Business Jet Traveler » April 2009

Aero car takes to the air
June 1, 2009
This car can turn into an airplane as quickly as Clark Kent changes clothes.
The Transition "roadable" aircraft-which can be converted from a car to an airplane or vice versa in less than 30 seconds-made its debut flight on March 5. The trip aloft was the first of several exercises in which the vehicle will be flown only over a runway, according to manufacturer Terrafugia, a Woburn, Mass. startup firm.
Aircraft Interchanges
June 1, 2009
A citation bravo costs far less to operate than a global 5000, a potential pr
One seemingly enticing opportunity for business jet owners presented by the Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) is the interchange agreement. The rule lets you "interchange" your jet with someone else's, allowing you, in the FAA's words, "to augment or more fully utilize" your aircraft.
Fractional Provider Offers Residual-value Guarantee
June 1, 2009
CitationShares, Cessna's fractional ownership, membership card and aircraft management services division, has announced a three-year, 100-percent residual-value guarantee on new purchases of preowned shares. The guarantee applies to one-sixteenth shares (50 hours a year of flying time) or larger and may be exercised in months 13 through 36 of the contract.
GAMA: Bizjet Deliveries Down, Turboprops Up
June 1, 2009
Manufacturers delivered 191 business jets in the first quarter of this year, according to the General Aviation Manufacturers Association. The figure represents a large decline from the record-setting 297 deliveries in the same period last year. In the turboprop segment, first-quarter deliveries rose slightly from 85 last year to 87 in 2009.
Heliport Shuttle To Serve UK Business Aviation Airports
June 1, 2009
PremiAir helicopter service has announced the London Heliport Shuttle to provide transportation between London Heliport in Battersea and the UK's business aviation airports. According to the company, the launch recognizes that "some 40 percent of PremiAir's helicopter traffic now connects with private jet arrivals into UK airports."
Suze Orman Interview
April 7, 2009
Listen to Suze Orman'sentire interview with Business Jet Traveler's executive editor Jeff Burger, as recorded at the CNBC studio in New Jersey. The audio file includes considerable material that we didn't have room for in the published article.
Editor's Desk: Irrational exuberance? No, thank you
April 1, 2009
Business aviation has been taking it on the chin ever since Congress began pummeling the Big Three auto CEOs in December. Now any company that has taken bailout money is fair game for similar direct hits, if there is even a hint that it might be using business aviation to make itself more efficient. Citigroup unintentionally grabbed the spotlight with its order for a Dassault Falcon 7X.
Gulfstream's GIII
April 1, 2009
The GIII cemented Gulfstream's reputation as the leading business jet provider of the 1980s.
How to jump-start sales
April 1, 2009
When House Financial Services Committee chairman Barney Frank grilled bank CEOs in a recent televised hearing, I was surprised and even a little proud that my 10-year-old, Maddie, showed interest in the proceedings.
Finding a broker you can trust
April 1, 2009
“Some charter brokers aren’t even familiar with basic aviation regulations an
One of the easiest ways to book a charter flight is through a broker. Charter brokers often have access to hundreds of aircraft and can offer services such as catering and ground transportation that small charter operators aren't able to provide. The downside, however, is that of the hundreds of brokers in existence, no two have the same safety standards or business ethics.

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Quote/Unquote

“When you get into the larger aircraft it becomes like a hotel, with dozens of staff supporting the plane based in a galley area down below. You have very comprehensive cooking facilities, and on larger aircraft we have looked at theatres, with spiral staircases and a Steinway grand piano. The limitations for what you can put inside a plane are pretty much the limits of physics, and even money cannot always overcome that. Even so, people are still always trying to push [the limits]. ”

-Howard Guy of Design Q, a UK-based consultancy