A newcomer to the shared private aviation market hopes to attract customers with a combination of customized rates and eye-catching aircraft. SevenJet is based in St. Petersburg, FL but is a subsidiary of C&L Aviation Group, located in Bangor, ME. And although the current fleet consists of just ten craft, SevenJet founders hope that their years of industry experience and customer service will result in significant growth.
SevenJet President Chuck White and Senior Director of Sales Paul Woodard previously worked together at fractional operator AvantAir, which shuttered in June, 2013. White is quick to emphasize that, unlike AvantAir, SevenJet is not a fractional ownership company. “We don’t sell fractions, we sell shares into the company,” he says. “We are not a fractional company.”
It is the company’s choice of aircraft that may prove particularly attractive to some potential owners. In addition to four recently-acquired Beechcraft, SevenJet’s fleet consists of six Piaggio P180 Avantis, formerly owned by AvantAir. White describes it as “a turboprop that thinks it’s a jet.” With a surprisingly spacious interior that seats up to nine passengers, the Italian Piaggio has the efficiency of a turboprop with much of the speed of a jet. With the vice-chairman of automotive giant Ferrari as one of its financial backers, it should come as no surprise that the aircraft is sleek and stylish.
Pricing is completely customized with Woodard and his sales team consulting with each potential client to create a share option that works for their needs. Furthermore, clients have the opportunity to carry up to 20% of their unused flight hours into the next year, meaning that if plans change and a client travels less than expected for a while, they have not lost out on flight time. SevenJet share agreements run for the standard term of five years, with the option to renew. The purchase of a 1/8th share representing 100 annual hours of flight time is the most typical level of ownership.
The aircraft are flown, maintained and managed by D&D Aviation LLC, SevenJets FAA Part 135 company, which is rated by two independent safety auditors as ARG/US Gold and Wyvern PASS Ready. Share owners enjoy access to the fleet as and when they need it, and all aircraft are crewed by an experienced team, with pilots handpicked by White.
To ensure ready availability of the aircraft, the current primary service area is limited to east of the Mississippi, southeastern Canada, and the Bahamas. That service area is expected to expand with the company. Meanwhile, the SevenJet team is happy to work to create options for share owners who wish to travel further afield.