I love playing golf and watching golf is almost as fun. This weekend is the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. The airport that is going to be servicing the U.S. Open for many of the private jets used by companies, sponsors and players is the Monterey Peninsula Airport. The FAA has issued a statement concerning the traffic concerns that will be a result of the event.
James Babcock, the air traffic manager at Monterey Airport states:
“Starting the afternoon of June 13, 2010 and continuing through the morning of June 21, 2010, we anticipate that the amount of traffic arriving and departing Monterey will likely double.”
They are also like to see the airport fill up with a number of aircraft and they are finding ways to park the number of private jets and corporate jets that they will have at Monterey. They are asking that other airports be used during the event. Arrival and departure slots will not be required, but the NBAA recommends that operators contact their FBO’s in advance if operating in or out of MRY during this event.
It would be interesting top see all the different aircraft that is being used by corporations or private individuals that are coming in and out of the airport for the U.S Open. I for one would love to be there to see the event in California.
I had an opportunity to watch a You Tube video of President Ed Bolen’s discussion of the case for business aviation. This video was done last year on the Fox Business channel. Many corporations came under fire last year when government bailouts helped those companies continue to do business. The citizen auditors were out in full force calling for cutbacks and calling for “luxuries” such as corporate jets to be put aside and cut from the budgets of companies. As is always the case there is another side to the coin that many do not see and I think that this video gives us an idea of what that other side of the coin may look like.
I am going through a business jet report on the forecast of business jet sales and and state of the business put forth by the Teal Group and will be discussing some of the details of that report but this is perhaps a good place to start with reference to how the current state of business aviation has reached we hope the bottom. The No Plane No Gain program is a great source for business aviation industry information and is a good place to bookmark for those in the business of business aviation.
The corporate jet marketing is rapidly growing in China and Gulfstream is adding some support to Deer Jet of China. Deer Jet is one of the largest corproate jet fleets in China and Gulfstream announced in its news release on June 1 that it will be adding a support team to handle the company’s fleet of Gulfstream Jets.
Deer Jet owns three Gulfstream G550s, two Gulfstream GVs, four Gulfstream GIVs and four Gulfstream G200s. The company in China will be getting a maintenance technician, avionics technician and quality-control specialist. In addition, Deer Jet and other regional customers will have access to two Gulfstream interior technicians based in Hong Kong and a Gulfstream field service representative (FSR) based in Beijing. Gulfstream will also be expanding its presence in China to include the positions of a Product Support regional program director, an international distribution manager for parts and materials, an FSR.
This was interesting information from the release:
According to published reports, China’s private-jet market is expected to grow by a world-leading rate of 15.6 percent from 2009 to 2018. A wholly owned subsidiary of Hainan Airlines Group, 16-year-old Deer Jet grew by 32 percent in 2009 and is projected to grow by 60 percent in 2010. Approximately 30 private jets are currently registered to operate on China’s mainland. Including its in-service Gulfstream aircraft, Deer Jet operates 23 corporate jets, three of which are owned by private customers. This year, Deer Jet plans to add at least 10 new jets, all owned by private customers, to its fleet.
China continues to expand and become a great place for businesses to expand their reach and their sales. Gulfstream is one of the leaders in the corporate jet industry and we are glad to see them succeeding not only here in the United States but abroad in China. Congratulations from all of us at L & L International and the Corporate Jet Insider!
The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) will be holding a tax seminar in Chicago tomorrow, June 4, 2010, at the Palmer House Hilton. The seminar is described as providing attendees with the following:
Attendees of this NBAA Business Aviation Taxes Seminar will learn how to:
- Maximize business aircraft tax planning while complying with the Federal Aviation Regulations.
- Understand the application of federal excise taxes on business aircraft operations.
- Learn how to deal with many of the unique accounting challenges facing business aviation departments.
- Understand how passive activity rules can limit the utility of aircraft-related deductions.
- Implement strategies for addressing state and local aviation taxes.
- Learn methods for coping with federal deduction disallowance rules.
- Avoid issues related to business aircraft ownership and operation that have arisen in business tax audits.
- Learn to plan ahead regarding tax issues in structuring the purchase and sale of business aircraft.
Knowledge of aviation tax issues is critical for owners and operators of business aircraft to ensure proper planning and compliance. The NBAA Business Aviation Taxes Seminar is designed to help accountants, attorneys, advisors and flight department personnel keep up with the latest tax and legal developments affecting business aviation. After an introduction to the aviation regulatory environment, knowledge of which is essential for proper tax planning, presenters will address a variety of current tax topics at an intermediate-to-advanced level. Ample time will be allowed for questions and answers following each presentation, and speakers will be available to answer additional questions at the end of the seminar.
As members of the NBAA, L&L International supports these initiatives by the organization and would love to know if anyone is attending and how well the seminar provided the above information.
From all of us here at Corporate Jet Insider to all of you, please have a safe and Happy Memorial Day!
The Website calls it “JET SKI FOR THE SKY.”
The cockpit looks like the one in your Ferrari.
The wings retract so you can pull it up on a trailer and take it with you on vacation.
The bottom of it lets you land on water with the landing gear retracted.
It’s the Icon A5. It’s what the FAA now calls a “Light Sport” aircraft and if’ you’ve not heard of this, well, you will.
At a $139,00 a pop and full-scale production to begin next year, this is just as the designers describe it–“Bad Ass.”
Designed by a former fighter pilot and one of his college design pals, the Icon A5 is leading the way into this new category of aircraft and it just looks like a hell of a lot of fun.
No, this aircraft doesn’t fall into the description of a jet aircraft, but after the work week is over, after the contracts are signed, after the stress of racing from one corner of the earth to the next, doesn’t it make sense to keep one of these on the side for those get aways?
From the Icon Web site comes the pronouncement that “The sport is back in flying…”
ICON claims it’s number one focus is to “bring the freedom, fun, and adventure of flying to all who have dreamed of flight.” That’s a pretty tall order, but it doesn’t take more than a second or two to look at the pictures of the plane to realize, they’re doing just that.
Want that version of the fast car and sport boat for the air? This is your plane.
ICON was founded in 2005 by Kirk Hawkins. Hawkins, a graduate from the Stanford Business School, is an accomplished engineer, former U.S. Air Force F-16 pilot, and long-time motorsport enthusiast. With its world-class team of engineers, designers, advisors, and investors, ICON is located in Southern California – home of the world’s largest concentration of both aerospace and automobile design resources. ICON’s engineering and development team came from Burt Rutan’s famed Scaled Composites, which created such record setting projects as Voyager, Global Flyer, the X-Prize winning SpaceShipOne, and Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo.
There are all kinds of sales executives in the world. Some over promise and under deliver. Some are pushy. Some work the techniques. Some just focus on what’s most important, and that’s what matters most to the prospective customer.
L & L International specializes in private jet sales and acquisitions.
The focus is squarely set on providing the highest level of customer service throughout the entire process of acquiring or selling an aircraft. Let’s face it. Buying a jet is a big deal. It’s a game changer. It’s a financial investment. It’s a time saver. It’s a form of security. It’s a tool of someone who is serious about what they’re doing in life.
The process of buying a jet at first may seem like an overwhelming experience. There are a variety of business jets and jet aircrafts including Gulfstream Aerospace, Raytheon Hawker, Bombardier Challenger, Bombardier Global Express, Cessna Citation, Dassault Falcon, Learjet, Embraer Legacy, Airbus, and Boeing Business Jets. Each plane has a different range and set of unique features.
What you need most when buying a plane is the comfort that comes from having access to the highest level of service and professionalism. That means having highly trained and motivated staff who have a worldwide reputation for knowing how to take care of customers. There’s a science to understanding of the business jet marketplace. This isn’t like buying a used car off a small car lot.
That goes for selling a plane, too. When you find a company that possesses the perfect blend of experience, financial strength, integrity and resourcefulness you’re on the road to success. Quite simply, there are only a handful of aviation companies that offer these strengths, and L & L International is one of them.
It’s understood that buying or selling an aircraft is an important financial decision, and a reflection on the company or individuals involved. When helping clients with an acquisition, we have all the tools to define a mission profile and find the most appropriate aircraft—one the client will be pleased with long after the transaction is over. When selling, we have the respect and global relationships necessary to find the right buyer at the right price. At L & L International, you will find decades of experience—the kind of leadership and expertise that can help you seize great opportunities. As aircraft transactions and operations become more complex, turn to L & L International for proven sales and acquisition strategies, sophisticated research tools and global reach.
We’ve said before that there are incredible benefits to flying on a private corporate jet. Without question, such an opportunity has multiple advantages including concerns about time, flexibility, safety and privacy. One need not forget they also can be leased for personal travel as well.
With a private jet one gets to miss out on the lengthy mandatory TSA security screening lines. How many times have you heard to arrive at the airport at least two hours before your flight time when traveling on an airline? With a private aircraft, the relationship is reversed. The plane is waiting on you, not you waiting for the plane.
There are a limited number of places in the world where an airlines aircraft is permitted to land. It’s expanded greatly over the past 50 years, however, there are several thousand more landing opportunities with a private aircraft than there are with airlines. Again, this saves time. Lots of time in either waiting for an airlines puddle jumper or drive time and back for not landing where you wanted to go in the first place.
And then there are the many amenities of flying on a private aircraft. No more crammed leg room. You don’t have to worry about the mysterious person who sits down in the seat next to you who smells funny, acts funny or worse, is a non-stop talker and you’re worn out by their life story before they close the cabin door and ask for everyone to turn off their cell phones.
No, the private jet goes beyond such. There are an array of FAA approved electronics that are being installed on private planes from stereo systems, arm chair televisions, even WiFi computer access.
When was the last time you tried to spread out on a commercial airline and get some serious work done when you flew? Unless you’re in first class, that’s not real easy in coach. If fact, in coach, it’s darn near impossible. Ever sit a couple rows back of someone working on a laptop on a flight and read what they’re working on? That sort of thing doesn’t happen on a private aircraft.
These are just a few of the benefits of private air travel. They also can be vitally important. What are some of the added benefits you see in flying this way over flying on an airline?
They say one of the first things one should ask themselves prior to buying their own corporate aircraft is probably one of the simplest questions of all.
You ready for it? How much time are you spending flying a year already?
Suggestions hold that if you’re going to do more than 350 – 400 hours of flying each year, then it’s pretty well justified as an expense. Few are going to take a plane up for an hour a day, but you can quickly get the idea. There’s a fair amount of flying in the future and we’ve already spelled out the benefits in time savings from having one’s own plane. If you’re not flying this much but still want the benefits of a private aircraft, there are an array of options out there, including partial ownership.
Just like in owning a car, there are up keep costs to owning one’s own aircraft. Insurance, pilots’ costs, fuel, etc. all add on to the cost of owning an aircraft. The costs depend on location and which company used to help manage this end of operations. While most who are actually in the market for owning an aircraft are less concerned as others might be about these additional costs, they are there and something to be aware of when it comes time to purchasing such an investment.
Like everything else, there is an array of options when it comes to purchasing a jet. Are most of your trips short domestic hops with a relatively short rage–say 2,000 miles and just as few as five or eight people, or are you planning on more passengers, say 12 or so, and the ability to fly as far as 4,000 miles? There are different planes and different levels in costs to keep in mind as well.
No matter what level one considers the options to owning ones own aircraft are many and over time quickly balance out the value of the investment.
Okay, so maybe you consider bad press bad. And after you read about the rant on this guy’s site about how much Steve Jobs is using the Apple private jet to travel the world, or how even some of his travel frequency dropped, you can get to the really good part of this post: The comments that followed it.
The essential point is, like in yesterday’s post, that there’s no question the news media and now certain bloggers are enjoying bashing those who have use of a private or corporate jet. They just love it. Maybe they can’t help it. But the reality is when you read the comments, your average Joe doesn’t care!
Here, see for yourself:
fox1cm said 10:00AM on 4-26-2010
My stocks up, so I could care less about how much it costs or where he’s going as long as he delivers results.
Thanh said 9:57AM on 4-26-2010
Safety, perhaps? Steve Jobs is by no means obscure, or a plebeian- Most people would recognize him, and it would open him up for danger, as well as unnecessary news coverage.
He’s not like everyone else. He’s Steve Jobs! Apple is one of the new companies to remain profitable despite the recession. And that’s largely in part to SJ, So perhaps a few perks are in order. And as long as no taxpayer money is being used, I could care less how he gets around. It’s a private company, it can do whatever it wants with it’s private money.
mike said 1:58PM on 4-26-2010
Do you have any idea why corporate heads actually have private jets like this? It’s obvious from your posts that you don’t. Let me explain.
Most corporate heads, such as Steve Jobs, have access to private jets for business
reasons, and a small alottment of time for personal use that is stipulated in theIr contracts. See the thing with these executives is that they need to be places much quicker, more often, and for more important things than your typical traveler. I know you’ll probaby just reiterate the whole environmental argument (doesn’t hold much water, planes like the GV are much more efficient than most commercial airliners) or say “well why should they get to travel quicker than the rest of us?”. It’s not a perk, it’s a means of doing rapid, high level business requred of these executives. People need to get past the picture of big wigs just flying around to wherever they want whenever they want. Not how it works.
Besides, maybe you think that the President should start flying around on commercial flights, because it’s silly and not green. to have one 747 flying around him and a handful of people?
All very rational rebuttals to the frequent jabs made about the private jet industry, and more importantly, made from real people.
