Private Jets and Business Aircraft

With the well documented issues in commercial flying more and more people have found reasons to turn to private aircraft.

There are a variety of options to consider. The starting point is how often you want to fly privately.

If you only fly a few hours a year then on demand aircraft charter is probably the best way to go. As your number of hours of private flying increases look at charter cards and fractional cards.

Once you reach about 50 hours of flying a year then fractional aircraft ownership can start to make sense and above 300 or so hours per year whole ownership is worth looking into. Here is some core information to help you understand the options.

Charter
Fractions
Jet Cards
Whole Ownership

All of the major providers have expanded over the last few years. Many now offer a wide range of products and solutions to meet the needs of various clients. If you're looking at the different options and would like a good general overview then download our free Guide to Private Aviation, which includes details on charter, jet cards and fractional ownership. For detailed side by side comparisons of the leading jet card and fractional providers, and a directory of charter operators, then sign up for membership.

The latest news and research on private jets and aircraft is included below.

Details: Written by Barbara McHatton; Published: 01 September 2011

Known as the “ultimate aerial SUV,” the Pilatus PC-12 is one of the more versatile and luxurious aircraft used for private aviation. Manufactured by Pilatus Aircraft Ltd., Stans, Switzerland, the company has delivered more than 1000 PC-12s to the marketplace.

Details: Written by Nick Copley; Published: 23 August 2011

Flexjet just launched its fractional jet ownership sales program of Bombardier's Learjet 85 aircraft. The all-new Learjet 85 aircraft is the first FAR Part 25 certified business jet with both fuselage and wing built primarily from carbon composites. It features the latest advances in aerodynamics, structures and efficiency.

Details: Written by Barbara McHatton; Published: 20 July 2011

Most charter companies offer an array of different aircraft from which to choose. For both business and personal use, probably the main concerns regarding private aircraft travel are comfort, safety and operational costs. When it comes to very light jets, the Eclipse 500 boasts a wide array of these benefits for the charter traveler.

Details: Written by Nick Copley; Published: 12 July 2011

This new membership program combines the benefits of fractional ownership with the cost advantages and flexibility of jet cards. Members have access to the new Phenom 300 executive jet by Embraer, without the asset purchase or monthly management fees.

Details: Written by Dawn R. Wolfe; Published: 11 July 2011

Fractional and charter jet cards are a good private flight option for those who want the convenience of private travel without the large capital outlay involved in full or fractional jet ownership. Unlike the case with chartering a plane, fractional and charter jet card purchasers pre-pay for access to 20-35 hours of occupied flight time with a particular fractional fleet or with the aircraft available to the charter company. Your flight hours are then debited from the amount of hours you have paid for as you fly.

Details: Written by Nick Copley; Published: 17 June 2011

The private aviation company and the Las Vegas based hospitality company have agreed to provide mutual benefits to their respective customers.

Details: Written by Dawn R. Wolfe; Published: 14 June 2011

If you have chosen to go the fractional ownership route over full ownership of an aircraft and are looking at light plane options, the Embraer Phenom 300 offers a combination of savings and performance that is hard to match. Here's some of the reasons why and the options that are available.

Details: Written by Dawn R. Wolfe; Published: 31 May 2011

CitationAir recently announced that it had added six Citation Xs to the company fleet, calling the aircraft, " the fastest, most time-efficient business jet in production."

Details: Written by Nick Copley; Published: 13 April 2011

Flight Options has seen strong year-over-year growth in sales and operations during the first quarter of 2011. This reflects broad-based demand from across its client base for the company’s fractional ownership, membership and jet card programs.

Details: Published: 30 March 2011

Charter aviation companies and charter brokers can easily provide a quote for your business trip or vacation - usually right from their website as most have online forms. To get a quote started for a private jet, they'll need to know how many people are flying, departure time and date, and your return plans. But there's more to calculating a quote than filling in an online form and if you're not careful, you could end up with a post-flight invoice full of unexpected charges.

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Which Private Aviation Solution?

To get detailed comparisons of the leading fractional and jet card providers, plus listings of hundreds of charter operators, subscribe to SherpaReport Membership here, and become a smarter more informed buyer. This is a paid option.

To obtain an overview of the different options, with background on the types of products and providers, start with the free Guide to Private Aviation below.