Private Jet Charter

Air Charter Network has developed a summary of frequently used terms.

AIRWAY DISTANCE (As the Crow Flies): The actual (as opposed to straight line) distance flown by the aircraft between two points, after deviations required by air traffic control and navigation along established routes. The difference between this and straight line distance will vary throughout the country.

AMPHIBIOUS FLOATS: Pontoons equipped with retractable wheels that permit the aircraft to operate from paved airports as well as smooth water.

ARO: Airport reservation office. Staffed by the FAA, this entity allocates landing and take-off reservations for unscheduled aircraft in and out of the following airports: JFK, LGA, EWR, DCA, ORD (see airport identifier listings for codes). Since these allocations are scarce and granted 48 hours in advance on a first-come-first-served basis, travel to these five airports may be difficult by charter.

Block Rate: A lower “contract rate” for scheduling significant amounts of charter time in advance on a pre-arranged agreement.

Block Speed: The average speed over a specific distance “block-to block”, or door-to-door with respect to the airport gate.

Certificate (PART 135): FAA-issued license to carry passengers for hire.

Charter Broker: A company or individual that buys charter at wholesale and resells it at retail. The broker is responsible for payment to the charter provider, for assessing end-user taxes and fees, and for ensuring their customer’s safety and satisfaction.

Charter Operator: A company or individual that is the holder of the FAA part 135 certificate as well as the aircraft and crew.

Commuter Operator: A regional or scheduled airline that operates within a specific geographical location.

Corporate Operator: A company flight department that has obtained a part Certificate to carry passengers for hire.

Cruise Speed: The normal speed attained at altitude once the aircraft is no longer climbing and is en route to its destination. Usually 70% of the maximum speed of the aircraft.

Deadhead: To fly the return leg of a trip without cargo or passengers also known as an “empty leg”. The pricing of the “deadhead” is based on the actual flight time of the aircraft from point A to B. On demand charter flights are based on the pricing: Home Base – Pickup – Drop Off – Home Base

Duty time: That portion of the day when a crew member is on duty in any capacity (not just in the air). This can be a constraint on long day-trips, as there are FAA-imposed limits (10 hours of flying time and 14 hours of on the clock time within 24 hours) on the amount of time allowed on duty. Many charter operators have stricter rules, so it pays to inquire before planning a trip too tight to the limit.

Empty leg: See Deadhead.

FBO: Fixed-base operator, an aviation business that has a physical location on the airport. The FBO provides various services, including; maintenance, fuel, flight instruction, and aircraft sales, and most importantly, facilitating with our private air charter service.

Flight Time: That portion of the trip actually spent in the air. For billing purposes this definition is generally strict and only applies from moment of lift-off to moment of touch-down.

Floats: Pontoons, or flotation devices, that enable an airplane (or helicopter) to land on water.

Flight Standards District Office (FSDO): Local FAA officials that govern the part 135 certificated air charter / air taxi operators.

GADO: General Aviation District Office of the FAA. As the most local branch of the FAA, also the entity most likely to know the specific history of a particular private air charter operator.

General Aviation: That portion of aviation other than military or commercial scheduled operations. Commercial unscheduled operations, corporate flight operations, and private aviation make up a large percentage of the group. Most major metropolitan airports tend to have a separate “general aviation” terminal, where private air charter flight arrive/depart.

Home Base: Location of the aircraft’s home airport. This is important as the aircraft must reposition from the Home Base to the pickup location. This repositioning is charged @ the hourly rate of the particular aircraft.

IFR: Instrument Flight Rules mandated by the FAA when weather minimums are not suitable to fly VFR (Visual Flight Rules). Also, when flying under IFR, the ATC (Air Traffic Control) remains in constant contact with the aircraft.

ILS: Instrument Landing System. Low-level approach equipment at certain airports. Though instrument approaches and departures can be made in airports without an ILS, its presence is a material benefit to the travel planner because an instrument landing system improves trip reliability as closely as possible to the level of scheduled airlines, which generally fly from airports with these facilities.

Independent Operator: A charter operator that does not meet the definition of FBO or commuter, but may not be involved in contract management of aircraft.

Layover: A night spent in the middle of the trip in a city other than home base for the aircraft and crew.

Leg or Flight Segment: Describes one direction of travel between two points. Commonly used in referring to a planned itinerary, it may not indicate all landings such as fuel stops.

Lift: Any aircraft engaged for transport.

Medevac: Medical evacuation (usually emergency).

Net/Net: The quote format that applies wholesale rates and does not include taxes or other end-user assed fees. Also known as a wholesale quote.

Part 91: The set of federal regulations that govern private aircraft use.

Part 135: The set of federal regulations that govern the commercial hire of aircraft operations carrying passengers for hire.

Positioning (aka: Repositioning): Ferrying aircraft for departure from other than originating airport. (Also for return.)

Positioning time: Time estimated for an aircraft to travel to the trip departure position.

Propjet or Turbo Prop: A propeller driven airplane, in which the engine is a jet turbine rather than piston driven aircraft.

Ramp: The apron or open “tarmac” in form of an FBO or terminal facility. This space is busy, used for parking of aircraft. Some facilities will permit automobiles to drive to the aircraft on the ramp, a real benefit to the traveler with a significant amount of luggage.

Repositioning time: Time estimated for an aircraft to return to its based position after completion of a passenger segment.

Retail customer: Also known as the “end user”. This customer purchases charter for their own use and is assessed Federal Excise Tax (FET) and segment fees as applicable. Unless they have made special arrangements with a particular operator, they are usually quoted the market rate.

Retail quote: Quote provided to retail customer including taxes and end-user assessed fees.

Segment: Describes the unit of flight between take-off and landing. Sometimes used interchangeably with the term leg.

Stage Length: Distance of itinerary non-stop leg.

Taxi Time: That portion of the trip spent rolling between the gate, terminal, or RAMP and runway.

VFR: Visual Flight Rules, the pilot navigates the aircraft and maintains distance seperation via the use of “sight”. IFR rules do not require the pilot to visually identify other aircraft in the vicinity as they are being directed by ATC (Air Traffic Control)

Wait time: That time that the chartered aircraft and crew must wait on the ground during any portion of the trip.