Every time I fly, I realize what a wonderful obsession private aviation really is.
With more than 800 aircraft, NetJets operates the largest private aviation fleet in the world.
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Under the previous Labour government, however, high-risk flights "were missed" and former independent reviewer of anti-terrorism legislation Lord Carlisle had called private aviation the UK's "soft underbelly", he alleged.
The market is starting to find its footing, however, thanks in part to the innovations of a few savvy companies, who are working together to make private aviation faster, cheaper and more accessible.
As we near the so-called fiscal cliff, I am reminded that the precipice can be a treacherous place for those of us who place a value on the unmistakable economic benefits of private aviation.
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To hear Todd Rome and Richard (Ricky) Sitomer tell it, the two cofounders of Blue Star Jets have created a new business model for private aviation: "We're the superbroker of the industry, " says Sitomer, 37.
The reselling of pre-owned jets is big business right now, with depreciation values reaching as much as 30% on year of use, particularly in Brazil, where the private aviation market surged by 76% between 2008 and 2010 (according to the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC), the Brazilian civil aviation authority), totalling 652 private jets and helicopters legally registered within the agency.
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Business aviation means private jets, turboprops and high-performance pistons.
This includes efforts towards the establishment of common standards and specifications for aviation biofuels, the strengthening of public-private partnerships through engagement with the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuel Initiative (CAAFI) and the Brazilian Alliance for Aviation Biofuels (ABRABA), and engagement in multilateral fora.
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While third-party booking sites have become standard in the field of commercial aviation, in the private jet industry, PrivateFly is an innovator.
The Chinese investors are led by China New Trust Co Ltd, a trust fund that is 20%-owned by Barclays Capital, and include an aviation fund and a private-equity fund.
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According to WINGX Advance, a market intelligence provider for the aviation industry, the private jet industry (including fractional and whole ownership) was practically stagnant in the U.S. last year, and declined by nearly 4 percent in Europe.
The picture for "general aviation, " which includes private and some corporate flights, is much darker.
We relied on data from the Aviation Safety Network, a private, independent initiative founded in 1996 to keep a public database of accidents.
The ATA also wants Congress to put more of the cost burden on "general aviation"--including private and corporate jet travel--which commercial carriers say is largely responsible for air-traffic delays at congested airports.
Mary Schiavo, a former U.S. Transportation Department inspector general who remains outspoken on aviation safety as a lawyer in private practice, agreed with Goglia.
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Air Marshal Timo Anderson, director general of the Military Aviation Authority, addressed MPs in a private talk, and gave a stark assessment on cuts expected to be outlined next week.
Aviation journalist Jim Ferguson said confirmation of the private finance initiative was expected on Tuesday.
Still according to ANAC, the number of private aircraft in the country has already surpassed the commercial aviation fleet, which accounts for 619 airliners.
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The Federal Aviation Administration has partially lifted its ban on private planes, allowing pilots to fly in and around 15 metropolitan areas by next Wednesday.
Expert Aviation Consulting, an Indianapolis, Indiana, private consulting firm that includes commercial airline pilots on its staff, said the plane that landed in the Hudson was the same one as Flight 1549 from LaGuardia two days earlier.
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Police said the private helicopter carrying the photographer was cleared to fly over Allahabad by federal aviation authorities.
Pakistan's Civil Aviation Authority has begun safety inspections of all airplanes operated by private airlines, days after a crash killed 127 people.
"The defence minister has ordered a shake down inspection for all the private airlines, " Pervez George, head of Pakistan's Civil Aviation Authority, told the AFP news agency.
Another example is China Aviation Corp, which acquired US-based Cirrus Industries, a private aircraft maker.
The private sector anticipates myriad uses for V-22 derivatives -- including executive aviation, disaster relief, medevac, short-haul transport, package express, etc.
They argue that, by asking your name and other minimal identifying information already available on the Internet and in countless commercial and government databases, aviation officials are conducting a Fourth Amendment "search" of your private effects for which they should obtain a warrant based on probable cause that you have committed a crime.
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Within the next few weeks, the Federal Aviation Administration will issue its regulations surrounding the "experimental permits" that private spacecraft owners will use to test their rockets.
"The aviation sector is a major contributor to the economy and it is encouraging that the private sector is investing in our regional airports, " he said.
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