With diverse festivals, a layered history, and beckoning architecture, Istanbul has become a year-round destination for luxury leisure travel. As you plan your visit, consider the best time—or times—of year to experience the compelling convergence of the West and East that is Istanbul.

January: Navigating the Crowds

Keep in mind that Istanbul’s high cruise season runs from April through October. That means people. Lots of people. So January is a great time to visit must-see historical sites in the Sultanahmet district such as the gorgeous Blue Mosque (Pictured), Hagia Sophia (built by Constantinople), and the spectacular Byzantine Hippodrome. Note that the Blue Mosque (called Sultanahmet Camii in Turkish) allows for visits for non-worshippers only outside prayer times. Istanbul weather can be challenging in January, making these indoor activities even more appealing in winter.

February: Haggle Away

Ah, Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar (Pictured). Again, crowds will diminish ...

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Ken Elliott, former Technical Director - Jetcraft Avionics

Location: Augusta, GA, USA

How long have you been at Jetcraft?

I joined Jetcraft Avionics on February 1, 2007. I came to Jetcraft with 40 years of experience in avionics systems including repair, modification, flight test, certification, documentation, sales and training.

What are your responsibilities within the global Jetcraft team?

My title is Technical Director for Jetcraft Avionics. I helped develop the HUD Vision Access system for aftermarket business aircraft, and continue to work to promote it. I also am involved in other avionics programs and continue to work with both government and the broader aviation community to promote and educate key individuals on Low Visibility Operations.

Describe a typical day or week in your role.

Based on travel, a typical day or week can vary significantly. My activity during work time has evolved to meet the changing needs of our avionics programs.

Since 2007 it was...

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Overview including differentiating features from other aircraft in its category

The Cessna Citation XLS is the second aircraft in the Citation Excel series. It is an updated version of the original Citation Excel (Model 560 XL). Upgraded Pratt & Whitney PW545B engines allow for an enhanced powerplant performance.

As of March 2014, the Citation XLS market is comprised of 38% pre-owned. The percentage for sale is 5.5% with 83% of that under an exclusive broker agreement and average days on the market are 369 days.

Brief History

The first delivery of the Citation XLS occurred in 2003. The series ended production in 2008. During that time, a total of 330 aircraft have been produced with all but one of those currently in operation.

Worldwide Appeal

There are 329 Citation XLS aircraft currently in operation worldwide with 238 wholly owned, 81 fractionally owned, and 10 in shared ownership. Of the 238 wholly owned Citation XLS aircraft in operation by continent, North Am...

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Emmen, Switzerland, 2 September 2014.  RUAG Aviation has signed a Dealership Agreement with Jetcraft Corporation to market HUD Vision Access for the Bombardier Challenger 604 and 605. Under this agreement, RUAG Aviation will be responsible for the sale and installation of the enhanced flight vision system, consisting of various components including a head-up display (HUD) and infrared sensor.

The advanced HUD Vision Access affords significant advantages to owners, operators and pilots of the Challenger 604 and 605. By enabling operations in low visibility conditions, the system enables aircraft to taxi, take-off and land under all conditions – improving safety and saving time. Furthermore, pilots with HUD Vision Access are able to descend below decision height at most airports, minimising ground-based infrastructure requirements and enabling access to a greater number of airports.

“RUAG Aviation has been selected for their extensive experience and proven capability in modifying Bo...

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World Aircraft Sales, September 2014 by Ken Elliott

Download a PDF of the article.

Nowadays, few venture beyond the elements of NextGen when discussing new or current technologies - especially when dealing with cockpits. In fact the true relevance of NextGen can be very confusing, especially when technology developers and marketers continuously establish tenuous links to NextGen.

For clarification, NextGen applies to four major areas of airborne technology:

• Performance Based Navigation (PBN)• Surveillance (ADS-B In and Out)• Communication (FANS/CPDLC and ADS-C) and• The lesser-known Low Vision Ops (GBAS and EFVS).

It also applies to significant areas of Air Traffic Control implementing ground technologies and procedures that utilize the aircraft equipage and accommodate NAS-wide operations. For the sake of international future airborne equipage under SESAR and ICAO the situation outlined largely applies across the globe.

So identifying technologies and resources within the ai...

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INVICTUS Magazine, Aug/Sept/Oct 2014

by Craig Barnett

Widely regarded as the most influential private aircraft broker in the business, Jahid Fazal-Karim is the co-owner of Jetcraft Corporation. At EBACE in Geneva he generously spared time for INVICTUS to discuss his views on the current state of the business aviation sector and his investment in yacht brokerage house Gaspard Yachts.

Followed by a small entourage, Jahid Fazal-Karim strides through the array of aircraft on display on the tarmac at Geneva airport as one of the private aviation industry’s busiest days of the year whirls around him like a brightly colored tornado. Regarded by many as the most successful private and business jet aircraft broker in the world, years of experience in the industry and a passion for his business are evident in the confident intensity he exudes. Taking his Aerospace Engineering degree from the French National Civil Aviation School in Toulouse and a Masters degree in Air Transp...

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Overview including differentiating features from other aircraft in its category

The Falcon 2000 is a twin-engine French-made Business jet, and is essentially a slightly smaller development on the Falcon 900 trijet, with transcontinental range. The Falcon 2000 was originally conceived for the United States coast to coast market.

The Falcon 2000 jet comes with fault monitoring and digital diagnostic systems, which help the mechanic in troubleshooting and repair work.  Most parts of the airplane are positioned to be easy for mechanics to reach and maintain.  The Falcon 2000 was designed to spend as little downtime in the shop as possible.

As of January 2014, the Falcon 2000 market is comprised of 100% pre-owned. The percentage for sale is 10% with 100% under an exclusive broker agreement and average days on the market are 450 days.

Brief History

Dassault introduced the Falcon 2000 as the Falcon X in 1989. The development of the aircraft was carried out by Dassault in ...

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Hiring of Scott Plumb comes in response to increased market demand

August 20, 2014 (Raleigh, NC) – Jetcraft Corporation, a global leader in business aircraft sales, acquisitions and trades, is pleased to announce the hiring of Scott Plumb as Senior Vice-President of Sales.

Mr. Plumb has over 25 years of experience in business aviation. He comes to Jetcraft from Textron Aviation and has held a number of sales management leadership positions in companies such as Beechcraft, Vistajet, Airbus and Gulfstream.

“Scott has a wealth of business aviation knowledge and boasts an impressive list of accomplishments,” said Jetcraft President Chad Anderson. “Scott’s leadership experience with large, global companies will be invaluable as we build the world’s most credible, experienced, and long-term devoted sales and management team to continually elevate the results of our clients.”

“I’ve enjoyed a fantastic career in commercial and business aviation sales and marketing ...

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Jetcraft's President, Chad Anderson, and Latin America Sales Director, Fabrice Roger, sat down with AIN before LABACE to discuss the Latin America market. The two shared that the Latin America market is growing, both in the number of transactions, and also in the size of the aircraft in the region.

Broker Has High Hopes For Latin America, Despite Barriers

Pre-owned aircraft broker Jetcraft has high hopes for the Latin American market and expects to double the number of transactions it handles this year. According to the U.S. group, demand for light and midsized jets has dominated the market in recent years, but it now sees growing interest in larger, longer-range aircraft as well.

Click here to view the full article on AIN's website.

Click here to learn more about Fabrice Roger.

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