Aviation News Archives

Jet Cards A La Carte

Private-jet customers are getting picky. They want more choice. “When you look at the aviation industry, everything looks the same, with love it or leave it terms,” says Anthony Tivnan, president and co-founder of jet operator Magellan Jets. And make sure to bring your lawyer along before crossing the “T’s” and dotting the “I’s” of that 30 to 50 pages of contract, he adds. (Even then, customers can wind up bloodied; for a horror story full of lessons, see “Fractional Fracas.”
“To be honest, we were following that same platform,” says Tivnan.

Tivnan and Hebert’s build-a-card is playing on a trend they spotted; a number of wealthy individuals owning planes are also buying more flight-time via a jet card. “Flyers are becoming a lot more savvy on efficiency, and are finding innovative ways to use ownership, fractional, and jet cards together,” Tivnan says. Among

Anthony Tivnan March 11, 2014

New World’s Largest Aircraft’s surprising luxury air travel potential

Credit: Airlander
Iron Maiden lead singer Bruce Dickinson is spearheading publicity for a radical new 300 foot long fuel efficient airship. The craft, known as the HAV304, will travel up to 100 mph for up to 3 weeks at a time carrying over 22,000 lbs of payload. It’s planned as a platform for cargo, surveillance, and communications with Dickinson touting its ability to drop its cargo “right where it needs to be.”

Anthony Tivnan March 3, 2014

Obese Pilots Now Required to Undergo Sleep Apnea Screenings

FAA recently announced a new policy that requires obese pilots (both commercial & private) to undergo sleep apnea screenings before receiving their medical certificate. Excess weight can increase the risk of some sleep disorders. If the pilot has a body mass index of 40 or greater they will be evaluated by a board certified sleep specialist for sleep apnea. Soon this policy will also extend to air traffic controller with a high BMI.

Anthony Tivnan December 3, 2013

Proposal to Lift Ban on Cellular Services on Commercial Flights

Mobile is an unstoppable force that continues to build strength in our society. Now mobile is set to transform the travel experience on commercial flights in the U.S. The Federal Communications Commission is considering a proposal to lift its ban on the use of cellular service use onboard. If the ban is lifted airline passengers will be stripped of their peace and quiet onboard. The proposal is intended to give passengers the same communication access in the air as they would find on buses or in a coffee shop.
In our hyper-connected world, everyone wants to be connected at all times, but who really wants to be trapped next to some chatter box on their phone the entire trip? Amtrak railways have created “Quiet Cars” for those travelers who don’t want to be stuck next to chatty Cathy and Psychologist Patricia Wallace hopes the collective agreement that enforces the quiet in quiet cars on Amtrak would help keep the volume down on aircraft. If “Quiet Seats” are created onboard the commercial aircraft, I am sure those special seats won’t come without a nice little fee too.
I know this next statement is pretty obvious, but if you were to charter your own jet…guess what you wouldn’t have to deal with? That’s right, the gabbing stranger crammed next to you.

Anthony Tivnan November 25, 2013

CitationAir, Avantair, Flexjet…What’s next?

It’s pretty obvious that if you are flying privately, business is fluid and the economy seems to be making its next leg up. So why did Avantair go bankrupt? Why is CitationAir winding down operations? Why did Flight Options buy Flexjet?

Joshua Marc Hebert October 8, 2013

Will the Government Shutdown Impact Aviation?

Many federal workers woke up Tuesday morning, October 1st, to find out they had been forced onto unpaid furlough. The House and Senate couldn’t agree on a bill to fund the government, and time has run out. So, it’s shutdown time.

Joshua Marc Hebert October 2, 2013

NEW Learjet 75 Due to Debut at EBACE

Bombardier’s new Learjet 75 jet came to life for the first time last month. Bombardier on Friday announced the first production model of its new Learjet 75 will debut this month at the European Business Aviation Conference and Exhibition in Geneva, Switzerland. The new Learjet 75 soars high above the competition, literally. This brand new private jet is an upgraded version of the Learjet 45. The new design was first announced at EBACE in May 2012, along with the Learjet 70, an upgraded version of the Learjet 40. This year we will see it come to life!

Joshua Marc Hebert May 14, 2013

World’s Fastest Civilian Aircraft Revealed- The New Citation X

Cessna announced this week that the first updated production Citation X has emerged from the factory hangar in Wichita, Kansas. In 2010, Cessna announced plans for an update to the Citation X that would be called the Citation Ten, later deciding upon the “new Citation X” as the name for the updated model. They plan to reclaim their crown as the world’s fastest civilian aircraft with the “New Citation X”. “Speed is the reason for flight. It was true for Clyde Cessna in 1927, and it’s true today,” said Scott Ernest, Cessna CEO. “The Citation X is the perfect aircraft for customers wanting to move faster, be more efficient and get where they need to be more quickly than ever before.”

Joshua Marc Hebert April 17, 2013

TEB Construction Closure Schedule

To all concerned,
Monday has a full day Runway 6/24 closure scheduled. In addition to the normal maintenance work the tree cutter is topping tree penetrations in the visual surface area within the RPZ. There is also a half day closure for 1/19 on Wednesday. Please take a moment to review the attached update for all additional information. Airport maintenance continues, requiring Runway and or Taxiway closures as follows:

Joshua Marc Hebert April 12, 2013

First Solar-Powered Aircraft to Cross the U.S.

The world’s first solar-powered aircraft, Solar Impulse, will attempt to fly coast to coast across the U.S. The Solar Impulse is set to complete its next challenge starting in May, and by 2015 they hope to fly a similar aircraft around the world! The plane is expected to make stops at a few major airports along its journey, so the pilots can display and discuss the aircraft with reporters, students, engineers and aviation enthusiasts. The Solar Impulse has 12,000 solar cells built into its 193-foot wings to charge its batteries and allowing it to fly day and night. That’s longer than an entire Boeing 747 airplane but it weighs just 3,500 lb, less than a car. It is powered by four electric motors. The single-seat private aircraft cruises around 40 mph and can’t fly through clouds. It travels so slow that sometimes when it turns into the wind, it appears to float in place on radar screens, or occasionally even slide backward. The makers recognize that solar will never power commercial flights, but this flight was meant to push people’s assumptions about what solar technology can do.

Joshua Marc Hebert April 1, 2013

Magellan Jets Acquires SkyBridge Private Air to Meet Demand on West Coast

Leading East Coast private jet broker merges with West Coast charter pioneer; expanding their National presence to meet members’ needs
BOSTON, MA – February 20, 2013 – Magellan Jets, leader in private aviation, announced the acquisition of California-based SkyBridge Private Air. SkyBridge is the pioneer of on-demand charter, ranked Best-of-the Best by the “Robb Report.” SkyBridge’s founders, Jason Moskowitz and Michael Napoliello, were the first to introduce the non-committal on-demand charter program to the market which they called their “One-Way-OK!” service. Magellan is excited to grow and manage SkyBridge’s charter department by now offering aircraft availability with as little as ten hours’ notice, an average aircraft age of five years or less, and expert concierge service 24 hours a day/365 days a year. Additionally, Magellan will offer SkyBridge clients membership services including 25 Hour Jet Cards and their exclusive 10 Hour VLJ Card. These are simplistic and flexible product-based alternatives that SkyBridge’s clientele have been seeking.

Joshua Marc Hebert March 14, 2013

Boston Logan Airport Remains Closed through Saturday

Photo courtesy Boston Globe/David L. Ryan
Boston’s Logan airport remains closed in the aftermath of the blizzard Friday and Saturday. The storm, named Nemo, dumped as much as 28″ of snow on some parts of Massachusetts with wind gusts up to 85 mph. The FAA closed Logan airport around 1:30PM on Friday, and it will remain closed until 11:00PM on Saturday night to allow ground crews time to clear off runways, taxiways, and ramps.

Joshua Marc Hebert February 9, 2013

Take a Tour of the Highly Anticipated Learjet 85

Take a Look at the Highly Anticipated Learjet 85
Anticipation has been growing since the day Bombardier announced the clean-sheet design of Learjet 85 revolutionary business jet. It does not get any newer then this aircraft! The Learjet 85 fits in between the midsize and supersize spectrum of private jets. The jet will be capable of cruising at about 600 mph, but the most impressive stat is its ability to fly at least 3,000 miles with up to four passengers. It flies faster and farther than any Learjet ever built.
The plush aircraft is also decked out with the newest and most advanced avionics. Designed to enhance pilot performance, the jet includes a synthetic vision system for use in low-visibility conditions and a paperless cockpit that relies on iPads to call up navigation charts.
The Learjet 85 and two other new Learjet models, the smaller Learjets 70 and 75, are expected to be available next year, according to Bombardier. The aircraft is being assembled at Bombardier’s plant in Wichita, Kan.

Passenger Seat – 8 passengers / 2 crew
Range – 3,000 nm / 5,556 km
Engines – Two PW207B
Typical Cruise Speed – 0.82 Mach
Maximum Certified Altitude – 49,000 ft / 14,935 m
Cabin Height – 5.92 ft / 1.80 m
Cabin Width – 6.08 ft / 1.85 m
Cabin Length – 25 ft / 7.62 m
Cabin Volume – 665 cu ft / 18.80 cu m
Length – 68.15 ft / 20.77 m
Height – 19.21 ft / 5.86 m
Wingspan – 61.48 ft / 18.74 m
Max Takeoff Weight – 33,500 lb / 15,195 kg
Max Zero Fuel Weight – 24,200 lb / 10,977 kg

Joshua Marc Hebert December 19, 2012

Learjet 85 Receives Its First Set of Wings

Joshua Marc Hebert November 26, 2012

An Inside Look at the Amazing Gulfstream G650

When it comes to private jets, Gulfstream is the king of the hill. With the G650, set to hit the skies in the next few

Joshua Marc Hebert November 12, 2012

Gulfstream G650 Private Jet Certified by FAA

Gulfstream announced on Friday that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has granted a type certificate for their new, ultra-long-range G650 business jet. This means the

Joshua Marc Hebert September 7, 2012

Cessna and Gulfstream Enter Private Jet Speed Race

The Cessna Citation Ten

Joshua Marc Hebert August 30, 2012

Bell Helicopter 429’s Petition Denied for Weight Limit Exemption

Bell Helicopter’s petition for an exemption to the normal category Part 27 weight limit of 7,000 pounds was recently denied. If it had passed, the

Joshua Marc Hebert August 24, 2012

A Relentless Helicopter in Every Sense of the Word

Bell Helicopters recently embarked on a mission to redefine the super-medium product class of executive helicopters. To do so, Bell engineers had to design a

Joshua Marc Hebert August 5, 2012

Bombardier Ceasing Learjet 60XR Production

Although Bombardier’s Learjet 60XR is still being marketed, they have temporarily halted production. They are also evaluating the positions of the 275 individuals who have

Joshua Marc Hebert August 1, 2012

Ditch the Freeways and Hit the Airways

All of us at one point or another have wished our land-locked vehicles could sprout wings and soar above the traffic on the way to

Anthony Tivnan April 9, 2012

Private Aviation Sets a Course for China

China has one of the fastest growing economies in the world and the need to support that growth with private business jets is being crippled

Anthony Tivnan March 30, 2012

Private Jets are Making a Comeback

The “Great Recession” of 2008 was a dagger in the heart for the private jet industry and resulted in many individuals and corporations resorting to

Anthony Tivnan March 19, 2012

The Aerotroplis Concept

The world’s airports are the lifeblood of the transportation industry and the foundation of international and domestic commerce. Airports link the country and the world

Joshua Marc Hebert March 1, 2012

Magellan Jets Blog & News