Signature Flight Support promises a 17,000-square-foot “Executive Terminal,” including a proposed expansion of the San Jose Tech Museum; 240,000 square feet of aircraft hangar space in seven hangars; full aircraft service and maintenance; and 18.5 acres of ramp space where it can manage and service aircraft overnight for visitors.

Read the full story here at The Register.

Consider: using a small airplane to fly to the mountains. You can land in Truckee, Reno, or South Lake Tahoe in about an hour. You can depart from any one of the many municipal airports around the Bay Area. You can arrive stress-free and be there for dinner.

This is real, and it’s not just for the jet crowd. You can land, have a rental car waiting, and be on your way in mere minutes. No more Friday afternoon I-80 traffic headaches. Contact us to find out how you can hire a charter to get you there, or begin the rewarding journey of learning to become a pilot yourself.

Companies needing to reach multiple destinations in a single day rely on business aviation, because this type of itinerary is often impossible to keep using other modes of transportation. When using a business airplane, employees can meet, plan, work en route and discuss proprietary information in a secure environment and without fear of eavesdropping. To see examples showing how companies are using business aviation to compete and succeed in a very demanding marketplace, and learn more about the many ways business aviation benefits the nation’s economy and companies of all sizes, all across the U.S., visit: www.NoPlaneNoGain.org.

When you’re ready to learn to fly or book your first charter flight, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Reprinted from Forbes.com (We thought it was a great article! Link to it here:)

http://www.forbes.com/sites/businessaviation/2012/08/20/take-the-pain-out-of-business-travel-fly-yourself/

When a client in Teterboro, NJ—a stone’s throw from Manhattan—called and asked to meet the next morning, I had a few choices.

Traveling from Providence, RI, by road was particularly unappealing. That’s a four-hour trek down Interstate 95 where construction and traffic delays for at least a third of the route are a given. And then there was the dismal prospect of frazzled, grouchy New York drivers battling for rush-hour lane supremacy on the maze of highways across the New York area. Forget that.

Time To Spare, Go By Air

Sure, Providence airport is 15 minutes away. Delta has a $2,000 (are they kidding) round-trip fare to Newark that takes six hours (!) each way. That’s without the 90 minute pre-departure clear-security-get-to the-gate time penalty. You could fly to Bora Bora for less money.

Ok, let’s be fair: Hot Wire found a nonstop United commuter flight. While the one hour and seven minute schedule sounded attractive, it still meant arriving 90 minutes prior to departure time, plus another half-hour road trip to Teterboro. Door-to-door, my car was faster. The real clincher was the next-day, round-trip $1,000 fare! It was certainly half-price but, no thank you.

Ah ha! North Central Airport, 15 minutes to the north, is where I keep my Mooney. Let’s see. Leave home at 8 am, takeoff by 9 am and arrive at 10 am. No contest!

Cleared For Takeoff

On a short hop like this, I’ll travel at 220 mph and get better gas mileage than a Hummer—20 gallons each way. It was summer so the only weather that would deter me would be fog (none), and thunderstorms (none). Still, I filed IFR (instrument flight rules), which put me in the air traffic system along my route together with other small-piston-powered aircraft like mine, corporate jets, commuter turboprops and of course major airlines—but not the Delta flight that was heading to Atlanta before returning to Newark.

My routing was more or less a straight line to Teterboro. Cleared at 6,000 feet, I knew the corporate jets and airliners would be well above me. That was indeed the case. Although air traffic control (ATC) keeps every IFR aircraft separated by a healthy margin, one needs to keep a watchful eye. Still, on the entire flight through the heavily trafficked areas between Boston, Providence, Hartford and New York, aided by my panel instrument that shows air traffic, I saw only one other plane and that was an airliner in the New York area. There was nothing even remotely nearby, and in the busy Teterboro area where ATC vectors everyone in a safe and efficient conga line to avoid Newark traffic, the flight was equally routine. The nearest plane was a Falcon Jet five miles behind me.

Advanced Technology = Safety And Efficiency

Mooney’s, and the new crop of small planes like the Cirrus and the Cessna Covalis TT, can fly approaches to nearly match the speed of corporate jets, so spacing is rarely an issue. In addition, the latest crop of light, piston-powered aircraft are better equipped than many airliners five years ago. Even my 20-year old Mooney, which is retrofitted with moving map displays (three) that show weather, traffic plus approach charts, makes a 10-year old Boeing look like a dinosaur. My autopilot will fly the latest GPS approaches to the same minimum altitudes as any airliner or corporate jet and when I land, a large image of the airport taxiways displays so that I know exactly where I am.

After landing, I taxied up to one of several facilities at Teterboro dedicated to business aircraft and was greeted with a smile and “how can we be of service.” I walked from my plane to the facility, out the lobby and to the office building nearby. Not only was I was early for my 10:30 meeting, it was great fun getting there, proving that business travel can not only be efficient, but also enjoyable.

The Right Tool For The Job

That’s the beauty of Teterboro and airports like it. Business aviation can use metropolitan area reliever airports like this. They surround every major city and they’re often closer to one’s ultimate destination (in my case across the street). In addition, many thousands of other airfields serve smaller cities, towns and local communities across the nation. So, Delta, United and American, while you give great service between New York and LA, you just don’t go where I and tens of thousands of business flyers need to go.

It’s amazing to realize how powerful a business tool even a small airplane can be. But whether you fly yourself or sit in the cabin of a much faster and capable business jet together with your colleagues, there is more to it than saving time and money. You can make travel a pleasure again—actually make it fun. How do you put a price tag on that?

Reprinted from a Forbes article dated 8/6/12, found here.

Only about 3 percent of the approximately 15,000 business aircraft registered in the U.S. are flown by America’s largest and most well-known companies, while the remaining 97 percent are operated by a broad cross-section of organizations, including governments, universities, charitable organizations and businesses — large, medium and small. And that 97% represents the vibrant heartbeat of what keeps American business humming… or in this case, flying.

Whether it’s moving a team of technicians from one plant to another or bringing clients in for a presentation, companies of all sizes and in all industries are counting on business aviation to compete in their specific markets. As a result, business aviation is saving companies money by eliminating the “down time” and frustrations associated with commercial air travel.

Beechcraft 2000 Starship (Photo credit: Paul Bowen)

“Because there isn’t enough time in the day as it is, relying on a business aircraft helps companies take advantage of the time they do have,” says Kim Showalter, President of Showalter Flying Service in Orlando.

Companies are taking to heart the old adage “time is money” as they seek increased productivity and profitability, while providing healthier, happier work environments for their employees. And they’ve found several instances where business aircraft accomplishes both — such as when a sales team has several places to go in a short amount of time, when more than one employee is traveling on the same itinerary, when their destination isn’t a major airline hub, or when airline schedules simply don’t fit the company work schedule.

For most companies, cost was the major stumbling block to using business aviation services in the past. But that argument is no longer valid, says Showalter. Businesses that rely on their own aircraft have done comparison studies to determine its cost versus the combined cost of commercial air travel, including airfares, overnight expenses for hotels and meals, car rentals, and, most importantly, the value of an executive’s time on the road and away from home and family. ”Those costs add up,” adds Showalter. “Businesses are finally realizing it’s more cost-effective to have their employees working instead of waiting for delayed or canceled flights.”

Less time at airline terminals is scoring big points with employees, too, who are eating more meals at home and fewer at the airport. Business aviation actually gives business travelers the freedom to go where they want, when they want. And with the trend in business to decentralize from major cities, that’s important. Today, if your business destination isn’t a major commercial airline hub, it takes you twice as long to reach it.

Aside from the ease in scheduling, users of business aviation are exposed to fewer travel hassles. The walk from the ramp to the luggage carousel to the taxi stand becomes obsolete, as does lost luggage and cramped quarters on board.

“Many companies actually conduct business or staff meetings in the air when traveling by business aviation,” Showalter says.

Business aircraft generally take the form of single- or twin-engine pistons, turboprops, or corporate jets, and can accommodate as few as four or as many as 24 passengers. While the commercial airlines have access to only 500 airports, business aviation aircraft can take off and land at more than 5,000 facilities around the country — 10 times more than are available to commercial airliners.

“Business aviation has simply become a way of life for the successful, thriving businesses of today,” Showalter says. “From the boardroom to the accounting department, it’s the most efficient business travel alternative available.”

Contact us today for information on learning to fly while you do your business travel, or leave the flying to us by using our charter services.

Consider a day trip to Ventura County.  You could drive, but you wouldn’t make it home in time for dinner, instead you’d have hotel costs and be on the road for twelve hours roundtrip.  You could take a Southwest flight to Burbank, rent a car, drive to your destination, and then hurry through your day and hope that your business is finished in time to get back to Burbank (through SoCal traffic) in time to make the last flight home…

Or, you could climb on board our safe and fast Cirrus SR-22 charter airplane and land at the Oxnard airport in about 90 minutes… just steps away from your destination.  Conduct your business, and then be flying home in the afternoon.  Home for dinner indeed.  No airport parking, lines, or hassles.  Just a productive day.

Feel free to call or email us and we’ll be happy to discuss private flying for you on your upcoming trip.  We serve all bay area airports with charter service for San Martin/Gilroy/Morgan Hill, San Jose, Palo Alto, San Carlos, Hayward, Livermore, and all other nearby airports.  Give us the opportunity to quote your next trip…you’ll be glad you did!

I was asked to join the instructor corps, and I’m thrilled to be a part of it. If you’re a Cirrus driver attending the event, be sure to say hello. If you’re a Cirrus driver not attending, why not? It’s an outstanding program. I’ve been to numerous weekend events (Seattle, Van Nuys, and who can forget the simulator session offered in Las Vegas!) and I learn something new every time.

If you fly Cirrus airplanes and haven’t attended a CPPP, I urge you to consider it as part of your annual recurrent training. Contact us for more information.

Fly safe,
Greg

In the April 2012 issue of Flying magazine, the cover story says that the 2012 Cirrus SR22 is the most sophisticated single-engine civilian airplane ever built. We’re sure the folks at Cirrus are thrilled, as are we (since we get to instruct in this amazing airplane owned by TBP Aero!).

We were able to obtain a pdf copy of the cover page and the article. Here’s a link to the file. Enjoy!

Don’t forget to contact TBP Aero for your air transportation and flight training needs in Northern California.

Fly safe,
Greg

It’s also available on the web at the following link: http://71.141.85.131/

Even better news to some is that there are two web cameras available for viewing. These have been around awhile, but the reliability is now good and it’s nice to take a look at the airport from home or from your mobile device before you get there! Check them out at:

http://www.southcountypilots.org/airport-camera-1.php (facing midfield)

http://www.southcountypilots.org/airport-camera-2.php (facing the 14 numbers)

Happy Flying!

From the Bay Area, we flew nonstop and under IFR into Tijuana (MMTJ) where we cleared into Mexico, did all the paperwork for the pilots and airplane, and refueled. Then it was onward to Loreto (MMLT) which was another couple of hours flying time. We enjoyed beautiful scenery along the Sea of Cortez.

After an overnight in Loreto (the client had business there), a day trip to Cabo was in order. Only another 1.25 hours down the Sea of Cortez, La Paz instructed us to contact Los Cabos Approach and we were soon on the ground in Cabo San Lucas (MMSL). Note: don’t try to land at San Jose Del Cabo (MMSD), that is the busy air carrier airport with much higher prices.

Fees and fuel were reasonable at MMSL, and they even gave us a ride to the beach for lunch.

The return trip was slow (headwinds) but uneventful – we landed at San Diego Brown Field (KSDM) and cleared US Customs in no time. Then it was an IFR flight back home to the Bay Area.

This was a wonderful way to introduce flying in Baja California and I hope to have the opportunity to do it again. If you are thinking about flying into Mexico (or Canada, or the Bahamas!) please contact us to discuss your training options.