Private Jet Charter Grey Flights
Beware of Dangerous and Illegal Private Charter Jet ‘Grey Flights’
How do you know that private jet charter flight you’re paying so much for is
being provided by a legal operator? Like any other business, the private
charter jet industry has its share of shady players. Illegal private charter
jet flights are sometimes called “grey flights”. Why are they illegal, and
are they dangerous?
A charter jet flight can be illegal is the owner is using aircraft that is
not registered with aircrafts operator’s certificate. The certificate is
issued by the FAA. Some jet services are registered in another country,
which may be fine and dandy, but they are not allowed to fly in the United
States without also getting registered here. Don’t assume some other country
has rigorous standards of air safety.
Sometimes it’s an innocent mistake, as in when a U.S. jet flies an extra leg
somewhere within Europe after landing at its primary destination. But there
are many operators who know the rules well, but choose to flout them so they
can escape regulation, operate more cheaply and offer discounts to
customers. The savings are not spectacular for a grey flight — maybe $1,000
to $2,000, but the dangers are many.
Grey jet charter flights don’t register to be certified because they don’t
want to jump through all the safety hoops and inspections that legitimate
operations do, and so they don’t worry as much about having the highest
paid, most well trained pilots, and they may even scamp on aircraft
maintenance.
There are other problems, as well. If you have an accident on an
unregistered jet, any insurance coverage you may have may be void. Civil and
criminal charges may also come into play. Can you be charged with a crime
for chartering an illegal charter jet service? Yes, it’s possible. If that
happens, it’s up to you and your lawyer to prove that you didn’t know you
were flying on an illegal private charter jet. You are obligated to know.
Industry professionals thus recommend that you always ask to see the service
provider’s aircraft operating certificate. Also ask to see the jet charter’s
proof of insurance. If you want to be extra careful, go the extra mile and
make some phone calls. Contact the FAA itself to see if the charter you’re
looking at has met its obligations.
However, a company that has all the proper FAA paperwork is still not
guaranteed safe. The FAA is charged with overseeing some 2,400 charter
services in the U.S., and like many government agencies, their staff is
overworked and underpaid.
Thus, you should also check the company to see if it complies with the
Wyvern Standard. This is leading independent intelligence organization for
rating the safety of private charter flights. When a charter jet provider is
certified by Wyvern LTD, then you can have a great deal of confidence that
the jet and company is a well run operation, safe, and not illegal.
Another source of information about private jet charter services is the NBAA
Aircraft Charter Consumer Guide, which you can find online.
It only makes sense to fly both safe and legal. Even an illegal charter
flights comes at a high price — sometimes even higher –than a legal jet
charter provider. A bit of homework, a couple of phone calls to check FAA
certification and affiliation with the Wyvern Standard will ensure a safe
and legal flight.
Use a private jet charter broker to help insure a safe and legal flight!
