Business Jet Traveler » April 2008

Virgin Charter's Scott Duffy
April 1, 2008
To find out more about Branson's latest brand, we spoke with the man who founded it and oversees its day-to-day operations. What were you doing before this project came along? I spent most of my career in the technology business and about three years ago was introduced to private aviation.As a passenger?
Caribbean's Longest Private Airstrip Opens
April 1, 2008
Runway at Ambergris Cay is 5,700 feet long.
The Turks and Caicos Sporting Club at Ambergris Cay has completed a 100-foot-wide, 5,700-foot-long runway, which it claims is the Caribbean's longest lighted, paved private airstrip. An adjacent facility houses customs and immigration services. The airstrip operates from sunrise to sunset and after dark by prior arrangement.
Your first charter flight
April 1, 2008
More than 12 percent of operators failed a safety check
A growing number of travelers are turning to chartered aircraft as reports of airline delays, canceled flights and deteriorating service become routine. Combined with the advent of per-seat purchase options and block-membership programs, aircraft charter has emerged as an cost-effective alternative to other means of travel for many people.
Panamanian Resort Breaks Ground for Private Airport
April 1, 2008
Cuna de Vida, a new brand of luxury resort, has announced the start of construction of Del Rey Airport, which it said will be the world's first full-service, private international airport. It will be located on Isla Del Rey in the archipelago of Las Perlas in Panama and will accommodate aircraft as large as the Boeing Business Jet.
Booking flights when demand peaks
April 1, 2008
The school calendar generally drives peak charter times.
If you fly often via business jet charter, you know that the peak travel days sprinkled throughout the calendar can mean a limited choice of aircraft as well as price increases. But a little planning can go a long way toward minimizing both drawbacks.
Feds Call for More Stringent Training for MU-2 Pilots
April 1, 2008
The FAA has issued a Special Federal Aviation Regulation that mandates pilot training in the Mitsubishi MU-2. The move came more than two years after the agency completed its latest evaluation of the aircraft's relatively high accident rate, which has nevertheless fallen in recent years below rates for other popular turboprops such as the Cessna 441 and Turbo Commander.
Can you make your jet pay for itself?
April 1, 2008
New owners “don’t always want their shiny airplane in the hands of stranger
After BJT quoted Long Island, N.Y. businessman Michael Pascucci's claim that his flights on his three aircraft are "free" based on the offset revenue he earns from their charter, we received feedback from readers questioning whether this is truly possible.
House Aviation Subcommittee Probes Runway Safety
April 1, 2008
During a House aviation subcommittee hearing in February, DOT Inspector General Calvin Scovel noted that aviation stakeholders are expressing growing concern about the rise in the number of severe runway incidents.
A thousand miles from nowhere
April 1, 2008
The silver and gold treasure you're after isn't buried. It's swimming through
Looking for an extreme fishing adventure? Try this: fly to Paris, then on to Mahe, Seychelles. You're now 1,000 miles off the coast of Kenya. Next, take a charter flight to a group of coral islands called Farquar, 500 miles south of Mahe and closer to Madagascar.
Business Aviation Accident Stats Show a Mixed Picture
April 1, 2008
Business aviation accidents and incidents declined from 60 in 2006 to 56 in 2007, but fatal accidents involving U.S.-registered business jets and turboprops increased to 18 from 17, according to the latest annual report by aviation safety analyst Robert E. Breiling Associates.

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Quote/Unquote

“Let me be straight with you. What I'd rather have is an airplane. We just had a third kid. I don't like flying commercial. I like to take my family to Hawaii. When I go east, I'd like to have pilots I know. ”

-Steve Jobs