ActionAir

ATTENTION MID WEST SKYDIVER Today I received an anonymous phone call for some guy threatening to sabotage the PAC 750XL if we took it to MRVS this weekend. I do not know anything about the local politics and don’t want to know. But this LOW LIFE is threatening me, my aircraft and every skydiver that gets in it. I am making this public because every skydiver in the Mid West should be enraged by this. The local Sheriff’s department has been notified as has the FAA. I am asking you all to step up and see that nothing happens to the airplane and in turn the skydivers jumping from it. And if anyone knows about this, tell the authorities. Help us ensure that whoever this low life is he is stopped. My goal is and has always been to provide fast, efficient and safe jump planes for skydivers. If you have any information please contact the authorities or me at ray@actionair.com AAP

The Kodiak will be a welcome addition to any jump plane line up, even though there are still many unknowns, like W & B, C of G range, etc. Since production is sold out for 3 years, and the PAC 750's production is also sold out through 2010, unfortunately neither airplane will make any real inroads into skydiving quickly enough. Here are a few facts to keep in mind when talking about these planes: The PAC 750 has about 1,000 lbs more useful load and proven wide C of G range. The Kodiak has the door size we wish the PAC 750 had. Every design has its own bag of compromises and trade offs. The PAC 750XL was designed with Skydiving in mind. We also know that as a byproduct it would be a great utility aircraft. The only thing it has in common with the Cresco, is the basic wing and main landing gear. Everything else is new. The tail of the PAC is really a non issue. Yes it looks low setting on the ground, but that is because the plane sets tail low. In flight, on jump run with flaps set at 20% the tail is really high. Anyone that has jumped or operated a PAC knows this. The PAC tail is 8" lower than a Caravan tail, but 18" further aft. I do not know the dimensions of the Kodiak, but the tail appears to be considerably closer to the door. The Kodiak will be a big improvement over the Caravan, which is just underpowered. With Jet-A over $5.00/gal, efficiency is the name of the game. And the reality is if you can afford to maintain and operate a King Air, then you can easily afford the payments on a new, efficient single engine jump plane, be it the PAC or the Kodiak. Just ask the current PAC operators. We will all be much better off and safer, when these new, efficient planes are operating at our DZ’s. For comparative info on jump planes check this out: http://www.utilityaircraft.com/acbuyercomparison2008-9prices.xls AAP