Look Out For the G8/G20 Train Wreck!

From June 25th - 28th the local aviation community adjacent to Toronto will have the pleasure of dealing with the G8/G20 conference.

How should a conference of world leaders affect aviation?

Well let's start by noting that we now live in an age of letting the terrorists win by creating the chaos that results from over secure actions. Those who know little of aviation, but think they know everything about terrorists are making the choices for us. And how is that going? Well let's just say it becomes reaallllyyyy messy and complicated.

From what we hear so far regarding this event in our region - and FYI what we hear changes daily or more - well this one is looking to be a total screw up for anyone trying to move around the airspace that surrounds Toronto and a corridor north to Huntsville. Basically they want a 15 mile (according to the news today) sterile fly zone from the CN Tower. That effectively closes the three regional airports - or restricts them so badly that operations are effectively done. The bigger challenge - getting a straight answer on the whole thing so you can plan. Nobody involved wants to commit to something you can hang your hat on - yet. They will tell some of us - when they are ready - and they are not sure when that might be yet.

I pity Skyservice at Toronto. They are effectively being closed for anywhere from two to four days - along with their tenants and so forth. Why? Because they want the mid-field area of YYZ sterile and controlled. Landmark at the north end of the airport will be open but again restricted. All told there could be 120 aircraft coming to the event. And at a time where you would think we want to put our national pride hat on and show the right stuff, we are being told that the corporate aviation service sector is not needed for this event - so go home, shut down, take a holiday. Mr. Harper and company said to. As for say Buttonville picking up the business and lending a hand - problem there too. It falls within the 15 mile zone and again - cannot get a straight answer about what can and cannot be done.

So who is going to handle all these global VVIPs? According to organizers they will use the air force, army and baggage handlers from the airport. Hold on - thought we wanted this secure? Someone may have some splannin to do on that decision. Especially in light of all corporate aviation/FBO types having current and proven backgrounds - but we are not going to use them. Do the baggage handlers at YYZ have clean backgrounds?

This whole mess goes on from there. Suffice it to say those of us who know about these things can see the light - and it is a train - and it is heading right for this event.

And who you ask is the genius behind all this? Well the same folks who brought us the security mess and financial disaster at the Winter Olympics. The same group now being sued by ATAC for all the stupidity and cost. And when this one is done - hold on to your hats - we get to do it all over again in the late summer/early fall when the Summit of the Americas comes to town. Oh boy! More fun!

I can just hear the lawyers warming up the litigation now. Yes once again - aviation and twisted logic collide. And aviation as usual looses out.

The Scam Man

I wrote a column that was rather popular last year in Wings Magazine on the subject of scams in the aviation world.

At that particular time a group purporting to be from South Africa 2010 World Cup were out trying to get us to sell them aircraft in support of the event. The scam part was a registration/bid fee had to be paid in order to move into the final and approved phase of the acquisition programme. Where the scam failed was the number and specific aircraft wanted. There were only so many to be had and when a bunch of us starting tripping over each other and comparing notes - well the gig was up.

Were we stupid? No. In fact I was impressed by the quality and quantity of brokers who were drawn in. These guys were in fact pretty good which made us concerned that some who were not smart enough - or trusting enough - to share information with others would get suckered in - and I am sure some did. I received calls as much as six months later from new folks getting the same email to start the whole thing again with them.

The biggest issue here was the time this cost. Time is what we all sell. In this instance I went to the Canadian Trade officials who in turn flushed out the fallacy of the whole thing. They also notified the correct other agencies domestically and in SA. I also used the power of the spoken and written word to help. In the end, nobody that I know sent one dime. We all lost a large amount of time though.

And why am I bringing this up now? Because it still continues and also has left many of us so overly cautious that it could be costing us in genuine business.

Case in point, I had over the period of three weeks a series of emails from "over there" asking about aircraft we had/have been brokering. Two of the inquires were dismissed after some checking (we still talk to others and ask the right questions before getting involved too much now). In the case of the third, it really just did not feel right to me so I worked it a bit, but not too much. No point in putting in the time for nothing was my feeling. I admit it - I am very cautious now. Maybe too much so. We got to the point where frankly an offer was the only thing that would compel me to move forward. The buyer wanted more info. I wanted an offer first. So the buyer and I had a standoff. In my mind it just proved the lack of validity to the whole thing.

Well yesterday I got an email from the buyer advising he had found exactly what he wanted from someone else and would go forward on that and a second aircraft. So now I am thinking that my cautiousness has caused me to miss out on this one. In talking with Rick though, I think we both agree that something still stinks in this deal and we probably did not miss out on much.

But that said, we are both a bit gun shy and less tolerant of the time wasters and scam artists. And they are still very much there. They sit in Internet cafes in developing nations and research just enough to appear knowledgeable and go after the chance to get us in some way. It can be required registration fee for the tender. It can be a letter of invitation to come and view the aircraft (you are on the hook and responsible in such cases) and it can be information gathering so that they then go on using your identity to scam others. The problem is the bad guys have more time to consider new ways of being bad than we do. So they win. And when we get overly cautious and miss genuine opportunities - they win too. It is extremely frustrating. Especially as we all struggle to earn an honest buck.

Now if someone happens to find the crystal ball that allows us to tell the good from the bad - the genuine from the scam - and real from tire kicker - please tell us where to get one so we call all share and get back to doing business - not looking over our shoulders or second guessing ourselves.

The First Posting.

It is always an interesting time when you sit to write something. You stare at the space and mentally develop your thought. For some of us this comes easier than to others. I guess I am lucky that way. It never takes much once I have the inspiration.

For me, writing was something I fell into thanks to a publisher many years ago. I complained that the editorial in her magazine was biased towards our competition in the business. Her reply was to write an article and she would publish it - with editing of course. Looking back it was horrible and more advertorial than editorial. Perhaps in hindsight she was trying to teach me a lesson too.

That was the start of it for me. I learned to challenge what you read and be able to back it up with a counterpoint or rebuttal. I still remember one of my senior year high school teachers telling us to fight the system, not accept what "they" told us and be very willing to send letters and challenge the norm (well it was the 70s). At any rate, that was how it started I guess.

My aviation creative scribing only came to be about 13 or 14 years ago. Again a publisher was the driver however in this case it was a US publication looking for the Canadian view on something. I gave it to him. He paid me. It made sence and we went on from there. So this has become part of the business mix for me. That said, this is an industry that provides ample opportunity for me exercise the creativity. There is always something it seems to rant about, expand upon or simply report.

Getting on board with current social marketing is something we preach to clients and felt was time to put into play for ourselves. So hence this blog. It is a chance for me and my associate from out west Rick Pollock to vent a little, communicate and not blindly accept the status quo. Plus I think some days it just feels best to put your thought down - read it - ponder it - and then decide if it is worth saying or publishing. Either way it makes me feel better.

So here is the first one. Others to follow. Frequency undertermined at this point. Feedback welcome.

Cheers!

Rob.