Private Jet Card Comparisons - Know Before You Buy
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Fractional private jet provider Flexjet has added its first super-midsize Sikorsky S-76 helicopter to its European fleet, as it becomes the first private jet operator in Europe to launch an in-house, integrated helicopter division, according to the company.
Helicopters are set to play a bigger role in private aviation. OneSky Flight, Directional Aviation’s company that houses Flexjet, Sentient Jet, FXAir, PrivateFly, recently bought operator Associated Aircraft Group. It sells jet cards and fractional ownership in the Northeast. Boston-based broker Magellan Jets has been selling rotorcraft jet cards since 2018. Blade recently opened Chicago and plans to go public via a SPAC.
The most popular helicopter is the Sikorsky S-76, with over 500 currently flying, according to Amstat. Since 1977, more than 875 S-76 aircraft have been delivered. More than 178 customers operate S-76 helicopters in a Corporate or VIP role. Ten countries rely on the S-76 for Head of State missions.
Famous S-76 owners include Queen Elizabeth and 45th U.S. President Donald Trump. While the S-76 has a high track record of safety, it was the aircraft type Kobe Bryant was flying when he perished in a 2020 crash.
The Sikorsky S-76D has been in productions since 2013. The original was delivered in 1977.
Sikorsky S-76A, S-76A Utility, S-76A+, S-76A++, S-76A Mk II, S-76B, S-76C, S-76C+, S-76C++, and S-76D
Rotorcraft
As of February 2021, Amstat reports:
Height: 5 feet
Width: 6 feet
Seating Capacity: 4 to 10
375 nautical miles
Cruise Speed: 180 mph
38 cubic feet
Fractional Ownership – Yes
Dedicated Jet Card – Yes
A new S-76D is approximately $15 million
Controller lists 17 used S-76 helicopters for sale. A 1989 S-76B with 6,261 hours is listed at $995,000. A 2014 S-76D with 14 hours is priced at $6.5 million. An S-76B owned by former President Donald Trump is listed as for sale, call for price.
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Island Express Helicopters, the operator of the charter S-76 helicopter flight that killed NBA legend Kobe Bryant and eight others, including the pilot, on Jan. 26, 2020, received $603,838 in funding as part of the CARES Act, according to a list published over the weekend by the Department of the Treasury.
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