For a person who makes frequent short-duration trips, or multiple stops during trips, buying or leasing an aircraft may make sense because such a person would benefit both from time-savings over commercial flights, and complete flexibility related to length of stay. For a person who travels infrequently or tends to have long layovers at a single destination, chartering may be more appropriate. Chartering provides the convenience of a private flight without the direct expense of employing a flight crew, and without the capital costs of owning an asset that will be idle more often than not. For business owners who require use of a private aircraft for both business and personal travel, another option is to have the company buy a plane, then treat personal use as a fringe benefit. In this case, the business owner benefits from the conveniences of ownership, while the company takes advantage of the tax deductions for the depreciation and operating expenses associated with a business asset.

Tired of the cold?  Why not consider a trip to tropical Hawaii this winter.  The Hawaiian Islands average a very pleasant 82 degrees during the months of January thru March, and there is no place more relaxing and old Hawaiiana than historic Haleiwa town, located on the North Shore of Oahu.

Haleiwa is famous for its old style Hawaiian vibe.  It is home to the world renowned surf spots such as Waimea Bay, Pipeline and Sunset Beach which professional surfers flock to during the winter months to charge the sometime 40 ft plus waves.  You might even get lucky enough to catch the Eddie Aikau contest at Waimea Bay where invitation only surfers compete in a big wave competition that only happens when waves average more than 25 feet.

On days where the surf is calm, you can enjoy swimming with the spinner dolphins that are almost always off the coast of North Shore beaches or admire the beautiful honu (green sea turtles) basking in the sun at Laniakea Beach.  Have an Afternoon cocktail and delicious black and blue ahi sashimi at Haleiwa Joe’s restaurant where you can watch breaching whales play in the ocean to a beautiful back drop of a Hawaiian Sunset.  Make sure you try a local favorite, shave ice from Matsumotos or Aokis, and don’t be too shy to try the lilikoi(passion fruit) and li hing mui(pickled plum) flavors.  They are so “ono” they “broke da mouth”, which is local slang for mouth watering yummy.

For the adventurous, try a surf lesson from a trained teacher at Surf n Sea surf shop, take a glider ride at Mokuleia Air field, or do a tandem sky dive with Sky Dive Hawaii in Historic Waialua.  For the calmer crowd, catch a polo match on Sunday afternoons at Mokuleia Polo field, or look for sunrise shells along the shores of Rocky Point Beach.  Make sure you save room for an Acai bowl (granola, bananas and frozen acai berry smoothie) at the Waialua Bakery, located in the heart of Haleiwa.

For Lodging, there are an array of vacation rentals of all sizes and prices that can be booked thru VRBO.com, or The Turtle Bay hotel, located in Kahuku, offers luxurious rooms or beach front cabanas, a full service spa, and top notch dining and golf.

To Book your next corporate charter flight to Hawaii, call Cristobal Aircraft Brokerage and let us help you find some aloha spirit this winter.

Thinking about chartering a private jet to go skiing this winter?  Don’t let the lack of snow in the U.S. ruin your plans.  Instead, consider skiing somewhere magical like the French Alps!  France’s Rhone Alps offer some of the best skiing in Europe, not to mention a scenery that is unparalleled.  May I suggest a trip to Chamonix….

Chamonix France is home of the very first winter olympics.  At the foot of Mont Blanc, Europe’s highest peak, is a town so magical that I once called it home.  Chamonix offers world class skiing, dining and lodging.  For beginner skiers and boarders Chamonix has Les Houches, Les Planards, Le Tour and Les Bossons, while even the most expert sportsman will enjoy himself on the slopes of Flegere, Le Brevent or Les Grands Montets.  If you’re feeling extra adventurous, hire a guide and do the Vallee Blanche, which is a 4 hour decent down the Mont Blanc starting at the Aiguille du Midi.

There are many options as far as lodging in Chamonix.  If you choose to stay in a hotel, I would suggest the Hameau Albert Premier home to the Albert 1er restaurant, which is exquisite.  You can also rent a chalet in Chamonix through one of the websites such as Homeaway.com or vrbo.com which offer a variety of sizes and prices.

For your dining experience, a must try is Munchies restaurant on the rue des moulins.  Munchies is tiny restaurant with limited seating, so reservations are a must.  Their magret de canard (duck breast) is the best I have ever had.  For apres ski, enjoy a kir at the Irish coffee on the main drag in Chamonix.  It is so much fun to watch everyone walk by while you sip your apperitif and take in the magical mountain sunset that the alps have to offer .

What exactly is the job of a corporate flight attendant?  This topic has been debated by many a charter company , aircraft owner and corporate aviation passenger.  The answer is quite simple, really.  If properly trained by a company such as F.A.C.T.S or Flight Safety, the flight attendant can be a positive addition to any part 91 or 135 operation.  They are indeed there, primarily, for the safety of the passengers.  That said, I will admit that most passengers believe that they are there for their comfort.

In my experience in corporate aviation, I have had the pleasure of knowing some excellent flight attendants.  I have also had the misfortune of having to put up with some real pieces of work.  I will stay away from discussing the safety training of a corporate flight attendant, because that should be a given.  What I will peruse with you is what should be mandatory on the service side.

Corporate aviation passengers are paying thousands of dollars an hour to ride on a corporate jet and  Flight attendants, on an average, are making 50,000 plus a year (some make six figures).   For that amount of money, I believe that a passenger should expect top notch service( when I say service, I mean good, clean service, not back massages).  The flight attendant should always use fine linens and china when the flight times are permitting.  Food should be presented in a manner consistent to fine dining, with extra garnishes, condiments etc…Food should be of the best quality and home-made.  Under no circumstance should a flight attendant be offering Chips Ahoy chocolate chip cookies or Save Mart brownies!!!  When sandwiches are requested, the flight attendant should purchase luncheon meats, condiments, an assortment of sliced cheeses and breads, and should make each sandwich to order.  If I’m on a GV from LA to NYC, and I’m paying 75,000 dollars, I don’t  want a soggy sandwich or a cold bagel.

The flight attendant should also make sure that the aircraft be stocked with a variety of the most recent periodicals, newspapers, vanity items, snacks, beverages and movies.  The aircraft should be spotless, and kept up during the flight.  The flight attendant her or himself should be well groomed and well spoken.  They should know when to be available and when to make themselves scarce.

Unfortunately, there are far too many charter operators out there that are scrimping where the flight attendants are concerned.  The flight attendant is the link between the client and the charter company and should be one of the most important aspects of a charter flight.  I believe that this is a main part in setting apart the best from the rest.  At Cristobal Aircraft Brokerage, we personally interview each flight attendant that will be working on our charter flights.  We make sure that our clients are getting the safest and best service available in corporate aviation.  Excellence is the only option.

We often receive calls from potential buyers about aircraft we are selling or to discuss our acquisition services.  Many of them believe that charter revenue can pay for the use of their own aircraft.  Other times we hear from disenfranchised owners who want to sell because the actual cost to own and operate their aircraft far exceeds what they initially expected.  Unfortunately, you can’t earn enough through charter to pay for all of your own use, but only offset the total cost of ownership.  The bottom line is aircraft are expensive to own, operate and maintain.

When we work with buyers, right from the start we sit down and establish accurate expectations before we even start looking for an aircraft. In conjunction with our clients, their financial advisors, tax consultants and aviation attorneys we build detailed budgets.  We work to understand what kind of future maintenance, refurbishment and upgrades specific aircraft will require over the course of our client’s ownership.  We also complete a thorough due diligence on the aircraft we are pursuing before our clients ever send an aircraft to a pre-purchase inspection.  We are committed to making sure that our clients start a project eyes wide-open.

Buyers need to understand the total cost, tax ramifications and process of owning, operating and maintaining prior to buying.  If a prospective buyer goes into the process with accurate expectations and good information, then owning and operating a corporate aircraft will be a positive experience.  Build a team of experts to help you establish accurate expectations before you buy.  Then, step in, complete your acquisition and enjoy your aircraft. If you have any questions contact Cristobal Aircraft Brokerage at (800) 408-0455 or visit us on the web at www.CristobalAircraftBrokerage.com.

Buying a used aircraft can be both an exciting and frustrating adventure for the first-time buyer, especially when attempting to purchase exclusive lines such as Gulfstream or Bombardier. Going through an aircraft broker can make buying a used jet relatively painless.

Aircraft brokers have resources and connections available to them which makes procuring an exclusive or nearly new aircraft much easier than going at it alone. They will contact sellers, provide detailed information, procure insurance, and potentially arrange a walk-through of the aircraft.  Most importantly, aircraft brokers can offer you an objective view of each aircraft.  By objective, I mean that brokers do not become “emotionally attached” to an aircraft.  They are able to peruse the various aircraft for sale, and aid the buyer in making an informed investment.

If you are in the market for a used aircraft, you will want to know about the interior configuration, how many potential passengers can be seated without renovation, the long range cruise speed, the cockpit avionics, the size of the engine and the nautical mile range. You will also want to know when it was last serviced and who performed it, as well as, have an aviation mechanic review the aircraft maintenance records and make a positive recommendation. Multi-million dollar purchases, especially for business acquisitions, require a great deal of research and due diligence. Aircraft brokers perform this for you, so you don’t have to worry about it.

Finally, when choosing an aircraft broker for your next aircraft purchase, make sure you choose a broker with the experience to insure that all of the above is meticulously covered. Cristobal Aircraft Brokerage has the global connections, experience, and service specialists to provide you with all the details necessary for you to make an informed purchase decision. Please call us at (800) 408-0455 / (805) 413-4650 or visit our website at www.CristobalAircraftBrokerage.com

The idea of an asking price is an interesting conversation in our industry.  Some people use them.  Others say “Make Offer”.  Many people believe that if you just say “Make Offer” a prospective buyer will have to call you to ask about the price and you will have a chance to engage them.  We, however, feel strongly that listing an aircraft for sale with an asking price helps a buyer focus on our clients’ aircraft.  They help buyers know that our sellers understand the market and have a generally accurate expectation of where their aircraft should sell.  I believe that having asking prices helps us elicit more phone calls than not having an asking price.  Of course, this only works when the seller really does have a sales price expectation that is aligned with the actual market conditions. In fast moving markets it is hard to set an official asking price because you don’t want to overprice the aircraft or sell it short of what the market might bear. Contact Cristobal Aircraft Brokerage today at (800) 408-0455 or go to www.CristobalAircraftBrokerage.com and let use help you with your next aircraft transaction.

You would think that with the rising price of oil, nobody would be renting charter aircraft. And yet business jet charters remain very popular, and even economical. Of course, they are not economical for everybody, but if you are a top executive, carrying on business while you fly around the country or around the globe to various meetings and events, the time savings and security of a business jet charter are incalculable.

Let’s face it, no technology offers the bonding opportunities that still is very much a part of making a deal, nor the ability to size up a potential business partner, like a face-to-face meeting. And where top business people go, there will always be private jet aircraft to take them. Call Cristobal Aircraft Brokerage at (800) 408-0455 or visit our website at www.CristobalAircraftBrokerage.com to setup you next flight.

If a company is not large enough to own its own business jet, rather than flying their CEO’s first-class, or even executive-class, on commercial flights in the public eye and within public hearing range, the increasing trend for small to mid-sized companies is to charter a private jet.

It may sound more expensive at first, but this can be an excellent business decision. The jet will leave when you want it to leave, and depart from, or arrive at, an airport of your choice, while avoiding the stress caused by long security delays. Furthermore, depending upon the amount of passengers, the actual price tag of chartering a business jet can be comparable to that of a scheduled commercial flight.  Call Cristobal Aircraft Brokerage at (800) 408-0455 or visit our website at www.CristobalAircraftBrokerage.com to setup your next flight.