VIP 787-800 Dreamliner

One of the most important parts of being a good private jet charter advisor is helping a client select the correct aircraft for any given mission and we do our best to guide our clients through this process here at FlyNewton. The flight out is what sets the mood for any business trip or vacation and if you show up to the airport to be sadly surprised by the aircraft you will be flying on, the mood is definitely set in the wrong way. Some of the most important things to consider when selecting an aircraft for a given mission are, passenger count and interior space, baggage space, flight range, and aircraft performance.

The first thing to consider when selecting an aircraft is passenger count. In private aviation the difference between seven and eleven passengers is the difference between a light cabin jet and a heavy cabin jet. That’s a four category difference for just a four passenger count difference. Comfort is also very important to consider. While there are many light cabin jets that can legally carry eight passengers, any good advisor will ask, will you as the passenger be comfortable? On a light jet with seven or eight passengers, the answer might be yes if the flight is from Florida to the Bahamas or from Los Angeles to Las Vegas with a few children involved but anything longer than about an hour will start to get quite uncomfortable with that many people in a tight space like a light jet. Asking yourself the question of how many passengers will be on the flight as well as if there are children involved is important. With children on the flight, it makes the issue of interior space less of a problem but now you have to think about the luggage space.

Citation CJ2

Global Express

Many private aircraft have limited luggage space so thinking about what you will bring with you is important as well. If four parents and four kids fly on a light jet and they are bringing cribs, strollers and all the other things needed for kids, the luggage space is going to become an issue. Unfortunately, the mid cabin category offers few improvements. The Hawker 800XP and the Lear 60 are two very popular mid cabin jets, but both offer less luggage space than many light cabin jet. A super-light which falls between light and mid cabin jets might be the best option if you don’t want to spring for a larger aircraft. Planes like the Phenom 300 and the Citation XLS offer far more luggage space than most light and mid cabin jets. Another rotten start to a trip is the need to ship some of your luggage to meet you at your destination.

Coast to Coast Stop Option

Coast to Coast Non-stop Option

Finally, the last main thing to consider is performance of a given aircraft. If you want to fly out of an airport with a 5,000 foot runway at a high altitude, there are some planes that are a much better fit than others. For instance, the Citation X compared to the Citation Sovereign. Both are in the same category but while the Citation Sovereign is slower than the Citation X it is far better at performance takeoffs. The swept back wing of the Citation X is great for speed but not for takeoff performance. This means the Sovereign can take off at slower speeds needing less runway. If it is a hot summer day in Aspen and you have 8 passengers with heavy luggage headed to Miami, the Citation Sovereign is going to be a better fit than the Citation X. There are countless airports in desirable destinations where performance is extremely important to consider.

Citation X

Citation Sovereign

An experienced aviation consultant can help you chose the correct aircraft for each and every mission so you can have a great start and finish to all of your private travel needs.