Its level of versatility is unparalleled. We’re never going to have a machine as capable—or as complex and expensive—as the Space Shuttle. A child of the ‘70s that came off the heels of the successful landing of man on the moon, a reusable orbiting van that launched like a rocket and landed like an airplane was an audacious, bullish prospect. But its sex appeal and its supporters in Washington have dwindled over the years and the Shuttle era is coming to a close. The last Space Shuttle will lift off from Pad 39A at Cape Canaveral sometime in November, according to reports at press time.

So when the Air Force rolled out the X-37B unmanned space plane, it raised some eyebrows.

So what’s next? Washington wants something cheaper and safer, which may sacrifice capability comparable to Shuttle’s.

With its stubby wings, blunt nose, and V-tail, the new bird looks almost like a set prop from the ‘60s TV show The Thunderbirds, but it also bears a striking resemblance to the Space Shuttle. The X-37B is only a quarter of the size of its aging predecessor (the space plane weighs in at 11,000 pounds and has a wingspan of 14 feet) and borrows lifting body technology pioneered for the Shuttle to enable the vehicle to land on a runway like an airplane.

Its mission is similar to the Shuttle’s, too.

“It will provide an ‘on-orbit laboratory’ test environment to prove new technology and components before those technologies are committed to operational satellite programs,” said a statement by the Air Force, who now controls the project.

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Frequently, aviation makes the news when things go wrong. And, as many pilots already know, the press often gets it wrong when it comes to reporting on small airplanes—good or bad. Let’s face it—it’s a confusing and mystifying subject. But, as the saying goes, it’s always good to have a friend in high places.

Enter newsman and aviator Miles O’Brien. During the 16 years he spent at CNN as an anchor and correspondent, he was frequently out front, bringing his knowledge as an instrument-rated pilot and Cirrus owner to cover stories ranging from live, on-air gear-up landings, to the unveiling of a personal jetpack at Oshkosh, to John Glenn’s celebrated return to space—an assignment that put him at the anchor desk alongside Walter Cronkite.

I’ve had the good fortune of working with Miles on more than one occasion. In fact, I was his intern for a summer—an opportunity that came out of a simple chat as fellow pilots. Nowadays, I call Miles one of my best friends and mentors—a guy always willing to serve as an ambassador for aviation and pilots. In this PilotMag interview, Miles talks about his passion for flying, media’s treatment of general aviation, and the future of the space program.

PilotMag: How’d you get into flying?
Miles O’Brien: I am a third-generation general aviation pilot. Both of my grandfathers were pilots. My maternal grandfather, Russell Riley, who hailed from Boston, was a wool importer in the 1930s and owned a Stinson Reliant ER, which at the time was the Learjet of its era. He would tell stories of his competitors - they would be on the train and he would [by flying his plane] be at the mill sooner. Once he showed up at this mill and he sold a million bags of wool, which at that time was a record for a company that was making uniforms for the military prior to World War II.

PM: What were your first flying experiences like?
Miles O’Brien: My father got his pilot’s license and my first experiences flying were with him. I always sat in the right seat—my mother was afraid of flying and didn’t want to be anywhere near the controls. So, my first experiences flying an airplane were when I was unable to see over the panel. It’s interesting because in later years when I first started my instrument training my instructor said, “Have you done this before?” I thought about it and I realized my first experiences in an airplane were as an instrument pilot.

PM: When did you go forward with getting your license?
Miles O’Brien: The first TV job I had was in St. Joseph, Missouri. I was only making $220 a week—I wasn’t doing any flying there. When I finally got to Tampa, Florida and was making what seemed like a lot of money at the time, I squeezed out enough money to start taking lessons at Albert Whitted Field in St. Petersburg and had a wonderful experience and soloed there. After that, I moved to Boston for a job at a TV station there and picked up my training at Hanscom Field with Myron Goulian, Mike Goulian’s dad. Ultimately, he gave me my checkride. It was a tremendous experience.

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November 15, 1989 was a day that many in Huntsville, Ala., would like to forget. It brought the deadliest tornado in Huntsville’s history – killing 21, injuring 463 and infl icting $100 million in damage. Barreling down some of the city’s busiest streets and most populated areas during afternoon rush hour, the twister packed peak wind speeds between 207mph and 260 mph.

Eighty businesses were damaged or destroyed. Jones Valley Elementary School was demolished. Leaving a path of destruction a half mile wide and miles long, the tornado, ultimately rated an F4 on the Fujita Scale, came with little to no warning.

Although many lives were impacted, the day was particularly life-changing for Bob Baron. A local TV meteorologist, Baron was on-air the afternoon the tornado struck. Unfortunately, the weather detection technology he had at his disposal wasn’t sophisticated enough to provide much information. Frustrated by the total lack of real weather tools, Baron felt helpless.

“The technology we had available in the 80s was nothing like what is available today,” said Baron, president and CEO of Baron Services and WxWorx. “What we had were weather gadgets – when what I needed were weather tools.”

Ever since that fateful November day, Bob Baron has dedicated his life to developing severe weather tools that save lives. Now in its 20th year, his company, Baron Services, has revolutionized weather detection technology – first for the broadcast industry, and then government, business and consumer markets. Its technologies such as radar display combined with street-level storm tracking and the detection of dangerous twisting winds were major developments for the company, and its display products, VIPIR and FasTrac, have become household names. “I founded this company to create weather tools that were more accurate, precise and timely than those that were currently available,” he said. “And our second challenge was to display the information in a way that was clear, easy-to-understand and would garner an immediate response from the public.”

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Planning a trip to Fort Lauderdale?

Make your flight destination Banyan at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport. Whether your trip is for business or pleasure, Banyan is the perfect FBO. You’ll find friendly smiles and a red carpet welcome 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Upon your arrival, a Banyan team member will expertly marshal you in, roll out a red carpet, provide fuel, and assist you with overnight hangar storage, hotel, rental cars, limousines and many other services tailored exactly to fit your needs.

If you have time, ask for a tour of Banyan. Banyan’s FBO offers a large tropical lobby complete with palm trees and aquarium. There are many amenities, including a snooze room, weather and flight planning room, business center, and conference rooms.

Banyan’s FBO isn’t the only thing you’ll want to see. You will be amazed by all the other aviation services offered in the Banyan complex: maintenance, avionics, aircraft sales, parts, flight training, charter services, air ambulance and more. If your time is too limited for a tour, you will still want to visit Hangar63 (Banyan’s Aviation Store). It’s referred to as a pilot’s shopping paradise and one-of-a-kind aviation store. Inside you can try a wide range of headsets, see a demo on GPSs and even try your flying skills in the Gulfstream II that’s equipped with flight simulator software.

Also in the Banyan complex is the Jet Runway Café, another not-tobe- missed experience. You can have breakfast or lunch while watching incoming and departing aircraft, and the food is excellent.

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Consider the following scenario:

You and your employee have a Monday morning meeting with a prospect located 600 miles away. In order to make the appointment you will need to leave Sunday afternoon. Allowing for drive time, shuttle time from parking, and getting through security, you will need to leave home at 1pm for the 4pm departure from the regional airport. If you are fortunate there will be no delays and you will make your connecting flight arriving at your destination Sunday evening for a night in a hotel. The next day your meeting goes well, but now you have to reverse the process. Assuming everything is on time, and you don’t miss your connection, you’ll arrive home late Monday evening, long after dinner and bedtime for the family.

Now consider the alternative:

You leave home on Monday morning, drive to your local general aviation airport, and board your personal aircraft piloted by a professional pilot. You polish up your PowerPoint presentation during the flight and land at a general aviation airport close to your prospect’s place of business. After the meeting, you board your aircraft for the trip home. You arrive home relaxed and in time for your child’s Little League game.

Do you have trouble retaining key employees because of quality of life issues relating to business travel? In reviewing your travel and entertainment budget, are you looking for ways to trim expenses relating to meals, hotel, rental car and airfare? Does your business travel take you to cities that “you can’t get there from here by airline?” Are you getting tired of the ever increasing and time consuming security measures at commercial airports? Can you foresee an increase in revenue because your customers value your responsiveness?

Many of these quality of life issues are ameliorated when businesses operate their own aircraft. But besides the convenience of flying your own aircraft, you’ll benefit your bottom line by realizing a tremendous income tax benefit. Indeed, operating an aircraft will often help expand your business, make it easier to provide better customer service, improve the morale of your employees by streamlining travel, and allow you to take control of your time and schedule.

Tax Depreciation:

Federal tax depreciation is governed by the Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System (MACRS.) The application of MACRS encourages a taxpayer to purchase an aircraft during the first nine months of a tax year. Two conventions impact the actual depreciation schedule of an aircraft:

• Half year convention – all equipment purchased throughout a tax year is considered to be placed in service on July 1, and will receive one-half year of depreciation deduction in the year of acquisition.
• Mid quarter convention – if a taxpayer purchases over forty percent (40%) of his equipment in the fourth quarter of the tax year, depreciation deduction is limited in the first tax year.
• The following table is the depreciation schedule for an aircraft that is operated under Part 91 of the Federal Aviation Regulations, purchased before and after September 30, for a calendar year taxpayer:

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When Porsche introduced the Panamera – the first all-new Porsche in seven years – to the public in April 2009 at Auto Shanghai, it marked the official birth of Porsche’s fourth model, joining the iconic Porsche 911 Carrera, the Boxster and Cayman, and the Cayenne SUV. With four doors, four seats, eight cylinders, seven gears and numerous innovative design and technical features, the Panamera is a true four-door sports car – and truly unlike anything on the road.

The debut also marked the culmination of five years of work on the part of Porsche engineers, designers and stylists.

“The crucial task for our engineers was to combine Porsche’s sporting DNA with all the spaciousness and driving comfort of a luxurious sedan,” said Wolfgang Dürheimer, Porsche’s executive vice president of research and development. “The Panamera is an alternative car concept for the premium customer, and while competing with established vehicles in the class, it will be a clear segment leader in terms of performance, driving dynamics and efficiency.”

All Three Panamera Models Deliver High Performance and Low Fuel Consumption

Initially offered in three versions – the 400-horsepower, two-wheel drive Panamera S and all-wheel drive Panamera 4S, and the 500-horsepower, twin-turbocharged, all-wheel drive Panamera Turbo – the new Panamera will provide Porsche performance and quality, as well as, a level of comfort absent among true high-performance cars. This June, Porsche added two new models to its Gran Turismo lineup: the 2011 Panamera and the Panamera 4.

The new two-wheel drive Panamera and all-wheel drive Panamera 4 feature an all-new, Porsche-designed and manufactured 3.6-liter, 90-degree V6 engine with Direct Fuel Injection (DFI) that develops 300 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. Porsche developed it alongside and in conjunction with the Direct Fuel Injection V8 engines powering the Panamera S, 4S and Turbo, and simply put, it is a Porsche V8 minus two cylinders.

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