill
Earlier this year the Naive American made an entry in this blog regarding Embraer (January 18, 2009). The reader might want to read it before continuing on this blog entry.
I am a General Aviation (GA) aficionado. Many years ago I looked into obtaining a private license certificate but at the time I had small children and little time. A couple decades went by (time flies when you are having fun). A couple years ago I decided that my two sons were old enough and I tried again. After the summer season was over things got busy, many changes at work and then our economy took a plunge, so once again I decided to put this endeavor on hold. Hopefully the next time I try it will be a charm.
I am a member of Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA). I fully enjoy their two main magazines. The June 2009 issue called my attention. The cover shows an Embraer Phenom 100 Very Light Jet (VLJ) soaring over Pennsylvania. The Phenom is a very good-looking plane. The main article in the last issue of AOPA Pilot magazine is titled “Thrill from Brazil” by Thomas A. Horne. I enjoyed reading the article.
What called my attention is that the Phenom is a plane made by Embraer. The Phenom is gaining popularity all over the country despite the bad economy in the US and in general in most countries around the world. The Phenom appears to be a very well designed product that has mass appeal in GA. Embraer is not an American company and their products are manufactured in Brazil.
In that same issue of AOPA Pilot I looked towards the end of the magazine at a section named “Fly By Wire”. That section lists the companies that advertises in the current issue. I believe the few American companies left that make VLJ are Cessna and Piper. They did not advertise VLJ products in this issue. Perhaps that was by design in order to allow Embraer to shine.
Our government and the poor economy caused by our government and the American Royalty are killing GA in the USA. GA provides pleasure and rewards to the few lucky pilots that are able to enjoy it. But most important GA maintains a healthy set of private pilots, which can be called to help in emergencies. The companies that design and produce GA airplanes are similar to the automobile manufacturers, which we have been hearing about, in the past few months. Airplane companies design and develop desirable goods and provide jobs to thousands of Naive Americans. The way things are going with GA, we will soon experience another irreversible setback in our economy when each and every one of the American airplane manufacturers disappears. The same as with car manufacturers, but at a smaller scale, will be the fate of GA airplane manufacturers in the USA unless something is done to incentive them.
The Naive American proposes our government, which in the past year or so has wasted Trillions of taxpayers Dollars in lost causes, to help out American airplane manufacturers reduce if not eliminate tax in fuel used by GA planes, eliminate all airport fees used by GA and help funding AOPA to promote GA.
Furniture, clothing, computers, watches, radios, TVs, automobiles, etc, etc, etc design and manufacturing has left the USA in order to make money for politicians and the American Royalty. The way things are going, in the near future, airplanes will experience the same end.
