Posts Tagged ‘Private Jet rental’

How to Determine if your Charter Broker is Honest and Transparent

Wednesday, December 14th, 2011

At Stratos Jet Charters, we believe that you should always work with a well-established company that you can come to know and trust.  When considering a jet charter broker to work with, here are a couple questions that you should ask:



What is the Overall Marketing Message of the Company?



What you constantly read and hear from a company, regardless of industry, is indicative of its goals and principles.  When considering the marketing message of jet charter companies, what is emphasized most? Is it simply great deals and rock-bottom prices? If so, this should be an immediate red flag.



As you have seen consistently over the years, the “message” here at Stratos Jets has been very simple and straightforward. Your safety always comes first when flying with us, and we provide the most personalized and responsive service in the air charter industry.  We always arrange charter flights on the most appropriate aircraft at the best-available price.

 As an honest and ethical organization, we do what is right, simply because it is right, and this philosophy has shaped all aspects of our business.

We believe in this message because it builds long-term, repeat business.  At Stratos Jets, our goal is to build relationships with our clients, taking the time to get to know them and anticipate their needs. 

How Transparent is your Service Provider?


Transparency is how a company explains its role regarding its services. Some charter brokers want to take a shortcut, thinking that the misrepresentation of who they are will make them seem larger or perhaps more capable than they really are.



Stratos Jet Charters is a worldwide air charter agency that provides clients with access to a network of nearly 5,000 aircraft nationwide. We do not own or operate aircraft, but we do verify that they meet our safety standards and comply with all FAA and DOT regulations. As a member of the prestigious Air Charter Association of North America (ACANA), we are committed to upholding the honest and fair practice of clear pricing.

During you search for a service provider, you may also notice that some charter brokerages disguise their role as a broker, advertising their “fleet” of jets or otherwise implying ownership of aircraft. The Federal government views this as false and deceptive advertising, and it is illegal.  

When considering whether to work with one of these companies, you should just ask yourself a very simple question: “Am I comfortable working with a company that is blatantly dishonest with me from the very start?” Your answer should help guide your decision making when choosing a broker.



What do Independent Sources think about the Company?



Any company can simply tell you how great they are. (Try to think of a company that doesn’t.) What other consumers think about your service provider should be a major part of your assessment.



The positive experiences of our clients are well expressed in the “A” rating given to Stratos Jet Charters by the Better Business Bureau (BBB).

 We are very proud of our BBB grade since it represents all of the hard work we’ve put in over the years to ensure that our clients are 100% satisfied with our charter service. This is especially true when you consider that a good portion of our new business comes from customer referrals.



We also think the financial condition of the on-demand service provider you work with is important. Stratos Jets has earned a Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) rating of “Strong,” with all facets of our business grading out equal to or higher than average in the air charter industry.



D&B is one of the most definitive, well-respected auditors and sources of business financial data globally. This rating means you will always get what you paid for, something you cannot say about every jet charter operation out there. Just another reason why you can travel with the utmost confidence when you choose Stratos Jets as your agent, and partner, for your next charter flight.



If you want to know more about Stratos Jets, just ask one of our current clients. We’d be happy to put you in touch with any number of customers who work with us right now, so they can let you know their thoughts on how we do business.


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Understanding the Difference in Safety Between Part 91 (Private) and Part 135 (Charter) Operations

Wednesday, December 1st, 2010

Making the decision between owning your own private aircraft or utilizing a private jet charter service is one of the most difficult and important decisions you will ever make.  When considering the advantages of both business models, it can be difficult to determine which option will afford you with the most safety and security for your investment.  Having a working knowledge of both FAR Part 91 and Part 135 regulations, however, could help you make the right decision for you and your company.

New entrants to the private aviation industry may not be familiar with the Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) for both general aviation and private jet charter operations.  The FARs, established by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), govern all aircraft operations in the United States.  The FARs were designed to promote aviation safety and protect passengers from unnecessary risk.  Under the FARs, aircraft operations conducted by privately-owned aircraft are governed by FAR Part 91 regulations, while “air taxi” or private jet charter operations are governed by FAR Part 135 regulations.

When consulting your FAR Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM), it can be difficult to identify the differences between FAR Part 91 and Part 135 regulations.  As a rule, FAR Part 135 (air charter) aircraft maintenance and safety requirements are far stricter than Part 91 (private) regulations because aircraft operators fly “for compensation or hire.”  Part 135 regulations were designed to establish a standard for professionalism, safety and best practices in the air charter industry.  These regulations govern pilot training and experience, aircraft maintenance, safety procedures and insurance requirements.

Under the more lenient Part 91 section of the FAR/AIM, private aircraft are subject to less rigorous maintenance standards.  Under Part 91, aircraft owners are only required to establish an “inspection program” for their aircraft, which can be typically accomplished through an “annual” inspection.  Annual inspections evaluate the airworthiness of private aircraft by evaluating the inspection intervals, parts replacement and life-limited components of private aircraft.   Conversely, Part 135 aircraft operators are required to establish a more rigorous maintenance program (such as the 100-hour inspection) for their charter aircraft.  This inspection requires aircraft operators to inspect their aircraft every 100 hours and continually provide assurance of the safety and integrity of their private aircraft.

In addition to more frequent maintenance requirements, Part 135 charter aircraft are also subject to certain runway length and weather reporting restrictions.  Every private jet aircraft has certain runway length limitations referred to as takeoff and landing distances.  These distances vary based on the size and weight of your aircraft.  While Part 91 aircraft can utilize any airport that meets with their own runway length requirements, Part 135 aircraft can only utilize airports where they can land within the first 80 percent of the runway.  In addition, Part 135 charter aircraft can only conduct instrument approaches into airports with on-site weather reporting facilities, while Part 91 aircraft can conduct instrument procedures into any airport.

Although Part 135 regulations may seem more restrictive, it’s important to understand that these regulations were designed to ensure your personal safety on jet charter flights.  The stricter maintenance requirements of Part 135 help to ensure that charter flights are conducted on the safest and most highly-maintained private jet aircraft in the industry.   In addition, Part 135 runway length requirements prevent charter operators from utilizing potentially unsafe airports with short runways.  Part 135 weather reporting restrictions make certain that your air charter pilots obtain the necessary weather information before attempting an instrument approach procedure into any airport.

At Stratos Jet Charters, we understand the risks of combining cursory flight operations with “laid-back” maintenance programs.  A few weeks ago, we heard the story of the Piper Seminole crash that took the lives of four, young Part 91 pilots.  If you haven’t heard the story, four Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) pilots were departing from the Palm Beach Airport, when they lost power in their left engine just after takeoff.  The pilots were not able to react quickly enough, and the aircraft crashed into the Palm Beach International Airport.  Although the NTSB has yet to release the official report of the crash, it is most probable that the aircraft crashed as a result of engine failure.

Accidents like the Piper Seminole crash are perfect examples of why you should work with experienced air charter agents to find fully-licensed Part 135 aircraft for your private jet flights.  Part 135 regulations have helped establish a level of consistency that can prevent accidents like these from happening.  The enhanced safety requirements for Part 135 flights provides passengers with the assurance of a safe and well-maintained aircraft.  By choosing to utilize a private jet charter service, you and your company can acquire the most safety and security for your investment.

Contact Stratos Jets:

1.888.478.7286

info@stratosjets.com

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Private Jet Charter Q & A – Week 1: How much do private jet charters cost?

Friday, August 20th, 2010

How much will my private jet charter cost? Where can my private jet land? How much luggage can I bring on my charter flight? These are just a few of the questions we receive here at Stratos Jet Charters. It comes as a surprise that so little information is available about private jet charters, considering the growing popularity of private air travel. At Stratos Jets, our mission is to educate and inform air charter consumers about the most important information and topics in private aviation. Recently, we launched a new “Private Jet Charter Question & Answer” series to help answer some of the most common questions in the air charter industry. Each week in the series, our expert air charter consultants will answer one question concerning private jet charter that will help our air charter buyers make educated, informed decisions each time they fly private.

How much does a private jet charter cost?

One of the most frequent asked questions we receive at Stratos Jets is how much private jet charters cost. For many of our clients, price is the determining factor in deciding which aircraft to book for their charter flights. While Stratos Jets agents can always provide a rough estimate for charter flights, the actual cost of your individual flight depends on the specific needs of your request, aircraft availability and several important factors.

The standard method for providing a rough estimate for your charter flight is to calculate flight costs by hourly rate. There are six different categories of private aircraft available for private charter and each has its own standard price range. These categories include helicopters, turboprops, light, mid-size and heavy jet aircraft and airliners. Using this standard hourly rate method, helicopter typically charter for about $1,000 to $5,000 per flight hour and turboprops charter from about $1,550 to $2,500 per flight hour. Light jets range anywhere from $2,250 to $3,450 and mid-sized jets charter for about $3,450 to $5,000 per flight hour. Heavy jets charter from $5,000 to $9,000 per hour and airliners start at $6,500 per hour.

As we mentioned earlier, the actual cost of your flight ultimately depends on several key components. These factors include aircraft age, safety procedures, operational costs, aircraft category, length of stay, repositioning and landing fees as well as added catering costs. Any number of these factors could combine to increase your charter flight’s price from a couple thousand dollars to hundreds of thousands of dollars. A charter flight on a brand new Gulfstream heavy jet, for example, will cost thousands more than a private jet charter on an older Citation Jet. A charter flight to Oakland International Airport instead of the San Francisco International Airport, could save you as much as as $1,200 in landing fees.

As you can see, determining the actual price of your charter flight requires a thorough understanding of the charter market and extensive market research. The best way to receive the best, possible price for a jet charter flight is to hire an expert air charter agent to conduct the necessary research for your flight. At Stratos Jets, our air charter consultants can find the safest and most comfortable aircraft that can meet the specific needs of our your flight.

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Stratos Jet Charters Establishes New Requirements for Approved Air Carrier Program

Wednesday, April 21st, 2010

Stratos Jet Charters has always been dedicated to providing the finest and safest air charter service in the industry. For this reason, we have established the Stratos Jets Approved Vendors Program, a membership program comprised of the best air carriers in the industry that adhere to the strictest code of ethics and safety standards.

The mission of the Stratos Jets Approved Vendors Program is to ensure our vendors meet or exceed with FAR Part 135 and Department of Transportation regulations.  These regulations set the benchmark for air charter excellence and establish the guidelines for jet charter safety.  In addition, our air charter agency has developed supplementary criteria to ascertain that every charter flight meets with our stringent safety and maintenance standards.  To verify our air carriers comply with these standards, we utilize a ARG/US or Wyvern third-party safety audit.

In order to become a Stratos Jets approved vendor, we require our air carriers to demonstrate their commitment to air charter safety by maintaining at least $25 million of insurance on turboprop aircraft and $50 million on all other private aircraft.  These high levels of insurance protect jet charter passengers and their families in the event of an emergency.  We believe that higher levels of insurance reflect a commitment from the vendor to the properly maintaining their aircraft.

In addition to insurance requirements, Stratos Jets also imposes certain flight crew requirements on its approved vendors.  Every charter flight that we arrange is piloted by the most experienced flight crew members in the industry.  For example, the pilot-in-command of every jet charter aircraft must have a minimum of 3,000 total hours as well as hold a prestigious Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) rating.  Similarly, the second-in-command must have 1,000 hours and hold at least a commercial, multi-engine license with an instrument rating.

The approved vendors program also provides information to our air charter agents about our vendors’ aircraft operations, maintenance history and insurance coverage levels.  This information allows our agents to perform their due diligence background check on every vendor.  By researching vendors in advance of every charter flight, our air charter agents can assure our clients of the safety of their flight.

At Stratos Jets, we provide the best air charter service to our clients because we only partner with the best service providers in the industry.  These approved vendor requirements are set forth to provide air charter buyers with an unparalleled air charter experience and higher level of air charter safety. We’re not willing to risk our clients’ safety and we hope to add more air carriers to our approved vendors list in the future.

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Volcano Ash Cancels Hundreds of Commercial Flights: Private jet charters to resume when ash clears

Friday, April 16th, 2010

After 200 years of dormancy, the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland erupted unexpectedly yesterday morning, causing the worst air travel disruption since Sept.11, according to several news reports.  The eruption sent clouds of volcanic ash to several European countries and caused the cancelation of hundreds of commercial flights and several air charter flights worldwide.

Tens of thousands of people were left stranded as European airspace continued to remain closed today.  The clouds of ash caused several air traffic controllers to close airspaces across Europe, affecting flights in Great Britain, Germany, Scotland, Ireland and Scandinavia.  At Heathrow International, one of the world’s busiest airports, commercial aircraft were left sitting on the tarmac yesterday, unable to take off into the clouds and risk passengers’ safety.

Volcanic ash can become a serious problem for air charter and commercial flights when it’s ingested into an aircraft’s engine.  If this happens, corrosive particles in the volcanic ash can cause a complete engine failure and result in an aircraft accident.  To make matters worse, volcanic ash can’t be detected by weather radar, making it harder for pilots to identify and steer clear of the clouds.

The good news is that it appears the ash clouds are finally clearing in some European countries.  In Scotland, for example, a commercial jet recently took off from the Glasgow Airport for Canada.  The bad news is that once all airspace in Europe reopens, tens of thousands of people will be scrambling to find the next available flight in or out of Europe, causing long lines and significant travel delays.

In order to ensure that you are on the next available flight to or from Europe when it is safe to travel, contact a Stratos Jets’ expert air charter agent to book an air charter flight to your destination.  Stratos Jets has access to private jet aircraft all over the world and can arrange a charter flight to or from Europe with as little as four hours notice.  It’s important to book private jet charter flights as soon as possible to secure the most appropriate aircraft and best possible pricing for your charter flight.

Contact Stratos Jets:

1.888.478.7286

info@stratosjets.com

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Innovations that Improve Private Jet Safety – Fuel Additives

Thursday, April 8th, 2010

During the summer months, hazardous flight conditions can often be disguised by the season’s clear skies and warm temperatures.  Even in the middle of summer, your charter jet can still encounter hazardous fuel system icing conditions at higher altitudes.  For this reason, it’s important to understand the causes of fuel system icing and the measures that your pilots can take to ensure your personal safety during your next air charter flight.

Aircraft icing that occurs during the winter months is usually caused by freezing rain and icy conditions in the atmosphere.  In the summer and winter months, there is also a chance that water trapped inside your fuel tank can also freeze at freezing temperatures.  To begin with, all aircraft have a small amount of suspended water in their fuel tanks.  At higher altitudes, jet fuel starts to cool and the suspended water in the fuel separates and turns into water droplets.  These water droplets eventually turn into ice crystals when the aircraft reaches freezing temperatures at higher altitudes.

Once water droplets turn into ice crystals, they can easily get caught in the engine’s filters and block the aircraft’s fuel flow.  This becomes a serious problem.  At best, this will only reduce the aircraft’s performance capabilities, but at worst it can starve the engine of fuel and eventually lead to a complete engine failure.  For obvious reasons, an engine failure can significantly decrease your own personal safety.

To ensure your aircraft’s engine doesn’t fail during flight, pilots often rely on fuel additives to prevent ice crystals from forming in their aircraft’s fuel tanks.  The most popular product on the market is called Prist and it contains a chemical that lowers the freezing point of water droplets in fuel.  It does this by seeking out moisture, encapsulating the water droplets and lowering the freezing point of the water.  When used properly, Prist can effectively eliminate the chances of ice forming in your aircraft’s fuel tanks.

In order for Prist to work properly, it must be added at the same time your aircraft is fueled.  Some aircraft fueling stations already sell pre-mixed fuel with the Prist additive to make it easier for pilots to ensure the Prist is added properly.  The cost of pre-mixed fuel is more expensive by about three cents a gallon but this a small price to pay when considering the safety gained by using Prist.

There are several private jet aircraft that make Prist mandatory for safe flight operations.  These aircraft include the Beechjet 400, Learjet 25 and 35, Citation I and II and the Piaggio Avanti.  In addition, a growing number of very light aircraft in the charter market are making Prist mandatory for flight operations.  There’s also aircraft with fuel heating systems that do not require Prist or other fuel additive.

For your next charter flight, ask your pilots if they added Prist or other fuel additive to your fuel system before takeoff.  This will ensure that your pilots have taken the necessary precautions to protect you and your aircraft from fuel system icing occurring in flight.  Another option is to call a reputable air charter agency such as Stratos Jet Charters to suggest an available charter aircraft with built-in fuel heaters that can prevent fuel system icing.

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Flying High? Private Jets with High-Altitude Cruise Capability

Wednesday, March 24th, 2010

Altitude can play a significant role in the quality of your air charter experience.  It may not seem important, but the flight level of your aircraft can actually affect the amount of turbulence and inclement weather conditions you may encounter during your flight.

To better understand how altitude affects charter flights, you must first understand the relationship between the Earth’s atmosphere and the location of your aircraft in the sky.

To begin with, our planet is divided into five different, gas-filled atmospheric layers.  The closest layer to the surface contains all of Earth’s weather.  This layer is known as the troposphere and it begins at the ground and extends to about 26,000 feet in the summer and 42,000 feet in the winter.  Most private aircraft operate in the troposphere or in the tropopause, the thin layer that separates the troposphere from the stratosphere.

Since the troposphere contains all of Earth’s weather, private aircraft are far more likely to encounter turbulence and inclement weather conditions while flying through the troposphere. Though turbulence is more of a nuisance than a threat, it can become dangerous if passengers aren’t seated during rough turbulence.  A more serious threat is the presence of inclement weather conditions such as thunderstorms and severe wind shear that can significantly impact the safety of your charter flight.

The best way to avoid these inclement weather and turbulent conditions along your flight is to climb to a safer and higher altitude as quickly as possible.  Many airline and private jet pilots take advantage of this fact by climbing to a high altitude just after take off.  At higher altitudes, your charter jet can cruise above adverse weather conditions located in the troposphere.

The one downside to high altitude flying is that you have to charter a fairly large aircraft in order to climb to a higher altitude in the stratosphere.  Generally speaking, aircraft performance decreases as altitude increases, so light jets and turboprop aircraft simply aren’t capable of operating at extremely high altitudes.  Mid-sized and heavy jets like the Gulfstream G550 are the only aircraft truly capable of soaring up to 51,000 feet and staying there.

The good news is that there are private aircraft that are at least capable of climbing to higher altitudes at a much faster rate.  The Lear 31 light charter jet, for example, has an impressive climb rate of 5,480 feet per minute.  By chartering a Learjet or other fast-climbing private jet, you’ll spend less time bouncing around in turbulence and more time cruising at a smoother altitude.

For your next charter flight, consider chartering a private jet capable of high altitude cruising through Stratos Jet Charters to enjoy the safest and more comfortable flight experience possible.  Our agency derived our name from the word “stratosphere” to represent the type of aircraft we typically charter. Stratos Jet air charter consultants have first-hand industry experience to arrange a charter flight on the right aircraft capable of high altitude cruise to meet your specific needs.

Contact Stratos Jets:

1.888.478.7286

info@stratosjets.com


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