Tag: King Air

Wheels Up adds camouflage King Air 350i to its fleet

by Doug Gollan
Wheels Up

It’s the fourth King Air to be painted as part of philanthropic initiatives from Wheels Up Cares

Wheels Up yesterday unveiled a camouflage-painted Beechcraft King Air 350i aircraft as part of its Wheels Up Cares philanthropic initiative.

The Wheels Up Camouflage Plane has a custom livery that was created and painted by Textron Aviation Inc. and honors those in the military who bravely served and continue to serve our country, while benefiting the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), a non-profit organization that offers compassionate care to those grieving the loss of a military loved one.

The Camouflage Beechcraft King Air 350i will remain indefinitely in the Wheels Up fleet to serve as a flying symbol of TAPS’ mission.

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Buying a jet card? Remember, there are options for cabin size or picking a specific aircraft type

by Doug Gollan

Will any light jet do, or would it be better to have a specific type such as the Embraer Phenom 300?

While there are many variables that separate the over 300 jet cards in the Private Jet Card Comparisons database – over 65 in fact, one difference means a lot to some people and nothing to others.

However, for both types of buyers, choosing the wrong type of program can make for a less than enjoyable experience despite the provider’s overall merits. Figuring it out before you sign can both save you money and make sure the program fits your mission needs.

There are essentially two ways that available aircraft are structured for fixed-rate (and usually guaranteed availability) programs by jet card providers.

One is by cabin-class or size. When buying into a cabin class you are assured of getting an aircraft in that class or larger if you are lucky enough be upgraded based on operational needs.

The other is by specific aircraft make or type, for example, you are buying into an Embraer Phenom 300. So while the provider may let you fly in other types, you know when you want a Phenom 300, you’re going to get a Phenom 300 and not some other type of light jet.

Continue reading “Buying a jet card? Remember, there are options for cabin size or picking a specific aircraft type”

After two high-profile accidents, here are the safety issues that impact turboprop and piston charters and jet cards

by Doug Gollan
King Air 350i PC-12

Recent private air crashes that killed soccer star Sala and one of Russia’s richest women are highlighting a number of safety issues

A world removed from those Gulfstream G650s and Bombardier Global Express private jets you read about in stories about what type of plane Jennifer Lopez or Elon Musk own are turboprops and piston aircraft. They’re also very popular.

Continue reading “After two high-profile accidents, here are the safety issues that impact turboprop and piston charters and jet cards”

Can I choose a specific airplane type when I buy a jet card?

by Doug Gollan

When you charter on-demand, buy a full aircraft or fractional share, you buy a specific aircraft type. What about jet card membership programs?

 

In case you haven’t noticed, most jet card programs specify cabin size, then fulfill your needs from a variety of aircraft types in that cabin category. In some cases that’s because you are buying your jet card from a management company and they are clustering all of the aircraft in that cabin size category together. In other cases, it’s a broker program that is sourcing aircraft from charter operators, including management companies and fleet operators. You’ll often see a range of seating for the aircraft that apply to that category, so in the SuperMid category you could get a jet that fits eight people one time and 10 the next. In Large Cabin jets it’s not unusual to see a range of 10 to 14 seats. 

Continue reading “Can I choose a specific airplane type when I buy a jet card?”

MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle Recommends Wheels Up To Trump Officials During Her TV Program

by Doug Gollan

With a number of Trump Administration officials under fire for using private jets, the MSNBC host sees a potential pipeline for Wheels Up

 

Usually when private aviation makes the news channel it’s for alleged misuse, being it CEOs needing two planes at a time (although in the case of GE’s Jeff Immelt, there were certainly times it made sense), sending your artwork out of state in empty boxes to avoid sales tax (Dennis Kozlowski) or some other tawdry reasons. This morning during her hourly broadcast on left-leaning MSNBC the 9 am anchor Stephanie Ruhle entered into a discussion of Trump cabinet members who have been using private aircraft fresh on the news that Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin has racked up a $1 million tab for private flights. 

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