Private plane

The $60 Million iPad-Controlled Gulfstream G550 Private Jet

Filed under: Gadgets, Wings, Architecture & Design

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 Classicist: Thoroughbreds, Bourbon and Private Planes from Flexjet

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spirits, Wings, Events, Sports, The Classicist

The Classicist: Thoroughbreds, Bourbon and Private Planes from Flexjet

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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Flexjet Partners with Abercrombie & Kent

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Wings

Flexjet Partners With Abercrombie & Kent

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

Explore India's Golden Triangle by Private Plane

by Alison Wellner (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Greaves, the tour company which specializes in India, is running a rather good deal on a private plane package now. Spend a week touring India's "Golden Triangle" -- Delhi, Agra and Jaipur, stay at super-luxey Oberoi hotels, and do all of your traveling in between via a Beechcraft Super King Air B200 plane.

The package includes all sorts of nice extras, like a horse carriage ride to the Taj Mahal, a cycle rickshaw ride around Old Delhi, a cooking demo at The Oberoi Rajvilas, as well as multiple opportunities for spa treatments and yoga classes along the way. The price is $5,100 per person, based on four people traveling together -- although you could always bring a bigger crowd, the plane seats up to eight. Travel through December 15th, 2010.

Tags: India, oberoi, private plane, taj mahal, TajMahal, tours

Free Yourself from Flying with the Rabble

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

With economic conditions beginning to turn, the elite are finally being freed from the prison of commercial air travel. After a severe 2008 and 2009, it looks like the private aviation business is getting ready to come back, with research firm Argus showing 5.3 percent growth from January last year to January this year. According to Flexjet president Fred Reid, there was a "very distinct, small, consistent upturn in demand" that began late in 2009.

Late-model business jets aren't as cheap as they used to be, and the surplus on the market has dropped a bit, but new aircraft deliveries haven't returned to earlier levels. Flying hours have fallen, and constraints in the credit markets make it difficult for people to put the requisite cash together to buy and operate a private jet. Following five years of record growth, the NY Times reports, last year was dismal. In the second half of 2009, business jet shipments plunged 33.7 percent year-over-year to 870. High-end propeller plane sales fell 17.6 percent to 441 for the same period.

But, that's all in the past.

Source

Tags: air travel, AirTravel, commercial aircraft, CommercialAircraft, private jet, private jets, private plane, PrivateJet, PrivateJets, PrivatePlane

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Piaggio Aero P. 180 Avanti II: Are Turboprops The Answer In A Tough Small Plane Market?

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings

It's been a tough year for small private plane companies with layoffs and plant closures but not everyone is floundering. Piaggio Aero, makers of the P. 180 Avanti II have announced the addition of three new service centers in Ft. Lauderdale, Toronto and Montreal. The announcement came one month after Piaggio's expansion with West Star Aviation at its East Alton, Ill. facility. Since 2008, the Piaggio Aero brand has doubled its North American service network. The success of the P. 180 Avanti II is a combination of its sleek Italian styling (Piaggio Aero Industries' Chairman, Piero Ferrari, son of Enzo Ferrari, is also vice Chairman of Ferrari S.p.A.) and its fuel efficiency. The plane is the fastest turboprop aircraft combine the speed of a light cabin jet with the cabin of a mid-size craft that can hold nine people. It can hit cruising speeds of more than 402 ktas. but requires a third less fuel than most business jets. The new service centers are now open with more planned for 2010.

Gallery: Piaggio Aero P180 Avanti II

Tags: piaggio, piaggio aero, PiaggioAero, private plane, PrivatePlane, turboprop

Four Reasons Business Jets Are Back in Style

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Wings

Private jet travel is back! When we were in the depths of the financial crisis, the best way to fly was a sure way to attract criticism, especially when the Detroit auto executives showed up before Congress a year ago and had to explain why ailing companies were forced to shell out for the perk. Well, the private jets are coming back into style, but it's more for pleasure than business.

Business jet manufacturers delivered only 615 in the first three quarters of 2009, a steep decline of 37.8 percent year-over-year, according to the General Aviation Manufacturers Association. According to Jack Petlon, CEO of Cessna, though, there are signs of life. "With the financial collapse that occurred there was a lot of anger, a lot of hurt, a lot of people reaching out and striking at what became an image and the image was a corporate business jet," he told Forbes. He continued, "We as an industry are now spending our time righting that wrong perception."

Here are four facts you may not have know about business (and private) aviation:

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Tags: business, business jet, business jets, BusinessJet, BusinessJets, cessna, congress, National Business Aviation Association, NationalBusinessAviationAssociation, private jet, private plane, PrivateJet, PrivatePlane

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Stratos 714 VLJ Project Continues

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings

Four people, 400 knots, 1500 nautical miles--that's the slogan of the Stratos 714, a Very Light Jet which I first wrote about a year ago. Aero-News Network has an interview with Alexander Craig, the new CEO of Stratos during the recent NBAA 2009 conference. The company, which is based in Bend, Oregon, is bullish on their Stratos 714 which they say will bridge the gap between VLJ aircraft and full size business jets.

The composite-bodied aircraft will be powered by a centerline-thrust FADEC-controlled Williams FJ44-3AP turbofan which produces 3,030 pounds of thrust at sea level. The company's goal is to create an aircraft that is affordable to own and operate (current price is $2 million). In the interview (video after the jump) Craig doesn't reveal a potential production date for the plane but it appears that progress is being made and we get more news soon.

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Tags: aero-news, private jet, private plane, PrivateJet, PrivatePlane, stratos, stratos 714, Stratos714, very light jet, VeryLightJet, vlj

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$28 Million Superjet Made in Siberia

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings

Is the world ready for a $28 million Siberian superjet? Russian aerospace firm Sukhoi hopes so as it plans to begin deliveries of its Sukhoi Superjet 100 in December, undercutting established jet builders like Embraer and Bombardier. Cheap Siberian labor lowers the cost of the planes, but Sukhoi insists quality will not be compromised as it was developed in collaboration with Finmeccanica of Italy subsidiary Alenia Aeronautica, fetauring optional interiors by famed Italian design firm Pininfarina and the same parts found in more coveted craft. Its 5-seat rows setup, combining style and ergonomics, will be among the largest ever installed on regional transport aircraft thanks to a fuselage almost 18 inches larger than those of competitors.

Tags: jet, Pininfarina, private jet, private plane, PrivateJet, PrivatePlane, Russia, Siberia, Sukhoi

Hawker Beechcraft King Air 350i

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings

The new Hawker Beechcraft King Air 350i (above) is an updated, luxury version of a turboprop plane that's been a big seller since 1964. The economic crisis has caused many corporations to consider swapping expensive jets for more efficient and less costly turboprops like the classic King Air. Beechcraft has added in luxury features and finishes found on much more expensive Hawker business jets to make the $6.6 million King Air 350i a competitive choice. It's billed as is the most luxurious, most comfortable and most capable turbine aircraft ever offered in its class, period. The company compares it to a Range Rover - very refined with rugged underpinnings and exemplary safety features. With the most flexible and technologically advanced cabin ever introduced in a twin turboprop, the plane can ferry 9 passengers in the morning and then be reconfigured into an ultra-luxe VIP shuttle for 2 that same afternoon.

Tags: Beechcraft, business jet, BusinessJet, Hawker, Hawker Beechcraft, HawkerBeechcraft, jet, plane, private jet, private plane, PrivateJet, PrivatePlane, turboprop

Luxury Home Theaters For Private Jets

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings

For those who still have private aircraft, the options for improved audio/video performance keeps getting better. A company called Skytheater in Fort Lauderdale, Florida does for planes what home theater outfits do for houses. They put a high tech cinema experience on a plane including acoustical considerations, user-friendly operation and optimum performance. SkyTheater uses Richard Gray's Power Company's ClearSky, an A/V power management solution designed for private aircraft to improve onboard A/V performance. The product can be installed on aircraft as part of a complete Skytheater system.

The performance of high-end audio/visual system can suffer because an aircraft's power supply is not designed to feed sensitive and demanding A/V equipment. The RGPC ClearSky product offers surge protection and removes "noise" from the system that can negatively impact audio and video for a richer A/V experience.

Source

Tags: audio, clearsky, home theater, HomeTheater, private plane, PrivatePlane, skytheater, visual

Starbucks Puts The Corporate Jet Up For Sale

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings

Well that was fast, Starbucks had their new corporate jet for less than a month before succumbing to economic pressures and putting it up for sale. Aero-News Network reports that the company had less than 20 flights on the new Gulfstream G550 before putting it up for sale with Avpro. The news comes as Starbucks reported lower earnings and plans to close more stores.

The $45 million Gulfstream 550 was ordered four years ago during boom times for the coffee company. Unlike Citigroup and other companies on the hot seat for private jet usage, Starbucks hasn't asked for federal funds. The company has also been trying to sell off its Gulfstream G-V. Now Starbucks just has to find a willing buyer.

Source

Tags: corporate jet, CorporateJet, gulfstream 550, Gulfstream550, private plane, PrivatePlane, starbucks

NASCAR Champ Gets A New Plane

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings, Celebrity Shopping, Sports

NASCAR champ Clint Bowyer got an early Christmas present this week when he took delivery Monday of his Beechcraft Premier IA. Bowyer, a Kansas native, was in Wichita for the delivery. He toured the Hawker Beechcraft manufacturing plant and signed autographs for employees. Bowyer plans to use the single-pilot business jet to help him keep up with the demanding schedule of being a race car. Bowyer is a three-year veteran of NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series and drives a Chevrolet Impala for Richard Childress Racing (RCR) in both the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series. His new purchase doesn't sit well with everyone. Given the troubles plaguing NASCAR this season at least one blogger finds his extravagance to be in poor taste.

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Tags: beechcraft, nascar, plane, private plane, PrivatePlane

Queen Elizabeth is Plane Shopping

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings, Celebrity Shopping

The Sunday Times reports that the Queen of England is in the market for a new plane. No Air-Force-One-sized jet for the Queen though, word from Buckingham Palace is that they are in the market for a small executive plane like a Gulfstream or Learjet. The plane would also be available for use by Gordon Brown and senior ministers.

The plane w ould be paid for by taxpayers and would include the usual private plane bells and whistles such as catering facilities and in-flight entertainment. The Queen had previously been able to use larger planes provided by the RAF. Also in the past, Prince Charles and other royals have chartered planes or flown first class for their royal tours, which they will still have to do for longer trips. The new plane will be best for short jaunts. The prime minister opted against a larger plane for himself and the royals because of the price. A decision on the type of plan and specific purchase details probably won't be available until later this year.

What's particularly interesting about the comments section of the article is that many of those who wrote in believe the Queen (and to some extent Gordon Brown) should have a bigger plane.

Source

Tags: private plane, PrivatePlane, queen elizabeth, QueenElizabeth

Talon Air Chief: Luxury Travel Looking Up

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Wings

As some business jet services like MAXJet and Eos are folding, while fuel costs and other annoyances plague private plane owners, a company called Talon Air apparently sees nothing but clear skies ahead. The on-demand luxury private jet charter and management service just added the ultra-luxe Legacy 600 (pictured here) to its fleet in order to meet increasing demand. We asked Adam Katz, Talon's owner and founder (and full-rotation pilot) to explain his apparently incongruous bullish outlook.

"The luxury travel sector will continue to improve," Katz tells Luxist. "The absence of those jets in the market just increases the demand for ultra high-end services like ours. Operators providing safe, luxury travel with all the amenities that are associated with these services will continue to prosper." As for onerous tariffs, "The government's inclination to impose further taxes on the general aviation and corporate or luxury travel operators will not change the broad demand for high end services," he insists. "People will always be willing to pay a fair price for exquisite, safe and convenient travel."

The twin-engine Legacy 600 (see the gallery below) can accommodate up to 13-passengers in its plush, Wi-Fi equipped 6-ft. tall cabin. It cruises at a speed of up to Mach 0.80 and has a range of 3,250 nautical miles, enough to fly nonstop from New York to London, from London (or Geneva) to Dubai, and from Singapore to Beijing. And judging from the glowing testimonial on Talon Air's website, tennis ace Pete Sampras is a big fan.

Gallery: Talon Air Jets