Thread: Flying Private?

Originally Posted by FalconFlyer

There are lots of examples. A few years back a chartered Challenger took off with ice on the wings because the company put pressure on the pilots not to spend money on deicing the aircraft (deicing fluid is very expensive). The result, the aircraft stalled right after takeoff, rolled to the right and burst into flames. The son of a broadcasting executive was killed.... Again, there are different levels of safety... and you tend to get what you pay for in my opinion.

Could you point me to a good operator?

I wish I could... however I am not sure if I can do that on this forum without breaking some of the rules (you can pm me if you wish). However, really it comes down to price. As the company that I work for used to put in their ads, we spend what ever it takes to be safe, and continue spending whatever it takes to keep you safe. Safety unfortunately costs a lot of money, and rarely in aviation is it black and white when it comes to safety... rather lots of colors of grey.

I worked at Cessna Service Center in Mesa, AZ for a little while and got to see most of all there models and they were fantastic, the seats were comfortable, the service of the pilots were top notch, and they were at the beck and call of the passengers, be it the owners or people chartering it. I had the pleasure to fly a CJ3 once, right seat time was the one of the most memorable experience i had ever had!!! And yes since that flight going commercial has never been the same, even working at Cessna made going commercial such a drab experience. But i cannot afford the 2K+ and hr at this point. But i will, oh yes i will!!

ive flown private a few times to aspen but usually travel business or first depending on which airline.... but flying private seems like it can be quite lonely sometimes to me because even when im flying commercial and the cabin i am in is almost empty it becomes quite lonely and cant imagine how it is to fly alone for a 6-8 hour flight but thats just me..

Originally Posted by Diamond

but flying private seems like it can be quite lonely sometimes to me because even when im flying commercial and the cabin i am in is almost empty it becomes quite lonely and cant imagine how it is to fly alone for a 6-8 hour flight but thats just me..

Where are you flying that has a near empty first or business class cabin, almost every airline has FF programs that grant loyal customers who fly in coach complimentary upgrades to first and business on flights that have empty available seats?

People who fly privately don't usually fly by themselves, they usually fill the plane up with their entourage/family/friends for personal travel, adding more people to a private plane is only a few hundred extra in fuel. For business's there is almost always aids/secretaries/coworkers that fill up the plane.

I am usually flying first in between colorado and zimbabwe via south african airways...yea but i know about filling the plane and the extra amount but, i am just stating it must be quite lonely IF you flew alone private, u get what i mean?

Originally Posted by Diamond

i am just stating it must be quite lonely IF you flew alone private, u get what i mean?

Yes I know what you mean, but it doesn't happen often. Flying private alone would be like driving on a long stretch of highway alone for 6-8 hrs, but without being able to watch a movie, talk to friends, surf the web, or the dozen other activities you can do on a well equipped jet.

I fly private alone on a regular basis and the last thing I would describe it as is lonely. I guess everyone's personality is different, but the last thing I'm concerned with when flying is if I will be lonely or not.

^It's a perk to not have to deal with the smelly, rude, and unkempt hoards of people.

Originally Posted by JimF355

I fly private alone on a regular basis and the last thing I would describe it as is lonely. I guess everyone's personality is different, but the last thing I'm concerned with when flying is if I will be lonely or not.

Absolutely. I quite enjoy flying by myself or with just one other person.

It's also fun to take some friends as well, however. Here at the 2012 US Open in SFO: