Often known as “Jo’burg” or “Jozi” by locals, Johannesburg is experiencing a true renaissance at the moment.  Energetic and ever-changing, this dynamic African city fairly vibrates with music and buzzes with new business.  A once-maligned metropolis, with a reputation that dissuaded tourists from visiting, currently Jo’burg is much like the blooming lilac jacaranda trees (pictured) that flourish at this time of year; it is coming alive again. Indeed these blossoming flowers which line the boulevards of the sprawling city are a beautiful symbol of the city’s transformation.

Jo’burg today is a place of complicated contrasts; with chrome and glass high-rises soaring beside houses in an Edwardian or Victorian style, and in the affluent suburbs, stunning private homes lie behind towering fences not far from the tiny shoebox houses of the massive Soweto township.  For the visitor, there is a wide array on offer.  Packed with stylish restaurants, elegant shops, and impr...

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AvBuyer Magazine, October 2015

by Ken Elliott

Helping you understand avionics advances and related requirements for equipage, Ken Elliott reviews aviation technologies within the NextGen/SESAR architecture for AvBuyer, this month focusing on data to inform.

Nature seems to have a way of moving forward in its evolution by deliberately imprinting a certain amount of unpredictability into its design. If you have ever studied Nature’s most perfect creations, you will notice imperfections that support this hypothesis. These apparent anomalies possibly trigger building blocks of natural selection. Unfortunately, even though an integral part of Nature, humankind has not quite grasped this characteristic of natural phenomena and continues to strive for the ultimate in perfection in all of its activity.

So, as we slowly understand and attempt to perfect the world around us, we continue to grapple with the unpredictability of the natural world. For aviation, there is the inability to...

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Raphael Haddad, President – Jetcraft Commercial
Location: Montreal, Canada
[email protected]    +1 416 276 8295

How long have you been at Jetcraft?

I joined the Jetcraft team in January 2015 as the President of Jetcraft Commercial.

What are your responsibilities within the global Jetcraft team?

I am the focal point of anything related to commercial aircraft activity within the Jetcraft group. My focus is on aircraft that are for passenger service, not designated to be a VIP service. I work mainly with airlines and occasionally with corporations or on aircraft for military application.

I help customers and financiers (lessors or banks) to sell inventory that they have and to acquire inventory that they need.

My role is to facilitate transactions that meet the requirements and satisfy our customers, both buyers and sellers, and remains consistent with the high level of service that Jetcraft has extended to its existing customer base over the last 54 years.

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Written by Scott Plumb, Jetcraft's former Senior Vice President of Sales

In the United States, “For Sale by Owner” (or FSBO) is a growing trend in residential real estate. Where the notion of buying or selling your own home without the use of a professional realtor or attorney would have been less common 20 years ago, these days as many as ten percent of US home sales are of the FSBO variety, according to the National Association of Realtors. The growth of the Internet as a powerful sales and listing tool are major drivers behind this trend in residential real estate, and in the purchase and sale of any goods or services, in the US and elsewhere. The Internet has made information more abundant, accessible, targetable and powerful for everyone, helping to foster the notion that anyone can be an educated buyer or a seller, and save the money otherwise paid for the guidance of experienced professionals.

Has the Internet done the same thing for the buying and selling of private a...

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Written by Scott Plumb, Jetcraft's former Senior Vice President of Sales

You have chartered several times, and you enjoy the flexibility that private aviation offers; the ability to travel productively and safely with colleagues and family, and still make it back to the office or home with time to spare. You are ready to consider the next step in private aviation – aircraft ownership.

Years ago, the trading of private aircraft was as simple as buying any other high-value asset, but in today’s more complicated world of licencing, tax credits and legal regulations,  merely contemplating this particular multi-million dollar purchase can be slightly nerve-wracking.  Many first-time buyers are intimated at the thought of such as large investment, with risk mitigation at the forefront.  And once your decision is made, how does one go about taking ownership of an aircraft? Here is a walkthrough of the acquisition process.

The first step begins with a series of face-to-face mee...

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Just 100 kilometres to the south of Sicily lies one of the loveliest locations in the world: the Maltese archipelago.  With more than 300 sunny days a year and surrounded by clear blue waters, Malta offers the very best of the Med within its three islands: Malta, Gozo (Azure window pictured), and Comino, including sandy beaches, beautiful scenery, stylish hotels and a warm, dry climate year round.  There is also the small matter of its incredible 7,000 year history; it is frequently described as one big open-air museum.  In fact, Malta has a greater density of historic sights than any other country in the world, with prehistoric temples, the world’s earliest stone buildings, Roman catacombs, medieval towns, ornate baroque churches, narrow Old World streets, and hilltop citadels – all working together to create an arresting effect of striking, honey-colored stone set against the deepest of Mediterranean blues.  Truly, here the scenery and architecture provide a spectacular backd...

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AvBuyer Magazine, September 2015 by Ken Elliott

Helping you understand avionics advances and related requirements for equipage, Ken Elliott reviews aviation technologies within the NextGen/SESAR architecture for AvBuyer, this month focusing on Data Comm.

We begin this article with its relevance for Business Aviation – what are the benefits and impacts of Data Comm (primarily centered on commercial fleets) to the average business aircraft operator. Already nearly 1,000 US-based business jets are equipped with pre-departure clearance (PDC) digital technology, which requires radios capable of handling datalink communications.

Following are the benefits of Data Comm to business aircraft operators:

• Two-way data exchange, instead of voice, between pilots and air traffic controllers;• Reduced separation between aircraft;• Greater efficiency in route changes while remaining in the departure queue;• Reduced user costs;• No altitude or lateral restrictions when crossing via tracks;...

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Scott Ritchie, former Vice President Sales, Jetcraft

How long have you been at Jetcraft?

I have been here since October 2007 and I did consultant work with Jetcraft for 3 or 4 years prior to that.

What are your responsibilities within the global Jetcraft team?

I am a Vice President of Sales in the Midwest Region of the United States. I work with clients in my region to either help them find the right buyer for their aircraft, or if they are looking for an aircraft to purchase I will help them determine what they need and then help them find it.

Describe a typical day or week in your role.

There is no typical day, but I do usually spend a lot of the day on the phone. I also do a lot of traveling to meet with different clients. I take my roller bag office to wherever I’ll be for the day or week and setup shop.

What do you love most about your job?

The deals – creating an opportunity and seeing it through the transaction. I enjoy figuring out the deal and what ...

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Product Overview

The Cessna Citation CJ3 (Model 525B) is an upgraded and extended version of its predecessor the Citation CJ2. It boasts a stretched cabin and wingspan along with increased fuel efficiency.

As of July 2015, half of the CJ3 aircraft were purchased pre-owned by their current owners, and half were purchased new. 5.3% are currently for sale with 72% of those under an exclusive broker agreement. The average number of days on the market before sale is 270.

Brief History

The first flight of the Citation CJ3 took place on April 17, 2003. Deliveries began in December of 2004.

Worldwide Appeal

There are 412 Citation CJ3 aircraft in operation with 13 in shared ownership, 2 in fractional, and 397 wholly owned.  By continent, North America has the largest percentage at 65%, followed by Europe at 25%. The largest fleet operator of CJ3 aircraft, Latitude 33 Aviation, LLC, holds 7 of the CJ3 jets in operation. Additionally, 7% of the Citation CJ3 jets are currently l...

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