Monday is Labor Day and the holiday is the unofficial end of the summer season. It’s also the weekend many people take advantage of taking one last summer trip. With an optimistic economic outlook, more people are taking trips this year and going farther from home. In fact, the American Automobile Association is predicting the highest number of travelers on the road since 2008. Over 33 million people are planning on taking a trip this Labor Day, and 85% of them will be taking it on the road.
That makes this an ideal weekend for a private jet getaway! There are many terrific U.S.-based locations that are within short range of an airport, so you can celebrate this all-American holiday without sitting in traffic.
Here are three great destinations that will get you out of the Labor Day crush and help you bid a fond farewell to summer:
- The Phoenician, Scottsdale, Ariz. — A trip to the desert in the summer? It sounds crazy, but trust us: The cool amenities at this luxury resort make up for the heat. It offers terrific golfing, spa treatments, tennis, pools, and planned activities for the whole family or just the kids. It also has an impressive $25 million art collection on-site, which makes this a great the trip for art lovers. Best of all, the resort is only 9 miles from the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and car service is available.
- TradeWinds Island Grand Resort, St. Pete Beach, Fla. — If your family is hoping to say goodbye to summer beachside, this is the place to do it. Tampa International Airport and St. Petersburg/Clearwater Airport are both only about 30 minutes away from this gorgeous locale. The resort recently underwent a $20 million renovation, making it better than ever. It offers plenty of activities to keep the kids entertained, including pool-side movies, a pirate show, and even programs that promise to be autism-friendly. The beach was recently named one of the top 10 best in the country by Parents magazine, so this has all the makings for amazing Labor Day memories.
- Otesaga Resort Hotel, Cooperstown, N.Y. — More interested in a getaway for two? Check out this resort nestled near the picturesque village of Cooperstown dubbed “America’s Most Perfect Village.” The hotel offers an ideal setting to relax and reconnect with your significant other. And check out the chef’s special Friday night dinners, which offer the freshest seafood fare. There is also music and dancing in the Templeton Lounge every Thursday through Saturday. If you can tear yourself away from the beautiful grounds of the resort, Cooperstown is also the home to the Baseball Hall of Fame. To get here, you can fly into one of the many small airports in the area, or if you’re interested in a longer scenic drive, then the Albany airport is about an hour and a half away.
These destinations offer plenty to do over the holiday weekend, and you won’t have to fight the crowds to get there. If you end up enjoying one of these great destinations, we’d love to hear about it.
You work hard, so celebrate this three-day weekend in style. Enjoy stress-free travel by staying off the roads and in your jet. Have a great holiday!
With the tight economy and widespread news of corporate misconduct, misperceptions about corporate jet ownership and use are common. You know a business jet keeps your company competitive in your industry, but it’s still an investment you have to validate to stakeholders, the media, and employees. Even if your company already owns a jet, you need to be prepared to support the aircraft’s continued use in the event of executive turnover.
Be ready to answer a variety of questions about your corporate aircraft:
- Who will use the corporate jet?
- How much money and time will it save over commercial travel?
A handy resource that highlights other common questions about business aviation is available at NBAA.org. The key to addressing all of these concerns is to be prepared with honest, well-documented answers. Clear and concise language outlining the benefits of a business jet will make it easier to garner support.
Highlight the benefits of private jet travel, which include time savings, increased flexibility and reliability, improved productivity, the ability to better support your customers, and the capability to attract and retain key personnel.
If your company already benefits from a business jet, then keep track of supporting documentation showing the jet is an essential business tool. Was a business trip reduced from three days to one as a result of the corporate jet? Show how much your company saved on travel expenses. Or perhaps your sales team was able to meet with 10 new prospects in five days. Make it clear your sales figures have improved because travel time is cut drastically by employing the company jet.
In addition, you can gain detailed insight into the ins and outs of owning a corporate jet by consulting an expert. L&L International can show you the many justifiable benefits of corporate jet ownership. Our experienced brokers will help you find the perfect aircraft for your business’s needs — making the advantages of your bizjet crystal clear.
The 10th Annual Latin America Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (LABACE) just wrapped up in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Aug. 16. Last year’s show had a 10% increase in attendance (even with entry fees going up!), making this bizav conference the largest of its kind in South America and the second largest in the world.
It’s the perfect opportunity for manufacturers to display their private jets in a country that’s well known as one of the biggest emerging markets in the world, along with Russia, India, and China.
Here are some highlights from LABACE 2013:
- Embraer increased its show space at this year’s LABACE, reserving enough room to show off its entire line of private jets. Embraer is one of the leading manufacturers of private jets in Latin America, claiming a strong 38% of the market.
- Gulfstream brought out its highly acclaimed G650, which was available for viewing by appointment only. The G280 was on display for the first time at LABACE as well, making the journey into Brazil from Puerto Rico at an average speed of Mach 0.81.
- Dassault’s Falcon 2000S made its LABACE debut. The company touts this aircraft as a solution to the unique situations pilots contend with in South American airspace, including challenging airports and the common long-distance flights.
- Bombardier brought an impressive line-up of its private jets, including a Learjet 45 XR and a Global 6000. Bombardier predicts that more than 2,300 private jets will be delivered to the Latin American market between 2013 and 2032. That indicates huge growth potential for the bizav market in the coming years in South America.
In total, more than 80 private jets were on display at Congonhas Airport, the location of this year’s show. There were an estimated $700 million worth of deals struck at last year’s show and those numbers are only expected to be higher for 2013. LABACE will remain at the Congonhas Airport in Sao Paulo for its 11th year in 2014.
Why is jet biofuel such a hot topic? With between 15,000 and 18,000 business jets in the world, and more than 11,000 of those based in the U.S., it’s estimated that the global fleet of business jets burn between 60 and 70 billion gallons of fuel each year.
The reality is that business aviation has a big carbon footprint, and its shoes are growing. According to the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, carbon dioxide emissions from the aviation industry grew by 42% between 1990 and 2005. And the expectation is that emissions will grow 50% to 70% by 2025, and 300% by 2050.
A potential solution exists in the widespread manufacture and adoption of “drop-in” biofuels — derived from renewable feedstock such as algae, plant biomass, and woodchips — that power existing engines in place of oil. According to biofuel companies, the new fuels could reduce carbon emissions by as much as 80%.
Steps toward reality
Biofuel isn’t just an idealistic vision for the future — it’s fast becoming a reality. In July 2011, airlines were given approval to commercially operate aircraft using a 50/50 blend of petroleum-based jet fuel and biofuel. That same summer, a Gulfstream G450 business jet made the first transatlantic flight from New York to Paris powered by a biofuel blend, saving around 5.5 metric tons of net carbon dioxide and burning approximately 20 gallons less fuel.
More recently, the National Research Council of Canada flew a Dassault Falcon 20 business jet powered completely by unblended biofuel. Analysis of flight information revealed a 50% reduction in aerosol emissions and 49% decrease in black carbon emissions, and the engines burned 1.5% less fuel when running on pure biofuel.
Jet biofuel is also gaining traction in both the public and private sectors. In April, the Obama administration renewed its support for the development of biofuels for the aviation industry by signing a pact to extend the Farm to Fly program.
Farm to Fly, which has the support of large organizations such as the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) and the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), works with the private sector and rural communities to create fossil fuel alternatives for aviation. The program aims to support the annual production of 1 billion gallons of aviation biofuels by 2018.
In the private sector, Richard Branson’s Carbon War Room non-profit organization, Renewable Jet Fuels, is working to make jet biofuel a win-win solution for investors and buyers, and bring renewable fuel sources to the mass market.
What the future holds
Although support is growing, there is still a long way to go before biofuel is commonplace. The biofuel industry needs to find a way to increase the availability of source material without disrupting food supply production or the oil and gas market. And they need to find investors willing to take on the risk of an emerging industry.
Despite these hurdles, there is a feeling of optimism that renewable jet biofuel will become a commercially viable solution, with the aviation industry leading the way to cleaner and more sustainable business practices.
Monday, Aug. 19, will be the 74th National Aviation Day in the U.S. In 1939, Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed National Aviation Day would be celebrated each year on the anniversary of Orville Wright’s birthday. Wright and his brother Wilbur, the Fathers of Modern Aviation, made that famous first flight in Kitty Hawk, N.C., on Dec. 17, 1903. The brothers likely had no idea how big an impact their invention would have on the world.
Aviation is a vital part of the economy in the United States. The industry supplies jobs in its own right, but it also is a key role in the movement of other businesses and industries. Just look at some numbers from the U.S. Dept. of Transportation 2011 Report:
- 793 million people moved through U.S. airspace
- $562.1 billion worth of freight shipped around the world.
- 2 million jobs related to aviation industry
- contributed more than $1 trillion to the U.S. economy
After their first successful flight, the Wright brothers began filling contracts for airplanes in Europe and the United States. Much of their business was based on government contracts, which they courted in the early years of their plane development. Orville took over the family business when his brother died in 1912. More interested in the research and development of aircraft than the business side of the operation, Orville sold the company by 1915.
Thanks to the Wright brothers and other early aviation pioneers, we have safe, reliable, and nearly-always available air travel. Take time this year to celebrate aviation in the U.S. Many aviation museums are offering discounted admission to special programs throughout the weekend. You’ll be able to learn more about the history and the men and women who have been integral in the development of modern aviation.
2013 marks the 60th anniversary of the famed Thunderbirds team, the air demonstration squadron of the U. S. Air Force. While this would normally be air show season for the 12-man group, the shows for the rest of the year were canceled due to sequestration, as of March 1. Two weeks ago the group was allotted some training hours to take to the skies, but they won’t be expected to be performing their famed shows again until possibly sometime next year.
How much do you know about the USAF Thunderbirds?
Named after mythical birds mentioned in Native American lore, the Thunderbirds were formed in 1953. They’ve called Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada home since 1974. In the squadron’s 60 year history, 325 Thunderbird pilots have flown in front of more than 300 million people. They don’t just perform in the U. S., either. Nicknamed “America’s Ambassadors in Blue,” the team has performed all over the world, including a European Goodwill Tour in 2007.
Officers joining the squadron sign up for two-year stints, during which they spend hours of practice time learning the iconic routines. The routine is action packed, and it shows off the ability of both the officers and the F-16C Fighting Falcons they fly. Some routines have the pilots flying as close as 18 inches from each other! There are eight formations used during the show, and the signature rolls and loops are performed at speed of up to 700 mph.
Missing the adrenaline packed Thunderbirds show? Check out YouTube for a variety of Thunderbirds videos including a video of the entire hour-long show. Or drive your own Thunderbird home thanks to Ford. They recently unveiled a USAF Thunderbirds Edition 2014 Ford Mustang GT. The edition has undergone performance enhancements and sports a paint job that mimics the design seen on the Thunderbirds’ F-16Cs. The car will be put up for auction on Aug. 1 to benefit the Experimental Aircraft Association’s Young Eagle group.
Arguably the hottest business jet on the market today, the Gulfstream 650 will cost you a cool $65 million. The jet was introduced in 2008 and already has over 200 preorders. Big names on the waiting list include Oprah Winfrey, Warren Buffet, and corporations like Disney and Walmart.
Getting on the list today means you won’t see your new plane until 2017, even if you’re an A-List celebrity or powerful corporation. Gulfstream strictly forbids line jumping, and they are trying to keep speculators out of the G650 market. The popularity of the aircraft has helped Gulfstream rebound from the stress on the industry caused by the recession.
Gulfstream says this is the best aircraft it’s ever built, and it’s easy to see why the jet manufacturer makes that claim. Let’s take a look at some of the features that set it apart from the rest:
- Has the ability to fly 7,000 nautical miles non-stop. That links you directly from New York to Dubai, or from London to Buenos Aires without refueling.
- Can achieve a speed of Mach 0.925, and is the only traditional private jet to get that close to the speed of sound. That makes it the fastest civilian aircraft currently in the skies.
- Has advanced navigation and safety equipment in the cockpit, including 3D weather radar, Automatic Emergency Decent Mode, and the Enhanced Vision System II.
- The cabin can be configured in 12 different ways to accommodate up to 18 people.
- A longer, taller, and wider cabin is the biggest in this class of jets.
You don’t have to wait until 2017 to get your hands on a great Gulfstream jet, though. Gulfstream has long enjoyed a reputation for excellent business jets, and L&L International can help you find a previously owned jet that is the perfect fit for your needs now. We’ll broker the deal and make the process a smooth one. You’ll be enjoying the convenience of private jet ownership long before the next G650 is available.
