Wings

Italian Painter Turns a Private Jet Into a Work of Art

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Apr 14th 2011 at 11:01AM

Renowned Italian sculptor and painter Mimmo Paladino has become the first person to turn a private jet into a work of art with the installation of a customized Piaggio P.180 Avanti II aircraft at the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan.

Dubbed the "Cacciatore di Stelle" (Star Hunter), Paladino's plane (above) will be on display in the famed luxury shopping mecca through April 28. Paladino decorated the turboprop with ancestral symbols, constellations and geometrical designs in homage to the skies in which it travels.

The plane is part of an exhibition of Paladino's work hosted by Milan's historic Palazzo Reale, including more than 50 of his artworks from the '70s to the present day. The P.180 Avanti was chosen for the project as an expression of "Italian genius in design and engineering."

Tags: art, art jet, artist, Italy, Milan, Mimmi Paladino, Piaggio, private jet

HondaJet Hits 489 MPH as First Deliveries Approach

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) — Apr 5th 2011 at 1:01PM

Aviation enthusiasts have been closely following the development of the HondaJet. Designed and engineered by the same Japanese motor company that builds everything from cars and motorcycles to lawnmowers and robots, the HondaJet is a thorough re-think of a private jet.

It's been a long time in the making, having started with research as far back as the 1980s and making its first flight in late 2003. Now the HondaJet has made its first FAA-certified test flight, achieving a top speed of 489 miles per hour at 30,000 feet -- by far surpassing the CBR sport bike, the Acura NSX sportscar and Honda F1 cars as the fastest thing the company has ever produced.

The jet is configured to carry five passengers in addition to the pilot and co-pilot. Powered by General Electric jet engines, the aircraft designated HA-420 will be built in Greensboro, North Carolina. Orders are being taken now at around $3.65 million, with production planned for 70 units per year and deliveries targeted for late 2012.

Tags: honda, honda jet, hondajet, jet, private jet

The $60 Million iPad-Controlled Gulfstream G550 Private Jet

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Apr 1st 2011 at 8:01AM

Spain-based industrial designer Stefan Radev has given the $60 million Gulfstream G550 private jet a makeover, including cool iPad controls à la P. Diddy's Solemates superyacht. From the exterior livery to the seating arrangements, Radev's design scheme is simple, elegant and ergonomic. It's also full of eco-friendly touches like bamboo woodwork.

Natural light is emphasized in the airy interior design with oversized oval-shaped windows and neutral tones complementing the bamboo in an open-plan layout equally suited to working or lounging. iPads and iPods also control the various climate and entertainment functions for the passengers. It's just a concept at this point, but easily made real with enough money.

Gallery: Gulfstream G550 iPad Concept

Tags: Apple, Gulfstream, Gulfstream G550, interior design, iPad, iPad jet, iPad yacht, private jet, private plane, Stefan Radev

The World's Top Luxury Toys for Men

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Mar 29th 2011 at 2:01PM

What are the world's top luxury toys for men? Uber-luxe German publisher teNeues has the answer with its newest super-sized volume, Luxury Toys: For Men. The awesome Aston Martin One-77, so named because of its limited 77-example run and $1.7 million pricetag, appears on the cover.

Other supercars that make the cut, including the Audi R8 GT, Rolls-Royce Ghost, Jaguar XKR Special Edition, Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT S Awards Edition, and Bentley Continental Supersports Convertible. Quite the garage.

Covering transportation, style, accessories and dream vacations, the massive 220-page volume features 138 giant full-color photographs and text in English, German, French, Spanish, and Italian. Not based merely on price, the selections show how "emotion and finesse can be combined with spectacular aesthetic purity."

Tags: Aston Martin, aston+martin+one-77, astonmartinone-77, Audemars Piguet, Audi R8, books, Hublot, jets, luxury books, luxury cars, luxury goods, luxury toys, Luxury Toys For Men, mens luxury, Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, Rolls-Royce, supercars, teNeues, watches, yachts

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Luxe Travel Tip: JetBlue's New Direct Service to Turks & Caicos

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Mar 17th 2011 at 12:00PM

Thanks to JetBlue, it's now a whole lot easier to get to one of our favorite luxe travel destinations, the Turks & Caicos islands. The eco-friendly airline known for its style and value just introduced direct service to the Caribbean hotspot's Providenciales island from New York's JFK and Boston's Logan airports. The flights leave JFK daily.

Tags: airlines, beach, Boston, Caribbean, islands, JetBlue, jetblue+service+to+turks+and+caicos, jetblueservicetoturksandcaicos, JFK airport, Logan airport, luxury resorts, luxury travel, resorts, travel, Turks Caicos

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The Classicist: Thoroughbreds, Bourbon and Private Planes from Flexjet

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Mar 14th 2011 at 9:02AM

Private jet juggernaut Flexjet is offering an alluring incentive to new fractional owners via a promotion with Kentucky's Keeneland, one of the world's leading thoroughbred racing and auction facilities. The three-day Unbridled experience centers around the 2011 Breeders' Cup World Championships this fall. Known as the thoroughbred industry's most prestigious championship event, the Breeders' Cup attracts fierce competition for the richest prize-money event in the world with over $26 million in purses at stake. There's a lot more to the Unbridled experience, however, as you'd expect considering the cost for a 1/16th fraction (or 50 hours / year) on one of the company's Learjet 40XRs starts at $362,500.

Each owner and their guest will enjoy the Breeders' Cup races in the comfort of a finish-line owner's suite at the iconic Churchill Downs, one of the world's greatest racetracks and home of the Kentucky Derby, as well as an invitation to attend sun-up morning workouts. A one-on-one meeting with a renowned thoroughbred trainer and an insider's look at a famed horse farm are also in the offing. The Unbridled experience is available in limited quantities at no extra charge for Flexjet customers purchasing a new fractional share now through June 12, 2011; the all-inclusive experience takes place November 3 - 6.

Gallery: Flexjet Unbridled Experience

Tags: 21c Museum Hotel, Bombardier, bourbon, Breeders Cup, Buffalo Trace, Churchill Downs, distillery, equestrian, events, Flexjet, fractional ownership, horse breeding, horse farm, horse racing, horses, jets, Keeneland, Kentucky, Kentucky Derby, lear+jet45, Learjet, learjet45, Louisville, luxury travel, Private jet, private plane, spirits, sports, stables, the South, thoroughbred, whiskey

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Carry-On Baggage Costs Taxpayers $260 Million

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) — Mar 8th 2011 at 6:01PM

Frequent flyers often prefer to fit everything they need into a carry-on bag instead of checking luggage. With the hassles of air travel constantly on the rise, this simple step means eliminating the wait at the baggage carousel upon arrival, and can often mean cutting to the head of the line when checking in. After all, it doesn't cost anything (except forgoing your checked baggage allowance). Well, not to the passenger, anyway. And not to the airline, either. But it does cost the taxpayers.

According to Janet Napolitano, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, carry-on luggage is costing the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) some $260 million every year. The figure reportedly came up when testifying before Congress last week on a debate over whether to raise the $5 TSA surcharge tacked on to every airline ticket. The question is whether Congress will opt to either raise that surcharge or place further restrictions on hand luggage to decrease its operating costs and make air travel that much more difficult.

[Source: TREND-News.com]

Tags: air travel, airport, carry-on, janet napolitano, security, transportation security administration, tsa

Flexjet Partners with Abercrombie & Kent

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Mar 8th 2011 at 11:01AM

Luxury travel enthusiasts will be pleased to hear about a new partnership between adventure travel company Abercrombie & Kent and jet share leader Flexjet. Flexjet customers will now have complimentary access to Abercrombie & Kent's travel experts to plan dream vacations, and Abercrombie & Kent's travelers will receive generous benefits when purchasing Flexjet options. Marco Polo Club members, Abercrombie & Kent's most frequent travelers, will receive benefits on Flexjet fractional purchases or jet cards, while Flexjet fractional customers will be treated to a three-year Marco Polo Club membership and customized itineraries to coincide with the use of their private jet.

"We continue to seek and pioneer new ways of exploring the globe and admire this same ambition in Flexjet," said Geoffrey Kent, Founder and Executive Chairman, Abercrombie & Kent. "We're pleased to be forging this relationship with a top aviation solutions provider that is also known for setting industry standards and look forward to introducing its customers to some of our favorite hidden corners of the world." Born as a safari outfitter in 1962, Abercrombie & Kent's unparalleled travel services now extend around the globe to more than 100 countries on all seven continents, bringing unexpected comforts and amenities to remote destinations.

Gallery: Flexjet x Abercrombie & Kent

Tags: Abercrombie Kent, Abercrombie and Kent, aviation, luxury travel, private jet, private plane, safari

Eurocopter X4 Will Be the Next Must-Have Heli

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Mar 1st 2011 at 8:01AM

We all want one of Eurocopter's experimental Rolls-Royce powered X3s. But while that is several years away from production the company's new X4 model is reportedly going to be available a lot sooner. The X4, a next-generation medium twin billed as a replacement for the AS365 Dauphin / EC155, could be available by the end of the year, priced at several million dollars. Eurocopter CEO Lutz Bertling recently promised the X4 will be "a game changer" featuring "a new way of flying". Insiders speculate this means a five-blade design with fly-by-wire controls and a brand new cockpit with iPad-style interfaces. Compared with the Dauphin, the X4 will have an increased payload and enhanced performance and be safer and more environmentally friendly. We're holding out for the Hermes edition.

Tags: aircraft, Eurocopter, Eurocopter X3, Eurocopter X4, helicopter, Sikorsky X2

Demi Moore Flies to Sundance in Style with JetSuite

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Jan 27th 2011 at 10:02AM

Back in 2008 my colleague Deirdre Woollard first reported on the plans for JetSuite, a new private aviation company from the founders of JetBlue. Now the company has gotten off the ground in high style with help from the likes of Demi Moore, who just took a JetSuite flight to the Sundance Film Festival. JetSuite's fleet of 4-seat Embraer Phenom 100 jets are the best, most fuel-efficient aircraft in their class with speeds up to 450 miles per hour, an operating altitude of up to 41,000 ft, a stylish interior cabin designed by BMW and the largest baggage compartment in its category. The company provides service to major cities (AKA "SuiteSpots") throughout the Western United States, Canada and Mexico. They aim to make the luxury of flying private more accessible and affordable with prices starting at just $999 for a one-way flight – for the whole plane. Moore, who has flown JetSuite before, has praised its ease, convenience and privacy. "She loves that she can depart whenever she wants, not have to deal with long security lines, and leave her shoes, belts, and jewelry on," an insider tells us.

Gallery: JetSuite Takes Off with Demi Moore

Tags: BMW, Demi Moore, Embraer, JetBlue, JetSuite, private jet, Sundance

Miracle On The Hudson Plane Heads To North Carolina Museum

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Jan 6th 2011 at 6:01AM

In January 2009 US Airways Flight 1549 plunged into the Hudson River, in January 2010, the Airbus A320-214 was listed for auction. Now in January 2011 it looks like the plane will finally come to rest in Charlotte, North Carolina, the place the flight was originally headed. The plane,which lost power in both its engines after a collision with a flock of geese and thanks to the quick thinking of the flight crew made a safe river landing, will end up at the Carolinas Aviation Museum in North Carolina. The museum is working on an agreement that would make Airbus A320 a permanent exhibition.

After the Airbus A320-214 was lifted from the water it ended up in a salvage yard in Kearny, New Jersey. The plane is not exactly flight ready, the wings are separate from the fuselage and the plane has severe water damage and still bears the impact of the crash. It was treated with a corrosion inhibitor but has been otherwise untouched for months. The inside of the plane's fuselage still contains the food carts and seats. The museum hopes to have the plane trucked down from New Jersey and eventually reassembled. It could be on display as soon as May.

Tags: Airbus A320 plane went down in the Hudson River off of 50th Stre, Miracle on the Hudson, us airways flight 1549

Korean Air Has Luxurious Plans For The A380

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Dec 29th 2010 at 8:01PM

Korean Air has announced what it plans to do with its double-decker Airbus A380 plane. The airline plans to turn the entire upper deck of an Airbus A380 into a luxurious space for business class passengers with lie-flat seats. When the A380 has its first flight next May it will offer just 407 seats total, the lowest number of any commercial A380 to date. There will be room for 94 passengers on the upper deck, 301 economy seats and 12 first class suites in the nose of the plane. The company has ordered at total of 10 planes. The second, third and fourth planes are set to arrive in July or August.

Tags: a380, airbus a380, korean air

China's Growing Appetite For Private Planes

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Dec 27th 2010 at 9:01PM

The growing Chinese appetite for luxury goods has boosted many different sectors. The next might be the private aviation industry. Recent reports says that China is lifting many of its restrictions on airspace, allowing private jets to travel more freely in and out of the country. Private flights used to require a week's notice but now flight plans can be approved more quickly. Part of the reason for the loosening of the rules is that Chinese executives are now investing in more places around the world and need faster access.

Manufacturers of helicopters and small private planes are moving in to the territory. According to the AFP, France's Dassault Falcon just moved its Asia office from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Although there are only around 150 business jets in China, it is expected that will change very rapidly. Eventually Dassault plans to sell around 10 business jets a year in China, at a list price of between $30 and $50 million. Private jet maker Gulfstream already has a strong foothold in the country with a 63 percent market share on large-cabin business jets in China, including Hong Kong and Macau.

The interest in private jets will also probably extend to makers of helicopters and smaller planes including Eurocopter, Bell, Robinson, Agusta and Cessna. It will also be boom time for pilot training and could benefits resorts that will be able to construct helipads and offer weekend getaways for the growing wealthy Chinese population.

Tags: china, dassault, gulfsteam, private jets

Jet Meets Heli: Rolls-Royce Powered Eurocopter X3

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Dec 21st 2010 at 11:01AM

Eurocopter's ultra-cool X3 prototype (above), which combines the technology of a turboprop plane with traditional helicopter engineering, just attained an airspeed of 180 knots (207 mph) in level flight in testing in Istres, France. The X3, which was not operating at full power, is expected to break the official helicopter speed world record by the time testing is complete. Over the last few months of testing the X3 has performed such feats as reaching an altitude of 12,500 ft. and maneuvering with left and right turns at bank angles of up to 60°. Utilizing a Dauphin helicopter airframe, the X3 is equipped with two Rolls-Royce turboshaft engines that power a five-blade main rotor system, along with two propellers installed on short-span fixed wings. In terms of sheer speed it still may not top Sikorsky's experimental X2 which we wrote about last month, but its stylish looks and jet-like features should more than make up for it.

Tags: Eurocopter, eurocopter+x3, eurocopterx3, France, helicopter, rolls+royce, Rolls-Royce, rollsroyce, Sikorsky, sikorsky+x2, sikorskyx2

Holiday Gift Guide: Wine And Spirits Gift Packs

by Michael B. Dougherty (RSS feed) — Dec 18th 2010 at 9:02AM

Let's face it, the hour is nigh. Time is running out, and most likely patience and gifting creativity are following close behind. Don't fret, as these holiday gift packs have both brilliant packaging and a coveted payload contained within. Grab one and declare Holiday Shopping 2010 over.

Dom Pérignon Side By Side ($600)

Two bottles, two vintages. A Vintage 1996 and a Oenothèque 1996, both contained in one handsome case. Two birds, one stone. Next.

Tags: Ardbeg, dom perignon, gift packs, holiday gift guide, holiday gift guide 2010, macallan, Rare Wine Co., spirits, wine

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