Executive | International Aviation HQ

25May

By Alexander MonteverdeNo Comments

Executive

11 Most Popular Private Jets

The introduction of the Learjet 23 in 1963 created the first modern business jet as we know it today. Since then, a total of 22,000 private jets have gone on to be produced in around 100 different models. On average, this means that each model was produced just shy of 220 times; not a bad run for an aircraft that carries an often-eyewatering multimillion dollar price tag. As with most things in life, however, some private jets are more popular than others, with some being produced double, triple or even quadruple the average whilst others have fallen short of it considerably. So what are the most popular private jets in our skies? For the purposes of this article, we are defining "most popular" as "most built" including both aircraft that have ceased production and that ...

Cessna Citation Bravo: The Perfect Successor?

11May

By Christopher HarrowNo Comments

Executive

Cessna Citation Bravo: The Perfect Successor?

The successor to the wildly successful Citation II, the Cessna Citation Bravo was arguably the perfect successor; capturing the market previously filled by the Citation II without directly competing with it. Genius. Produced between 1995 and 2006 (when the entire Citation II family was retired from production in favor of newer jets), a total of 338 Citation Bravos were produced for a variety of customers - not bad considering the entire Citation II family sold 1,186 times! (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Background Development Operational History Private Jet Charter Military Price Prior to Cessna ceasing production the Citation Bravo in 2006, it was possible to pick up a brand new one for around $6.2 million, or a little under ...

27Apr

By Charles YongzhengNo Comments

Executive

Bombardier Challenger 650: The Best Challenger Yet?

The latest in the Challenger 600 line of business jets, the Bombardier Challenger 650 may not be the most popular member of the family, but it could certainly be called the best. Background Development Operational History Private Jet Military Charter Fractional Ownership Air Ambulance Price Specifications Bombardier Challenger 650Length20.9 m (68 ft 5 in)Wingspan19.6 m (64 ft 4 in)Height6.3 m (20 ft 8 in)Crew2Passengers10Cruise Speed854 km/h (531 mph; 461 kn)Range7,408 km (4,603 mi; 4,000 nmi)Service Ceiling41,000 ft (12,497 m)MTOW48,200 lb (21,863 kg) How Safe is The Bombardier Challenger 650? With aviation safety becoming a priority now more than ever, the safety records of aircraft are now more widely published than ever before, partly thank...

Bombardier Challenger 604: A First Among Equals

9Apr

By Charles YongzhengNo Comments

Executive

Bombardier Challenger 604: A First Among Equals

The Challenger 600 series is known for being one of the most popular family of business jets ever built. For the Bombardier Challenger 604, however, it holds a distinct honor: The most popular of the series. Indeed, of the 1,066 aircraft built in the Challenger 600 series to date, 365 have been the Challenger 604 variant. And this isn't for any other reason than it's the best on the market! (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Background Having sold his stake in Learjet to the Gates Rubber Company of Denver, Colorado in 1967 and left its board in 1969, Bill Lear set about his next project: designing a longer range business jet better than those then on the market. By 1974, Lear had come up with a design he called the LearStar 600, a low-wing, tw...

How Jettly Has Transformed Private Jet Charter

12Mar

By Gareth SeagullNo Comments

Executive, Aircraft Digest

How Jettly Has Transformed Private Jet Charter

The private jet charter industry is the last part of the aviation industry to not be truly digitized. Expedia-style flight aggregator Jettly hopes to be the company to truly bring the industry into the digital age. Through its user friendly website and app, Jettly allow customers to input their destinations and see quotes in real time, before a service representative reaches out to them to confirm the exact pricing based on their needs. Jettly's hope is that their site will circumvent the need for brokers whose large fees have deterred many from flying private before. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); A Problem Before the rise of the internet, you had two options when chartering a private jet, both of which had their drawbacks. The firs...

Cessna Citation Family: Evolution of The “Slowtation”

9Mar

By Christopher HarrowNo Comments

Executive

Cessna Citation Family: Evolution of The “Slowtation”

The most popular family of private jets ever built, the Cessna Citation family stands as a testament to how good engineering can turn the laughing stock of the aviation community into a staple of almost every airport! With over 8,000 delivers and 41 million flight hours logged to date, it may surprise you to learn that initial reviews of the family's earliest variants were highly critical, with many calling it the "Slowtation" due to its low cruising speeds. In time, however, many of these critics came to not only respect the Cessna Citation family but even come to love it... Background Founded in 1927 by Clyde Cessna and his business partner Victor Roos, the Cessna-Roos Aircraft Company (later the Cessna Aircraft Company after Roos' departure only a month in) initially...

2Mar

By Charles YongzhengNo Comments

Executive

Cessna Citation X+: Too Fast?

Playfully known as the "Lamborghini of the Skies" the Cessna Citation X+ was not only meant to be the world's fastest business jet in the skies, but also capture the same popularity its predecessor, the Citation X, had. But that wasn't the case. Instead of selling well over 300 times and having a 20 year-long production run like the Citation X did, the Citation X+ sold only 29 times over a period of just four years (2014-2018)! Background At the 1990 NBAA in New Orleans, Cessna unveiled what it called the Cessna 750, later marketed as the Cessna Citation X, a development of the popular Citation III jet. Intended to replace the company's existing lineup of Citation jets, including the Citation III, VI and VII, Cessna promised that the Citation X would be the fastest civ...

23Feb

By Alya KulikovaNo Comments

Executive

How to Pick The Perfect Private Jet Broker

An often repeated trope within the jet charter industry is that a good private jet broker is like gold, and a bad one is like lead - it can weigh you down and potentially be poisonous. With literally hundreds of brokers out there, how can separate the good from the bad? 1. Ask For Recommendations Sadly, the private jet brokerage industry itself is largely unregulated. Whilst operators are regulated by organizations like the FAA (USA), CAA (UK) or EASA (EU), brokers are not. As such, brokers range vary from "Yale to Jail" as an old industry saying goes. Some (most) are well-established and knowledgeable, however there are a few who know very little or are straight up scams. So this is where recommendations come from. If you are in the position to even consider charte...

Cessna Citation II: The Most Popular Business Jet Ever Built!

12Feb

By Alya KulikovaNo Comments

Executive

Cessna Citation II: The Most Popular Business Jet Ever Built!

Produced between 1978 and 2006, the Cessna Citation II is not only one of the longest-produced business jets, but also the most popular ever built. Indeed, nearly 1,200 were built in its 28 year long production run. A favorite of corporations, high net worth individuals, militaries and even a few airlines, the Cessna Citation II thrust the Citation family into the limelight and turned Cessna into a giant of business aviation! (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Background Founded in 1927, Cessna had a long history of producing business aircraft even before the advent of modern business jets. Aircraft such as the Cessna 120, 140 and 190 had long been used by corporations as VIP transports. But the mid-to-late 1960's saw a marked shift in consum...

How Richard Santulli Became The Father of Fractional Ownership

26Jan

By Gareth SeagullNo Comments

Executive

How Richard Santulli Became The Father of Fractional Ownership

Though not as famous, Richard Santulli is up there with the likes of the Wright Brothers and Igor Sikorsky for his contribution to aviation field. But unlike them, Richard didn't make aircraft, he pioneered a new use for them. As the driving force behind NetJets, a company he founded and led for a quarter of a century, Richard created not only the notion of fractional jet ownership but also proved it could be successful - even when everyone else said it couldn't be done... (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Early Life Richard T. Santulli was born on August 14 1944 in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, New York. The son of a civil servant, Richard developed a passion for horses at an early age, eventually learning to ride and spent his teenage years riding i...