Posted by Rachel Dixon on Fri, Aug 13, 2010 @ 12:18 AM
Located in Houston, Texas, William P Hobby Airport is the tenth most popular airport for executive jet travel, specifically business jet charter flights. Open seven days a week, year-round, William Hobby Airport is located only eight miles southeast of the central business district of Houston. Covering 1,304 acres, William Hobby Airport has four runways and is the oldest commercial airport in Houston. Built in the 1920’s, William Hobby Airport has been revamped as a primarily private airport for business executives utilizing private jet travel to Houston for maximum efficiency.
With its close proximity to the Houston business district, William Hobby Airport is the ideal airport for executive jet travel and business jet charters to Houston. Minimize wasted travel time by flying business jet charters and utilizing smaller, more convenient airports closer to commerce destinations. Have your private jet charter representative book your ground transportation and lodging as well to completely eliminate travel stress and worry.
William Hobby Airport is also celebrating a recent $250 million dollar makeover that was completed in August 2010. With over 8 million people traveling through William Hobby Airport every year, they changes were necessary to update and streamline operations. With its enviable location and new, state-of-the-art facilities, it seems obvious why it would be one of the ten best airports in the country for executive jet travel.
Posted by Kevin Lippert on Fri, Oct 02, 2009 @ 05:57 PM
Gulfstream's new top-of-the-line private jet, the G650, rolled out of the Savannah, Ga., factory on Sept. 29. The airplane rolled out under its own power, in front of an audience of over 7,000 onlookers.
"Our customers had an instrumental role in the design of the G650," said Pres Henne, Gulfstream's senior vice president of programs, engineering and test. "The G650 will set new levels of performance in aircraft capability, cabin environment, and maintainability. Customer input was used to guide fuselage selection as well as aircraft performance characteristics."
The G650 will come with what the company calls Gulfstream Cabin Essentials. This includes redundant fiber optic and wireless technologies, along with the "latest innovations in lighting, seating, acoustics, and cabin systems," said Henne.
Gulfstream announced the G650 in March 2008. The airplane is set for its first flight later this year and is expected to be certified in 2011. First deliveries are planned for 2012.
The G650 seats 11 to 18 passengers; is powered by two Rolls-Royce BR725 A1-12 engines of 16,100 lb thrust apiece; has a maximum cruise speed of Mach 0.90; and can fly 7,000 nm at Mach 0.85. Maximum operating altitude is 51,000 feet.
Posted by Kevin Lippert on Thu, Oct 01, 2009 @ 01:37 PM
Ms. Kornegay, who owns and operates two hotels in Mount Olive, N.C., drives to nearby Mount Olive Municipal Airport and flies her personal private plane across the state to an airport near Charlotte. The entire trip takes one and a half hours. "That adds up to an additional five hours each week that I can be doing something else," she says.
Self-piloting doesn't make sense for every business owner, but can be a rewarding experience. If you want to become a private pilot, flight instruction typically costs up to $9,000, according to the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association in Frederick, Md., and there is the cost of the plane, the initial investment, plus annual fees for storage and maintenance.
The Federal Aviation Administration estimates the number of pilots with a private license has decreased by about 14% in the last 10 years.
Allowing some entrepreneurs who travel frequently the ability to travel when the time is right, makes sense when you consider the time savings from avoiding long drives and airport delays. "There's not necessarily a monetary case to be made for it," says AOPA spokesman Chris Dancy. "But when you start to add in lost productivity and the additional hotel and rental car expenses, aviation makes a much stronger case than trips using airlines."
The AOPA estimates that the cost of flying an aircraft provides the most return for flights that are less than 500 miles.
About 85% of companies that use personal aircraft are small or midsize companies, estimates Ed Bolen, president and chief executive of the National Business Aviation Association in Washington.
As CEO of McColla Enterprises Ltd. in Topeka, Kan., which owns the Street Corner mini-convenience store chain, Mr. La Colla flies to visit his 50 franchise locations in places such as Danbury, Conn., Bloomington, Minn., and Nashville. "I just wanted to swing through those cities but doing that commercially would be miserable," he says.
Mr. La Colla says his time in the air costs about $100 an hour, including the fuel, oil, repairs and engine wear. So flying time from Topeka to Chicago, which is just shy of 600 miles and takes more than two hours each way, costs almost $500 round trip. That trip on the commercial airlines averages about $150.
But that doesn't account for the extra five hours of agony Mr. La Colla would have to spend driving to/from a commercial airport, passing through security, and the inconvenience of traveling on the restricted schedule of the airlines.
Businesses also get the benefit of the expense write-off and depreciation of a company owned private plane. General aviation provides for thousand of jobs and creates greater efficiencies for all air travelers.
Source: The Wall Street Journal
Posted by Kevin Lippert on Tue, Sep 08, 2009 @ 02:22 PM
There many articles circulating these days on how evil private jets and their owners are in this economy. Well, here is a report that shows how much of an impact corporate jets have on the local economy.
Here is a snapshot of one-year activity from Chicago Executive Airport (KPWK) in Wheeling. This report is from one FBO and the revenue generated over this period. Remember, this is just one airport and one FBO reporting these numbers.
Overall, these number are not huge. But when you look at the thousands of similar airports across the US, the impact is enormous.
Source: Chicago Executive Airport, 2007 report
Posted by Kevin Lippert on Sat, Sep 05, 2009 @ 03:01 PM
One of the largest makers of business jets, General Dynamics Corp. is seeing an increase in orders for its large-cabin Gulfstream private jet aircraft.
Jay Johnson, chief executive officer of General Dynamics, "Not to say business is booming, but clearly we are starting to trend to more activity.
Gulfstream is focusing it operations toward private companies and individuals, Johnson said. Less than half of new jet orders are from North America, and the company's backlog of private jet orders is approaching $20 billion.
Johnson later said, "You will see margin growth, sales and an order book that is going to be robust as the industry rebounds from the challenges right now.
Source: Bloomberg
Posted by Kevin Lippert on Sat, Sep 05, 2009 @ 09:05 AM
The European manufacturer, Airbus, said last Wednesday that corporate jet sales are expected to rise next year mirroring the growing Chinese market.
Vice president of executive and private aviation, Francois Chazelle, was reported saying that more Chinese billionaires are considering buying corporate jet for their private jet travel.
He said there would be interest among Chinese businessmen who are looking to purchase companies after the financial crisis.
The number of Chinese billionaires owning a private jet is about a tenth of that in the US, he added. Airbus reports that the Middle East, Asia and Europe are their three largest corporate jet markets.
Source: MSN News
Posted by Kevin Lippert on Sun, Aug 09, 2009 @ 11:28 AM
If you are looking for an alternative to commercial flights, there is nothing better than taking private jet charters.
Flying by commercial planes can be inconvenient. You have to wait in long lines just to get through security, the seats are small, and you must leave your house at least 2 hours before the flight is scheduled to leave. No need to worry because there is a way to get to your destination without those hassles. You can take a charter jet on your next trip.
Private jet charter flight services main concern is to serve you well. They want to ensure that you have a relaxing and comfortable flight when you travel. You can just sit back and relax with the cozy ambiance of a quiet non-cramped private jet, you can even travel with your pets in most cases. Plus, you can be sure that you will be safe. Operators adhere to FAA standards and procedures; they always follow the safety rules and regulations, pilot licensure and maintenance concerns.
You might think that charter jets cost are well out of reach for your budget. But this is not true. There are situations when a flight is booked as a one way flight, the plane still needs to return to its home base. Normally, on the return flight, they fly with no passengers. These flights are normally called Empty Legs, and because the planes still have to fly, they could lose money on the trips back. The great thing is that they offer these empty leg segments at a discounted price. The advantages and benefits of these empty legs could be provided to you with a memorable flying experience at a discounted rate of a typical charter flight.
Your best option if considering a private jet is to work with a qualified Charter Broker. These companies have access to the thousands of aircraft that are available at discounted rates. Thanks to this private charter flight services, you no longer need to deal with the inconvenience of flying on a commercial jet. You can now fly in comfort and in style at a affordable price.
Posted by Kevin Lippert on Mon, Jun 29, 2009 @ 01:31 PM
Washington, DC, June 29, 2009 - The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) today welcomed a congressional proposal that would require the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to work more closely with the general aviation industry on its controversial proposed Large Aircraft Security Program (LASP) and other security initiatives.
Representative Charlie Dent (R-15-PA) introduced legislation that would require TSA to create a rulemaking committee with general aviation (GA) industry stakeholders when developing security measures for the industry. H.R. 3093 was cosponsored by eight other House members.
"This legislation shows that Congress understands that we can accomplish more good if we work together rather than separately," said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. In the time since the TSA introduced the LASP last October, Bolen has repeatedly called for a rulemaking committee like the one envisioned in the legislation introduced today.
"The business aviation community has a long and demonstrated history of partnership with government in developing effective yet workable security measures for the industry," Bolen added. "A rulemaking committee, like the one proposed by Rep. Dent and others, would provide a consistent forum for stakeholder information sharing and the development of measures that enhance security while recognizing the need for mobility and flexibility."
More than 7,000 comments were submitted to the TSA in February regarding the LASP proposal. Almost all of the comments suggested that the proposed changes would be onerous to the thousands of businesses that rely on GA aircraft.
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Founded in 1947 and based in Washington, DC, the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) is the leading organization for companies that rely on general aviation aircraft to help make their businesses more efficient, productive and successful. The Association represents more than 8,000 companies and provides more than 100 products and services to the business aviation community, including the NBAA Annual Meeting & Convention, the world's largest civil aviation trade show.
Posted by Kevin Lippert on Thu, Jun 25, 2009 @ 12:41 PM
If you are looking for a more efficient and comfortable flight on your next business trip, take a private jet for the ultimate in service, satisfaction and time savings.
Finding the ideal flight for business trips has never been so easy. Even if you prefer traveling first-class on a commercial airline, you can still experience the hassles and the inconvenience of spending your entire day at the airport. Providing faster service to a client location can prove to be beneficial. Not only are you able to respond to your clients needs faster, you and your team will be more productive. Chartering a private jet for a business trip pays for itself in the amount of time saved and the productivity of your team.
The advantage of taking a private charter jet than any other option is that it saves you time and less delay. Private jets rarely get canceled, you fly on your schedule even if you arrive to the airport late, the plane will be ready. In the rare case that there is an issue with your private jet flight, you would have a big advantage if you used a charter broker service. Brokers are able to find a replacement aircraft from the vast list of operators they deal with.
That is why more businesses who choose to travel using a private jet charter, work directly with a broker. Brokers have access to several thousand aircraft operated by hundreds of companies, a broker has the flexibility to secure the proper aircraft for your needs. About the cost, you do not have to worry because it is not expensive at all, especially when you travel with groups. If you divide the overall cost for several passengers, it would cost about the same as a first-class ticket for a typical commercial flight.
So if you want to get to your destination with all the convenience and comfortable seats all at an affordable cost, there is nothing better than chartering a private jet. It will not only provide you a sense of comfort and privacy, but as well give you less stress and less delay in each of your business trip.
Posted by Kevin Lippert on Mon, May 11, 2009 @ 01:28 PM
Charter jet cards are normally a prepaid block of number of hours on a type of jet; or probably a specific category of jets which are light, mid-size, and heavy. Even though some card programs charge a higher hourly rate than other charter companies, they guarantee availability of an aircraft and they charge you only for the number of hours you are flying on the plane. The typical hourly rate will be same as that of a chartered plane. If you initially fly on longer trips where it is impractical to keep the plane waiting for you, a charter company will normally charge you for the repositioning, or the least of minimum usage fee of two hours per day; this is to keep the plane at your destination until you are ready to return home.
While with fractional jet programs, customers or owners purchase a share of the plane, instead of the entire plane. The cost is pro-rated from market cost of a full aircraft. Owners or customers then have assurance of access to that plane with as little as four hours of notice. Fractional customers or owners pay a maintenance fee every month and also an hourly operating fee when occupied; this is not the case at all on jet card programs. Charter jet cards do not charge you with this; they only charge you with the number of hours of your flight. The operating fee is charged only when a guest is on board; this is not when the plane is flying to a get to a destination, or returning to the home base after completing a flight.