Effective January 19, 2021, new tax regulations clarify how the charter industry should address the Commercial Aviation Federal Excise Tax (“FET”) with managed aircraft. The new regulations will give the charter industry a new sales tool:  charter flights for owners in their own aircraft will not be subject to FET.  This means that aircraft owners […]

“No bucks, no Buck Rogers.”  This quote from The Right Stuff neatly sums up the interrelationship between business aviation and the tax code.  Many years ago, Bob Dole was a Senator from the airplane-building State of Kansas.  Senator Dole was a commanding presence in the Senate, particularly when it came to crafting the tax code […]

In September, the NTSB published a Final Report with a very simple determination of probable cause: “The pilot’s loss of helicopter control as a result of fatigue during cruise flight at night.” The flight was a “tail-end ferry flight.” Unlike FAR Part 121 operations, charter operators under FAR Part 135 have no rest requirements for […]

Performance in simulated training can predict a pilot’s success.

When Does “Sharing” Become Illegal Charter? The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 contains a section entitled “Report on Illegal Charter Flights.” The law includes several requirements to identify and combat illegal charter flights. The FAA has been revising inspector guidelines. They even sent a letter to every pilot on record about the new emphasis on […]

Do You Feel Lucky? Even before Covid-19, the aviation insurance had become painful for aircraft operators. Aircraft owners are seeing premium increases in the 20%-30% range on all renewals. Owners with recent claims are experiencing even higher premium increases. Why? The aviation insurance market ended an unusually long “soft” market. Competition drove down premiums, so […]