Kulula's paint job teaches you about the basics of flying.

Kulula Airline – one of four lowcost carriers operating in South Africa – has come on strong with these brightly painted schemes, humorous in-flight commentary, and Kit Kat rewards for passengers who wear green. The Zulu word kulula means it is light or it is easy/simple. They certainly captured my attention with the flying billboard and branding strategy I loved from several decades ago. My then-favorite woman of adverting and style guru Mary Wells declared it was the end of the plain plane with Alexander Calder paint schemes for Braniff Airways aircraft. She set the conservative aviation industry abuzz (and turned the airline around) with her Pucci-designed, flight-attendant uniforms and bar-raising campaign.

I have to hand it to Kulula; they made me smile and increased their marketshare along the way. What do you think, chartreuse anyone?

Braniff Airlines - Lates 60s & Early 70s

My sister and I recently had a once in a lifetime opportunity to tag along with our dad, acclaimed aviation photographer Paul Bowen, as he shot from a WWII B-25 Mitchell bomber on a Bombardier photo shoot.

Headset plugged in. Check. Strapped into the nose gunner position. Check. Ready for take off. Check. I watched the runway whiz by under my feet. We gained speed. And just like that, we were off and flying. The adrenaline rush was off the charts.

As departed from Chino and flew out to Catalina Island, my sister and I peered out the nose in awe. We circled the island a few times taking in the beauty. Then, two state-of-the-art Bombardier Challenger corporate jets appeared in the sky next to us. I’ve coordinated more static displays than I can count. I’ve even ridden on these amazing aircraft a time or two. But to see them in this setting was mind blowing. It gave me an entirely different appreciation for the wonder of flight.

Choreographing a ballet in the sky
Part of my dad’s job is choreographing a ballet in the sky. As he provided instructions over the headset, they moved perfectly into place. The heavens opened up and beams rolled off the plane like liquid light. The planes banked in unison. Then he’d call out the next command.

Toward the end of the shoot, my dad asked us back to the open-air tail gunner position where he’s tethered in. It was time for the famous wingtip vortices. The Challenger 300 and Challenger 605 took turns behind the B-25. They were so close. I felt as though I could reach out and touch these “flying sculptures,” as my dad calls them. The Challenger 300 dipped down and then up through the clouds as the circulating air generated by the lift rolled down the wings and off the winglets. And there they were. Wingtip vortices. Spinning in what seemed like slow motion behind the aircraft. I suddenly felt a few teardrops gently rolling down my cheek. I was speechless and couldn’t stop smiling.

After the sun had set and we were heading back to Chino, I was reminded of why I am so passionate about aviation. It’s not just what I do for a living. It permeates every facet of my life. It is a part of me. Sharing that flight with two of the most significant people in my life is a memory I will always cherish.

As the tenth annual EBACE approaches, we have to pause in our client tradeshow preparations long enough to acknowledge this significant milestone.

Congratulations to the visionaries who realized Europe’s corporate aviation industry could sustain its own annual convention. And that it could draw from other parts of the globe as well.

Come May 4-6 all eyes will be on Geneva Palexpo and the Geneva International Airport, just a short walk away. Last year the buying mood of the roughly 11,000 attendees was a nervous, wait-and-see. We’re hoping that sentiment changes with increased confidence and demand.

Keep up on the news by following the convention on Twitter #EBACE2010. Can’t you just taste the raclette and fondue?

What’s your favorite EBACE memory?

EBACE 2010 reports exhibitor bookings up 5% with 400+ registered to date.

There’s a soft fog ahead as you lift off the runway and leave the airport behind. Hills on the horizon grow sharper as you approach, then fade into the haze as you continue your ascent. You fly straight on toward the horizon as it darkens with the sunset, through all types of weather and over every kind of terrain. You bank back and suddenly it’s night. The lights of Rio de Janeiro twinkle far below. Then it’s day again and you’re flying over Christ the Redeemer, one of the seven wonders of the New World.

This isn’t a dream – it’s far too detailed and real. No, you’re in a FlightSafety International full flight simulator with one of the training leader’s hundreds of highly skilled, patient, knowledgeable instructors. You find yourself leaning with the banks, growing anxious with the approach of Sugar Loaf Mountain. And our instructor is taking it easy on us. You understand how even veteran pilots might build up a little adrenaline when an instructor unloads a cascade of problems in quick succession, requiring quick, calm, certain responses.

Taking the Tour
A flock of Greteman Groupers took advantage of recent open houses at FlightSafety’s two Hawker Beechcraft Learning Centers in Wichita. (You can check out our photos here.) The all-new 1-acre maintenance center still sparkles, which might lead one to believe that it isn’t being used yet. In fact, Manager Bill Magyar and crew just run a tight ship – they’ve been training technicians since Fall 2009. The pilot center, similarly spic-and-span, has been around for years, but is newly expanded and remodeled.

Bringing the World to Wichita
Professionals from 154 countries train with FlightSafety, and currently the Hawker Beechcraft centers’ customer base runs at about 70 percent foreign nationals. At one level, these centers showcase highly technical, cutting-edge sophisticated training technology, yet they also are set up to accommodate the widest imaginable diversity of languages and cultures.

Congratulations, FlightSafety
Our sincere thanks to our gracious hosts and hostesses for a fun and insightful tour, and our warmest congratulations to FlightSafety for its investment in safety. The folks who work at these centers display such dedication and a clear love of what they do. These heroes make the skies safer for all of us. When we board a flight with a FlightSafety-trained crew, we know we’re in the very best possible hands.

Have you trained with FlightSafety or had the opportunity to tour one of its facilities? Tell us about your experiences.

Check out all of our photos from the event here.

This weekend, as the helicopter industry gathers in Houston for its annual Heli-Expo, talk among operators, service providers and manufacturers inevitably will focus on safety – how the industry fares, what it can do better.

Helicopter safety, like that of all aviation, is leagues ahead of where it stood a few decades ago, and the industry devotes enormous effort and resources to improving its record. Still, helicopter safety trails most other aviation categories.

The equipment continually improves – systems become more reliable, avionics grow ever more sophisticated. Meanwhile, operator error accounts for the largest number of accidents. Regulators, top operators, helicopter associations and the insurance industry all agree – regular, quality training is the best route to improving this record.

A Training Breakthrough
At Heli-Expo, FlightSafety International will promote its groundbreaking new Level 7 flight training devices, which deliver training that compares favorably to the cost of in-aircraft instruction yet provide the clear benefits of simulation-based training.

These devices remove another barrier – perceived cost – to regular helicopter training, and point the way to a future in which helicopter safety records approach that of the rest of aviation. We’ll be watching to see what other innovations emerge from the annual rotorcraft extravaganza.

Have helicopters played a role in your life? Emergency transport, sightseeing, travel to otherwise inaccessible destinations or some other objective that only a helicopter could meet?

Thursday evening my father and I had the distinct honor of being special guests at the exclusive Kansas Aviation Museum open house.

By “special guests” I mean we showed up. And, of course, by “exclusive” I mean open to the public.

Though we missed the official unveiling of new areas at the museum, we fully enjoyed perusing the refreshed interior at KAM (after a slice of plane-cake and glass of wine).

This 1931 Stearman Model 4D is being restored by dedicated museum volunteers.

Quite Impressive
I was impressed by my old man’s knowledge of aircraft engines (why rotary engines are more powerful than in-line engines, etc). He was impressed by my knowledge of where things are in the museum (I have been there a few times before, etc). And we were both impressed with the extensive collection of antique and classic aircraft and aviation paraphernalia, all built here in the heartland.

We spent a good while up close and personal with the 1931 Stearman (Model 4D) being restored in one of the workshops. I had an intriguing conversation with the restorers, Ron McCulley and co., about the project. I was in awe that not only do they possess mad skills with wood working and metal craft (rebuilding the wings – struts and all – from scratch), but they have the know-how and wherewithal to cover, stitch and tape the aircraft skin in-house and then apply the dope. (That’s aircraft dope, and no you can’t smoke it.)

The newly painted atrium.

So Much to See
While it was too cold and dark to tour the aircraft on display outside (“can you say spring field trip?”), we had fun viewing the static displays inside. My dad was tickled they even had an original Stearman “sidewalk” children’s bicycle on display (he so wanted one when he was a little tyke). I was tickled they had a Mooney Mite on display (I so wanted to hop in and make vroom sounds, but restrained myself).

After admiring the re-created stenciling on the atrium ceiling, we made a trip up to the control tower. When the tower was added on to the then-Wichita Municipal Airport (in 1941), it was touted as the highest point in Wichita. We figured it was the best way to top off the evening … next to the burger and beer we enjoyed a short drive later.

If you’ve been to the museum, what’s your favorite exhibit or feature?

Traffic was steady at Bombardier’s static display. Part of the draw: two new Learjet 60XR Signature Series aircraft (produced in Wichita). Both offer large-cabin-concepts in a midsize jet.

Just before this year’s NBAA convention in Orlando – the industry’s 62nd – the Wall Street Journal ran the article “As Aviation Jobs Take Off, Wichita Frets Its Future.” In it Peter Sanders reported that aviation-manufacturing jobs lost during this downturn probably will not return to Wichita, rather future growth will happen abroad.

Locally, there’s a big push to get President Obama to Wichita – and to have him voice support for business aviation, an industry that contributes more than $150 billion annually to the U.S. economy. We hope Obama comes and tours our manufacturing plants. We’ve worked hard to become the Air Capital of the World. It’s a mantle we must retain.

Feeling Wichita’s Presence
Touring the still-mammoth convention center and its 1,000-plus exhibitors and the 100-aircraft-strong static display, we saw Wichita everywhere. In addition to the manufacturers – Bombardier Learjet, Cessna, Hawker Beechcraft – there were many other familiar players: FlightSafety International (which operates five of its 40 learning centers here), Signature Flight Support (at Mid-Continent Airport since 2008), Dallas Airmotive (which just opened a facility here in April ‘09) and too many allied businesses to name.

Signature Flight Support’s poolside party drew post-show attendees by the hundreds. Junkanoo entertainers kept the mood festive. No long faces here.

The industry hasn’t begun a full-fledged rebound yet. But it will. And when it does, Wichita will be ready.

What do you see as Wichita’s biggest asset in retaining the aviation crown?

With NBAA only days away, most of us in the aviation industry are being bombarded with trade pubs and email blasts bringing us up to speed on the latest issues.

For a change of pace, Paul Bowen’s Flying magazine cover story from the September issue is entertaining, inspiring and educational.*

Click here to read it online.

*And yes, this is a shameless plug for my dad. He always seems to be bragging on me, so I take the opportunity to do the same whenever I can.

I realize that, generally speaking, it is the parent who beams with pride at his child’s accomplishments – and not often the reverse. However, I am going to brag. My dad happens to be world-renowned aviation photographer Paul Bowen and he is featured in the September issue of Flying magazine. His photos have graced countless covers over the years, but this article is unique. Not only did he take the photos, he wrote the story. In it he shares a few of his secrets and explains how it takes an entire team to orchestrate a shoot.

If you don’t have a subscription, you can pick up a copy at Barnes & Noble. His story, “Air-to-Air, How Paul Bowen gets those fabulous inflight photos” is a fascinating read, and the photos are truly remarkable. If I do say so myself.

A beautifully restored Wichita-built Stearman biplane shoots nearly straight up into the air, stalls and begins to plummet back to earth, trailing a plume of smoke the whole way. It pulls out at the last possible second, of course, and goes on to perform a succession of aerobatic feats.

On an absolutely perfect Saturday, several Greteman Groupers spread a blanket at the Wichita Flight Festival and sat back to watch the amazing performances.

I took the opportunity to see if I could capture even a hint of the excitement with my camera. It’s a challenge. I took dozens of photos, trying to get a feel for the fluid movement of the aircraft, hoping to catch a moment here or there that told a bit of the story.

Those planes are moving. I’m thinking – if it’s this hard just to get a picture, how hard must it be for the pilots to learn these precision moves? In some of the photos, the nose or the tail are off-frame. Or the light isn’t right, or the composition is boring.

Fortunately, I got a few shots that I was happy with. But even if I hadn’t, it would have been a great day with friends who happen also to be colleagues – a group that appreciates the wonder and beauty of aviation at its best, and the joy of a glorious Kansas summer afternoon.

Click here to see a few of the photos from our weekend outing.

Do you have any photography tips to share on how to capture fast-moving action?