NBAA Chooses Autism Charity Founder for 2025 Business Aviation Top 40 Under 40 Award
Each year the NBAA selects its Top 40 Under 40 Award recipients. Aviation industry members nominate candidates based on leadership, innovation, and community contributions. These nominations are then reviewed by the NBAA YoPro Council and NBAA staff. The NBAA Chooses Autism Charity Founder for 2025 Business Aviation Top 40 Under 40 Award.
Antonio Ferrara is the Founder and Executive Director of Aviators for Autism and has been selected as an award recipient.
His aviation beginnings:
His career in aviation began in ground ops then onto:
- Shift manager
- Training manager
- Procurement
- Staffing
- Quality Control
- Pilot Training
Then ultimately his own charter brokerage.
His new mission is to create employment opportunities in the aviation industry for neurodiverse individuals. His recent venture, The Allied Jet Agency, began as a franchisee of Stratos Jets and is now expanding by building partnerships with autism and neurodiverse advocacy organizations.
Aviators for Autism’s core mission is to expose, educate, and empower these individuals through aviation.
In his own words, “I started my own charter brokerage, an independent franchise of Stratos Jets Charters, with a simple mission: to provide other professionals with opportunities to pivot, grow or enter the charter sales space. We’re creating the industry’s first charter flight desk run by a neurodiverse workforce, allowing them a structured, inclusive working environment to thrive in.”
He has built the team up to 12 “Private Flight Advisors” and is beginning new marketing strategies with our friends over at Aviation Marketing Experts.
With so many career opportunities in aviation including dispatchers, engineers, even aircraft detailers, it seems the sky is the limit.
Just as SpaceX is doing at high schools in Florida, aviation companies can work with schools for developmentally disabled and gifted individuals. By identifying talented people at a younger age, their future could be working in training, engineering, or even aircraft manufacturing.
Aviators for Autism has held multiple events in the Farmingdale NY area. A “Trunk or Treat” event is planned for October 26th at Westhampton Beach, NY.
The plan is to expand events to Florida, where The Allied Jet Agency is based. Aircraft Guys is looking at possible collaborative events with the nonprofit in 2026.
NBAA Chooses Autism Charity Founder for 2025 Business Aviation Top 40 Under 40 Award
2026 Boca Raton Airport Charity Events Dates
There are a number of great things happening with Aircraft Guys Events. As we had mentioned in a previous post, we’re planning more South Florida events. With that said, the 2026 Boca Raton Airport charity events dates are now planned.
The biggest challenge with having events at BCT is that there are TFR (Temporary Flight Restrictions) in place when President Trump is in town. With Airforce One on the ground at PBI, there is a 10-mile radius restriction that permits only police and military aircraft to travel in the restricted area.
Significant traffic is diverted to BCT, according to Signature Aviation General Manager, Robert Murphy. He said in a recent call with Jorge, “All of our slots are taken up when [he] is in town”.
This also has an impact on when events can be held. Based on this we will be scheduling two events between May 15 and September 30, 2026, at the Signature Aviation FBO. Additional air conditioning will be brought in to the hangers should the weather be hot.
Additionally, with the Wings, Wheels and Fashion events no longer being held there, these dates will be an opportunity to attend charity events at this well-known venue.
If you have a charity that is trying to raise money, please contact us at events@aircraftguys.com or (407)-501-5054. We still have not finalized the charities we will be helping for 2026.
Some event updates:
There are still some sponsor and event slots open for Fort Lauderdale:
- November 6th to help Angel Flight Southeast. Sponsorships start as low as $500 for that event.
- We will also be having an event at the Miami Opa-Locka Executive Airport in 2026. We’re still working on finalizing a venue. Stay tuned for more information on that. Chris and Jorge will be at the NBAA event being held there in February.
And if you have a story for us, please reach out to me at alicia@aircraftguys.com or call us at our main number and press option 2.
And thank you for all your support.
Check out our events at Events.AircraftGuys.com.
2026 Boca Raton Airport Charity Events Dates
Visit to a World Class Private Jet Interior Refurbishment Company
When Chris and Jorge travel around, they occasionally stumble across some hidden gems in the world of aviation. Their visit to a world class private jet interior refurbishment company was one of them.
The company First Class Aerospace, located at Leesburg International Airport in central Florida, is very unique. And we’re not just saying that; they truly are all the way up to the President of the company.
We’ll start there. The President, Steve Purello, is not only a pilot but is the Executive Director of Angel Flight Southeast. Angel Flight regional chapters provide free flights to adults and kids who need far away medical care. The Southeast chapter flies as many as 2,500 flights (missions) a year and nationally the regions in total fly as many as 50,000. The organization has been around for about 40 years and Steve is also a volunteer pilot for the nonprofit. Talk about giving back.
First off, they are not just about interiors, they do incredible aircraft painting. In fact, they won a prestigious award from paint manufacturer, Sherwin-Williams, not just once, but 4 years in a row.
So, if you want an award winning paint job or crazy cool interior, these are your guys.
What makes them unique about their interior work is a couple of very distinct differences.
Some companies may do one or two of these but not all, like First Class Aerospace.
Here are just a few:
- Use AI in the interior designing process
- Use unique materials that are not only modern and luxurious, but are durable
- Inhouse seat manufacturing, including foam shaping, material patterning and logos
- Inhouse exact creation any aircraft manufacturer’s placard designs.
- Inhouse creation of any aircraft safety and courtesy placards
Again, I can’t emphasize enough, Chris and Jorge have seen a lot of these places.
Chris commented, “I have never seen a place that when it comes to redoing the inside of an aircraft, this place does it all.”
On to the next adventure..
And as always, if you want to get crazy visibility for your aviation company, Email me at alicia@aircraftguys.com
Visit to a World Class Private Jet Interior Refurbishment Company
Angel Flight Southeast Launches New Website
Chris met Steve Purello, the Executive Director of Angel Flight Southeast, at the NBAA Regional show in Orlando back in February. Steve was there as an exhibitor with his company, First Class Aerospace. We noticed their website was in need of a makeover, so we stepped up. Angel Flight Southeast launches new website donated by us and built by our friends at Aviation Marketing Experts.
When Steve saw the new website he said, “The site looks awesome! That’s great. It is so detailed and perfect”.
Additionally, we have also decided to help them with organizing a series of events in South Florida as well. Since, that’s what we do, too.
As it turns out they had been doing gala events for many years but stopped a couple of years back. Now we’re going to help bring those back and have selected Fort Lauderdale for the first event.
Aviation Marketing Experts also helped us with another website, to announce regional events for select Angel Flight chapters.
The new events site is AngelFlightEvents.com. It will help promote events and it’s all being donated.
Currently we’re promoting:
- Angel Flight Southeast
- Angel Flight Northeast
- Angel Flight West
- More to come..
Any Angel Flight chapter who wants an event promoted can contact us at Events@AircraftGuys.com.
The cool part is we already have some sponsors who have committed to the South Florida gala events. And these are new sponsors, we haven’t even contacted any of the previous sponsors as of today. I’m sure they’ll all be back to support this great charity.
As everyone knows, Chris and Jorge are always looking for fun and cool aviation stories but giving back is a big part of that too ! We look forward to organizing lots of successful events for Angel Flight Southeast in the coming months and years.
And if you’re looking to do events, want an awesome website or some marketing ideas that will exceed your expectations, contact me at: Alicia@AircraftGuys.com. or call us at: 407-501-5054
Angel Flight Southeast Launches New Website
South Florida Exclusive Private Jet Events Announced
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: The Aircraft Guys are rolling out a series of new events to be held at the Miami Opa-Locka Executive Airport, Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport and Boca Raton Airport. These South Florida Exclusive Private Jets Events announced officially on April 15th.
According to Aircraft Guys, Jorge Cappel and Chris Pou: “We have planned and helped other aviation companies do events, so this was a natural progression for us to be a promoter. These events are going to be completely different than the typical hangar events or trade shows.”
Typically, an airport hangar event is for a private celebration function or a charity cause. The Aircraft Guys Events are hosted by a private aircraft direct carrier, management company or FBO. The purpose is to promote the individual host company.
And aviation industry trade shows, on the other hand, usually have seminars, guest speakers and vendor exhibitors. The other issue is industry trade shows generally do not allow exotic car manufacturers, travel, lifestyle, real estate, hospitality and even beverage companies as exhibitors.
Aircraft Guys Commercial Events are invitation only, to select individuals, and are limited to just a handful of co-sponsors who can be on display. We do not approve all invitations. Only a very high-end demographic will be in attendance. Events are usually a maximum of 300 attendees.
Aircraft Guys will also be organizing a series of charity events. The first event will be in November for Angel Flight Southeast, already announced on their website. This will be a gala event with a ticket fee for attendees.
The first question a potential host, sponsor or charity may ask is how well does this work ?
What we will share, without the names of the specific events, is the following:
Results of several private aviation events over the past two years (all in Florida):
- Private Jet company sold a $2.5 million fractional ownership at the event
- LSV Moke sold 7 vehicles at the event
- Exotic car manufacturer had 2 leads result in $700,000 in sales.
- Real Estate Broker had 3 leads pan out into over $7 million in home sales.
- and more..
And if you’re wondering who the Aircraft Guys are, and what do they know about aviation events ?
The Aircraft Guys started as kind of an undercover boss blog as part of the private jet charter broker, InstaJet Charters, who handles the financial part of the events.
The Aircraft Guys is an officially approved news agency for the NBAA, the largest and oldest aviation association in the U.S. We are granted press credentials for every event. Only a select few companies get these passes.
We are also affiliated with the oldest aviation marketing agency in the U.S. (45 years), Aviation Marketing Experts. They have won over 150 film and video awards for their work in aviation marketing. And their parent company, Blue Island Digital, works with some of the largest corporations in the world, including hospitality giants, Hilton and Marriott.
Check out the following links:
See: https://aviation.blueislanddigital.com
See: https://aviation.blueislanddigital.com/video-production/
See client list: https://blueislanddigital.com/
We are also the authors of the Aviation Marketing Experts free weekly newsletter that is read by over 30,000 aviation professionals. It accepts no advertising or sponsorships, so it is well respected for not being biased.
Given our work with so many aspects of the aviation, private jet and hospitality industries, we are uniquely qualified to create this niche event business.
And we are experts at promoting these events for the host and co-sponsors. We’ve been marketing aviation companies for over 45 years.
Contact us at events@aircraftguys.com to become a co-sponsor or be added to the ticket list.
South Florida Exclusive Private Jet Events Announced
2025 State Of The Private Jet Charter Industry (Part 1)
Over the past month we have been reaching out to charter, management and MRO companies. We decided to pick companies who subscribe to the free weekly Aviation Marketing Experts newsletter that is read by over 25,000 people. This is our 2025 state of the private jet charter industry Part 1.
It started with us just calling to thank people for reading the newsletter. But as we talked to some people, they were willing to talk more about their businesses.
For the Aircraft Guys stories, Jorge and Chris usually just cold call on companies in person, mostly in Florida. This time the team decided to just cold call on the phone. Generally, if we were able to get someone to the phone they usually talked for a while. If we left messages, they seemed for the most part to never return our calls.
We decided to do this as a multi part series since there are so many stories to tell and we’re still talking to people.
We begin locally in Florida. None of these are in any chronological order, just what we decided to write about for this first article.
Here are the first 3 for our series:
With our travels all over Florida somehow, we never came across this company despite it being at both the Opa-Locka and Fort Lauderdale Executive airports. The company is Presidential Aviation. And this is not a charter broker but a full Part 135 operator with a bunch of aircraft.
Jorge spoke with Yoharner Echemendia, who is the Chief Operating Officer and Director of Charter Operations. First off, he was amazed that we had not heard of them as we have been in the aviation marketing business for 45 years and they have been around for quite a while as well.
His first comment was, “I need to fire my marketing people”.
Different than quite a few Part 135 operators we spoke to, their charter business is mostly wholesale. They operate a fairly large fleet of aircraft ranging from prop to heavy jets. We definitely don’t see a lot of that either. Their aircraft are located in hangar space in FL, CA, PA NC and OH. The other surprising part was they return their flights to base, and don’t float aircraft.
Back to their marketing, he said his Google Ads were performing well. And like many other companies, they rely on word of mouth. He also said that they had never done any hangar events to promote their own business. Jorge explained it was something that we have actually helped companies do events with great success.
Here again, we’re surprised how many companies are not using some really effective marketing tools.
Now onto Arizona and PrismJet. This is a new company established in 2024. We spoke to the Sales Manager, who asked us not to use his name. He said that they are running at capacity.
This is a company who does aircraft management and maintenance. They are a Part 135 operator but utilize the excess capacity of the managed aircraft as their charter fleet. They too, do not float aircraft. Here that makes sense, since these are privately owned aircraft where the owners would not want their aircraft gone for long periods of time. They operate several Challengers and Learjets.
Now on to Chicago and DuPage Aerospace. We spoke with John Bullock, Vice President. They are a Part 135 operator with a fleet of Gulfstreams and Hawkers. Again, this is a well established company with a great track record.
Here different than above, their business is almost 100% retail, relying almost exclusively on word of mouth. He acknowledged that getting new customers outside of word of mouth was a big challenge. And when comparing sales of January 2024 to January 2025 they were about the same.
Another marketing trick that a lot of these companies have not learned is how to get their message directly to the decision makers instead of some administrative assistant. He too, acknowledged that was another problem.
He was quite candid about another challenge and that was keeping good pilots. First off, there is a bad perception of Chicago as an unsafe city. He also said that most of his experienced pilots were over 65. That of course is due to the age restrictions on commercial airline pilots. As far as training young new pilots, he said, the training costs about $30,000 each. However, once they usually get enough experience, they move to commercial airlines.
The takeaway from two of these stories is how they are not trying any new innovative marketing. It seems almost bizarre as the weekly free newsletter they subscribe to talks about all of these new techniques and the success stories. A head scratcher for sure. There’s a signup form on our homepage.
That’s it for Part 1. This was fun !
If you’re interested in chatting, give us a call at 786-949-4141 or email us at: aircraftguys@gmail.com
2025 State Of The Private Jet Charter Industry (Part 1)
Our Visit To The 2025 NBAA Orlando Regional Forum
Chris and I attended another NBAA event held on February 26th. This time our visit to the 2025 NBAA Orlando Regional Forum had several surprises. As usual we were granted Press credentials by the NBAA. The show was held in 2 hangars at the Orlando Executive Airport (ORL).
First off, we were thinking that this forum would not be as large as the one we attended at the Opa-Locka Executive Airport (OPF) in Miami. This actually had more exhibitors and definitely more aircraft on display.
Gulfstream G700 2025 NBAA Orlando Forum
It was exciting to see Gulfstream with a G500, but the big surprise was that a brand new G700 that was also on display with the word ‘Experimental’ painted outside below the cockpit window.
The story that was circulating was that Gulfstream had not been bringing aircraft to shows due to some damage that occurred at a prior event. We will say security was tight at this show. Plenty of law enforcement presence.
Although we got to tour inside the G700, photography was not permitted. It looked like it was ready to take off with sharply dressed flight attendants onboard and even pilots in the cockpit. Access was restricted most of the day as potential buyers were granted private showings.
Another surprise was the number of exhibitors who were providers of software. From flight tracking, real time pilot performance, accounting, maintenance tracking and compliance record keeping. Also, several airports had booths. Lots to see.
As expected, the big FBOs and avionics companies were there.
Some of the exhibitors who we had the chance to talk to for bit were standouts:
- First Class Aerospace (aircraft interiors and painting)
- RIM Enterprises (used aircraft parts)
- Morristown Airport
- Universal Avionics (aftermarket avionics for Hawker and Falcon)
- GGT Worldwise (ground transportation and security)
- Avionica
First Class Aerospace uses AI to design interiors and has won national painting awards for 4 years running.
Morristown Airport in New Jersey was promoting themselves as an alternative to Teterboro, which can get busy for New York City private flyers. Not to mention lots of space for hangars.
The lunch was great, lots of choices of gourmet sandwiches, salads and even desserts. Another great job by Silver Lining Catering of Pompano Beach, Florida. They’re also known for inflight catering as well. Chris and I got a chance to go behind the scenes into the kitchen and talk to one of the owners.
All in all, a great show. We got there right at the opening and stayed till 30 minutes before closing. Great weather, sunny and mid 70s.
On to the next adventure. If you have a story you want to tell. Contact us at aircraftguys@gmail.com
And we work with the oldest and most award winning aviation marketing agency in the U.S. so can help you grow too !
Our Visit To The 2025 NBAA Orlando Regional Forum
Restoring Private Aviation Charter Customers Confidence After An Incident
Anyone who operates a Part 135 aircraft for charter clearly knows the stricter regulations as opposed to operating a Part 91 aircraft. Therefore, statistically there are many more incidents with Part 91 aircraft. However, incidents with Part 135 aircraft do occur. Restoring private aviation charter customers confidence after an incident is vital.
Just two days ago a 2004 Hawker 800XP (N6NR) Part 91 aircraft suffered a nose landing gear failure. The aircraft was flying from Fort Lauderdale-Executive Airport, FL (FXE) to Minneapolis-Flying Cloud Airport (FCM). It was diverted to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, MN (MSP), better suited for such an emergency. The flight crew reported the malfunction about thirty minutes prior.
A standard NTSB Class 4 investigation (shortest duration) is underway. There were two crew and four passengers. No injuries were reported.
The most recent serious Part 135 incident was the crash of a 2004 Bombardier Challenger 604 (N823KD) in February 2024. The aircraft traveling from Ohio State University Airport, OH (OSU) to Naples Municipal Airport, FL (APF), crashed on approach, killing both pilots on board. All other crew and passengers survived.
The pilots reported engine failure and attempted a landing on a highway but crashed into a concrete sound barrier wall. Flight data indicated oil pressure loss on both engines. This aircraft was operated by Ace Aviation Services, DBA Hop-A-Jet.
Following this fatal crash Hop-A-Jet remains under close watch by the FAA, NTSB, and public scrutiny. This obviously was a severe blow to their reputation and public confidence in the company. Their ultimate longevity may depend on the final findings of the ongoing investigation.
Hop-A-Jet has not posted to their social media accounts since the accident.
One of the last Instagram posts was showing their booth at the NBAA Miami-Opa Locka Reginal Forum Jan 31, 2024. A show that Chris and I attended.
As mentioned above there are definitely more Part 91 crashes. Maintenance and pilot experience are factors.
A Part 91 aircraft only requires annual inspections with owners keeping records. The Part 135 aircraft require more pilot training (including classes every 6 months) and 100-hour inspection/maintenance schedules. Additionally, Part 135 requires detailed recordkeeping, including maintenance records, flight data, and passenger information retention.
So, if your charter has an incident, here are some ways to restore your reputation:
Consider a rebranding, a new logo, and/or renewed focus on safety and quality. How many people remember the ValuJet Flight 592 crash ?
ValuJet became AirTran Airlines, which ultimately was acquired by Southwest in 2011. When we board a Southwest jet, we don’t think of ValuJet.
Restoring customer confidence after an incident requires a multifaceted approach:
- Option #1: Address the incident transparently, then implement corrective measures and engage with customers via social media.
- Option #2: Re-position your brand to rebuild trust and ensure long-term customer loyalty.
- Option #3: Create a new brand as ValuJet did. It may be the best route especially if the incident involved loss of life or significant property losses.
Regardless of which option you choose, do it with the help of an expert. As you know we are big fans of the Aviation Marketing Experts out of Orlando. These guys have been doing this for 45 years, so you can trust them.
Any thoughts, comments or story suggestions, reach out to us at: AircraftGuys@gmail.com.
On to the next adventure.
Restoring Private Aviation Charter Customers Confidence After An Incident
Our Visit to a Boca Raton Private Jet Charter that gives Free Flights and a Cash Bonus
When Chris and I travel around we’re always amazed at all the unique ways people approach the aviation business. We recently heard of an innovative company that seems to do things a little differently. Some of it sounded too good to be true, so we went to see them. Our visit to a Boca Raton private jet charter that gives free flights and a cash bonus.
Like many, even the larger charters, they use shared office space. But this was a little different as they are literally in one of the most prestigious addresses in all East Boca Raton.
We met Christine ‘Chrissy’ Silver who manages all the in-flight luxury hospitality. She is an event planner for many ‘A’ list celebrities.
Part of what makes “The Boca Jet” different is the crazy attention to detail that goes into their member only charter flights. The elite want only the best, so these folks certainly deliver that.
Their flights are operated by InstaJet Charters, who is also unique as they are both a broker and indirect carrier in the process of obtaining a Part 135 Certificate. Not many of those around but seems to be what customers like as it gives more choices and costs less for a flight.
So back to the free flights and cash bonus. As mentioned, this is a member only private jet charter. If you’re a resident of the Boca Raton area you know about “The Boca Raton”, member only resort. So, it makes sense that a private jet charter operator just down the street would be members only.
They offer a monthly private jet card membership program which is rare but with the cash back, it’s definitely a one of a kind.
How it works. There are 3 membership levels:
Saver (pays 2% cash toward a flight)
Premium (pays 3% toward a flight)
Elite Luxury (pays 6% toward a flight)
Members pay a monthly fee; the highest level is under $3,000 per month. This is like a savings account toward a flight. When a member is ready to book a flight, all the accumulated paid membership fees are applied to that flight with the cash bonus added on top.
After being a top-level Elite Luxury member for a year, you’ve earned a free flight. The only restriction is they must have flown at least once in the past 12 months.
Hospitality Expert and Celebrity Executive Chef prepared meals.
The bottom line is this is very innovative from no huge upfront cash outlay, monthly payments, cash back and a free flight. We’ve seen pieces of this offered but never all in one like this. Added to that the personalized luxury hospitality and even new aircraft, you can’t beat this one.
And again, we want to thank Chrissy Silver for her time. We were so impressed with the tour; we posted part of the video on YouTube. https://youtu.be/tXMJT65RQaQ
Check out https://thebocajet.com or call them at (561)-918-2124
Contact Us and maybe we’ll come see you..
On to the next adventure…
Our Visit to a Boca Raton Private Jet Charter that gives Free Flights and a Cash Bonus
Our Chat With Jetex At The 2024 NBAA Opa Locka Forum
They say, “Revolutionizing Aviation with Comprehensive Global Services”. In the dynamic world of private aviation, one name stands out with its exceptional growth and comprehensive services, it’s Jetex. Our chat with Jetex at the 2024 NBAA Opa Locka Forum offered a unique insight into this remarkable company. As Brittany Jones, Sales Marketing Manager, told Jorge and I, the company has much to offer.
Founded in 2005, Jetex has rapidly expanded its presence in the global aviation sector. Today, it boasts over 38 FBOs strategically located across many international locations.
Jetex Dubai FBO
This impressive expansion encompasses key regions such as the Middle East, Europe, Asia Pacific, Africa, and the Americas, making Jetex a significant player on the global stage.
What sets Jetex apart is its holistic approach to aviation services. They have successfully positioned themselves as a one-stop solution, offering a wide array of services that cater to various aspects of private aviation. This includes expert concierge services, air charter options, and aircraft sales. Whether it’s arranging a luxurious private experience or facilitating the purchase of a private jet, Jetex’s expertise covers every conceivable need.
Jetex’s global footprint is particularly noteworthy. Their FBOs and ground handling services span from the Ivory Coast of Africa to Japan, illustrating their commitment to global reach.
They operate three major flight centers:
- Miami
- Dubai
- Beijing
These centers are pivotal in managing flight planning and logistics, ensuring operational efficiency, and providing seamless services to clients worldwide.
The diversity in Jetex’s aircraft offerings is another highlight. From the Cessna Citation to the long-range Boeing Business Jet. Their fleet caters to a wide range of client preferences and requirements. This versatility ensures that Jetex can accommodate any request, be it for a short regional flight or a long-haul international mission.
In today’s world, where environmental consciousness is paramount, Jetex stands out for its commitment to sustainability. Acknowledging their responsibility towards the natural environment and future generations, Jetex has implemented a comprehensive environmental strategy. This aligns closely with the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) goal of reducing the aviation industry’s carbon emissions by 50% by 2050. Such initiatives underscore Jetex’s dedication not only to service excellence but also to sustainable practices.
As independent observers in the aviation industry, Jetex is one to watch. The trajectory of Jetex suggests great potential. This evolution, marked by service expansion, operational efficiency, and environmental commitment, positions them as an up and comer.
In conclusion, Jetex is more than just a service provider in the aviation industry. It is a visionary company that is reshaping the private flying experience.
And as always, contact us and maybe we’ll do a story on you.
Our Chat With Jetex At The 2024 NBAA Opa Locka Forum
