Airline and FAI World Records

A Brand Enhancing Opportunity?

A Proposal to Enhance Brand . . .

Simulated FAI World Record logo

Entire contents copyright 2016 - Steve Wood

Contents

Page 3: Executive Summary

Page 4: Steve Wood - Resume

Page 5: About FAI World Records - General

Page 6: About FAI World Records - The Details

Page 7: Benefits of setting FAI World Records

Page 8: The Proposal

Page 9 Simulated FAI World Record Logos on a record setting aircraft

Page 10: Job description: Director - Aviation Records

Page 11: Additional Information

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Setting world records would allow YOUR airline and the Fédération AéronautiqueInternationale, FAI - The World Air Sports Federation - a special opportunity to develop arecord setting culture for YOUR airline which would undoubtedly result in increased revenuesand profitability for YOUR brand.

This is where FAI World Records could play an important role as what’s more exciting foranyone but to fly in an airplane which has set an official FAI World Speed Record . . .

Steve Wood, the author of this proposal, knows this feeling well as he is unique in aviationhistory having set 101 FAI World Records and 377 National Records, and all to promote Flyingfor the Disabled. This is the greatest number of FAI World Records ever set by a Britishaviator and also the greatest number of records set by a pilot flying a US registeredexperimental aircraft. See www.worldrecordpilot.org

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Executive Summary:

This proposal has been prepared to outline how developing a strategic long term program ofsetting a series of FAI World Records could significantly benefit YOUR airline in a number ofways as it would:

● Truly establish YOUR airline as a record setting world airline

● Promote YOUR airline to customers in key worldwide destinations

● Enable the development of expanded media opportunities for YOUR airline targeted athigh net worth individuals and the corporate market

●Develop a culture amongst YOUR airline’s pilots and staff that your airline is truly arecord setting entity

● Promote YOUR airline to potential pilot recruits - essential considering the upcomingpilots retirement and recruitment demographics

Record setting record setter Steve Wood has the wide experience necessary to make this areality, as will be explained in detail in the contents of this proposal

Airline and FAI World Records

A Brand Enhancing Opportunity?

Steve Wood - Resume

Steve Wood has a comprehensive range of skills beneficial to the program being proposed:

● Professionally qualified as a Chartered Surveyor being elected to the most senior position as aFellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors at the youngest possible age

● Successful businessman involving real estate marketing & commercial property logistics

● For the past 25 years has developed his passion for aviation:

Established a charity to provide free flights for disabled and disadvantaged children

Worked with the UK Ambulance Services to develop countrywide HEMS services

Set a record number of international aviation records between the USA and Canada & The Bahamas promoting flying for the disabled - both in the USA and UK:

101 FAI World Records and 377 National records - plus many US aviation firsts

See: www.fourcornersflight.org - www.worldrecordpilot.org

Video of Steve Wood talking about his record setting exploits - click here

Developed ongoing sponsorship deals with major aviation related US corporations

Awarded the prestigious Scott-Farnie Gold Medal by The Air League

Licensed pilot in US & New Zealand - Instrument, complex & high performance ratings

FAST qualified lead formation pilot / instructor - flies ‘missing man’ flights for Veterans

Flown over 70 different types of airplane, including the Goodyear blimp

Air Crew member of the National Aeronautic Association

Has a home at the world’s largest flying community - Spruce Creek Fly-in, Florida

●Aviation journalist reporting on aviation and space events in the USA such as Space Shuttleand rocket launches - has been security approved to cover Presidential visits to Cape Canaveralas part of The White House press corps

● Publisher / editor of a specialist bi-monthly online aviation and motorsport magazine

●Holds business and media visas for the USAPage 4

About FAI World Records

General:

The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, FAI - The World Air Sports Federation - wasfounded in 1905 and is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is the governing body for allair sports world records, including the two classes of World Speed Records which could be set byyour airline, namely:

● Speed over a Commercial Airline Route

● Speed over a Recognised Course

The National Aeronautic Association, based in Washington DC, is the National Airsport ControlOrganization (NAC) representing the FAI in the USA. The NAA is the organization whichcertifies aviation records set by US citizens and residents, initially as US National records, and ifrequested and subject to compliance with FAI Sporting Code rules, as World Records. In the UKThe Royal Aero Club is the NAC representing the FAI with a similar role to that of the NAA.

The FAI World Record logo - pictured above right - is a prestigious logo reserved for use only byindividuals who have set a recognized FAI World Record, by the owner of the aircraft used to setthe world record or by sponsors who supported the setting of the record.

In addition to being able to use the FAI World Record logo, the FAI presents world record‘diplomes’ to the pilot/s involved. Your airline could obtain duplicates of these diplomas to makepublicity presentations, for example, to airports involved in the record, to tourism organizationsin the destination city / country etc, to maximize marketing potential. Steve Wood, with hisunique record setting achievements, is the ideal person to act as your airline’s Ambassador forAviation Records at such publicity events.

As mentioned above, there are two type of World Speed Records which one of your airplanescould set. The ‘Speed over a Recognised Course’ offers the fastest potential speed as by carefulplanning and the use of timing at altitude at ATC fixes rather than take-off / landing times, resultsin a faster ‘headline’ speed. However, this type of record can only be set in limited circumstances- ie: repositioning or delivery flights. The alternative, the ‘Speed over a Commercial AirlineRoute record, uses take-off and landing ‘block times’ to calculate speed.

There are two key aspects to setting a FAI World Record - dealing with the logistics and flyingthe record flight. If the logistics have been resolved correctly then the flying part should bestraightforward. Steve Wood both resolved the logistics and flew the flight for each and everyone of his 101 world records and 377 national records. As a result he is a unique positionknowing the ‘tricks of the trade’ of how to deal with the complexities of the FAI Sporting Codeand the ATC system. No other person in the world has set as many aviation records.

FAI World Records could be set by your airline on a number of occasions: competitive routes,new routes, ferry flights of new additions to the partnership’s fleet, repositioning flights, specialflights like Honor Flights for Vets’ are just some examples. Interestingly, Gulfstream regularlysets FAI world records to promote their products to the high net worth market.

YOUR airline could benefit significantly from setting FAI World Records . . .

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About FAI World Records

The Details:

Importantly, no additional flight costs should be involved in setting records - the flights willalready be taking place. Indeed it could be argued that greater efficiency resulting from detailedpre-planning of the record flights could actually reduce fuel costs of the flight.

Marketing opportunities should play a key role to determine the routes targeted for FAI WorldRecords. It could be to publicize a new route or to promote the delivery of a new aircraft. Or itcould be to gain a competitive advantage. In all cases, detailed logistical experience of settingFAI records is essential.

The complexities behind setting a FAI World Record by your airline can be illustrated by takinga competitive route as an example. In outline here’s what needs to happen:.

1. Your marketing department decides that this route would be ideal to set FAI World Records topromote your airline against its competitors on this route.

2. It is determined that the only one record can be attempted - Speed over a Commercial AirlineRoute (SCAR). However if the flight was for repositioning then a Speed over a RecognisedCourse (SRC) could be attempted instead. The reason for attempting a SRC record is that a faster‘headline grabbing’ speed could be achieved, as working within the FAI Sporting Code, start &finish timings can be recorded at altitude, overhead ‘ATC fixes’, where there are no speedrestrictions. A SCAR record uses ‘block times’ to measure average speed.

3. The Director - Aviation Records (DAR) coordinates with marketing to decide a date windowfor the record. DAR then works with meteorologists to determine the best weather dayopportunity - ie; when the winds aloft are likely to be more favorable for a faster record speed.

4. DAR consults with air operations to ensure the cockpit crew assigned to the flight apply forFAI Sporting Licences at least 2 weeks in advance. DAR lodges record attempt papers.

5. DAR determines the most appropriate fixes to use for timing if a SRC record is being flown,and in any event works with your airline’s dispatchers to allocate the appropriate route of flight.

6. DAR contacts ATC at both the departure and arrival facilities to arrange for the fix timings fora SRC record. For a SCAR record DAR obtains ACARS information from despatch.

7. DAR keeps marketing / media departments updated with the record details for maximummedia exposure when the record flight takes place.

8. If the record is critically important, as in this case, DAR should be on the flight to coordinatematters in real time with the Captain and crew to minimize any delays from ATC route changes.

9. The record flight is completed. The Captain and crew, DAR, the local station manager andmedia relations meet with TV and press media at the arrival gate to publicize the records.

10. DAR completes the FAI paperwork. Awaits ratification of the records for further publicity.

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Benefits of Setting FAI World Records

It’s all about motivation and marketing opportunities . . .

●Motivating your airline’s senior management to recognize the concept and benefits ofsetting aviation records

●Motivating marketing & media departments to grasp the benefits of record setting

●Motivating cockpit crews to set the records - their names appear on the records

●Motivating air operations and chief pilots’ to get behind the record attempts

●Motivating media departments and local station managers to generate publicity before,during and after the record flights

●Motivating the cream of recruits to join your airline - world records will help significantly

There are two key potential benefits of your airline setting FAI World Records:

1. To increase revenue yields per flight for flights to / from the destination airport, particularlyfrom premium market customers, following the setting of the world record. Increased cargorevenue would also be a target. Setting world speed records also shows customers care about ontime performance, aiming to match or exceed their competitors performance

Setting records in key markets will enable beneficial media opportunities to be developed. Thefirst opportunity is when a record is set, this can then be followed by a second, more major,media opportunity when the record is ratified and FAI Record Diploma received.

FAI World Record logos can then be displayed on the record setting aircraft. A plaque featuringthe record details could also be created to be displayed inside the aircraft to boarding customers.

It is also suggested that a ‘Records’ section is added to your airline’s website to promote theworld records your airline has set. This could also be linked into social media operations - forexample, passengers on record setting flights could use this aspect to themselves promote therecord. This could be expanded to include a Travel section with the aim of publishing travel fea-tures linked to the world record destination. This would attract more customers to fly to / fromthe destination on your airline. It would be a useful marketing tool to increase route profitability.

2. To promote your airline to prospective recruits so that the ‘cream of the crop’ are encouragedto join your airline.

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Your airline may also wish to become corporate sponsors of the National Aeronautic Association,which in turn would provide benefits related to record setting - such as a 10% reduction in recordfees, plus free NAA membership and FAI Sporting Licenses for record setting pilots. Airbus andBoeing, are both NAA corporate members. It would also be beneficial in promoting your airlineto the pilot community.

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The Proposal

It is proposed that your airline:

1. Employs FAI World Record holder Steve Wood, as a consultant / Director - Aviation Records(DAR), to develop and manage a 5 to 10 year strategic program to embrace the setting of FAIWorld Records as a significant cost effective means of generating additional marketing andmedia exposure to promote your airline as the World’s premier record setting airline. Doing sowould create a competitive advantage over your airline’s main competitors, as Steve Wood’srecord setting credentials are unique in aviation history - he’s a true record setting expert . . .

2. Through the DAR, establish a compact management function to develop record settingopportunities within the organization.

3. Use your airline’s media relations functions, to develop media opportunities centered aroundthe record setting. Create a series of additional web pages on your airline’s website promoting therecord setting achievements, past, present and future. This should also be linked into the DARauthoring travel features to promote your airline’s flights to / from the World Recorddestinations.

5. Joins the National Aeronautic Association as a corporate member to support NAA’s mission ofadvancing the art, sport and science of aviation. By doing so your airline would become NAA’sfirst corporate member airline alongside their key aircraft suppliers, Airbus and Boeing - whichwould offer your airline a competitive advantage over rival airlines.

6. Develops an addition to pilot uniforms for those pilots who set FAI World Records for yourairline identifying these pilots to their peers as world record holders. Something similar could bedeveloped for cabin crew who have flown on the record setting flights.

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The costs involved are minimal compared to the benefits. NAA & FAI sanction and ratificationfees range from $1555 for a Speed over a Commercial Airline Route record to $2610 for a Speedover a Recognised Course record. The fees for The Royal Aero Club in the UK being involvedfor pilots with UK licences, are likely to be lower than the fees charged by the NAA. Even takinginto account costs involved with managing the world record program, the overall cost of setting aworld record would be minimal compared to the very significant increased revenue andprofitability potential.

Setting aviation World Records would be a highly cost effective opportunity for your airline . . .

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Simulated FAI World Record Logos on a Record Setting Aircraft

Photo: American Airlines

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Job Description: Director - Aviation Records

Description:

Responsible for globally organizing the setting of FAI World Records and National AviationRecords.

Based at …………, with home working.

Coordinate aviation records at multiple levels with marketing, media, communications and airoperations departments.

Responsible for the logistics of setting aviation records.

Coordinate with FAI in Switzerland, the NAA in the USA, the Royal Aero Club in the UK andother FAI NAC’s.

Generate news stories in multiple media formats centered around the aviation records forinternal and external media outlets.

Manage the setting of aviation records from start to finish.

Qualifications:

Must be self-motivated and have a demonstrated ability to work on an independent basis.

Wide experience of aviation records and in particular how FAI World Records can be set.

Must possess a strong ability to communicate with all levels of the organization, includingsenior management, both verbal and written.

Strategic thinking with the ability to be flexible with the ability to manage multiple projectssimultaneously/effectively and work in a fast-paced, changing environment with continuousattention to detail.

Strong experience with MS Office Suite and home working computer products required.

Demonstrated initiative, desire to take ownership of problems and to solve them creatively.

Ability to effectively build relationships with diverse groups of people throughout theorganization and with external customers.

Some international travel will be required with the ability to work a varied schedule, includingnights, weekend and holidays, and be willing / able to work from home.

Have the right to travel to / from countries around the world and attend business meetings andreport on aviation news events in the UK and USA, with editorial and journalistic experience.

Qualifications must include a college degree or its equivalent being able to read, write, fluentlyspeak and understand the English language.

Detailed knowledge of air operations, ideally with current pilot qualifications.______________________________________________________________________________________

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Additional Information

As mentioned previously, Gulfstream is a keen proponent of setting FAI World Speed Recordsto promote its products. The photo below shows Gulfstream's Hall of Records in Savannah,Georgia:

Between May 1 & 3, 1976, Pan American World Airways’ Boeing 747SP-21 Clipper LibertyBell, N533PA, departed New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, on a recordsetting around the world flight. Under the command of Captain Walter H. Mullikan, theairline’s chief pilot, the flight crew included co-pilots Albert A. Frink, Lyman G. Watt, andflight engineers Frank Cassaniti and Edwards Shields. The airliner carried 98 passengers. Theflight set a new speed record for a flight around the world, eastbound, and three speed recordsfor commercial airline routes. Photo below:

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