Private Charter Jet Safety

One aspect of a private chartered jet, you will not have to be concerned about is safety. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has strict standards that all private jet companies must follow. You can see what they are by asking to see the FAA’s air taxi certification.

Part 135

The federal guideline that ensures all safety regulations are met is called Part 135 of the Federal Aviation Administration aircraft certification process. It is designed to establish and enforce safety standards for jets that have less than nine seats. All jet aircraft and their parent charter firms have to meet these standards for the planes to be deemed safe for flight.

Evaluation Areas

The final step in becoming Part 135 certified is that the plane and crew are thoroughly evaluated by inspectors. Areas inspected include:

  • The components of the aircraft
  • Flight control
  • Airline facilities
  • Record keeping
  • Pilot experience and certification
  • Crew experience and certification
  • Emergency procedures
  • Maintenance routines

Some safety areas to highlight are:

Insurance: $25 million insurance limits are common for a smaller aircraft; $50 million for mid-size and about $100 million for the large or “heavy” jets. If you want, you can ask to see proof of coverage.

Pilot and Crew: The pilot and crew are the most important aspects of flying in a jet. The pilot needs to have about 3,000 hours of total flying time and 300 hours of flying time on the specific aircraft they are in charge of. Often, top private charter jet company pilots have up to 9,000 total hours of flying time!

Part 135 further insures the pilot’s qualifications to operate the aircraft. Their certification inspection includes the training and safety record of the pilot and crew.

On-Site Safety Audits: By having regular inspections by independent auditors, the charter jet company will exceed Part 135 charter requirements. Ask the company you are chartering a jet with if they do that.

Private charter jet safety is something all charter jet companies take very seriously.