Business Jet Group Tries to Block FOIA Request

Former GM CEO Rick Wagoner (Getty Images) testifies before Congress on Nov. 18, 2008 after arriving in Washington, D.C. on a Gulfstream IV corporate jet (Wikimedia Commons). After being criticized for traveling by Private Jets, General Motors asked aviation regulators to prevent public tracking of its aircraft.

Remember last fall when the CEOs of General Motors, Ford and Chrysler flew on Corporate Jets [2] to Washington, D.C., to plead for a taxpayer bailout? The resulting bad publicity prompted GM to try to prevent the public [3] from tracking its planes in databases compiled by the Federal Aviation Administration.

That got ProPublica interested in how many other companies had asked the FAA to excise their planes’ tail numbers from records tracking private flights. So in December, ProPublica filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act for a complete listing.

Earlier this month, the FAA concluded that the information was public and planned to release the list on Tuesday. But on Monday, an organization representing Private Charter Jets users went to court to block the release of the records.

The National Business Aviation Association filed a motion [4] (PDF) for a temporary restraining order on Monday in federal district court in Washington, D.C. The group, which learned of the request from the FAA, argues that the records should be exempt from disclosure because they contain confidential commercial information that was submitted voluntarily.

Releasing the list would also generate a higher level of interest in the companies that had tried to block public knowledge of their aircrafts’ movements, it said.

“Upon learning that a specific aircraft tail number is included in the [blocked] list, a member of the public could readily track down the identity of the owner (through the FAA’s public aircraft registry database) and attempt to investigate the reason the owner seeks blocking of the aircraft data,” Steven Brown, the association’s senior vice president wrote in a March letter objecting to the FOIA request.

The information ProPublica is seeking would include the company’s name and address and the tail numbers of all the planes it wants blocked. The public already can research airplane ownership using the aircraft registry [5] posted on the FAA’s Web site.

To manage the nation’s air traffic, the FAA collects information from all planes that use the public airspace, including which airports the planes fly into and out of. The flight plans are public and some groups have posted them on their Web sites.

But under a little-known program called the Block Aircraft Registration Request Program [6], companies can request that their information be kept hidden to protect the security of their executives or to prevent disclosure of business trips that might affect stock prices.

Companies make the request through the business aviation association, which sends them to FAA each month. The FAA then reviews the requests and removes the planes from the public database.

The FAA reviewed the association’s objections to ProPublica’s FOIA request and determined on June 1 that the information did not qualify for an exemption.

“The NBAA list is not a trade secret, nor is it commercial or financial information within the meaning of the FOIA,” wrote Carol A. Might, director of system operations litigation.

The FAA stands by its position, spokeswoman Laura Brown said Tuesday. In court, a Justice Department lawyer representing the FAA agreed to withhold the list until the judge can hear arguments from both sides.

“We were pleased to learn earlier today that the FAA agrees that these documents should be disclosed under the Freedom of Information Act,” said Richard J. Tofel, general manager of ProPublica. “We can’t imagine why the list of companies that want to keep the movements of their aircraft a secret should itself be a secret. We’ve retained counsel to evaluate NBAA’s lawsuit, and are considering our legal options.”

Mark Duell, vice president of air traffic Web site FlightAware.com [7], said he wasn’t aware of any incidents in which an executive’s safety or competitive interests were jeopardized by the information his company publishes online.

“All the flights within the national airspace are using resources being paid for by everyone since it’s publicly funded,” he said. “It’s a freedom of information and transparency issue to us.”

The business aviation association did not comment further on its attempt to prevent the release of records, but released a statement supporting the blocked aircraft program.

The program is the result of years of negotiations with the FAA. In 1995, several private plane groups petitioned the FAA to limit the air traffic data to a need-to-know basis. With the Internet causing the number of Web sites posting the data proliferating, the association began working with the FAA on a system to protect the privacy of business jet users.

“The [BARR] Program was established over a decade ago in response to recognized security concerns and competitive considerations,” spokesman Dan Hubbard said in a statement. “NBAA has long supported the BARR program and believes the reasons for its creation remain relevant today, given that access to information about certain flights can be used to inappropriately impact the competitive landscape.”

Correction: This post originally misstated the name of the BARR Program as “Blocked Aircraft Registration Request.” BARR stands for “Block Aircraft Registration Request.”

Is Private Jet Rental A Plaything?

Are private jets simply the playthings of the rich? As the economic climate turns ever greyer, you’d expect to see les demand if that were the case. But jet hire is taking off (excuse the pun!) more than ever before. Why? Because hiring an aircraft can be save serious cash for the time conscious business.

Private Jet Rental – Not Just for the Rich and Famous – You might not be able to gauge this in absolute terms, because it will be utterly difficult for you to come to any conclusion about the advantages that Private Jets hire option provides to you. One of the most fundamental factors for.

Paper: Former Gov. Easley Took Private Flights

Raleigh, N.C. — Former North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley took at least 25 flights on Private Jets during his final six years in office. He didn’t pay for some of the flights, and the value of other trips exceed state campaign contribution limits, a Raleigh newspaper reported.

Several businessmen who provided the planes to Easley were appointed to the boards of state agencies and universities, The News & Observer of Raleigh reported in a story published Saturday.

Easley might have taken even more flights on private planes. Records from the Highway Patrol, which travel with and provide security for the governor, are missing for all of 2005 and other significant stretches, the paper reported.

The flights could break ethics and campaign finance rules. North Carolina law requires the disclosure of gifts over $200, and Easley didn’t report some of the free flights. The law also prevents corporations from donating to campaigns and limits individuals to giving $4,000 to a candidate in an election cycle. The market value of many of the flights appears to be over $4,000 or enough to top the legal limit when combined with other contributions. It can cost up to $1,300 an hour to charter the kind of private plane the governor needs to travel.

Anyone found to have violated campaign fiance laws faces civil or misdemeanor criminal penalties.

Easley and his campaign lawyer John Wallace refused to talk the newspaper about the story.

Linda Daves, chairwoman of the North Carolina Republican Party, issued a blistering attack on Easley.

“Not only do actions of this nature by those who call themselves public servants destroy the public trust, these violations also create an elite political class insulated from the people,” Daves said in a statement. “We must be rid once and for all of these political leeches who infect the culture of state government.”

Most of the flights came as the Democrat successfully ran for re-election in 2004.

Developer V. Parker Overton flew Easley to a governor’s policy conference in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., in November 2003. He said the governor did not repay him.

Overton said he agreed to fly Easley to earn goodwill from the governor for East Carolina University, North Carolina State University and other interests in the eastern part of the state.

“If the governor calls you up and needs the plane, you do it,” Overton said. “I’d do it for (Gov. Beverly) Perdue if she called or that fellow she beat.”

Before the flight, Overton had already donated $3,000 to Easley’s campaign.

Overton doesn’t serve on any state boards, but some businessmen who provided the flights to the governor do.

Cameron McRae was appointed by Easley to the state Board of Transportation and the Global TransPark Authority. The Bojangles’ franchiser from Kinston flew Easley in his planes, and some the trips were not reported.

A flight to a fishing trip to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., was provided by Raleigh real estate broker McQueen Campbell, who Easley twice appointed a trustee at N.C. State University, where he became chairman. Campbell told the newspaper he also provided other flights to the former governor, some of which were not disclosed in campaign reports.

Easley didn’t report the fishing trip as a gift.

The paper reconstructed the former governor’s travels using security logs from the Highway Patrol, as well as interviews with people who provided the flights to Easley and others.

The newspaper has sought records on Easley’s travels since 2005, but his administration resisted, saying details on the governor’s travels would compromise his security, even after the trips were completed.

Gov. Beverly Perdue, who took office in January, ordered the Highway Patrol to release travel and other records.

The details of Easley’s travels and how he arranged the trips is extremely disturbing, said Bob Phillips, who heads the nonpartisan advocacy group Common Cause North Carolina, which has been active in seeking campaign reform and lobbying for openness.

“Think about how many millions of dollars he raised, … and there’s this get-something-for-free attitude,” Phillips said.

E-Type to return – Jaguar

A legend is returning! In one of the most dramatic comebacks in British motoring history, Auto Express has learned that Jaguar is set to resurrect the best-loved machine in its stable – the E-Type.

In a bid to take on the Porsche 911 and Aston Martin V8 Vantage, the Coventry manufacturer is planning a sensational two-seater sports car. It will revive the spirit of the original Sixties coupé and introduce the Jaguar brand to a whole new range of buyers.

Hot on the heels of the XF – which is driven in the UK for the first time on Page 8 – and the forthcoming new XJ saloon, which we told you all about in Issue 987, the 21st Century E-Type should arrive in show-rooms in 2011. The sale of the firm is likely to be completed within the next couple of weeks, and giving the green light to the sports car is one of the first major decisions faced by Jaguar’s expected new owner, Indian giant Tata. The big cat’s chairman Geoff Polites has confirmed that the company is looking at a number of options for future models, including the two-seater sports car.

From the C-Type of the Fifties to the legendary E-Type, Jaguar has a history of making great sporting machines, and our illustration shows how the newcomer might look. Mixing the marque’s brand new grille and headlight arrangement with a muscular coupé body, it is simply stunning. Senior bosses believe that a two-seater would be a better bet than replacing the current X-Type saloon. The X-Type has always struggled to compete with rivals such as the BMW 3-Series and Audi A4, but a pure sports car is seen as fitting
in perfectly with Jaguar’s new niche line-up led by the XK Coupé and XF.

The big cat came very close to putting a sports car into production back in 2000. That model was based on the F-Type concept, a vehicle which won rave reviews when it was unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show.

Design chief Ian Callum developed a machine based on the study, but Ford bosses in America opted instead to invest in both the X-Type and diesel power. The F-Type was targeted directly at the Porsche Boxster, yet the latest model is aiming even higher. Designers and engineers are now working on a sports car that would be seen as a direct rival to the German company’s 911. It would be based on a shortened version of the XJ’s all-aluminium chassis, making it lightweight with Porsche-matching performance and handling.

A decision on the car’s name is some way off, but it will be aimed at real sports car enthusiasts, leaving the current XK Coupé and convertible to cater for owners wanting a more luxurious Grand Tourer.

Power will come from the firm’s V8 engines, with a 4.2-litre unit for the entry-level model which will give scope for a 500bhp 5.0 supercharged flagship. All motors will be hooked up to Jaguar’s six-speed automatic gearbox, and come complete with steering wheel-mounted paddleshifters, while the suspension will feature special Audi-style magnetic dampers.

However, the company’s priority for the next few years is the stunning new XJ saloon. Polites has told designers to “let your creative juices run free” and tells us that the result is simply the “best car I have ever seen”. Evolving the look of the XF, it will feature an even more rakish shape, and will be powered by a range of revised engines, including the company’s first hybrid.

With a two-seater sports car giving an added dimension to the line-up and underlining the firm’s recent revival with the sexy XK Coupé and XF saloon, the future looks extremely bright for the big cat.

Experian Q3 07 used car market analysis: Cars under three years old lose Appeal

Sales of used cars in Britain fell by 3% during quarter three of 2007, but younger cars suffered the most, according to the latest analysis of DVLA data from Experian. This is the biggest drop in used car sales during quarter three the market has seen for eight years, and sales of cars under three years old suffered the highest loss, of 8% y/y.

Kirk Fletcher, Managing Director of Experian’s Automotive division, said: “By the time the third quarter had begun, the base rate had already risen five times to 5.75% – its highest level since spring 2001 – so consumers were feeling the squeeze on their finances. Sales of ‘big ticket’ items, such as cars, were the most likely to suffer, and they did. The third quarter of 2007 saw the biggest drop in sales for the year so far.

“The picture in the new car market, however, was different. Although interest rate rises had affected the new car market too, by the end of the quarter, sales had increased. New cars are relatively cheaper than they used to be, but customer feedback to our dealer clients has been about the strong incentives offered alongside the new cars. New cars sales have therefore seen an upward trend.

“Those consumers that tended to go for nearly new or younger cars were seeing the benefits of getting a new car instead.”

Last year was also the first in which sales of older cars (three-six and six-nine years old) fell during quarter three, when previously, these were the only cars to see slight volume increases. However, the fall in sales was not as severe as the one suffered by cars less than three years old.

Mr. Fletcher said: “Only a few years ago, we were seeing younger cars, in particular those classed as nearly new, leap in sales each year; now they are among those seeing the biggest downturn in sales. Increased warranty cover, free insurance and 0 per cent finance deals on new cars are influencing the decision to buy a new car over a nearly new one. The gap is closing and nearly new cars no longer hold the appeal they once did.”

Used SUVs and MPVs remained popular (up 8% and 3% respectively) while all other segments saw a downturn.

Reviewing all the segments, Experian found that the biggest drop came from the upper medium segment (down 9%) followed by the executive segment (down 6%).

The sports segment, which had continued to increase in sales during the third quarter year on year, saw sales fall for the first time (down 2%).

Superminis saw the smallest fall in sales down (0.9%), but continued to be the most popular used car segment in the UK.

Mr. Fletcher concluded: “By the end of September in 2006, just over 6 million used cars were sold and by the end of that year just under 7.8 million used cars were sold. By the end of September 2007, the industry was 3% behind target. In order for the used car sector to avoid recording a loss during 2007 as a whole, October, November and December will need to record just under 1.9 million used car sales.”

Chevrolet Launches Beautifully Safe All-New 2009 Traverse in Abu Dhabi

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates – December 18, 2008: Chevrolet’s first entry into the crossover utility (CUV) segment marks the birth of the all-new Traverse, which was officially launched in the UAE at a major media ride & drive event along the scenic routes of Abu Dhabi in the same week of its regional debut at the 2008 Abu Dhabi International Motor Show.

The Traverse’s design integrates refined details with strong proportions, and boasts the bold new global face of Chevrolet. Taut body lines and minimal overhangs convey the image of a smaller vehicle, reinforcing the Traverse’s feeling of a large crossover that drives small.

In a car designed squarely around family needs, the functionality and comfort of the interiors are of utmost importance. In order to deliver exceptional interior refinement and functionality, the Traverse designers combined a confluence of attractive design, cutting-edge technology and excellent attention to detail. Middle Eastern families will most certainly take to the tasteful styling, outstanding quality and detailed workmanship of the materials in the cabin.

Complementing the Traverse’s overall design, and marking it as a vehicle far ahead of its competitors, is a comprehensive roster of standard and available features catering for driver and passengers alike. They include a panoramic, power-operated sunroof, power-folding outside mirrors, a power lift-gate, heated and cooled front seats, a remote vehicle start system, a DVD entertainment system, rear ultrasonic parking assist and rear-view camera.

The Traverse is available in Front Wheel Drive (FWD) or All Wheel Drive (AWD), and is powered by a new 3.6L V-6 engine with direct injection, which offers a satisfying balance of great performance and fuel efficiency. This engine generates a segment-leading 313 hp @ 6300rpm and 389 Nm of torque at 3300 rpm.

The 3.6-litre engine is mated to an advanced Hydra-Matic 6T75 six-speed automatic transmission, which enables the Traverse to offer unsurpassed fuel efficiency;

The Traverse has a 360-degree safety system that helps protect passengers before and during a crash, including new anchor pretensions for outboard occupants. It is equipped with six standard air bag, two dual-stage frontal air bags for the driver and front passenger, two seat-mounted pelvic-thorax side-impact air bags in the first row and two head curtain side-impact air bags that cover all three seating rows.

The head curtain side air bags are among the longest air bags in any production vehicle. With standard rear child security locks, Lower Anchors and Top Tethers for Children (LATCH) to firmly attach child safety seat for optimum child security in the back, the Traverse sets parents minds at ease.