Wednesday, July 30th, 2008
Are you afraid to achieve your dream to fly? Most of us are prevented of flying on their own for various reasons - lack of time, bad weather conditions etc or most often the reason is money. The financial problem is now solved to some extent by the ultralight airplanes, but a new concern might be stopping you from flying - their safety.
How safe are the ultralight airplanes? The short answer is safe enough. The long answer requires you to consider some important factors.
Nowadays the safety of the ultralight, microlight and homebuilt/experimental aircrafts really equals that of the certified light airplanes. Then why asking about safety at all?
Mostly people are afraid to fly ultralight aircrafts because in the past they used to have very poor reputation (which actually came mostly from rumor). The ultralight aviation was not regulated at all which was allowing many unexperienced pilots to fly on aircrafts with questionable safety.
Today most countries regulate the ultralight aircrafts to some extent and the pilots have either get a license or agree with some restrictions like avoiding populated urban areas, night or bad weather conditions. This really improved the safety of ultralight flying a lot.
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Wednesday, July 30th, 2008
Only one thing could have made local dealers happier about Ford Motor Co.’s Thursday announcement that the company plans to start building six more fuel-efficient cars in North America.
If only Ford could start making them sooner than 2011.
“It’s hard to say if it will be soon enough,” said Shawn Collins, general sales manager of Downtown Ford Inc.. “They have to make do with what they have. I guess it’s better than hearing they are not going to make any changes.
“I wish it would happen sooner, but I understand there are some logistics involved,” he said.
Collins would love to immediately start selling the smaller cars, which Ford has sold in Europe for years. Sales of new cars at his dealership are down about 10 percent to 15 percent this year from a year ago, he said, though sales of used cars remains steady.
“Some of our (new) vehicles look a little anemic,” he said. “We needed something to snazz them up, and I think that’s going to be it.”
Used-car buyers also want cars that get good fuel economy, he said, and they don’t want trucks.
Smaller cars, not trucks, are moving
At Tri-County Ford Mercury Inc. in Buckner, general manager John Haupt called Ford’s decision a great move for the company.
He expects that once his dealership can sell the cars, it will pick up more of the share of the small-car market that dealers of Japanese cars now hold.
“We’ve done real well with the (Ford) Focuses and Fusions here,” he said, naming two of Ford’s smaller cars. “Adding an additional vehicle with a good, four-cylinder engine will improve our market share and volume and help the local customers get a good quality, American-made vehicle that’s fuel efficient.”
In the past few months, the dealership’s No. 1 seller has been by far the Focus, with the Fusion at No. 2. Sales remain steady over last year, he said, but the mix of models sold has shifted from trucks and SUVs to small cars.
“In these economic times, it’s certainly all about fuel economy,” said Jim Reed, vice president and general manager of O’Brien Ford Mercury of Shelbyville. He expects Ford’s decision to prove key in helping the manufacturer regain its footing in the auto industry.
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