Hi Dailey,
As I mentioned earlier there are a number of options available to you
which fulfil your requirement of having a consistent pilot and
maintenance team. If you have any questions about what I will present
to you, or would like me to puruse another avenue of researching this
problem, please don't hesitate to ask for a clarification. I will do
my best to work with you until you are satisfied.
I will begin with a brief description of the categories of available options.
----- PRIVATE JET CARDS / PRIVATE JET MEMBERSHIP PROGRAMS -----
These programs generally involve purchasing a set number of flight
hours. Some programs merely act as middlemen, chartering flights from
third parties as you request them. This is not something you would
want as it could potentially involves being flown by a different pilot
on a plane with a different crew every time. You would have no
control over the aircraft used, or the reputation of the provider of
the aircraft you fly on.
The best way to go with private jet card/membership programs are the
ones which offer a pre-paid lease of a fractional interest in a
particular craft. This way you get the same benefits as a fractional
ownership but without the same financial commitment. You also will
have a choice in the aircraft you fly on, as well as be assured of the
quality of pilots and maintenance crew involved.
Generally, these programs allow you to fly on demand. The plane you
paid for, or a similar one, would always be available to you. Also,
you are guarunteed a certain number of flight hours.
This sort of program is best suited to someone who requires a jet for
25-50 hours per year.
----- FRACTIONAL OWNERSHIP -----
Fractional ownership refers to buying a fraction of an aircraft. It
is similar to arrangements like time-sharing condominiums with the key
difference that you are not required to share your aircraft with
anyone. You have exclusive use of an aircraft for a certain number of
flight hours.
The reputation of the company which manages the fleet with your plane
is key. When deciding upon who to do business with, careful attention
must be paid attention to the safety record, pilot hiring practices,
and maintenance routines. Some companies will have a well-trained
core team of pilots and one qualified maintenance crew as you
requested. Another concern to be addressed is the possibility of
other fees such as 'deadhead fees' and repositioning fees. A good
service will cover all these in the cost of your interest in the
plane.
This sort of program is best suited to someone who requires a jet for
40-400 hours per year.
----- CHARTERING // FULL OWNERSHIP -----
Charting flights and owning jets are the two extremes of private
flying you should avoid. It does not make economic sense to own a jet
or to charter each flight individually given your flying needs.
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I have reviewed a number of services and reached a recommendation
given your criteria. Given that you may take as few as five trips per
year, I suggest a jet card/membership program. Every detail involved
in private flight is taken care of, making this option extremely
convenient.
I have included a number of what I feel are the top jet
card/fractional ownership programs along with their key benefits. I
feel these companies can offer the best service by owning a large,
nationwide fleet meaning that an aircraft will be readily available
for you and 'empty leg' fees will not be a concern. If you would like
a closer look at some smaller firms that offer jet leases, you can
communicate that to me through a Request for Clarification.
----- MARQUIS JET CARD
W: http://www.marquisjet.com
P: 1 866 JET 1400
The Marquis Jet Card allows one to buy flight time with the
prestigious NetJets fleet. The NetJets fleet is widely recognized to
be the best provider of fractional ownership programs. The Marquis
Jet Card affords one the same pilots, service, and safety as a NetJets
customer, but without the same financial commitment. NetJets is owned
by Warren Buffet and enjoys the financial backing of Berkshire
Hathaway.
Benefits:
- the average age of a plane you may fly is 4 years; the industry
average is 16 years
- every pilot is FAA Captain Certified with an average 9000 flight
hours experience and 23 days of training per year (twice the industry
standard)
- every flight has two such FAA Captain Certified pilots on board
- flights can be managed in 140+ countries
- relatively inexpensive when compared to the cost of fractional ownership
- you can buy as little as 25 flight hours and your commitment is very flexible
- many value added benefits through partnerships with other companies
Marquis has three planes which are well-suited to your needs: the
Cessna Citation V Ultra, Citation Encore, and Citation Excel. Each
holds seven passengers. They have similar ranges and cruising speeds,
but the Excel has a bit more baggage room than the V Ultra.
Pricing begins at $109,900.
----- SKYJET PREMIER FLEET JET CARD
W: http://www.skyjet.com
P: 1 888 2 SKYJET
SkyJet is a division of Bombardier Aerospace. They are a relative
newcomer to the private jet charter industry, but have gained a good
reputation. They boast a simple pricing plan without suprise fees as
well as a few economical choices. Unlike Marquis, SkyJet contracts
third party operators for flights which may be undesirable since the
pilot/maintenence team changes from flight to flight. However, SkyJet
has a reputation for using only the best operators and enforcing
strict guidelines, so this may not be a problem. Their sales brochure
can be viewed here:
http://www.skyjet.com/Client/Documents/SkyjetSalesKit.pdf
Benefits:
- Several economical choices
- Low cost initial entry into program
- Guarunteed availability of aircraft with just 12 hours notice
- Earn credits towards ownership of a jet
- Daily monitoring for safety as well as employment of three
recognized independent auditors
Pricing begins at $49,000 + hourly rate.
----- NETJETS FRACTIONAL OWNERSHIP
W: http://www.netjets.com
P: 1 877 356 5823
NetJets allows you to purchase a 1/16 interest in an aircraft of your
choice which entitles to you to 50 flight hours per year for five
years. At the end of the five-year term, you still own the fraction
of the aircraft and all that is necessary to continue flying is
renewal of the management fee, if desired. You may even choose to
sell your aircraft ownership back to NetJets at fair market price.
Other than the cost of acquisition of the craft is the monthly
management fee to cover various operating costs (pilot salary,
training, insurance, etc.) as well as an occupied hourly fee to cover
direct operating costs (fuel, catering, etc.)
Benefits:
- Very flexible contract
- As little as 4-10 hours notice before flying
- Guaranteed fee rates
- Guarunteed liquidity of aircraft ownership
- Convinience; all legal and maintenance aspects of jet leasing is taken care of
- Safety: benefit from extensively trained and experience pool of
pilots and maintenance crew
- the average age of a plane you may fly is 4 years; the industry
average is 16 years
- every pilot is FAA Captain Certified with an average 9000 flight
hours experience and 23 days of training per year (twice the industry
standard)
- every flight has two such FAA Captain Certified pilots on board
Pricing begins at $487,500 for a 1/16 interest + monthly management
fees + hourly flying fee.
----- FLIGHT OPTIONS FRACTIONAL OWNERSHIP
W: http://www.flightoptions.com/
P: 1 877 703 2348
Flight Options (as its name would indicate) offers a very customizable
program. Their site boasts:
"Flight Options offers you the aircraft of your choice at a share
size based on your transportation profile. We'll discuss your business
and personal flight profile where you go, how often, typical number of
passengers, transportation budget, etc. then recommend a specific
aircraft and share size that best fits. Our contracts are unique in
the industry straightforward, easily understood and geared to meet our
customers' ever-changing business requirements. With an extensive
variety of options, we can tailor a contract to save you a significant
sum compared to the cost of private ownership or buying into another
less flexible program."
Benefits:
- Dedicated Crewing (pilots fly only one kind of plane; this is
unique in the industry)
- Pilots have an average 6,000 flight hours experience
- Pilots are full-time employees, not contracted
- Very affordable, relative to similar programs
- Very experienced in plane maintenance
Price is variable, depending on program. For example, 50 hours (1/16
share) in a Citation V (7 passengers) costs $256,250 + $4,836 monthly
fee + $1,560 per flight hour.
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I hope that these options are useful to you. However, if anything
about them is not _exactly_ what you are looking for as an answer,
please feel free to provide any relevant details and I will be glad to
conduct further research for you until you are totally satisfied.
Cheers,
tox-ga |
