Civil Aviation Authority

While aviation is exhilarating, exciting and a great form of transportation, there are often misconceptions on the level of danger involved. On the other hand, considering the danger without the proper facts can make piloting seem overly intimidating. Just like many other activities, there are risks associated with flight. Here are some comparisons, to put it in perspective.

In 2009, there were a total of 1,551 civil aviation accidents in the United States. The term civil aviation refers to all non-military, non-scheduled flights, so that number includes some smaller commercial flights. Of those accidents, less than 18 percent were fatal, resulting in 534 total civil aviation-related deaths for the year, according to the National Transport Safety Board. Keep in mind extensive training including at least 20 hours of flight time with a licensed instructor is required to become a pilot.

By comparison, in 2007 there were 10.6 million motor vehicle accidents in the United States, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Nearly half of those were fatal, resulting in 41.1 million total deaths. That includes motorcycle accidents, which resulted in 5.2 million of those deaths. As most Americans are aware, to obtain a driver's license a person must pass a written exam and a driving test with an instructor, but safety courses are not requires in most states. For a motorcycle license, a person must complete a safety course. Course length varies by state, but is an average of 15 hours or fewer.

Any activity performed under the guidance of an expert or with a rigorous safety course will result in fewer accidents. When learning to pilot a plane, you are given one-on-one training with a professional instructor until you are comfortable handling the plane on your own. Don't let anxiety about the risk discourage you from pursuing aviation. Keep in mind that statistically, driving an automobile is much more dangerous, and that just like driving, the more practiced and attentive you are, the safer your journey will be.

China Automotive Systems, Inc., a leading power steering components and systems supplier in China, announced that its subsidiary Jingzhou Henglong Automotive Parts Co. has entered into an agreement with FAW Volkswagen to supply sophisticated power steering systems.

The agreement, with a term of one year and an option to extend for a further two years, will start without delay. The power steering systems will be installed in VW's Jetta and Audi vehicles in China. The first commercial shipment will be delivered by China Automotive Systems on May 21st 2007. Other terms of the contract were not disclosed.

The VW Jetta, produced since 1980 and has spanned five generations, is a sedan version of Golf. Its name came from the Jet stream, following the automaker’s long tradition of naming cars for various winds. The Jetta has proven to be a clever move for VW. This is because the car became the best-selling European car in Canada and the United States. To gauge its salability, as of 2005, the European automaker sold over 6.6 million Jettas around the globe. In the United States alone, VW sold over 2.2 million units.

Over the years, the Jetta has been offered in two and four-door sedan and five-door station wagon variants. Since its original version, the Jetta has expanded in both size and influence. As a fact, it has etched a milestone in the automotive global arena same with its sibling Beetle.

The VW Type, popularly known as the Beetle, was introduced to the market in 1938. The car is made prominent by its shape as well as distinct auto parts like the VW Beetle rainguards. Even though scorned for its queer styling, rough ride, noise, and weak power, the Beetle has ultimately become the most produced and the longest automobile for a sole design. The car remained a hot seller even as tough competition involving refinement of the rear--wheel drive conventional subcompacts invaded the realm.

The German automaker, at present, is concentration on the enhancement of its old product lines. It is also considering new and innovative models to pull more purchasers closer.

With this supply agreement, CAAS has entered into VW’s global sourcing system. According to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, two key VW joint ventures in China, FAW VW and Shanghai VW, together produced and sold over 680,000 passenger cars in China in 2006. FAW Volkswagen, the leading passenger car producer in China, experienced a hearty 40 percent year over year unit sales growth last year. In the first quarter of 2007, FAW Volkswagen's production and sales unit growth accelerated to 55 percent up from same period in 2006.

"This agreement represents a major step towards our goal of becoming the number one producer in the power steering market in China. After a decade long effort of improving our product R&D, quality control, production scale and after-sale customer services, we have finally become a tier one supplier to one of the largest global automakers," said Hanlin Chen, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of China Automotive Systems.

Chen added, “We are very excited about this opportunity to provide reliable and dependable support to Volkswagen's rapid growth in China. As China's passenger vehicle OEM market continues to grow, we remain focused on expanding our market share and strengthening our relationships with major OEMs, like Volkswagen, by providing high quality and competitively priced products. In addition, we continue to improve product quality and ramp up production capacity to prepare for potential opportunities outside of China.”

VW is also expanding its partnership with other auto giants. Porsche, is reported to be contemplating on the possibilities inherent in its beefed-up partnership with Volkswagen. And hybrid technology is just one of the many options on the table. The possible sharing of technology also means access to a large development team where Porsche can offer the best of hybrid engines. The Cayenne and Panamera are the cars Porsche says it will offer as full hybrids, meaning that the vehicles can travel up to speeds of 20 to 25 miles per hour without kicking on the gasoline engine.