Aviation

The aircraft has had the most far-reaching impact of any invention in recent history. Aviation has grown in leaps and bounds since the close of the Great War, expanding its influence into all areas of life and business. Exploration, travel, commerce, mail service, recreation, agriculture — these are but a few of the fields where modern aviation has left a profound, lasting impression.

The field of aviation is enormous and always changing; an exhaustive study of the subject would fill several volumes. The following articles offer an informed look into the numerous aspects and applications of aviation, as well as aircraft-related equipment and services.

Flight Regulations

Various governing agencies such as the Cape Suzette Board of Aviation exercise jurisdiction over national air territories with differing, sometimes contradicting regulations; but in free airspace, international law prevails.

Standard flight regulations stipulate that an air vehicle must travel within designated flight lanes at an altitude of approximately 10,000 feet; that it carry parachutes and escape equipment sufficient to safely evacuate the entire ship's complement; that it be crewed by trained and certified pilots; that it be licensed with a federal flight agency corresponding to its port of origin; and that it be fully insured against any foreseeable mishap or calamity, including (but not limited to) mechanical failure, collision, theft, disappearance, and "acts of nature."

In practice, the system serves as a set of guidelines. Insufficient enforcement, bureaucratic snags, contradictory local laws, and overlapping jurisdictions thwart authorities' best efforts to impose order on the sky lanes. Currently, any air vessel with a licensed pilot and spare seating qualifies as a passenger aircraft.

All commercial airlines (and smart independent operators) comply with federal and international travel regulations. Enforcement of these policies is strict among commercial airlines, since foreign countries — notably Thembria — have been known to turn back or, on occasion, force down flights whose occupants carry unauthorized or expired passports. Unfortunately, burdensome fees have inadvertantly led to a rash of forged documents and bribery as certain individuals obtain air passage by fraud.

Training and Licensing

The preferred method of flying instruction is a multi-week course similar to driver's education, utilizing many of the same techniques and approaches to learning. Instruction is based on a comprehensive review of the Standard Flight Manual, the official guidebook to aviation. Completion of the course with a passing grade and a sufficient number of flight-hours qualifies the student to apply for a full license.

Some flying students hire a private instructor. Flight practice is usually done in the instructor's own aircraft or in a rented plane, with the flight-hour requirement being the same as for an official course. The popularity of self-training books has led to do-it-yourself books on flying. "How to Fly Any Airplane in Three Easy Lessons," priced at $100, comes with a money-back guarantee and a learner's permit. Most of these books, sadly, reduce flying to a set of step-by-step procedures with no regard for the underlying principles.

In early days, budding aviators learned flying purely "by the seat of their pants" in crop dusters and retired fighter planes. In some instances, a freelance pilot may take a young apprentice under his wing and show him the rudiments of piloting. Other students pore endlessly over the Standard Flight Manual, substituting book smarts for hands-on experience. The best learners balance informal flight training with rigorous study.

Each government's department of aviation has its own procedure for registering pilots. Usland's is known as F.L.A.P. — the Federal Licensing Agency for Pilots. Applicants above 16 (legal flying age) who have completed a pilot training course must take an eye test and written exam, before climbing into the cockpit with an instructor for an evaluation of their piloting skills. Success earns the applicant a general-purpose aviation license, good for a number of years. License renewal only requires a vision test and written exam, unless the applicant received a ticket from the Air Police since the last renewal was issued. Special permits, including commercial licenses and airship-piloting certification, may require alternate testing or supplemental training.

Air Authorities

As aviation functions under special rules and laws, so must it be overseen by special law enforcement agencies. Chief among these are the Air Police — affiliated with Usland's police community, the Air Police investigate and prosecute offenses including airplane theft, skyjacking, smuggling, and reckless flying. Air Police officers also hold substantial authority in matters of civil disobedience and criminal activity, when those crimes relate to aviation or reach beyond the jurisdiction of local police. Though not a military force, the Air Police employ fighter planes and armament sufficient to scare away even the boldest of pirates.

Coastal cities must set up agencies to regulate air traffic and maintain order in the skies. Cape Suzette, for instance, has a very effective air control system which ensures the safe passage of all flying vehicles through the Cape Suzette cliffs. Air control operators grant permission to authorized flights as they arrive, ordering others to assume holding patterns until traffic clears. Controllers have the authority to issue emergency clearance or deny clearance to any aircraft as they see fit, regardless of the circumstances. Disobeying a direct order from air traffic control can result in suspension of one's pilot license for a minimum of one week, maybe more depending on the severity of the violation.

A host of other aviation law enforcement methods exist, their use varying according to a city's size and strategic importance. Several precincts in Cape Suzette's police department have air units whose officers patrol the harbor, inspect aircraft parking, ticket pilots for flying at unsafe speeds, and impound planes for serious infractions or use as evidence in related cases. In addition to the Air Police, Cape Suzette depends on its shore patrol planes, coast guard fleet, and defense fighter squadrons for protection. Military air support may be granted to large cities like Cape Suzette to deal with a major air crisis or combat an act of terrorism such as Air Pirate attack.

General Aviation

All non-commercial, non-military applications fall under the term of "general aviation." Briefly, general aviation covers such things as stunt flying, recreational flying, and crop dusting. The styles and types of general aviation aircraft vary so drastically that no designating standards exist. Examples of such air vehicles include hot-air balloons, hang gliders, and homemade sport planes; in many places where these aircraft are flown, no license is required. General aviation facilites, airports, and landing fields dot the maps of many countries.

Air Passage

Air travel has become a lucrative trade in fast-moving societies. There are fortunes to be won along the skyways, simply by getting people to where they want to go. Well-charted routes and standardized international flight regulations have made air travel fast and affordable for the thousands of passengers — merchants, businessmen, traders, dignitaries, tourists — who daily take to the skies.

Air Taxis

For those in need of fast transport over short distances, hiring an air taxi is an option in today's largest cities. Compact touring planes, air cabs serve as a cheap and efficient means of intracity travel in seaports and trade centers. Air taxi service is a fast-growing phenomenon — already the Yellow Cab's air division in Cape Suzette provides low-cost travel around the harbor and even to nearby islands such as Louie's Place.

Commercial Airlines

The majority of air travelers book passage on flights run by commercial airlines. Based in cities such as Cape Suzette, passenger airlines offer affordable airfare to destinations along heavily-traveled routes. Passengers on commercial airline flights can expect a smooth, comfortable ride, an in-flight meal, and quality service.

The shortcomings of a major airline lie in their limited selection of destinations. Airlines make their profits running non-stop flights to popular locations well within reach of the main sky lanes. It may take weeks or months for a commercial flight to open up to an outlying region or city. Even then, the flight might not be direct, forcing the passenger to catch a series of connecting flights before arriving at his final destination.

Luxury Airships

Luxury airships are the sovereigns of the skies. The marriage of aesthetic design to technical excellence has brought forth a class of air vessels superior in size, style, and capability to any commercial aircraft. Each luxury airship is a work of art, incorporating unique designs and unusual, elegant features crafted to please the eye and satisfy the tastes of her rich passengers.

The titantic scale of these air vessels permits a mode of air travel unparalleled in splendor and luxuriousness. A typical grand luxury airship is something of a palace in the sky, replete with fancy staterooms, sumptuous dining, impeccable service, and opulent decor. Heightened standards in safety include state-of-the-art control systems, multiple backups for the main components, and the adoption of helium instead of hydrogen.

Luxury tour lines sell passage on multi-week cruises to regions such as the tropics. Despite the outrageous cost of airfare, luxury liners are booked solid year-round with tourists, vacationers, and wealthy sightseers. One would be correct in guessing that a luxury airship, packed with rich passengers, would make a juicy prize for Air Pirates. However, the sheer scale of these vessels vastly outmatches all but unusually well-armed pirates or true warships.

Although luxury airships may cross distant, exotic lands, they rarely pick up or drop off passengers there. Passengers are normally allowed to board or disembark only at the airship's home port, or at designated stops along the cruise route. Not only do air traffic officials frown on deviations from flight plans, but few outlying areas have adequate facilities for these huge vessels (or passengers who can afford to travel aboard them).

Independent Operators

The lure of higher profits and expanded business has led many a freight pilot and shipping company to run passenger flights on the side. Normally, independent outfits cannot provide the comforts and conveniences of commercial airline flights. Their chief selling points are quick scheduling and a wide range of destinations, appealing to travelers who want to avoid the hassle of arranging passage on a commercial flight.

Independent operators run the gamut from fully-staffed firms to loners for hire, based in just about every port, harbor, and town imaginable. As these small ventures are funded out of pocket, the expenses generated in overhead endanger their very existence. To trim costs, most independents set up shop in low-rent districts or underdeveloped areas where property is cheap and insurance premiums are low.

Because commercial airlines undercut them in airfare, independent air travel firms rely on local reputation and the strength of their advertising to draw passengers. However, no small operator can run a professional sales campaign on loose change. Some businesses will try any stunt to get attention. Air races and flying contests are wonderful ways for independent pilots to win publicity, at no costs other than gasoline and an entry fee. Other methods include handing out flyers, spreading word of mouth, and even seeking out customers in person. As business drags and debt piles up, owners may go so far as to cash in their plane's insurance policy for the sake of buying a single, full-page magazine ad (a move either daring or desperate, depending on whom you ask).

Passengers on independently-run flights can expect fewer "frills" — the interior of a small air cruiser or refurbished cargo plane might be drafty, the seating cramped, and the ride turbulent. Little or no food may be served during the flight, and sightseeing and conversation are the only ways to relieve boredom. Very seldom do these planes fly "non-stop" to their destinations. Frequent stopovers may be made during a journey to refuel the plane and allow the passengers to eat and rest.

Rentals / Chartered Planes

To reach destinations far off the beaten track, travelers may have to rent or charter an aircraft. Airplane rental services lease short- and mid-range planes to licensed pilots for a daily fee. Prospective customers should bear in mind that almost all rental craft are previously owned; "discount" lots cluttered with traded-in cargo freighters and outdated biplanes should be avoided, unless one is looking to dodge a permit check. It should also be understood that the customer will be held liable for damage or theft of a rented aircraft.

Chartering an aircraft for a journey guarantees successful passage — for a price. Charter pilots demand top dollar for their services, and the best require payment in advance. Most charter flights operate close to their home ports and near the main sky lanes; travel to remote and uncommon destinations will multiply fares substantially, up to three times the normal amount! For the money they get, charter pilots have learned not to ask too many questions about their passengers — certain individuals find it simpler to just charter a plane than to beg or bribe their way aboard commercially-run flights.

Air Freight

Air freight is an important branch of commercial aviation. All manner of goods are shipped by air — fresh produce, machine and automobile parts, industrial chemicals, furniture, valuables and antiques — rather than by sea or land, which takes much longer. Most air cargo is transported in aircraft specifically designed for air freight, called cargo planes or cargo freighters.

Current figures ascribe the major percentage of air shipping revenue in the past decade to corporate services. At this moment, the biggest name in corporate air freight is Khan Industries, whose sweeping air transport fleet moves industrial supplies, valuables, and merchandise all over the world. A host of other corporations compete profitably in air transport. Some conglomerates prefer to specialize in bulk cargos from foodstuffs to livestock. Other agencies, such as Robert Service's "At-Your-Service" Delivery Service, outsource their shipping to corporations and small businesses on a contract basis.

In a business dominated by corporate influence, the entrepreneurial spirit is kept alive by independent air cargo firms. Small-time companies and privately-owned businesses thrive along the waterfronts of Cape Suzette and other prominent ports and harbors. While no single small firm can garner the profits of a corporation like Khan Industries, collectively independent shippers take a handsome share of the air cargo market. Fighting pressure from the corporate entities, independent services make money by transporting the overflow of goods generated by producers and local businesses. Many small operators in Cape Suzette are known by name — the foremost being the acclaimed "Higher for Hire" Air Cargo Service.

The remainder of air cargo unclaimed by corporates or independents falls on the shoulders of the freelance pilot. Popular myth romanticizes the role of the roaming pilot-for-hire, depicting his lifestyle as freewheeling and adventurous. In truth, freelance pilots are the workhorses of air shipping. They take the assignments that company pilots can't or won't take, crossing hundreds of miles on their own and waiting days, sometimes weeks between jobs. Some are shiftless, but many are hardworking and honest. Freelance pilots drift from port to port, living out of their airplanes, which happen to be their biggest investment — most of a pilot's money goes directly into repairing and improving his plane, or meeting the next loan payment. It is a hard life, to be sure, but one marked by moments of cheer and spirited revelry with comrades. Their pride, independence, and passion for flying earns freelance pilots the reputation of being the best aviators around.

Aircraft Equipment

Plane owners may choose to customize, modify, and improve their aircraft. The following list of aircraft equipment provides information regarding the more common types of added components and accessories, and some of the not-so-common ones.

Tow Rope

Pilots use tow rope or tow cable to load heavy cargoes. Dispensed from a spool installed in the plane's cargo bay, tow rope can withstand the strain of sustained loads up to 4,000 lbs. This item is intended strictly for use as a cargo-handling aid; manufacturers disavow liability for damage caused by reckless behavior, such as swinging from the rope in midair while the plane is in flight.

Gyrocompass

Award-winning avionics firm Googleschlocker Instruments has done it again with the debut of its newly-patented Googleschlocker Gyrocompass. This electronic gizmo contains a motorized gyroscope that interacts with the earth's rotational force to maintain a stable north-south orientation. In short, the gyrocompass provides accurate directional reference regardless of aircraft movement. Pilots who navigate through darkness, fog, and storms swear by this instrument.

Cargo Wings

Sometimes the cargo a pilot must transport exceeds the maximum capacity of his plane's cargo hold! Under these circumstances, he may resort to hauling the extra crates behind his plane with the help of cargo wings. Plastic wings bolted to the sides of cargo containers — along with a sturdy tow rope — allow a pilot to pull a string of crates along behind his aircraft. The tricky part is the landing; for that reason, cargo wings should only be used on boxes containing bulk goods and foodstuffs, certainly not fragile wares.

Landing Skis

Most airplanes are designed for touchdowns on land and sea, but seldom on snow or ice. Foresighted pilots traveling to the polar regions will refit their planes' landing gear with oversized skis, which enable aircraft to land and taxi across frozen surfaces with a minimum of sliding.

Sand Screens

Aircraft engines, finely-tuned pieces of machinery, are constantly exposed to abrasive, airborne particles such as dust and dirt. When flying over wastelands and deserts, aviators routinely install metal filters inside the engine housings to keep out blowing sand. "Sand screens," as they are called, come in an array of sizes to match the multitude of engine configurations found in aircraft everywhere.

Noise Dampers

To reduce noise pollution in major cities, aircraft engineers have introduced sound suppression devices for use in aircraft engines. Just like a silencer on a gun, a noise damper cuts down engine noise drastically, but also exacts a noticeable toll in flight performance. Military reconnaissance planes use noise dampers to avoid detection; spies and Air Pirates love to get their hands on this equipment whenever they can.

Portable Whale Lift

Transporting marine mammals by air is a trend growing popular among zoos and animal research institutes, primarily because fast air travel reduces the time these creatures spend out of the water. To accomplish this task, cargo planes can be retrofitted with special carrier frames, custom-built and reinforced to support the weight of creatures as large as whales. The Acme Portable Whale Lift, priced above $20,000, attaches to the top of most freight planes and can also double as a small-plane carrier.

Refrigeration Systems

Cargo planes transport shipments of dairy products, fresh produce, and perishable goods from one corner of the globe to another. Onboard refrigeration systems ensure that food doesn't spoil or melt along the way. Not all planes have them installed — climate-control units are expensive and tend to tax the plane's power supply. Most pilots count on their flying skills to get food delivered to the market on time. However, when dealing with foods very susceptible to spoilage, such as Carnuvian kumquats, refrigeration systems are an absolute must.

Skywriting Systems

Inventive minds might never exhaust the possiblities of aviation. A new fad involves writing letters in the sky by releasing a visible vapor from an airplane. Novelty businesses make a quick buck by creating skywritten messages for customers; never mind that pilots generally feel skywriting is a waste of a good airplane. The sprayer used to dispense the skywriting vapor is a glorified version of the same package installed in crop dusting planes (the chief difference, of course, being the price tag). Some stunt pilots incorporate a similar system into their aerobatic routines, releasing colored smoke from their planes to the delight of audiences.

Overdrives

Gaining performance out of an aircraft engine far beyond its specified limits — this certainly is a tantalizing prospect for engineers and aerospace theoreticians. In a state called "overdrive," an engine's horsepower could be doubled, even tripled, enabling an aircraft to jump across great distances in the blink of an eye. Despite the obvious problem of overheating, experts insist that such a device could work as an escape measure against Air Pirates. Meanwhile, within the flying community, persistant rumor holds that at least one overdrive module has already been invented.

Aircraft Services

Like so many vehicles, aircraft require two essential services: refueling and maintenance. Given the number of aircraft in operation, the volume of air traffic, and the widespread range of air travel, one may expect to find numerous repair yards and fuel stops dotting trade routes around the world.

Refueling

Fuel consumption varies among aircraft according to model and engine design; nevertheless, worldwide demand for gasoline has increased steadily since the airplane was introduced, and shows no signs of slowing. Gas companies cater to the air industry's needs through an extensive refueling network, made up of a combination of chain fuel stations and independent suppliers. Several major refueling chains enjoy the bonus of corporate backing — chief examples are Khanoco and Khan Gas, subsidiaries of Khan Industries. A smattering of dockside fuel pumps and way stations round out the equation, squeezing a thin profit from passing flyers due to their discount pricing and nearness to the shipping lanes.

At competitive rates and the current market value of oil, a gallon of gas costs 10 cents on average — if purchased from a brand-name station in a populated harbor. Gasoline prices fluctuate as one ventures farther from major cities and ports, and not for the better. Refueling stops in backwater areas can make a killing off wayfaring pilots low on fuel, simply because there's nowhere else to get gas. Moreover, nothing in the price reflects the actual quality of the fuel. Let the buyer beware: by diluting their supplies, unscrupulous operators try to shave a little extra off the top, selling aviators watered-down gasoline by the tankful.

Maintenance

Most pilots handle minor repairs themselves, or they have friends who are mechanics. Air service station attendants can run a quick check of an aircraft or perform a basic tune-up. Any more serious maintenance usually involves hiring an experienced mechanic. Aircraft mechanics hang out around most airport facilities; some professionals run their own businesses out of a hangar or garage. Corporate flyers can almost always depend on the services of on-staff mechanics; the usual work fees don't apply for a mechanic working on salary, though the figures do reflect the price of parts and equipment.

The extent of the damage determines the cost of repairs; the effectiveness of the mechanic depends on his training, available tools, and familiarity with the type of plane in question. Moderate to heavy repairs may take between a few hours to a few days to finish. A complete overhaul, the most extensive operation, lasts anywhere from a week to two weeks and may call for a team of mechanics.