Here are a few important questions to ask:

What experience do you have? Finding a company that has been operating with a Part 135 charter certificate for a year or more is essential. The outfits that have been in business a relatively long time have the infrastructure, financial resources and experience to do the job right.

What’s your safety record? The National Business Aviation Association recommends that new customers contact their local FAA Flight Standards District Office to verify an operator’s good standing, however. Also, the FSDO will be able to provide safety and accident records.

Look for ratings by independent safety auditors. The most respected are Wyvern and Aviation Research Group/U.S. High ratings from either of these companies indicate that you are selecting a safe operator.

Wyvern rates day-to-day and maintenance operations, aircraft fleet and personnel against standards that exceed the government’s. And according to the company, not one of the 811 Part 135 fatalities between 1991 and July 2005 involved a Wyvern-recommended aircraft or crew, and of the 1,163 Part 135 accidents during the same period, only two involved Wyvern-recommended operators.

ARG/US rates charter operators on a five-level scale: Platinum, Gold+, Gold, Silver and DNQ (did not qualify). Only a small percentage of operators qualify for the Platinum rating, which requires at least one year of experience, a safety management system, a workable emergency response plan and well-kept records for all major aspects of operations and maintenance. Additionally, captains and first officers must have a minimum number of hours and experience for an operator to qualify for the Platinum rating.

Do you have “operational control”? If you book a flight through a charter broker or a management company, you should know that brokers do not hold Part 135 charter certificates and neither do some management companies. Without Part 135 certificates, they do not have “operational control” over the aircraft, the pilots and the decisions made in flight. However, good brokers and management companies should be willing to provide you with information about the operators they engage that do hold Part 135 charter certificates.

Taking the time to do your research on these issues will ensure peace of mind so that you can enjoy the journey.

JetsTrade is your interface with the private aviation industry. We offer three divisions which will assist you in whatever aircraft needs that you may have. We offer aircraft for sale, aircraft charter, or if purchasing an aircraft share we offer fractional aircraft for sale as well. We invite you to visit JetsTrade and enjoy browsing through our large inventory of private aircraft.

Connect with people that have the same needs in mind as you do; to fly privately and do so in the most affordable way.

The supply of new and used aircraft may grow in the coming months, but slowly. As some people are interested in selling, but waiting for the market to improve, don’t expect to see the selection change all that drastically.

More supply than demand, creates some great deals for you. If you are looking to buy an aircraft make sure to work with someone who knows the industry and your needs.  A professional broker will sometimes have access to aircraft that are not yet on the open market.  And they can protect you by looking out for your best interest with a proper closing.

Finally some relief with fuel prices! Like purchasing an aircraft, the consumer has the advantage, and the prices have certainly taken a fall. The good news is you can travel for less money and fuel prices should stay low until the economy turns around.  Find Jet Fuel prices for your area updated at JetsTrade.com.

The following were the average fuel prices for December, 2008:

• Jet A = $5.11 per gallon
• 100LL = $5.52 per

The average fuel prices for November, 2008:

• Jet A = $5.50 per gallon
• 100LL = $5.97 per gallon

Check back with the jetstradeblog.com for updates on fuel pricing and industry trends to keep you in the know!

The JetsTrade blog is currently in progress and should be up and running soon.  Bookmark this site and check back in a few days!