When you are choosing a private jet charter company for your next travel, you will discover many questions you need to ask to ensure you are getting not only the safest flight, but the very best benefit for the money.
Just what is the level of experience of your aircraft pilots and how frequently do they train?
Probably the most critical safety component during your private jet charter trip would be the level of experience of the pilots. To help save cash, a number of operators will employ much less skilled pilots that meet FAA minimal requirements. Far more seasoned pilots cost a lot more funds to employ, even while a much less seasoned jet pilot is willing to operate for a lower income as they “pay dues” and gain experience.
The Federal Aviation Administration requires that the pilots for the private jet charter or fractional flight have between 1000 and 1500 hours of airline flight working experience. A lot of fractional operators, for example Netjets or Avantair, require 2500 hours of flight experience from their pilots. Several jet charter operators just use the FAA minimum requirements and only want 1000 hours of working experience from their pilots. Quite a few jet charter operators may use an seasoned captain, but put a low time pilot in the right seat. What if the captain became incapacitated in the course of the flight and the low-time copilot was expected to take over? What if the pilots encountered an emergency they were not both similarly well prepared to cope with?
The higher-end private jet charter operators that are safety-minded recruit pilots that considerably exceed these minimum standards. Very best procedures in aviation demand that the two pilots designated to your flight journey have a minimum of 5000 hours of flight working experience, with the two pilots captain-qualified. Additionally, top notch operators mandate their pilots enroll in simulator-based emergency training, which include those offered by FlightSafety International and CAE Simuflite, no less than twice per year.
What’s your safety record?
The safety record of an operator would be the most significant component in picking a private jet charter firm. An owner who happens to be accredited by an independent third party puts high importance on safety, and has satisfied a higher operational and safety industry standard than that governed by the Faa. It is possible to determine the safety record of the provider in a number of ways;
1) Call the local office of the Federal Aviation Administration, referred to as the Flight Standards District Office, and ask if your company has at any time had any accidents or incidents.
2) Ask for a third party report from Wyvern, the industry leader in aircraft charter operator safety reports. This report, known as the PASS (Pilot and Aircraft Safety Survey), covers the level of experience of the pilots, their training currency, and safety data relating to the charter operator and aircraft.
3) Ask the company what their safety rating is, and if they have had a third party audit of their operations. The principal industry auditors are ARG/US, Wyvern, IS-BAO as well as the Air Charter Safety Foundation. A successful completion of an audit by any of these organizations is crucial to make sure of the maximum degree of safety for the flight.
The proper answers to these kinds of questions will make sure you’ve picked the best private jet charter firm for your next charter flight.
Desert Jet is a business jet charter company based in the Palm Springs area of California, operating a fleet of charter flight aircraft with a nationwide network of specially-selected and carefully screened private charter aircraft available. Be sure to read our article on aircraft charter safety ratings.