creating corp flight department?
09-01-2008, 10:24 PM
#1
pants on the ground
Thread Starter
Joined APC: Jan 2007
Position: back seat
Posts: 1,359
creating corp flight department?
has anyone every started a corp flight department? have an inside person in corp which has the money and they travel enough. looking for what it takes generally to start this(i.e.plan/launching).
09-02-2008, 03:21 AM
#2
The NeverEnding Story
Joined APC: Sep 2005
Posts: 7,609
Where to start...
1. Determine what the typical mission is, and what kind of aircraft would be best suited for that mission. Are average hops 300nm with 3 passengers into short runways (King Air 90), are they 600nm with 5 passengers into moderate runways (Lear 31A, Citation 525/550/560), or are they transcon (Hawker, G100, etc)? What will the average monthly and yearly utilization be? Don't let your principal buy more airplane than they really can afford - it might cost you your job down the road, or get you put on somebody's 135 certificate to subsidize the cost of ownership.
LOTS goes into this...acquisition cost, availability of maintenance, local hangar and fuel availability, etc. Less than 200 hours of utilization per year and fractional ownership is more cost-effective, over that straight ownership becomes more economical. Will the airplane operate with a single pilot or dual crew? A new airplane or used, and if used, how old? What's more important to the principal, low acquisition cost or low operating cost? Does he/she require a striking ramp presence or simply nice, reliable transportation?
2. Get good people to manage and operate said department. That should include you and at least one other pilot. Fly over 400 hours per year or lots of weekends - add at least a third pilot IMO. Need dispatch reliability - add a mechanic. Pay your people well so they don't leave. Source insurance for the new airplane, figure out training for the pilots and/or mechanic.
3. Work with FSDO to obtain RVSM and MEL LOAs.
4. KEEP YOUR BOSS AWAY FROM 135.
The above list is FAR from complete, but hits on what I think are the high points. I did not help form my current department, but I do manage two airplanes and am working on the acquisition of a new jet. If I can do it anybody can, but there are LOTS of things to learn and the learning curve is quite expensive. Good luck!
1. Determine what the typical mission is, and what kind of aircraft would be best suited for that mission. Are average hops 300nm with 3 passengers into short runways (King Air 90), are they 600nm with 5 passengers into moderate runways (Lear 31A, Citation 525/550/560), or are they transcon (Hawker, G100, etc)? What will the average monthly and yearly utilization be? Don't let your principal buy more airplane than they really can afford - it might cost you your job down the road, or get you put on somebody's 135 certificate to subsidize the cost of ownership.
LOTS goes into this...acquisition cost, availability of maintenance, local hangar and fuel availability, etc. Less than 200 hours of utilization per year and fractional ownership is more cost-effective, over that straight ownership becomes more economical. Will the airplane operate with a single pilot or dual crew? A new airplane or used, and if used, how old? What's more important to the principal, low acquisition cost or low operating cost? Does he/she require a striking ramp presence or simply nice, reliable transportation?
2. Get good people to manage and operate said department. That should include you and at least one other pilot. Fly over 400 hours per year or lots of weekends - add at least a third pilot IMO. Need dispatch reliability - add a mechanic. Pay your people well so they don't leave. Source insurance for the new airplane, figure out training for the pilots and/or mechanic.
3. Work with FSDO to obtain RVSM and MEL LOAs.
4. KEEP YOUR BOSS AWAY FROM 135.
The above list is FAR from complete, but hits on what I think are the high points. I did not help form my current department, but I do manage two airplanes and am working on the acquisition of a new jet. If I can do it anybody can, but there are LOTS of things to learn and the learning curve is quite expensive. Good luck!
09-02-2008, 05:05 AM
#3
Line Holder
Joined APC: Dec 2007
Posts: 65
www.nbaa.org has a lot of literature and tools for basic startup information and benefits of a Corp. department. Then most companies that broker aircraft have turn key department packages.
09-07-2008, 10:17 AM
#6
pants on the ground
Thread Starter
Joined APC: Jan 2007
Position: back seat
Posts: 1,359
this company has the money but worried bout customers seeing it as a 'private' and/or 'charter' aircraft. just the other day then were going to charter a king air for a short hop and decided not to cause of the companying worrying what the customers were going to think. pretty stupid rationalization when they just buy tickets that costed alot more than the charter flight. they has offices all over the world and go there often(london/asia).
would love to get them to listen and see the possibilities
would love to get them to listen and see the possibilities
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