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Private aviation

Private aviation has become increasingly popular, and with the added issues in commercial flying, more people are considering private travel. They find that there are many benefits to flying private, including:

Saves time

SAVES TIME

Productivity

INCREASES
PRODUCTIVITY

Flexible

HIGHLY CONVENIENT /
FLEXIBLE

Service

QUALITY OF
SERVICE

Adds family time

ADDS
FAMILY TIME

Privacy

ENHANCES
PRIVACY

Reduce stress

REDUCES
STRESS

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ELEVATES
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The options to consider

As you navigate access to private and business aircraft, you’ll find several ways to fly privately. SherpaReport is your guiding compass, offering insights, a wealth of information, and expert advice to clarify the complexities of private aviation. Your decision-making will be empowered, whether you are researching for personal, family, or corporate use. The array of options might seem overwhelming, with substantial financial investments at stake. However, our comprehensive research will equip you with the knowledge to make informed choices, ultimately saving you valuable time and money.

You’ll find detailed information about the four main ways to access private aircraft:

Charters

CHARTERS

Jet Crads and memberships

JET CARDS &
MEMBERSHIPS

fractional ownership

FRACTIONAL
OWNERSHIP

Full ownership

FULL OWNERSHIP

Number of hours you fly

When choosing which option to use, a key consideration will be how many hours a year you fly. If you only fly a few hours a year, then on-demand aircraft charters are probably the best way to go. As your number of hours of private flying increases, jet cards & memberships start looking more interesting. Once you reach about 50 hours of flying a year, then fractional aircraft ownership can start to make sense. Above about 300 hours per year, whole ownership is worth looking into. The hours aren't the only factor but they are an important element.

Once you’ve chosen how you’ll access private aircraft, you’ll have many more decisions to make: what type of plane and which provider, being the main ones. Dive into the sections below, download the complimentary Guide to Private Aviation or sign-up to become a SherpaReport member for detailed help navigating through your choices.

Guide to Private Aviation

Guide to Private Aviation

To obtain an overview of the different options to access private aviation, including detailed information on charters, jet cards & memberships, fractional ownership, and full ownership, start with our free Guide to Private Aviation. There's 30 pages of introduction, explanation, comparison and pros and cons to get you up to speed.

Charters

For infrequent flyers, or for those needing to supplement a jet-card, fraction or owned plane, then on-demand aircraft charters are a good option. With this method of private aviation, you reserve and use an aircraft on an as-needed basis. You simply pay for the individual charter flight. The price will vary based on the type of aircraft, the distance of the trip, the age of the aircraft, whether it’s a one-way or round-trip flight, market demand, as well as other factors, and you will likely pay for the flight ahead of the departure.

Charters

Jet cards & memberships

Jet cards & memberships can be structured in a couple of different ways. They may be plane specific, in which you buy a certain number of hours in a certain size of aircraft e.g., 25 hours in a light jet. Twenty-five hours is the standard amount of time, but you can buy as little as five hours or as much as 100 hours.

They can also be deposit based, in which you put down a deposit on future flights. When you request an aircraft, the service provider then supplies the required plane from their own fleet or charters one on the open charter market. Members pay agreed flat hourly rates for flight time which are deducted from their deposit. These locked-in hourly rates vary according to aircraft size and potentially whether a trip is one way or round trip.

Jet Cards and membership

Fractional ownership

If you fly privately at least 50 hours a year, fractional ownership starts to make sense. Buying a fractional aircraft share means you are paying for part ownership of a specific plane. You will be allocated an amount of flying time based on the size of your share, and usually ranging between 50 - 400 hours of flight time annually. You can buy a share of light jets through ultra-long-range jets and some companies offer shares in turboprops and helicopters.

Fractional ownership

Whole ownership

Whole aircraft ownership offers many benefits: the plane is equipped and outfitted to your requirements, is always available when you need it, comes with your own crew and provides that unique feeling of ownership. It can start to make sense financially when you fly more than about 300 hours a year. However, whole ownership comes with many costs and responsibilities to consider.

Full ownership
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SherpaReport Membership

Get the latest, updated data and insights on the leading fractional jet programs, leading private jet card and membership programs, and the top-rated charter operators. This information is critical for both first-time buyers and experienced private flyers.

Leverage 20 years of knowledge and insights fromSherpaReport Analysts and request a bespoke analysis tailored to your flying needs. Access all this data and information to save you thousands of dollars and hours of research time. Your Membership also includes the Aircraft Buying Guide with multiple pages of insights, information and data for anyone considering or interested in buying a plane. You will be a more educated and smarter buyer. Membership is just $390 for a full year.

Aircraft Buying Guide