Our Visit to Okeechobee Painting Center For Private Jets
Chris and I are always interested in meeting new people in the aviation industry. Sometimes we stumble upon companies that appear to be the absolute best at what they do. For our visit to Okeechobee Painting Center for private jets this was one of them.
We recently did a story on another aircraft painting company, but it was nothing like this. These folks clearly do specialize in private jet painting at a whole other level.
We were immediately caught by the number of jets they were working on simultaneously. I say that in a positive way, as they clearly have the capacity.
I met with Charles Lima and Bruno Parola, who are the principals. Small world as it turns out Bruno is cousins with the owner of East Coast Aircraft Painting. But different than East Coast, who works mostly on prop planes, we saw nothing but private jets here.
I had the opportunity for the first time to see every level of the strip and paint process in progress. In a separate hangar there was a finished aircraft for a foreign businessman. The paint job was stunning from the level of detail to the custom graphic work.
Chris had previously visited one of the largest private jet painting companies in Texas, but the quality here was even better. Who would think this off the beat and path rural Florida location would have something like this.
While they do both painting and interior work, the emphasis is on exterior work.
The exterior work they do includes:
- CHEMICAL STRIP AND PAINT
- PARTIAL PAINT
- STRIPE COLOR CHANGE
- TOUCH-UP
- REGISTRATION # CHANGES
- CUSTOM LOGO’S (paint or decal)
- POLISH BRIGHTWORK
- PRC (SEALER)
- EXTERIOR PLACARD KITS
The other thing that stood out was security. Unlike many companies we have visited at airports over the years, there was no direct public access. Someone must let you in through a secure gate of the airport. This is a big plus for aircraft owners knowing the public can’t get near their aircraft.
All in all, this was a fun visit, except for the Florida love bugs who visit the area for a week or so twice a year
If you’re looking to get incredible quality this is your place. I guess it makes sense since they’ve been doing this for 45 years. Here is the link to their quote page https://www.opcjet.com/get-quote/
We want to thank Bruno and Charles again for taking the time.
On to the next adventure. And as always if you have a cool aviation company and want us to come and see you just send us an email at aircraftguys@gmail.com
Our Visit to Okeechobee Painting Center For Private Jets
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 Visit to Private Jet Painting Company East Coast Aircraft
Chris and I returned to the Orlando area, more specifically the Deland Municipal Airport. Our visit to private jet painting company East Coast Aircraft was very informative.
We want to thank the owner, Marta Nobrega, for the tour and spending some time with us.
East Coast Aircraft has been operating for over 15 years. They are known for meticulous work and fast turnaround. Beyond painting, they also do complete or partial interior refurbishments.
What we learned is that partial refurbs of either the interior or exterior is an important part of the business.
Sometimes seat covers, partial carpet replacement or some detailed accent work to the cabin is all that is needed. This honest approach is refreshing as it’s not about selling all you can to a client but ways to save them money.
Some other areas in the interior that can be upgraded include:
- Counter Tops
- Headliners
- Seatbelts
- Window Panels
- Cabinetry
On the exterior side, sometimes there might just be a small area of corrosion that needs repair.
In this case there is no need for a full repainting. Or adding stripes to an aircraft can completely change the appearance. Here again, they can provide lots of expert suggestions.
Although the focus in the early days was smaller airplanes, that has now shifted to almost exclusively private jets and larger turbo prop aircraft. The facility can handle aircraft up to the size of a Gulfstream 550.
One of the coolest things we saw during our visit was their conference room. The table was a private jet wing, and the chairs were actual seats. Talk about living and breathing private jets.
East Coast Aircraft Conference Room
So, our takeaway from this was if you’re looking to upgrade your private jet inside or out, there are lots of ways to save money doing it. And these folks can definitely help with that.
You can get a quote by CLICKING HERE.
As always, we’d love to hear from you. Contact Us or email us at AircraftGuys@gmail.com and maybe we’ll come visit you too. And remember, we are not compensated for any of our stories. We do this because it’s fun and we love aviation.
Oh, almost forgot, Chris shot a quick video of a Cessna Citation X they were prepping for painting.
Our Visit to Private Jet Painting Company East Coast Aircraft
Secret Sauce For Las Vegas Private Jet Charter Rental
We love sharing fun and educational stories about the people we meet in the aviation industry. We just returned from a trip to Las Vegas, but no private jet this time. We talked to a company who shared something with us that we have been hearing from a few people. We’re gonna share the secret sauce for Las Vegas private jet charter rental.
Any broker who is in the private jet charter business knows about Avinode or FlyEasy. These two services provide an available inventory of aircraft and flights. Since most brokers use one of these for flight quotes, many are selling the same flights for the same prices.
Now back to our Vegas visit. We visited a couple of air charter companies. As usual, we didn’t have any appointments, so we only got to talk to one management person. He asked that we not share his name or the company. We’ll respect his wishes. What we will say is this is a company who operates their own aircraft and is not a broker.
His business model was one we had not heard of before. Rather than list his aircraft on the usual services, he deals with a select group of people. Most of his clients are brokers who guarantee a certain amount of business at an agreed rate. He gets paid regardless. In exchange, the broker gets a better rate as does the broker’s clients. He in return has predictable cash flow with no surprises.
But even more surprising, he said, many of the recent flyers were experienced corporate executives and frequent travelers who switched from other providers that they had worked with for years.
Why are private jet travelers switching to a new provider ?
Some of the reasons why they are switching:
- Flying with the same pilots and aircraft
- No surprise repositioning fees
- Able to book guaranteed flights at the last minute
- Personalized service
- Lower cost
- And just being reliable overall.
We heard a similar story from InstaJet Charters, who also had made deals directly with a number of aircraft operators. Although the Las Vegas private jet operator wouldn’t confirm, we got the impression that InstaJet was one of their clients. Might be worth checking out if you’re flying to Vegas. (I would suggest calling them on the phone to talk to a real person, here’s their Las Vegas number (702)-714-3977.
So, the takeaway here is if you deal with a company who has access to these unlisted flights, you’re going to save money and have an overall better experience.
And, as always, we’d love to hear your story. You can drop us an email at talk@aircraftguys.com.
Secret Sauce For Las Vegas Private Jet Charter Rental
Part 134 1/2 Aircraft Charters
There’s lots of buzz in the aviation world about “illegal” charters, and rightfully so. In some cases, the difference between a legal Part 135 charter and everyone else is clear. But the FAA does allow pilots operating outside of a Part 135 charter operation to carry passengers and cargo, just not for hire. So that has been called Part 134 1/2 aircraft charters or gray charters. We’ll get back to that.
Simple breakdown of the types 14 CFR 135 operations:
FAA Definition:
- Air Carrier Certificate. An Air Carrier certificate is issued to an applicant that will conduct interstate, foreign, or overseas transportation, or will carry mail.
- Operating Certificate. An Operating certificate is issued to an applicant that will conduct intrastate transportation, which is transportation that is conducted wholly within the same state of the United States.
Within these classifications are additional classifications of Commuter or On Demand. Without peeling back the entire onion, and again in FAA-Speak: On-demand operations can be conducted in airplanes that have a passenger seating configuration of 30 seats or less, a maximum payload capacity of 7500 pounds, or in any rotorcraft, while Commuter operations may be conducted in airplanes which have a maximum passenger-seating configuration of 9 seats and a maximum payload capacity of 7500 pounds, or in any rotorcraft. Commuter operations cannot be conducted in any turbo-jet aircraft.
There are other key breakdowns of the Part 135 rule, each with their own requirements, including Single Pilot, Single Pilot in Command, Basic, and Standard. Standard being the highest level with the least restrictions. What we’re presenting here is a summary. For a more complete picture, the full scope of the regulation can be found at: https://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/airline_certification/135_certification/general_info
The message here is that you should know your mission and your charter needs before you start shopping. An operator sporting a Single Pilot Operating Certificate will be a smaller one. Generally, a pilot operation with a helicopter or a smaller, less-expensive piston or turboprop aircraft. That might serve your need perfectly. But if you’re headed a few states away, and need more speed, capability, and capacity, you’ll be dealing with an operation that carries an Air Carrier Certificate.
So, now that you have an idea of what a legitimate charter company looks like, what’s the other side of the coin?
Any certified and legally current pilot holding a Private, Commercial or Airline Transport Pilot Certificate, can fly passengers in any aircraft that meets FAA standards. And in an airplane that the pilot is currently rated in (there are some additional restrictions for aircraft and pilots certified under the Sport Rule and holding a Basic Med medical certificate, but we’re skipping that in this discussion). They just can’t do it for compensation, of any kind.
What a personal flight can charge for is an equal share of the direct costs in those situations where the pilot has a legitimate reason to go to the same destination, and not just ferry his passengers. And of course, if there’s no compensation, no rules are broken.
But to be clear, buying the ferry pilot lunch would be considered compensation. Here’s the FAA’s definition: “Compensation is the receipt of anything of value that is contingent on the pilot operating the aircraft; i.e., but for the receipt of the compensation, the pilot would not have taken that flight”
And if you really want to dig deep, here’s a link to FAA Advisory Circular 61-142. https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/AC_61-142.pdf
So, if you trust your next door neighbor Bob and his 30 year-old Bonanza, the two of you could hop down to the Bahamas (or wherever) and equally share in the cost of gas and oil, the aircraft rental charges and ramp fees. Don’t spin your wheels looking for the loopholes, because there are many ways to hide that compensation and skirt the regulations, but at best, the pilot is risking his certificate if the “charter” is busted by the FAA. Folks who do this from time-to-time are considered Part 134 1/2 aircraft charters.
Part 135 Certified Operators are highly regulated by the FAA and have met stringent safety standards with their aircraft, their crews, and their business management.
Meeting these standards does not come easy, and it does not come cheap. And stretch your imagination to consider what the insurance must cost for a $30M private jet and the liability of 8 seats filled with high worth individuals.
So, when you consider an aircraft charter, start at the top of the food chain, which is an FAA licensed and regulated Standard Part 135 operator proudly displaying an Air Carrier Certificate. Then work your way down the list until you find the charter operator that meets your specific needs. A aircraft charter broker is a good way to narrow your search and costs you nothing.
Just don’t ask Bob to dust off the Bonanza and for God’s sake don’t buy him a hamburger !
Brad Fuller is a pilot and President of Florida Film and Tape. They specialize in aviation photography and video production.
