Learn to Fly Private

Welcome to the 12th edition of "Learn to Fly Private". When I created a poll on Twitter/X to ask if anyone would read a newsletter about private aviation, I never imagined that it would resonate like this, and I am truly honored. I believe fully that creating transparency in the private aviation space is important. If I can help you take the next step in your private aviation journey, whether that is chartering an airplane for the first time or buying an airplane, I want to help. If you want to have a conversation, booking a call is easy using this link. I don't charge you, its free!

If you're new, first of all welcome! Second, you can see the past 11 issues of this newsletter here in case you missed any.

As always, I love your feedback and I want to make this stuff useful. Reply to this email or DM me on X at @prestonholland6.

Now let's dive in...

The Truth Behind Flying Safely

Many conversations I have had with newsletter subscribers and X followers has been behind flying safely. The number one priority in any private aviation flight is arriving safely at your destination, whether that is with business colleagues or with your family. There is a common misconception around private aviation that it is inherently less safe than commercial aviation. This may be true in some situations, but there are proxies you can use as a consumer to ensure that you and other passengers arrive safely at your destination.

Selecting a Safe Operator

Private aviation is littered with alphabet soup and language that tends to be confusing to the average consumer. This is due to the many regulations created by the government to keep private fliers safe. For instance, SMS stands for Safety Management Systems. There are many other stipulations to be a safe charter operator, but as an on-demand charter flier or a fractional flier, there are a few proxies that will help instill confidence in the broker or operator that you fly with.

ARGUS Certification

ARGUS (Air Research Group United States) is a private company that independently audits companies based off their safety standards for jet charter operators. This is inclusive of the companies that operate the jets as well as brokers that facilitate jet charters. It is a proxy for creating trust in the private aviation industry. Any operator that you use may have the following:

• Argus Gold
  • An operating certificate of at least a year.
  • A historical safety analysis.
  • An aircraft operational control validation.
  • A pilot background check.
  • At least one turbine aircraft on certificate.
• Argus Gold+
  • ARGUS on-site safety audit or registration with the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations.​
  • The audit must result in uncorrected findings​
• Argus Platinum
  • Have an emergency response plan ​
  • A functioning safety management system (SMS)
  • The emergency response plan must be clear and easy to follow, and the safety management system must be well-developed.

ARGUS Certified Brokers

Finding a broker that you can trust takes effort, and if you need a recommendation I can provide an ARGUS certified broker for you. This will keep you from going to the "Wild West" of charter brokers. To become an ARGUS certified broker, you must be evaluated based on:

• Financial reports,
• policy and procedure manuals
• Insurance filings, and other documents
• ARGUS conducted on-site audit, including interviews, management analyses, and an evaluation of organizational processes

Wyvern Wingman Certification

The Wyvern Wingman certification has stringent rules around being an operator. When selecting an operator, you can also use this as a proxy as it requires the following:

• Minimum piloting hours.
• An initial audit, including an on-site, two-day safety advisor visit.
• Follow-up audits every 24 months.
• Regular updates about operational changes.

My Take

When evaluating a charter operator or a charter broker, it is important to find one that takes safety as the top priority. This is not an exhaustive list of the different safety standards to evaluate your private flying, but they are the two most common. There are many operators and brokers that only care about making money, between 3-15% on the trip that you book. When evaluating who is going to fly you, your business partners, or your family, it is important to look for these key proxies when selecting a partner to fly privately. At the end of the day, flying private has risks and paying for trusted partners could be the difference between arriving safely and not. Many private aviation flights take off daily with safe outcomes, and I don't think its worth the risk to fly with an operator that is holding themselves to a safety record or a safety system that will keep you safe.

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Until next week,

Preston Holland

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