Start-up AeroVanti hopes to follow in the footsteps of Wheels Up, using the Piaggio P.180 to attract entry-level private aviation users
On the surface, Annapolis, Maryland-based AeroVanti, turns the clock back to 2013. That’s when Kenny Dichter launched the Beechcraft King Air into a mainstream private aviation charter solution using huge stars like Tom Brady and Serena Williams climbing aboard the turboprop and selling memberships through Costco. It also resurrects the aircraft that Avantair popularized before its 2014 bankruptcy. Serial entrepreneur Patrick Britton-Harr hopes his new venture will follow the former than the latter. With an hourly rate of just $1,995 plus 7.5% Federal Excise Tax, like Dichter, he wants to move first-timers from the airlines to fly privately.
Kansas basketball coach is receiving $240,000 in Wheels Up flight credits annually as part of a new contract the college basketball coach just signed
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.
Private aviation could see record demand in the coming months, says Wheels Up’s Kenny Dichter
Speaking on Dow Jones Marketwatch, Wheels Up’s Kenny Dichter says he thinks “when business travel and traditional vacation come back online, you may see 125%, 150% sort of demand levels.”
King Air 350 profile, including current pricing, manufacturing dates, cabin size and passenger capacity, range, speed, baggage space, fractional ownership and jet card options
King Air 350 Facts
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.
Manufacturing Dates
Production Start: 1972
Production Ends: In Production
King Air 350 Related Models
The over 1,000 King Air 350s includes six different models. There are also over 1,700 King Air 200 types, according to Amstat
Cabin Category
Turboprop – Turbojet – Twin Engine
Fleet Size
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
King Air 350 Cabin Size and Passengers
A typical eight-seat configuration in a King Air 350
Height: 57 inches
Width: 54 inches
Length: 19 ft. 6 in.
Seating Capacity: Up to 11, typically 8
Range
Maximum: 1,806 nautical miles
Speed
Maximum Cruise Speed: 359 mph
Baggage Space
55 cubic feet accessible from the passenger cabin, and 16 cubic feet of exterior space
Access
Fractional Ownership – No national programs
Dedicated Jet Card – Yes
Pricing
Used King Air 350s are listed starting at approximately $1.3 million
Beechcraft King Air models currently in production
