solairus aviation blog

By Tom Benvenuto - VP Flight OPS -

An external audit is a review of Solairus Aviation’s overall private charter jet operation by individuals not affiliated with the company. External audits play a major role in the validation of our core private jet safety and operational values as they are conducted by outside individuals with unbiased opinions.

Solairus is externally audited on a biannual basis with the goal being certification for ARG/US Platinum ratings and IS-BAO (International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations) standards. These are the most extensive and important external audits the company experiences. Additionally, Solairus is occasionally audited by other charter operators, as well as major corporations with existing flight departments who wish to utilize the Solairus private charter jet fleet for supplemental lift.

Audits for ARG/US Platinum and IS-BAO utilize a code of best practices designed to help flight departments worldwide achieve a high level of safety and professionalism. At the core of IS-BAO and the ARG/US Platinum standards lies the requirements for a comprehensive and effective aviation Safety Management System (SMS).

The auditor’s efforts during this multi-day event does more than factually determine compliance against a set of very high standards. Their audit also produces an educational and relative analysis of Solairus’ daily practices and procedures compared to those which have proven themselves effective in all aspects of flight operation.

These coveted internationally recognized independent ratings prove Solairus’ commitment to the highest levels of safety and professionalism within the private charter jet industry.

Solairus Aviation is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area and has over twenty-five base locations across the United States and Europe. With a fleet of nearly 50 managed aircraft, Solairus is one of only 97 Aviation Research Group/US Platinum-rated charter operators in the world. After completion of an intense operations and safety systems audit, the ARG/US Platinum rating is awarded to those who have demonstrated that their procedures meet or exceed industry “Best Practices” in all phases. Solairus has also received the NBAA Commercial Business Flying Safety Award and is an IS-BAO certified company. Solairus offers a full range of services in addition to aircraft management, which includes aircraft charter sales, aviation support services, and consulting. For more information about Solairus Aviation, please visit www.solairusaviation.com or call 800-359-7861.

 

Taking a private jet charter to Singapore? Stay at the super Naumi hotel in the heart of the city. Check out the amazing rooftop views from the hotel before cycling the length of the beach – the perfect way to work up an appetite before heading to the famous Raffles for their famous brunch.

From Singapore you can take another private jet to Bangkok– and check out the new SLH hotel there, the Siam, set to open this summer. It is going to be fantastic! One of the slickest arrivals on the Bangkok scene, its suites are huge and super stylish.

And if you have time on your tour of Asia, charter a private jet to Beijing to see another brand new hotel, the Éclat Beijing, also pinned to open this summer and part of the architecturally striking Parkview Green in the Chaoyang district.

For a taste of traditional China, you could also stay at the tranquil Han’s Royal Garden Hotel.

This boutique hotel will offer an amazing personal packing service courtesy of its excellent butlers – making heading home or to your next destination a breeze!

Solairus proudly employs some of the finest aviation professionals in the industry. Our aircrew members are not only extremely experienced and qualified aviators, they understand their significance in our service delivery model. They are willing and able to deal with just about any situation presented. Our crews are passionate about delivering quality service and are empowered to act in order to ensure every flight arrives safely and with every client need met.

Call 800-359-7861 today to discuss your travel plans and explore what private air charter can do for you.

 

Los Angeles is the perfect private jet destination for those wanting to unwind in style. With many excellent hotels, leisure activities and dining options for visitors to choose from, you’ll find Los Angeles offers something for every taste.

Here is a look at one of the best places to stay while in town. The Peninsula Beverly Hills offers private jet travelers a pleasant break from the downtown bustle. The hotel is tucked away in Beverly Hills and features a beautiful Renaissance interior design. Travelers will enjoy the added attention to detail as the rooms have bathtubs made of Italian marble and the sitting area has a fireplace, which serves as an elegant accent to the room. The service is superb as they have a full service spa and a rooftop swimming pool. The hotel also has upscale dining options and they offer limo service around Beverly Hills. For private jet travelers looking for the best in luxury, this is the ideal destination.

While in Los Angeles, travelers will also want to check out the many fine dining options available. Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar provides diners with an amazing array of wine selections in a fine dining environment. Guests will enjoy selecting from their award winning collection of 100 wines. Additionally, the restaurant has multiple course meals sure to please any palate. Their service is superb as they also have private dinning options, which is perfect for small and large groups.

The Ivy has a reputation for the many famous stars of the stage and screen that frequent there. Along with this diners will enjoy a vibrant atmosphere with attentive service. The food selections are decadent and rivals fare you would find at any fine dining location. For its exclusiveness, this is a necessary destination for travelers.

For shoppers looking for the best in high end retailing, Los Angeles has you covered. Obviously the most popular spot to visit is the legendary Rodeo Drive. There shoppers can select from top end stores such as Missoni, Prada, Tiffany & Co. and Louis Vuitton.

Beverly Boulevard also has an excellent assortment of top end brand stores. Here shoppers can visit Stella McCartney who displays her entire clothing line in a 1920s style cottage. For diamond lovers, they’ll want to stop by Erica Courtney, who is one of the best jewelry stores in the city. Lastly, vintage shoppers that enjoy the old school looks will want to visit Re-Mix as they feature top shoe styles from the 1920s-1950s.

If you are looking to take a break from it all, Los Angeles offers the best in leisure activities. For starters, private jet travelers who want to see Hollywood in style can do so with private limousine tours. This is a great way to check out all the hot spots around town while traveling in a luxury vehicle.

Other leisure activities include golfing on championship level golf courses such as Rancho Park Golf Club. Visitors can tour Los Angeles and the surrounding communities from the air on a private plane or they can go luxury boating on the ocean.

As you can see, Los Angeles offers much in the way of luxury experiences. For private charter jet travelers looking for a great time, the city has many exclusive ways to make your experience a memorable one.

 

‘I’ll be right back with your chocolate-covered strawberries,’ said the butler. Ten minutes later, there he was, with a small plate of two perfect berries. Every night, guests at the Windsor Arms Hotel are surprised with a different treat at turndown! There are no mints on your pillow here! It’s a wonderful treat whilst you’re curled up in bed, basking in the most delicious aroma that can be smelled throughout the hotel.

Into the candlelit lobby the next night, to our delight we returned to a warm suite with a beautifully decorated plate of biscotti, adorned by a picture of a wine glass, made of chocolate.

It’s not just the special evening treats which makes a charter jet trip to Toronto memorable. Windsor Arms Hotel is an ode of neo-Gothic architecture. Set in the heart of Toronto’s cultural centre amongst the city’s oldest buildings, this charming hotel offers spacious suites, elegant dining and superb spa facilities… fit for a King or Queen! How about a dip by the fireside indoor pool?  After a hard day of shopping in the hub of Yorkville at the designer boutiques, and pottering around the museums and art galleries, this is a perfect place to unwind, relax and put your feet up!

During your charter jet trip, you must experience afternoon tea or dine at Prime, a steakhouse that is a popular choice of the locals. Tea at the Windsor Arms has been a complete afternoon of indulgence for guests.  There’s a selection of teas from Russian Caravan to Sencha to a delightful range of yummy sandwiches and seductive-handmade pastries… you can even select the tea room that best suits you! Choose from the purple room, swathed with deep purple valances or a more traditional French-style setting. Regardless of what you choose, high tea here will certainly be experience to remember!

There is so much this charming hotel offers and is perfect for both business or pleasure charter jet trips. Have fun!

 

Any private jet vacation to the fabled island of Manhattan begins with imagination. Everything is available at the snap of a finger. It is inconceivable that you should arrive in this wonderland in anything less than formidable style.

As you can imagine, a chartered private jet flight to Manhattan is exciting but it also affords a particularly freeing experience. For starters, simply ignore the schedules of the airlines. Set your itinerary and then change it at the last minute if you so desire. Nothing can come between you and your convenience.

Secondly, completely bypass the traffic and crushing lines at any airport. Most private jets fly out of less congested regional airports where security and confidentiality are prized. There is never any need to check your person or you bags!.

The trip, itself, is also under your absolute control. Meals, beverages and entertainment will easily surpass those on the best commercial airlines and can be completely customized to your needs. Every private jet trip to the center of New York City is special but here are a few suggestions.

For a Special Couple - Five Restaurants in Five Days

It has been suggested that the business of N.Y.C. is business but we disagree. It is, in fact, in the business of pleasure. If you are looking to wine and dine that special person who loves everything culinary, a trip to the Big Apple and its magnificent panoply of five star restaurants is the answer. The restaurants of Manhattan include the likes of such legendary establishments as Bouley, La Grenouille, Le Bernardin, and Aureole. Paris, Tokyo and London rival but do not exceed the culinary delights of this singular city.

Private jet travel is a singularly rewarding experience. It sets the bar high for the ensuing vacation but it also provides extreme comfort, ultimate convenience and unsurpassed safety and security. Start you vacation with your loved one on the best possible footing. There are no limits to the destinations or adventures to where a private jet charter can take you.

With nearly 50 private jets in Solairus Aviation’s fleet, the Client Services, Flight Operations, Accounting , and Maintenance departments know how to process a new contract quickly and effectively to get our latest Solairus clients flying safely as soon as possible.

In this two part article, we'll learn how Solairus' departments work together to get a new private jet added to the fleet. To read part 1, please click here.

Here's how they do it:

ACCOUNTING by Mark Dennen

Accounting’s role in bringing on new private jet  is setting up workable policies and procedures while providing customer service to employees and clients.

Once the management contract is signed, accounting creates a new bank account for the private jet and works with the client to provide the required documents to  bank personnel. The operating deposit requirement is then sent to the client with their new bank wire instructions.    This quickly puts into motion the internal requirements for properly accounting for the aircraft’s costs by the following tasks:

- Establishing the tail number in the accounting software system.

- General Ledger accounts are set up for the bank account, operating deposits.

- Getting the employees set up on ExpenseWatch for electronic expense reporting.

- Facilitate with base personnel and vendors in getting accounts set up specific to the private jet.

- Vendor database is updated with new vendors utilized by the private jet for processing payments.

- Fuel cards ordered by client services and cards to be sent by accounting to base personnel.

Once the private jet has been on-boarded, the accounting department works very closely with flight operations, client services, payroll, and HR to ensure all flight support personnel have a full understanding of the essential procedures in providing the post-flight paperwork, base approval of vendor invoices, and expense reports and time sheets for contract crew members. Employees are then instructed to address accounting issues and submit paperwork to their designated accountant for the private jet. 

MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT by Rene Cervantes

Solairus Aviation’s Maintenance Department plays a vital role in ensuring that all fleet aircraft are operated and maintained to the highest industry standards. Safety, regulatory compliance, and passenger comfort are the primary responsibilities and focus of the maintenance department. The process starts with an intensive inspection of the private jet and the associated maintenance records, and a complete maintenance history is validated to ensure conformance with domestic and international regulations. Additionally, safety equipment and aircraft provisions are reviewed and passenger entertainment and convenience items are appointed at the aircraft owner’s discretion. Concurrent with the compliance inspection, a dedicated maintenance technician is selected to oversee and perform ongoing scheduled maintenance inspections. Qualified candidates are put through a rigorous process to ensure that only the most qualified individual is selected. The maintenance department also assists in establishing the required vendor accounts necessary to operate and maintain the aircraft.

To read part 1, please click here.

With nearly 50 private jets in Solairus Aviation’s fleet, the Client Services, Flight Operations, Accounting , and Maintenance departments know how to process a new contract quickly and effectively to get our latest Solairus clients flying safely as soon as possible.

In a two part article, we'll learn how Solairus' departments work together to get a new private jet added to the fleet.

Here's how they do it:

CLIENT SERVICES by Linda Holmes

Once the executive management team initiates the contract negotiation process with the prospective managed client, a CRO, Flight Coordinator, and Client Services Director are all assigned as the main points of contact for the life of the account. As Solairus’ start-up coordinator, Rosanna Rutherford works with the team assigned to the new account and initiates the internal on-boarding process.

With the CRO’s approval, a heads-up notice is sent to all office personnel to confirm Solairus is close to having a contract signed. This is an important step in the private jet on-boarding process as there are many tasks that must begin prior to having the contract signed. Once the CRO confirms that the management contract has been signed, the new contract notice is sent out to all personnel that sets an extensive three page, multi-departmental checklist in motion. A start-up conference call is conducted to streamline communication and ensure each department is aware of their specific role in the start-up procedure, all client/crew expectations, and the timeline/sequence of events.

Client services’ role is to work closely with the CAM and crew (if there is one assigned) and welcome them to Solairus while acting as the liaison between departments. In addition to providing the CAM and crew with company information and tools for success, client services sets up the initial training classes and works as the point of contact for the CAM on anything and everything that they may need. If the aircraft does not have an assigned crew, client services works with part time pilots and vendor companies to temporarily staff the aircraft while recruiting and hiring the long-term crew.

FLIGHT OPERATIONS by Tom Benvenuto

When Flight Operations receives the go ahead for adding a private jet, there are multiple tasks which must be accomplished to get the aircraft on the Part 135 certificate or approved for Part 91 operation in a timely and orderly fashion. The first thing Flight Operations looks at when adding a new aircraft is crew staffing. Are we dealing with an aircraft that has a dedicated crew, or are we starting from scratch where we have to go out and hire all new personnel? Sometimes it takes a considerable amount of time in order to find qualified and competent pilots that fit the client profile. This can often be the most difficult obstacle in the process as we need to find the right chemistry between client and crew.

Once the crew is selected, we have to get them trained. Typically training involves company indoctrination and simulator training in order to qualify the individual as a crew member on a Solairus aircraft. The time frame for “spooling-up” a crew can take anywhere from 30 to 90 days depending on whether it is a 91 or 135 aircraft and whether the crew came qualified on the aircraft already. If the aircraft is not on the 135 certificate, obtaining the required Letters of Authorizations, RVSM, and Special Airspace Authorization is necessary, which can take weeks of working with the FAA.

Careful consideration and attention to detail are extremely important in making sure all the i’s are dotted and the t’s are crossed in order to expedite the process of adding a private jet to the Solairus Aviation team.

Click here to read part 2, Accounting and Maintenance!

Are you the type of person that demands luxury and comfort? Is convenience and saving time high on your priority list? Would you like to fly exclusively by yourself or with your friends, family, or business associates? If you answered yes to these questions, then a private jet may be the perfect solution for you.

Private jets are ready and available when you are, you literarly control the departure time! You will not have to search, hope, and pray to find a flight that fits into your schedule. You will not have to get to the airport, two to three hours prior to your flight and become a part of the cattle-call security line; the unpacking and packing of your laptop, keys, cell phones and cameras, and the removing of your belt, jacket and shoes. You will be able to pull directly up to your plane, fully clothed, with your luggage in tow and take off on your schedule. Plus, private jets are also able to land at smaller airports closer to your destination, saving you even more time on your trip

You can attend a meeting in Los Angeles for breakfast, a meeting in Houston for lunch, and then still arrive back home for dinner in Chicago, all in one day!

Private jet charters also offer unprecedented comfort and privacy. You will fly with a variety of requested amenities including open wet bars, gourmet meals, and even in-flight movies of your choice. With on-board WiFi, satellite phones, and faxes, you will be able to conduct business during your flight as well.

A private jet charter is the only way to travel when you insist upon the very best. If luxury, comfort and style are what you prefer, then a private jet charter is defintely for you.

Solairus’ uniquely experienced charter jet sales team represents decades of knowledge in coordinating a diverse range of private travel requests for corporations and individuals through our global network of aircraft.  Our unbeatable personal service and rigorous commitment to safety make Solairus the clear choice for discriminating travelers.

To learn more about charter jet travel, click below to sign up for our upcoming private aviation seminar.