Compiled and Administered By ANN Editor-In-Chief Jim
Campbell
We've had an interesting
few days reviewing an amazing year in aviation and aerospace
history -- celebrating our victories, decrying our losses, throwing
rocks at the bad guys and offering sincere kudos to those who
improved our lot.
We hope you've enjoyed our efforts.
It's been a lot of fun looking over all this and its also been a
lot of work... but the best part of it all is the chance right now
to finally spec out a few categories in which a "Best of the Best"
can honestly be proclaimed... as far as ANN is concerned.
So... without further delay, let's look at the very BEST we've
seen this year.
ANN's 2004 NewsMaker Of The Year
We've thought long and hard on this one. You probably could
smell the smoke, eh?
After all that's happened this year, you'd a thought that Burt
or Mike or Brian would take this one in a walk. But... we can't do
that.
Not to take anything away from these amazing guys, we simply
have to note that what they did was extraordinary in terms of
engineering, pilotage, vision and skill -- and the world applauded
their every hard-won success.
But... one man made it possible for the world to have it's
perception of space travel changed, irrevocably... right to the
core. This happened, both in terms of what they once thought
possible, and how it might affect them personally. So... while Burt
and the gang changed the aerospace world, X Prize Founder Peter
Diamandis changed what the world thought about aerospace.
Peter made it personal. He made it real. He made it matter...
and all around the world, children who once dreamed about what it
might be like to travel in space now dream about how it will feel
when THEY do it. I find that a staggering change in world vision
and I am humbled that this guy, who just wrote me the nicest note
about valuing my friendship and help during 2004, also takes
such care to note the value of all those around him who
supported his journey to change the world.
So... on behalf of the Aero-News Network, I am pleased and
honored to announce that we are naming X Prize Visionary,
Dr. Peter Diamandis, as our ANN NewsMaker Of The Year. We
hope this isn't the first time he earns such a distinction -- the
world can only benefit each time that happens. Thanks, Peter,
this year has been a helluva ride... let's do it again.
Aircraft Of The Year: Certified
Of all the efforts we've undertaken to secure a clear
choice for the Best of The Best, this was the
toughest and tightest race of all. The "old guard," Cessna, Piper
and Mooney all had solid contenders for the top spot (and rumor has
it that we're going to see some truly new stuff from each of them
in the coming year, to boot), and the "New Kids On The Block,"
Cirrus, Diamond, and Lancair put up a pretty solid fight, as
well.
Yeah, this was a REALLY tough contest. However; by broadening
the scope of our search, some patterns emerged... especially when
you considered any single airplane as a sum of all that defined it
-- the manufacturer, customer support process, aerial siblings,
overall economics, and owner feedback. That's when things started
getting a little more focused. Lancair's Columbia 400 put up a
battle but with the customer support issues too new to truly
evaluate, it eventually got edged out. The Cirrus SR22-G2 seems to
be THE beast to beat by virtue of the performance numbers it
consistently produces, and the excellent customer support reports
we've been given... and it's a heck of a good value.
However; when you look at the costs of operation of the latest
generation of Diamond DA40s, the exquisite handling, the
consistently impressive maintenance reports we've been privy to,
and the customer support and satisfaction stats we've been
examining... well, the bird that was always the bridesmaid and
never the bride (having been an ANN nominee for several years
running) finally caught the bouquet.
It was tight a decision as I can recall and after playing
with the point system we've developed for this process, the
DA40 edged out its competition by just enough to win the title of
being the BEST Certified Aircraft Of The Year, as judged by
the Aero-News Network. But darn, the competition was tough
-- both Lancair and Cirrus have NOTHING to be ashamed of...
especially when you consider that one of the qualities that tipped
the scales was the growing use and suitability of the DA40 as a
training aircraft and the recent addition of the DA40-180-FP to the
mix. The DA40 is becoming the advanced trainer of choice.
Mind you, 2005 is going to be an even tougher year to judge...
the DA42 will be in circulation; more Lancair 400s will be plying
the skies; Cirrus, Cessna, Piper and Mooney are all dropping hints
of better things to come; and there are a number of all-new birds
on the way. Also; if Cirrus keeps pumping up the customer service
angle, they may well be unbeatable from here on out. But for now,
the Diamond DA40, a truly sweet and affordable
next-generation four place airplane, earns ANN's vote as the
Best Certificated Aircraft Of The Year.
Aircraft Of The Year: SportPlane
The SportPlane industry has been through hell, and not all
the really good airplanes have survived the doldrums... we've seen
solid little airplanes like the Avid Flyer come and go (in this
case, through utterly bizarre mismanagement), and others disappear
simply because this is a tough business that often takes more from
its proponents than its worth.
We named some truly great airplanes as our nominees for the Best
SportPlanes of the Year and singling any of them out for the top
spot is a REALLY tough chore. But -- when you look at the whole
picture... the bird, the company and the support system, one
company manages to (barely) eke out a claim on the top spot. And
it's NOT a whole new bird, either. It's an update to a very
conventional sport aircraft design that once took the world by
storm... before the company that designed and offered it was
(again) mismanaged into bankruptcy. But that was then... this is
NOW.
The latest rendition of the GlaStar, the Sportsman 2+2, is one
hell of an airplane. With one of the nicest and most studiously
crafted stability and control profiles in the Sportplane industry,
the Sportsman is a delight to fly... it is also a STOL wundership.
I've done landings in just a few hundred feet, pretty well loaded
up, and with nary a wisp of a headwind to cheat with --and then
gone blasting off to cruise at 140 knots. The extra room, the
rugged structure and the new Builder's programs make this a
"GOTTA-BUILD" for anyone who needs a reasonably fast transportation
system that has little need for a regular runway, and scoffs at
anything over 500-600 feet long. Add all that to a new and
reinvigorated company that is carefully and quietly doing
EVERYTHING right, and the balance of our decision-making process
slips decidedly toward naming the Sportsman 2+2 as ANN's
choice for Aircraft Of The Year: SportPlane.
Aircraft Of The Year: SpacePlane
OK, it's a bizarre category... but for the little SpacePlane
that could, SpaceShipOne thrilled and amazed everyone and demanded
one last special moment of recognition from ANN.
Not since the Bell X-1 has a machine exceeded Mach One without
the benefit of a hydraulic or otherwise boosted control system,
NEVER has a vehicle dealt with the demands of heat and deceleration
like SS1, never has such a vehicle flown without a plethora of
computer systems and guidance/flight management enhancements... and
never has a vehicle done so much without killing off a big part of
the national budget.
But, for all that SpaceShipOne was, it's what it means to the
future that truly excites us. SpaceShipOne is about to serve as the
parent to SpaceShipTwo... and will start the world on a path toward
a future where space can finally be accessed and explored by
anyone. And, if that doesn't make it SpacePlane Of The
Year, nothing does.
Go, SpaceShipOne, Go!
Company Of The Year
It's not enough to
build a great airplane... it has to be supported by a great
company, if one is to expect to see any long term success. That's
just what Alan and Dale Klapmeier have done. And they've done it by
assembling one of the most expert and capable staffs in the known
aerospace universe.
With the thousand airplane mark having been achieved over a year
ago and hundreds more joining the ranks every year, Cirrus is faced
with not only maintaining but continuing to build
a huge, complex, customer support network that not only has to
service every airplane in the fleet but has to do so in a way that
(pretty much) pleases everyone from the owner who never complains,
to the guy who can never be satisfied. It's a nearly impossible
task... but they're doing it... with lots of hard work, excellent
staffing, and strong efforts to communicate with their customer
base. Yes, they're not perfect and there have been some dropped
balls... but overall, Cirrus owners, who have paid big bucks for
the right to offer their input on the matter, are happy campers.
We've heard from hundreds of them, and so far, no one can quite
keep up with the magnitude of the task and overall satisfaction
experienced by Cirrus SR20 and SR22 purchasers and operators.
For that reason, ANN is pleased to name Cirrus Design as
our choice for 2004 Company Of The Year.
ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (04.16.24)
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