Air Charter
Air charter is perhaps the best way to travel by plane, but it can be very expensive. This site will give you all the information about air charter that you need to know before making a decision.
Meet people in your area!!
Air Charter - Overview
Air Charter refers to renting the whole aircraft instead of just individual seats in an aircraft. Air charter is also known as air taxi, executive charter, jet charter and private aviation
The three air charter key factors are flexibility, efficiency and of course privacy. Whatever your requirements, without air charter travel you wouldn't have the freedom to organize trips built around your needs.
When you fly in a commercial airline, you are bound to the airline's schedule. Air charters save time reserving tickets, registering, getting the luggage, making queues for security, avoids delays, etc.
Advantages
The are many advantages with air charter services:
Fly whenever you want at the time you choose.
With aircraft charter you can control your schedule using a fleet of aircraft anywhere you are in the world.
Air charters offer convenience, security, privacy and time efficiency
Air charter's advantages multiply as the charter sector enjoys a growing market share for business travelers, and as it becomes available at even more airports nationwide.
Air Charter Brokers
The key factor for choosing a good air charter are:
competitive pricing contingency planning, the ability to organize logistics of a trip skills on getting the customer to their destination even in bad weather
A good air charter broker will choose an experience air charter operator and will verify any violations history or work experience for the client security.
Brokers should also handle insurance issues at the best time possible and a fare rate. A broker should make the traveler life easier by solving any kind of travel procedures.
How to choose an airport
Commercial airlines use fewer than 500 airports across the United Sates. Charter operators use those and nearly 5,000 more, this increases the possibilities of flying to the exact location that the air charter user wants. Commercial Airlines don’t fly to many destinations due to is not economically convenient for them.
Business and personal trips become simpler just by flying in and out of an airport closer to home.
There is more than just timesaving. Usually General aviation terminals are designed for comfort & convenience of a smaller number of travelers. They would take security as seriously as at larger terminals -- but you will never find a line of 150 passengers waiting in a queue at a metal detector in a fixed based operator (FBO). It’s also possible that you'll be the only person in line. You might not find a lounge, comfortable chairs, a TV or magazines while waiting for your flight crew to find you. Chances are the crew will be waiting for you.
Choosing an Operator
Many factors affect the selection of the right air charter operator.
Any good charter operator should appreciate the opportunity to peruse through a prospective itinerary along with you as long as you are serious about using his service.
Credentials of an charter operator are important. Do not hesitate to see the charter operator's operating certificates, safety track record or insurance policies. If your company has any unique insurance policies, do discuss them.
Do ask the charter operator for customer references. Once he provides them, do use them. Call these customers and feel free to ask questions about their business dealings with the charter operator. This should give you a quick sense of whether or not they were happy with the services that they had been provided.
Lastly, and if possible, make a visit to your charter operator. Remember Air charter is a service business, and the people in the industry represent the key to success. Moreover at the premises, you can have a thorough look at the aircraft.
Choosing Aircraft
The exact kind of charter aircraft that would be appropriate for your trip is decided by a number of factors like:
The no. of passengers traveling with you The amount and nature of cargo/baggage The destination Your aircraft preferences Your budget
The most important question is how many passengers will be making the trip and the destination? The number of passengers will decide what size aircraft you'll need and your destination will indicate the required range. Some high-altitude airports have limited accessibility, or accessibility that changes seasonally depending on the aircraft.
Choosing the right aircraft involves factors like size and passenger capacity, Aircraft performance and price.
Air charter Classes and Types
There are several classes of Air Charter available in Industry. On the following pages, we are going to try to help you understand the variances between each type of Air Charter, so you can easily determine which is best for you.
Corporate Air Charter Executive Air Charter Business Air Charter Private Air Charter Charter Air Cargo Same Day Air Charter Large Group charters
Aircraft Types- Cruising Speeds
Piston Powered - Speed: 200 MPH
A piston engine powered aircraft (most are non-pressurized) designed for up to 6 passengers flying 500 miles or less. Piston engine aircraft are less expensive to charter than jet-props or jets.
Small Turbo-prop - Speed: 230 MPH
A small jet powered pressurized turbo-prop aircraft that can fly over most types of weather. These aircraft usually have a curtained potty to insure comfort. These aircraft are well suited for up to 6 passengers flying trips up to 700 miles.
Medium Turbo-prop - Speed: 275 MPH
A more spacious jet powered turbo-prop pressurized aircraft that can fly over most types of weather. Most have curtained potties. Well suited for up to 9 passengers on trips up to 800 miles.
Large Turbo-prop - Speed: 330 MPH
A large jet powered turbo-prop pressurized aircraft that can fly over most types of weather. This category of aircraft has stand-up cabins and lavatories and is well suited for 10 to 50 passengers for trips up to 1,000 miles.
Light Jet - Speed: 500 MPH
A small jet aircraft with seating for up to 8 passengers (5 to 7 comfortably) with most having a curtained lavatory. These aircraft normally have a non-stop range of 1,200 to 2,300 miles
Midsize Jet - Speed: 500 MPH
A jet aircraft that has a stand-up cabin, a meal galley and an enclosed lavatory. Midsize jets have seats for up to 9 passengers (generally more comfortable for 7 to 8 passengers). Most have a non-stop range of 1,800 to 3,000 miles.
Large Corporate Jet - Speed: 500 MPH
A large corporate jet with maximum seating for up to 19 passengers with average seating for 12 to 14. All have standup cabins, enclosed lavatories, full galley's and flight attendant quarters. The non-stop range is 3,200 to 7,000 miles.
Airline Type Jet - Speed: 525 MPH
An airliner (from a DC-9 to a B-747). They range in seating for as few as 25 to as many as 500. They often are customized with appointments such as bedrooms, bars, offices, etc. The non-stop range varies from 2,000 to 12,000 miles.
Growth Factors
The 1960's saw the arrival of the first small jets, such as the Learjet. The Learjet was adopted by some of the first "jet" air charter operators, such as Hop-A-Jet and Clay Lacy. Both companies still exist today as larger charter management firms.
Beginning in the late 1990's the air charter interest moved into main stream media and discussion with the growth and advent of several key factors:
Very Light Jets popularized the concept of small affordable jets that would bring the capital carrying cost of aircraft down enough so that many more could be sold and operated.
Internet Communication: Now audiences can easier reach the distribution of information, pricing regarding the availability of aircrafts.
Alternatives: Air Charter and Fractional Ownership popularized the notion of private aircraft use and ownership. Fractional aircraft ownerships growth led to the advent of a distinct set of regulations in the United States designed specifically to regulate fractionally owned aircraft companies.
Very Light Jets Manufacturers
Eclipse Aviation Honda Aviation manufactures the Honda Jet. Adam Aircraft Industries Safire Aircraft was a small airframe manufacturer that discontinued operations after it could not secure additional funding.
Aircraft manufacturers, such as Eclipse Aviation and Adam Aircraft Industries, and others maintain that the construction of cheaper, smaller and faster jets will enable inexpensive point-to-point private aviation, creating a new industry.
Glossary
airway-distance: The actual distance flown (as opposed to straight line) by the aircraft between two points, after deviations required by air traffic control and navigation are taken into account along established routes.
amphibious floats: FLOATS or "pontoons" are equipped with retractable wheels that permit aircrafts to operate from paved airports.
ARO: The Airport reservation office.
block rates: A lower contract-rate to schedule significant amounts of charter time in advance on a previously arranged agreement.
block speed: The average speed over a specific distance door-to-door with respect to the airport gate.
broker margin: The difference calculated between the flight charges assessed by the charter operator and the flight charges assessed by the charter broker.
certificate: FAA-issued license (sometimes referred to as ticket, part 135 license, etc.) to carry passengers for hire.
charter broker: A company or individual that buys charters at wholesale and resells it at retail. The broker is responsible for payment to charter providers, for assessing end-user taxes and fees, and for ensuring customer safety and satisfaction. A charter operator may act as broker to provide supplemental lift to their customer.
charter operator: A company or individual that holds aircraft charter certificates and provides charter services to wholesale and retail customers.
commuter operator: A regional, scheduled airline. Not all commuter airlines charter, as there are limitations in aircraft and crew availability.
corporate operator: A company flight department that has a part 135 certificate to carry passengers for compensation.
cruise speed: . This is the normal speed attained at altitude once the aircraft is no longer climbing and is enroute.
deadhead: To fly the return leg of a trip without any cargo or passengers.
duty time: That duration of the day when a crew member is on duty in any capacity (not just in the air). This can be a constraint on long day trips due to FAA imposed limits on the amount of time allowed on duty.
empty leg: Also called as "one-way availability". Since charter trips usually charge for the round trip travel of the aircraft, empty legs can often represent relative bargains.
Exporter: Any program that is designed to export availability data from an operator's scheduling software to the availability calendar on the Industry Exchange.
FBO: Fixed-base operator -- represents a large majority of the air charter industry.
flight time: That duration of the trip actually spent in the air. For billing purposes this definition is generally strict and only applies from moment of take-off to moment of touch-down.
floats: Flotation devices or Pontoons that enable airplanes/helicopters to land on water.
GADO: General Aviation District Office of the FAA.
general aviation: That portion of aviation other than military or commercial scheduled operations.
great circle distance: The shortest distance between two points on a globe.
IFR: Instrument Flight Rules (flight in clouds).
ILS: Instrument Landing System. Low-level approach equipment at certain airports. Though instrument departures & approaches can be made in airports without ILS, its presence is a of benefit to the travel planner because an ILS improves trip reliability as closely possible to the level of scheduled airlines, which generally fly from airports with such facilities.
layover: A night spent in the midst of the trip in a city other than home base for the aircraft and crew.
leg: Describes one direction of travel between two points.
lift: Any aircraft engaged for transport.
medevac: Medical evacuation (usually emergency)
.Part 91: The set of federal regulations that govern private aircraft use.
Part 135: The set of federal regulations that govern commercial hire of jets.
positioning: Ferrying aircraft for departure from other than originating airport.
positioning time: Estimated time for an aircraft to travel to trip departure position.
ramp: The apron or open "tarmac" in form of an FBO or terminal facility.
repositioning time: Estimated time for an aircraft to return to its based position after completion of a passenger segment.
retail quote: Quote provided to retail customers including taxes and end user assessed fees.
segment: Describes the unit of flight between takeoff and landing.
stage length: Distance of itinerary nonstop leg.
taxi time: That duration of the trip spent rolling between the gate, terminal, or RAMP and runway.
VFR: Visual Flight Rules (flight out of clouds).
waiting time: The time that the chartered aircraft and crew have to wait on the ground during any portion of the trip.
wholesale buyer: A charter operator or charter broker that you allow to represent your aircraft to their customers.
Local Articles
Travel
Home