If you’re tired of defending your private jet investment as an essential business productivity tool, take heart. Even professional sports is recognizing the benefits of travel on private aircraft, and a number of eye-opening statistics could make it easier to justify your business jet to critics.
Professional athletes and business travelers
Professional athletes are business travelers, too, and the stress of flying takes a heavy toll on them. In fact, a 2008 study showed that traveling baseball teams that cross three time zones are 60% more likely to lose their game. The inconveniences and discomforts of commercial or even chartered flights leave athlete travelers drained, depleted, and discouraged before they even get to their destination.
Air travel’s productivity-sapping effects on athletes motivated Nike and Seattle design firm Teague to design a private jet that’s perfect for transporting professional basketball teams to away games. The concept is called Home-Team Advantage at 40,000 Feet, and was conceived to improve travel conditions for NBA team players in order to boost their chances of winning away games.
Losing isn’t in the game plan for NBA teams, and we’re willing to bet it’s not in your business’ game plan, either.
Productivity benefits of flying private
The same level of focus that enhances athletes’ productivity — recovery, sleep, circulation, and thinking time — applies to business travelers as well. A 2009 National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) survey revealed that respondents were 20% more productive on a company aircraft when compared to being in the office and 40% more productive than when traveling on a commercial aircraft.
Consider these additional facts about private jets’ productivity benefits:
- When speed is important, private jets are faster. Private jets often reach their destinations more quickly than commercial aircraft because they spend less time waiting on the ground, avoid TSA delays, and land at smaller airports with smaller crowds, which are often closer to your target destination.
- More comfort means better performance on the ground. A quiet environment, more comfortable seats, and high-quality lighting make a private jet ideal for a restful and rejuvenating flight experience versus the relative discomfort of commercial flying. All this means you arrive rested and ready for your next move.
- Better privacy makes it easier to conduct important business. The confidential environment of a private jet simply can’t be matched by any commercial flight — even in first class.
For business executives, professional athletes, and anyone else whose work requires them to be in many different places, the productivity offered by a private jet is undeniable. With the benefits of less time on the ground, a faster trip, and comfort and privacy that allows you to get work done, a private aircraft is a smart investment.
Contact L & L International if you need assistance in purchasing or selling a private jet.
You can reach our sales specialists today at sales@L-Lint.com, call us any time at +1.305.754.3313, or visit us online.
Whether you’ve visited Alaska in the past or never set foot there before, early autumn is the perfect time to visit America’s last frontier. Alaska boasts 663,000 square miles of forest, tundra, and rivers, and an abundance of natural beauty is everywhere. The state of Alaska is chock-full of opportunities for adventures you simply cannot experience anywhere else in the world. It’s big, wild, incredibly beautiful, and breathtaking in the fall.
Why visit Alaska now?
Here are some compelling reasons to point your compass to Alaska in September and early October:
- The weather is pleasant. Summer’s heat has passed (along with the mosquitoes), and winter’s chill has yet to settle in.
- The plants and trees are blooming, and wildlife is active.
- The daylight hours are still fairly long, so you can make the most of the days you spend there.
- Aurora borealis, or the Northern Lights, is very active during the equinox — September is one of the best times to experience this phenomenon.
- The summer crowds are gone. Plenty of hotels, lodges, and campsites are available, so you can opt to rough it in a tent or savor the comfort of a fine hotel.
Must-sees
Some places you don’t want to miss on your Alaska visit include
- Anchorage and the Kenai Peninsula — Home of fantastic dining and shopping options plus the Anchorage Museum. The Kenai Fjords National Park is home to sea mammals, thousands of nesting birds, and tidewater glaciers which are best seen from a boat.
- Juneau — Experience wildlife watching along the Gastineau Channel, the Alaska State Museum, the Mendenhall Glacier, and more.
- Haines — Witness heart-stopping geography and architectural charm. Stay in the Hotel Halsingland, once Fort Seward’s officers’ quarters and now a rambling hotel with a superb restaurant. In the fall, the Chilkat River hosts some of the largest concentrations of bald eagles in North America — some 4,000 birds!
- Denali National Park and Preserve — The park is home to Mount McKinley (20,237 feet, the tallest peak in North America).
For private jet owners, the recommended travel method is to fly into Anchorage or Fairbanks, although there are several airstrips in small towns near Denali National Park. Once you’re on the ground, you can rent a car to explore the state or take the Alaska Railroad to enjoy the gorgeous scenery.
If you have never traveled to Alaska before, now is the perfect time to go. Embrace the spirit of adventure, and enjoy a trip you will never forget!
Contact L & L International if you need assistance in purchasing or selling a private jet. You can reach our sales specialists today at sales@L-Lint.com, call us any time at +1.305.754.3313, or visit us online.
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Thirteen years ago, the tragedy of September 11, 2001, took the lives of nearly 3,000 people and caused a wave of consequences throughout our nation and the world. Now, we honor September 11 as a National Day of Service and Remembrance, a nationwide movement of charitable service in remembrance of the 9/11 victims, the survivors, and their families. On the anniversary of the terrorist attacks, Americans unite in service the same way that so many came together to help on that tragic day.
Jet owners and pilots who want to commemorate the day through service have several unique options for doing so. Here’s a look at three ways you can put your jet into service for a worthwhile cause.
Flying for Air Charity Network
Many people around the world lack convenient access to quality medical care, medicines, and treatment. Often, those who have health problems and live in remote areas also lack the funds to travel to places where they can receive the needed treatment. To help address these problems, nonprofit organization Air Charity Network facilitates access to health care for needy people by coordinating free air transportation on private aircraft.
Through Air Charity Network, jet owners and volunteer pilots fly people with health problems long distances to and from the medical facilities where they can receive the treatment they need. For example, Air Charity Network carries cancer patients for chemotherapy, people with kidney problems to dialysis or surgical transplants, and children to and from hospitals to receive treatment for life-threatening illnesses.
Delivering hope with Sky Hope Network
Sky Hope Network‘s mission is to engage the dynamic business aviation network to solve critical problems in emergency and urgent situations. For disaster relief, the organization coordinates bizav flights to deliver supplies, volunteers, and medical teams and also coordinates rescues of the critically injured.
Sky Hope Network also synchronizes flight requests for urgent situations where some lead time is available — for example, an urgent flight request for a young father battling cancer who needs a stem cell treatment in Panama City while he lives in Atlanta.
Lending your jet to Angel Flight West
The all-volunteer organization Angel Flight West arranges free non-emergency air travel for those who have serious medical conditions and other critical needs. This organization relies on the donation of aircraft, pilot skills, time, and flying costs to help individuals and families in need get the help that would otherwise be inaccessible to them. You can lend your jet or an empty return flight to Angel Flight West and help someone in need.
You can find more ways to use your private jet to give back to the community in this post. While honoring this year’s National Day of Service and Remembrance, consider using your private jet to assist Americans and others in need across the world and change the story September 11 left behind.
Contact L & L International if you need assistance in purchasing or selling a private jet. You can reach our sales specialists today at sales@L-Lint.com, call us any time at +1.305.754.3313, or visit us online.
The U.S. uses 21 billion gallons of aviation fuel each year. Up in the air, nothing but liquid fuel will work. There is simply no electricity, battery, or compressed natural gas that works as well at flight altitudes. But as we reported last year, biofuels offer an alternative to standard jet fuel that could help reduce bizav’s carbon footprint.
Biofuels derived from organic sources, such as plants and algae, are expected to reduce carbon emissions by as much as 80% over standard petroleum-based fuels — and sooner than we might expect. New developments have made progress over the past year from three unique, and unexpected, sources.
Corn
Not entirely new in the biofuel market, corn is broken into starch, then sugar, and then converted to ethanol. The process has been used to create fuel for automobiles, and it continues to be refined so the percentage of ethanol extracted is exceptionally high.
Although corn continues to show promise of being a viable renewable fuel, it is not without controversy. Some worry that large-scale growth of corn for biofuel could affect the prices of food and animal feed. In response, some innovators are looking toward crops that are not tied to the global food supply.
Agave
Long recognized as a sugar alternative and a crop from which tequila is made, agave has some advantages over corn and sugar cane that may boost its development as a renewable fuel. In fact, Byogy Renewables has formed a strategic partnership with AusAgave Australia to develop low-cost sugars that are ideal for the production of renewable fuels and chemicals.
Agave’s advantages over other plant-based sugar sources include low water demand, low environmental impact, and low consumer demand. AusAgave has pushed agave yields a long way and has succeeded in producing more substantial biomass per acre than sugarcane, with twice the sugar content.
Tobacco
Boeing recently partnered with South African Airways (SAA) to make jet fuel from nicotine-free tobacco plants. The hybrid tobacco plant is called Solaris and will be produced by alternative jet fuel maker SkyNRG, which currently supplies biofuel to KLM Royal Dutch Airlines for flights between New York and Amsterdam.
Test farming is currently underway in South Africa, and Boeing and SAA expect fuel production to begin in the next few years. The hybrid tobacco could result in a two-for-one win, as existing South Africa farms that currently lie idle as a result of the decline of tobacco consumption could become profitable again. SAA’s participation guarantees a ready and waiting customer for the tobacco jet fuel, which is an attractive feature for the business model.
With so many exciting major projects underway, the aviation industry is closer than ever to finding a sustainable fuel source. These efforts could curtail the airline industry’s carbon emissions — which account for 2% of the global emissions today — and make a big difference in air quality.
Contact L & L International if you need assistance in purchasing or selling a private jet. You can reach our sales specialists today at sales@L-Lint.com, call us any time at +1.305.754.3313, or visit us online.
As September draws near we anticipate one of the most spectacular displays Mother Nature has to offer. The red and gold color displays of the changing leaves combine with the crisp clean air of fall to make a perfect day. Let’s take a look at some of the best fall foliage destinations that showcase the beauty of the season.
Aspen, Colorado
This city isn’t named after those beautiful, golden-leafed autumn trees for nothing. Juxtapose shimmering golden aspens and the deep green of the evergreens against a backdrop of snow-capped peaks, and you have a picture-perfect view of the season.
When to go? Aspen season is short-lived, so go between mid-September and early October to catch these breathtaking views. Because Aspen is a popular ski resort town, there are plenty of ritzy hotels and restaurants too.
Mount Arashi, Japan
Replace classic Japanese cherry blossoms with beautiful autumn leaves to get the perfect autumn sightseeing trip to Mount Arashi, west of Kyoto City. The best view is from the Togetsukyo “Moon Crossing” Bridge.
When to go? Plan your trip for mid- to late-November for the best views. The Arashiyama Maple Festival is November 8th, so plan your trip accordingly.
Glacier National Park, Montana
The park’s concessions close at the end of September, meaning most guests have already gone home — you can have the park all to yourself! See the beautiful yellow larch trees along the continental divide for a dramatic landscape.
When to go? Fall comes early in Montana so plan your trip for early September for the best display. Pair the foliage sites with wildlife spotting — bighorn sheep, elk, mountain goats, and even bears are active during the fall season.
Eastern Townships, Quebec
It’s no surprise that the vibrant maple trees with leaves that turn spectacularly red in fall are what make Quebec’s autumn display so vivid and memorable. In fact, at the end of a humid summer, Canadians love nothing more than a good fall festival. Slip on a sweater and check out the Tremblant Symphony of Colours. The festival runs Saturdays and Sundays in September through the first week of October and features fall concerts.
When to go? Visit in mid- to late September for the best colors.
This fall, don’t miss the beautiful displays the earth has to offer you!
Contact L & L International if you need assistance in purchasing or selling a private jet. You can reach our sales specialists today at sales@L-Lint.com, call us any time at +1.305.754.3313, or visit us online.
Is Bali Ha’i — the mythical island from the musical “South Pacific” — calling to you? Bali Ha’i’s real-life counterpart could be yours, at least for a few days. For $150,000 a night (five-night minimum), plus 20% tax, you can book the entire island for your group or event.
Laucala Island, Fiji, is a private resort owned and developed by Dietrich Mateschitz, billionaire co-founder of the Red Bull energy drink company. Although Mateschitz modeled his paradise resort concept on Bali Ha’i in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical, the accommodations are anything but primitive.
For $750,000, you get 24 tropical pool villas for up to 72 guests (some hidden in the lush jungle, others perched atop cliffs with spectacular views), all meals and a wide range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks available at the island’s five restaurants and bars, golf at a championship course, a variety of sports and fun activities, some spa pampering, and even laundry and dry cleaning services.
You can land your aircraft on Laucala’s private airstrip, which accommodates jets with a maximum takeoff weight of up to 40 metric tons. (Larger aircraft must land at the Nadi International Airport; the Laucala resort will transfer passengers to the island for a $600 fee.) So if you’re looking for a new venue for your next party or a place to unwind with friends before your next business trip, a stay on your own private island might be just the thing.
Whether you’re selling or buying, you want to make sure a preowned aircraft is valued accurately so that it’s priced fairly. But how can you determine the right value?
The first step in establishing an aircraft’s value is often to consult an aircraft bluebook, which offers standard prices for many aircraft makes and models. You can turn to subscription-based resources, such as Aircraft Bluebook Price Digest, VREF Aircraft Value Reference (free to AOPA members), and the Airliner Price Guide. These databases list current prices for many types of business and general aviation aircraft. Another option is the AvBuyer’s Aircraft Price Guide, a free resource that gives an average price range for various categories and models of aircraft.
Bluebooks give you a baseline but can’t provide an accurate valuation of a specific aircraft; each plane’s true value depends on many factors. An accurate aircraft valuation takes into account considerations such as these:
- Engine hours, specifically time between overhaul (TBO).
- Exterior and interior condition, including paint, presence of corrosion, state, cleanliness, and fit of interior items (e.g., seats, lighting, storage compartments).
- Avionics and other installed equipment.
- Accident and damage history.
- Aircraft history, particularly the owner’s compliance with FAA Airworthiness Directives.
- Maintenance history.
Get an expert opinion
Once you have a base value, you’ll need to consider specific factors that affect a plane’s worth. Unless you are highly knowledgeable about aircraft valuation, your wisest choice is to have the aircraft appraised first, then consult with a reputable, established broker who has extensive experience buying and selling the type of aircraft in question. A broker can provide a realistic valuation based on market data and in-depth experience with the aircraft. A reliable aircraft appraiser is certified by the National Aircraft Appraisers Association (NAAA) and analyzes various factors to determine an aircraft’s current market value (aka an opinion of value). As experts at both buying and selling aircraft, L & L International can guide you through the valuation process and assess your aircraft’s worth.
It’s not unusual for aircraft owners to overvalue aircraft they want to sell — or for inexperienced buyers to have unrealistic price expectations. By understanding the factors involved in valuation and using the services of a professional who’s knowledgeable about aircraft valuation, you’ll improve your chances of getting the best deal for your aircraft.
Contact L & L International if you need assistance in purchasing or selling a private jet. You can reach our sales specialists today at sales@L-Lint.com, call us any time at +1 (305) 754-3313, or visit us online.
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The business aircraft market is looking better all the time — welcome news as the industry slowly recovers from the global economic slowdown. But it’s still a top-down recovery, with the large-cabin sector seeing the greatest growth.
Large and midsize jets drive demand
Nearly two-thirds of new business aircraft that will be delivered in the next 10 years will be large-cabin and ultra-long-range jets, reports the Teal Group. Teal’s latest forecast states that 13,030 business aircraft worth $325.6 billion will be delivered over the next decade. Large-cabin planes are driving the demand for business and private aircraft, while demand for smaller aircraft lags.
Bombardier also reports a healthy long-term outlook for the large-cabin and midsize sectors over next 20 years, with business beginning to pick up slightly through 2014 and true improvement starting in 2015. The rosy forecast, especially for large-cabin planes, mirrors the U.S. economy’s expected continuing recovery. Corporate and ultra-wealthy private aircraft buyers have more money to spend than they did several years ago — and they’re spending it on the largest, most expensive planes.
Good news for preowned jet market
The forecasts indicate that aircraft manufacturers are optimistic about corporate and wealthy buyers’ willingness to invest in new aircraft, and this outlook bodes well for the preowned jet market. Used aircraft inventories continue to decline, especially in the big jet arena. Large aircraft represent 6.2% of all preowned inventory, as reported in Bombardier’s Business Aircraft Market Forecast 2012-2031.
Lower inventories favor the sellers of preowned aircraft and spur a demand for new aircraft. In addition, lower preowned inventories have been associated with higher residual values of aircraft in recent years, per Bombardier. (The exception is 6 to 10-year-old aircraft, which still tend to be overvalued.)
Business jet owners and operators in North America are more hopeful about the bizjet industry than they’ve been in the past four years, reports JETNET iQ Surveys. Owners and operators’ confidence in the industry, coupled with their belief that business aviation has passed its nadir in the recent business cycle, should help to sustain gains in both the new and preowned aircraft markets.
Contact L & L International if you need assistance in purchasing or selling a private jet. You can reach our sales specialists today at sales@L-Lint.com, call us any time at +1 (305) 754-3313, or visit us online.
Aviation is slowly going green: Plane travel is becoming more fuel efficient, the use of biofuels is on the rise, and even aircraft interiors are becoming more eco-friendly. The task of making aircraft interiors friendlier to the environment incorporates a dual approach: using greener materials in the production of aircraft as well as reusing and recycling interior and exterior aircraft components.
Eco-friendly materials
The array of eco-conscious materials available for aircraft interiors continues to grow, ranging from recyclable carpeting that’s also carbon neutral to LED lighting that uses less energy than incandescent lamps. Seats are getting a green overhaul, with more seat choices available in non-toxic and natural materials. Southwest Airlines is leading the way with its Evolve interior lightweight E-leather, an eco-friendly alternative to traditional leather.
Cabinets and veneer made from fast-growing renewable wood sources and LEED-certified interior materials are rounding out the eco-interior offerings. Boeing has even researched and patented green “sandwich” panels, made of flax-thermoset composite with a foam core.
Aircraft owners looking to refurbish jet interiors in an eco-friendly way have more options than ever before. When consulting with an aircraft interior design firm or refurbishment specialist, ask about the use of green materials in the firm’s practice, and how it can be incorporated into your designs.
Recycling opportunities
The other side of aviation’s green trend is recycling. Interest in reusing and recycling aircraft interior and exterior parts is growing. A study supported by Airbus found that as much as 85% of an aircraft’s parts can be “reused, recovered, or recycled.”
“Green” might as well refer to cash too. An industry study conducted by the Aircraft Fleet Recycling Association (AFRA — an organization that promotes aircraft recycling best practices) and TeamSAI Consulting reports that the aircraft dismantling market could reach $80 million in 2014. Companies in this arena recover parts for the aftermarket and recycle parts removed from dismantled aircraft.
Seats can be removed and either dismantled for recycling or sold for reuse in other aircraft, and thermoplastics from interiors can be shredded and formed into pellets that can be made into new products. And more companies are getting in on the action, including the U.K.’s SD Aviation, which has set a goal of being able to recycle 100% of aircraft cabin materials within the next two years.
With help from the forward-looking approach that industry eco-leaders are taking, aviation’s huge carbon footprint could slowly start to shrink.
Contact L & L International if you need assistance in purchasing or selling a private jet. You can reach our sales specialists today at sales@L-Lint.com, call us any time at +1 (305) 754-3313, or visit us online.
You’ve invested millions in your aircraft. To keep it in top condition and help to maintain its value, you must also invest in an ongoing maintenance program, which includes not just mechanical upkeep but also detailing.
Aircraft detailing is a lot more involved than simply wiping everything down with a wet rag. This labor-intensive process typically takes two to five days and is best performed by a professional detailing firm. A qualified firm has trained personnel, is bonded, and has liability insurance.
Detailing can be exterior, interior, or both. An exterior detail can range from polishing and removing scratches and blemishes to degreasing, brightwork, and landing gear treatment.
Costs for a well-done detailing job by a trusted company generally run in the tens of thousands of dollars, depending on the aircraft model. But the cost of detailing is often far less than even one-tenth of the cost of a complete cabin refurbishment and takes considerably less time. If you want a like-new aircraft without the price tag and time investment of a refurbishment, for a relatively small investment, detailing offers a big return.
