Private Jet Card Comparisons - Know Before You Buy
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Wheels Up may soon have a new ambassador in the form of super successful head basketball coach Bill Self. The University of Kansas disclosed that Self gets $240,000 in annual flight credits as part of his new lifetime contract to coach the team.
Gulfstream Aerospace had the most popular large cabin and super long-range private jets in 2020, according to just-released data from Argus TRAQPak.
At the same time, Textron Aviation saw three of its business aircraft take the top spot in three of the eight categories. Its Beechcraft King Air 200 was the most flown multi-engine turboprop. The Cessna Citation Mustang was the most popular very light jet. Its Citation Excel/XLS/XLS+ won the midsize private jet category.
Powered by Kenny Dichter the King Air has enjoyed a renaissance in the past five years as the core of the Wheels Up fleet. Every Saturday during the fall, the King Air 350 gets a close-up bringing the guest picker to ESPN’s College GameDay.
TV commercials featuring New England Patriots’ future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady show him climbing into a Wheels Up King Air.
In other words, with the help of some deft marketing, the King Air 350 is no longer second class to jets. For flights under 300 miles flying time closely matches jets when taking into account takeoffs and landings, particularly around congested airports are done at slower speeds.
Production Start: 1972
Production Ends: In Production
The over 1,000 King Air 350s includes six different models. There are also over 1,700 King Air 200 types, according to Amstat
Turboprop – Turbojet – Twin Engine
As of November 2019, Amstat lists 639 King Air 350s, 388 King Air 350is, 79 King Air 350ERs, 69 King Air 350Cs, and 3 King Air 350CERs in service
Height: 57 inches
Width: 54 inches
Length: 19 ft. 6 in.
Seating Capacity: Up to 11, typically 8
Maximum: 1,806 nautical miles
Maximum Cruise Speed: 359 mph
55 cubic feet accessible from the passenger cabin, and 16 cubic feet of exterior space
Fractional Ownership – No national programs
Dedicated Jet Card – Yes
Used King Air 350s are listed starting at approximately $1.3 million
Compare over 150 private jet models in the Private Jet Performance Guide.
There are probably few privately held companies that get as much airtime on the business cable networks as Kenny Dichter and Wheels Up, his entry second entry into the world of jet cards. His debut in 2001 was an exclusive agreement with NetJets to sell jet cards onto its fractionally owned fleet. Instead of having to buy at least 50 hours per year with a five-year commitment, Marquis Jet Partners offered the opportunity to buy in 25 hours at a time.