Aircraft Overview
- Details
- Written by Nick Copley
Acquiring your own aircraft takes some thought and planning. If you know what you’re doing and have a good team to help you, the process can go fairly smoothly. But, if you haven’t bought a plane before or if you want to try and “wing it”, you can be in for some exciting surprises. Here’s a look at some of the biggest mistakes that can happen along the way.
- Details
- Written by Fiona Young-Brown
Looking at the latest ten-year forecasts for the business jet industry, it appears as though the next decade will bring slow growth overall. Several forecasts see a peak within the next five years followed by a downturn, although this decline is softer than has been seen in the past.
- Details
- Written by Fiona Young-Brown
The International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations, or IS-BAO, is a code of best practices that serves as the gold standard for business aviation around the world. It was developed by the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) in 2002 and has been endorsed by the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA). At the time of writing, more than 700 operators worldwide are IS-BAO registered.
- Details
- Written by Tony Kioussis
Numerous factors affect the market for used business jets. This article reviews some of the major drivers and explains how they are affecting the current market.
- Details
- Written by Fiona Young-Brown
The answer to the question, on the cost of a private jet, depends on if you are looking to own a plane, or just use and rent one. But ownership or renting is just a starting point, there are multiple other factors to consider, the most important discussions center around what you need the aircraft to do. This article outlines the costs for each option, with some specific examples.
- Details
- Written by Nick Copley
The data from the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) shows sales in 2015 were at the same level as 2014. The annual databook reported 718 new business jets sold worldwide in 2015 compared to 722 unit sales in 2014. Here are some of the highlights and the sales by manufacturer.
- Details
- Written by Fiona Young-Brown
The Gulfstream G450 entered production in October 2004. Twelve years later, its reliability, performance, and value continue to impress those in the aviation industry, and it remains a leader in its class. Here is a breakdown of the costs you should expect to incur, if you choose to own and operate a Gulfstream G450.
- Details
- Written by Fiona Young-Brown
People buy aircraft for a variety of reasons. Both emotions and logic can come into play in making a big purchase decision like this, but as with any major investment, buying a private plane is something that should be well thought through and considered from several angles. We spoke to a number of experts, in this field to go through the steps involved in the purchase process.
- Details
- Written by Sharon Vigoroso
The destination is remote, exotic...the perfect retreat. Sometimes however the more exclusive the locale, the more challenging it can be to get there. Some desirable locations have small airports and even smaller runways. Others can be nestled in areas surrounded by mountains, water or cliffs, making it a challenge for pilots to access them. Combined with all this, many of these locations can have extreme weather conditions that add to the challenges.
- Details
- Written by Nick Copley
Since the first one was produced in 1964, the King Air has become something of an icon, with a reputation for low operating costs, durability and ruggedness. But just like a sport utility, it can be equipped with luxury fittings to complement its more adventurous side. Here’s a breakdown on the costs to buy and operate one.
- Details
- Written by Fiona Young-Brown
There are a lot of good reasons to use private jets and private aircraft for business. The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) recently published some comments from senior business leaders about the value of private aviation to their companies.
- Details
- Written by Nick Copley
Several recent forecasts show good growth in the sales of new business jets over the next decade. Some of the forecasts have the market growing for the next five years and then turning down. Others see consistent growth over the ten year period.
- Details
- Written by Nick Copley
Having fast communications to the cabin, is an essential tool on board todays private aircraft. There are numerous choices for the services, technology and hardware. Options include varying degrees of bandwidth from satellite networks or air-to-ground services, coverage areas, security levels, operational features and the all-important terminals, antennas, routers and wireless access points. This article walks through the services, the providers, the equipment and considerations for choosing the best option.
- Details
- Written by Fiona Young-Brown
If you're in the market to buy a new aircraft, or even if you're just looking to charter a plane, the fuel burn rate is an important factor, along with the size, range, specs and so on. When buying a car, the fuel efficiency is easily determined and stated in the vehicle specifications. For aircraft, it is not so simple. And yet, the fuel costs can be 50% or more of the annual operating costs, running from hundreds of thousands of dollars a year for a light jet, to millions of dollars a year for heavy jets.
- Details
- Written by Fiona Young-Brown
The term "memberships" gets used a lot when referring to private aviation companies and the products that they offer. This article looks at the variety of different products that are referred to as "memberships" and will give you some clarity, so that you can understand whether a membership is right for you.
- Details
- Written by Nick Copley
Today's business jet aircraft cabins provide high definition video, surround sound audio, full color spectrum mood lighting, and complete cabin control right at your fingertips. Business jet passengers can literally have their home theater or office functionality from take-off to touchdown. But what are the things to think through in either a new aircraft or if you're looking at a used plane?
- Details
- Written by Fiona Young-Brown
The 2014 General Aviation Statistical Databook & 2015 Industry Outlook report was recently released. The annual report, compiled by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), includes details of new business jet sales in 2014. Last year saw a 6.5% increase from 2013's sales, with a total of 722 planes sold.
- Details
- Written by Nick Newby
The Citation CJ3, also known by its model number 525B, was first delivered in 2004 and was the third model in the line up of the popular CitationJet, abbreviated to CJ series. This article walks through the specifications and the various costs of ownership for the CJ3, including a scenario that includes charter revenue.
- Details
- Written by Nick Copley
If you're weighing up whether to buy your own private aircraft or whether to buy a fraction, the simplest advice you'll hear is how much do you fly? But this is just a basic starting point. The real deciding points are how are you going to use it, what is your budget and what are your personal travel preferences.
- Details
- Written by Nick Copley
If you own your own aircraft or if you're considering buying one, the choice of an aircraft management company is probably one of the most important decisions you'll need to make. This article walks through the things to consider in making this selection.
- Details
The trend seen in 2013 of more larger aircraft being sold appears to be continuing. Led by both a slowly growing global economy, as well as an increase in billionaires worldwide, the average asking prices for heavy jets have steadily increased since 2012, reaching a $15.4 million peak in April (according to AMSTAT).
- Details
There are several providers of fractional light jet programs and between them these providers offer a variety of aircraft. Here's an overview and comparison of some of the key aspects of the programs.