Charter Flight Adventures Tips
Read these 17 Charter Flight Adventures Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Private Aircraft Charter tips and hundreds of other topics.
Exploring Other Air Charter Options
When people think of air charter service, they generally think of business trips. If this is you, then you're missing out on some fun. Charter flight adventure getaways can be for a week, two weeks or a month. They go to places off the beaten path for adventurous travelers. The size of the adventure and aircraft are only limited by the amount of funding. It could be a nice fishing trip or an exotic faraway island. Air charter flight adventures are a great way to escape the same old vacation routine.
These types of trips aren't new, either. Flight adventures have been around a long time. Most are handled privately between the travelers and the adventure company offering the flight. The entire experience is usually bundled as a package including the round trip flight, food and lodging. A tracker or guide may be extra. Remember, with countless companies bidding for your vacation dollar, there are going to be some good charters, as well as lackluster charters. Doing your homework, such as having the service checked out by the proper agencies, is a good ideal. Reassuring that insurances and aircraft maintenance records are up-to-date will go a long way to insuring you and your family have an adventure of a lifetime.
Why Air Charter Adventure Flights Are So Popular
Air charter flight adventures seemingly become more numerous and popular every year. Searching the Internet returns thousands of hits, giving you a rather large menu of choices for adventure flight experiences.
Flight adventures are not confined to charter jets, either. If zero gravity trips (simulating space flight), hot air ballooning, or even piloting a fighter jet are appealing, you'll have these choices. Should a bit less excitement be more attractive, you could combine your jet charter with a deep sea fishing trip, wild animal safari, or even a mountain climbing excursion.
The surging popularity of flight adventures stems from people's desire to experience something different, and the market is responding with a wide array of adventure flight options. While a round trip flight to the International Space Station (at around $20 Million per person) might be a little extravagant, there are now flight adventures to fit almost every budget. The many adventure flight choices, some as brief and enjoyable as a sight seeing (sometimes called “flight seeing”) helicopter ride or a half hour flight in a classic prop-driven World War II fighter, are cost effective and great fun.
Luxury Jet Adventures
Some people wish to use a chartered flight to a single destination or two, but other more adventurous fliers wish to go around the world. The best chartered flight packages can be designed to minimize jet lag by going the the farthest point first; usually Australia or Japan, then slowly traveling and sightseeing back home by way of exotic locales such as Vietnam, India, Egypt, and more, until the last leg of the trip reaches your departure point. If you have ever wanted to travel the world, a chartered adventure flight package is definitely the optimal way to go. Such voyages to Australia or Japan often result in some serious jet lag, but there are ways to counteract it; booking a flight that has you in transit when you would normally be asleep, drinking plenty of fluids, and even doctor-recommended "jet-lag diet" tips you follow for days before the trip may help with long-range adventure travel.
Advice for the First Time Traveler Abroad
Planning an air charter adventure can be great fun, but there are many different decisions to make in your planning. Do I stay state side or go overseas? How long should I stay? What do I wear? These are all important questions. Here are a few more things to include in your checklist when preparing for your adventure.
First, if you plan to travel overseas to take your air charter adventure it's always a good idea to gather any health issue information on your destination. If there's any questions, you can contact the center for disease control at 404-639-2572.
Some parts of the world are in constant turmoil, while others are quiet as a church. To find out if a traveler's advisory has been issued for a specific part of the world you can contact the U.S State Department at 202-647-4000. Also, it's a good idea to write down the numbers of any local U.S embassies in the area your visiting. If a passport is going to be needed for your travel, you'll need to apply for it 30 days before your trip. They do have a quicker service, but it costs an extra $60 over the standard $85 fee. A passport is valid for ten years. Find out if the country you're headed to also requires a visa to enter.
Finding Air Charter Adventure Abroad
There are a variety of oversea adventures to entice you, such as a tailored flight adventure to the Victoria Alps in South Australia. This adventure takes the traveler into the Australian Outback with different flights and flying times for different tastes. The flights range from 40 minute to three hours. One of the flights promoted is a flight around Mt. Buffalo, which has rich valleys and a waterfall. For information on chartering international flights, consult your private aircraft charter representative. Remember if you're traveling abroad to double check that your passport is valid and consult with your travel agent on any required immunizations needed for your destination country.
What Dangers Are There in Air Charter Adventuring?
Such is life; there will always be inherited dangers in everything we do. But with something like air charter adventures, the risks go up. That's why it's important to follow all safety precautions issued by the tour company and prepare yourself for the unexpected.
A good first precaution to take is to purchase traveler's insurance. This protects the traveler's vacation cost against cancellation and interruption while also providing medical, lost or damaged property and travel delay coverage. Travelers are reimbursed if they have to cancel or interrupt their travel. They are also covered should the need arise for emergency medical treatment, medical evacuation and a number of other situations. It can be broken down into the following major categories:
-Trip cancellation coverage reimburses travelers who are unable to take their trip due to illness or death, weather, airline strikes, terrorism, bankruptcy, becoming unemployed, jury duty or their home being rendered uninhabitable due to fire or flood.
-Trip interruption coverage reimburses travelers if they have to cut short their trip due to illness or death, weather, airline strikes, terrorism, bankruptcy, becoming unemployed, jury duty or their home being rendered uninhabitable due to fire or flood.
-Medical or Health coverage reimburses emergency medical and dental costs. Almost all travel insurance plans work by reimbursing the traveler after they have paid locally for treatment. Claims are usually paid within seven to 10 days. Pre-existing conditions are covered by most policies if the policy is purchased within 21 days from the date the traveler made the trip deposit.
-Medical evacuation provides emergency transportation to either a local hospital in the event the traveler is unable to get there by themselves or back to a hospital near the traveler's home. If family members are covered on the same policy, they can return home also.
-Accidental Death coverage is split into three parts: Air Flight Accident covers death or dismemberment during an air flight only. This usually provides the highest amount of coverage due to a lower risk. Common Carrier covers death or dismemberment while traveling on public transport such as, plane, ferry, train, bus or taxi. Accidental Death covers death or dismemberment at any time on your trip and usually provides the lowest amount of coverage due to a higher risk.
-Travel Delay reimburses travelers for hotel, food or clothing expenses in the event of a flight delay. Some plans also cover costs associated with catching up to a cruise should a delay cause the traveler to miss the vessel.
-Baggage Loss reimburses travelers for lost, stolen or damaged personal items. This coverage is usually for the duration of the trip and not confined to baggage damaged or lost by the airline. There are two policy limits, total claim and per item maximum. Some policies also place limits on the type of items that can be claimed such as jewelry, laptops and sporting goods.
-Rental Car Damage reimburses travelers for damage or loss to a rental vehicle. It is designed to allow the traveler to decline CDW (collision damage waiver) coverage offered by the car rental companies. Liability coverage should still be purchased through the car rental company. Rental car damage coverage is also often included with the credit card used to pay for the car rental, which is often identical to the coverage provided in the policy.
A couple of other things to remember: medications you may be taking, airsickness, the proper identification (including passports) and any medical records of inoculations that may be required.
The Wilderness Air Charter Adventure
The Alaskan frontier is one of the last true wildernesses adventures. It all starts in the heart of the Kenai Peninsula where some of the most beautiful places are waiting for you to explore, but they can only be accessed by floatplane. The great outdoors becomes your playground as you travel North into Black Bear and moose country. If being up close and personal with the local wildlife isn't your thing, then just sit back and enjoy the flightseeing tour and take in the splendor of the rugged frontier. The adventure can last one day or one week in your private cabin retreat starting at $300 per night. A scenic trip into Alaska's Lake Clark National Park, all transportation included, is around $2,750. For the hunters, the big game is plentiful with caribou and black and brown bears. The adventure service can help you obtain the necessary licenses, but remember a 50 percent deposit is required and the balance is due thirty days before you arrive. If you have to cancel, the deposit is non-refundable.
Seeing Some Of Nature's Wonder By Air Charter
Just one of the many adventures awaiting you within the United States is the Grand Canyon air charter tour. Thsi adventure allows you to experience the splendor of the Colorado High Desert Plateau and the Grand Canyon rim from a high wing Cessna. You travel along the rim to the Canyon West Airport, where you board a helicopter for the ride of your life. Then, you descend 3,200 feet into the canyon for an excursion aboard a stable pontoon boat along the Colorado River. Then, it's back to the helicopter for a final scenic view of the canyon from Eagle Point and you finish up with a barbeque lunch along the Canyon Rim. To walk off that big lunch, there is also a hike available. This tour is approximately six hours long and costs $385 for adults and $290 for children. It is a wonderful way to spend a day enjoying one of nature's splendors in a way only an air charter can deliver.
Air Charter Adventure Costs vs. Regular Airline Travel
It's not surprising that it costs more to charter a flight than to buy a discounted airline ticket on a national carrier. An average roundtrip airline ticket from Ohio to Las Vegas is $472.00 a person on a regular flight. A roundtrip air charter in a light jet similiar to a Lear Jet would take about the same amount of time as a Boeing 737, but would cost thousands of dollars. Of course, there are a lot of factors to consider, like actual aircraft chartered, number of passengers and amenities. There are always the empty leg flights for charters and red eye flights for the airlines to save a few dollars, but the drawbacks can be scheduling and destination.
Chartered Flight Adventures With Helicopters
The phrase "chartered flight" usually conjures up images of high-speed jets, but a helicopter flight adventure can be just as exciting. Imagine the photos you can take hovering near Mount Rushmore or over the Alaskan Wilderness. Chartered helicopter flights are especially good for photography buffs with the right equipment. The combination of a good lens, a camera with good image stabilization, and picture-perfect weather can create breathtaking photographs from any altitude. A first-time helicopter flight is quite memorable no matter where you go; imagine taking a chartered flight above a Hawaiian volcano or the Grand Canyon. A chartered helicopter may be equipped with video gear to capture your adventure from a literal bird's eye view from the exterior of the chopper or a special cockpit vantage point. Be sure to ask if such a service is available when you book, you may be able to take home an additional souvenir shot from a very unique point of view.
A small number of frequent jet flyers on chartered flights may experience a bit of air sickness on a first-time helicopter trip. This can be caused by spatial disorientation, the body's sense of balance confused by the pitch and roll of the helicopter during takeoff and turning. If you experience nausea during your flight adventure, try staring directly at the horizon for a few minutes. This tactic is used by sailors and fliers alike to help the brain reorient itself and regain a proper sense of balance. This technique works for most people, but a dose of prescription or over-the-counter air sickness medication before the chartered flight can helpful as a preventive measure.
Luxury Jet Adventures
There are two things you should have ready when making the final arrangements for a globe-hopping adventure flight. The first is naturally your passport, but the second could be a doctor's appointment. Foreign travel often requires immunizations to insure a hassle-free trip. Chartered flights to Asia may require shots to protect against yellow fever, while South American travel may require a typhoid or tetanus booster. Ask your travel expert for a list of recommended immunizations and required lead times to make sure you can get them before your chartered flight. There are different waiting periods after immunizations, before travel can actually start.
Combine Charter Jets and Other Excursions for a Complete Adventure Flight Vacation
One of the best ways to enjoy an all-encompassing adventure flight trip is to combine luxurious charter jets to deliver you to your desired location and then proceed to your chosen adventure. Whether you want to enjoy a deep sea fishing cruise or bare bones sailing trip, an exciting far off safari, or tackle climbing the smallest mountain or Mt. Everest, matching a wonderful private jet charter with the adventure of your choice can become your most memorable experience ever.
If you use one of the top air charter companies, most or all of your trip necessities can be managed for you, too. You can choose to have the “fun” part – finding the flight adventures that excite you – and leave the actual arrangements, much less interesting, to your air charter broker.
Even if your choice is to experience adventure flight with a trip into zero gravity, simulating space flight, or sitting at the controls of a fighter plane, using a private jet charter to get to and from your adventure destination only enhances the wonder of the trip. Flying where you want, when you want, in total comfort and privacy adds enjoyment to your adventure flight trip.
Book an Adventure Flight on a Fighter Plane
You may have to search a bit, but you can book an adventure flight on one or more fighter planes. You even have a few choices of classic World War II prop-driven famous fighter planes, if you choose to combine nostalgia with adventure. Use the Internet or one of the best air charter firms to help you locate the flight adventures that excite you.
For example, if you believe piloting a MIG fighter, might be a wonderful adventure flight, you can! You could have a private jet charter luxuriously fly you to one or more locations in the Russian Republic. You can then actually fly one of the famous MIG's, even with no pilot training. Don't worry, there are dual controls and your companion, fully qualified MIG pilot can take over the instant you decide to do something dangerous with the aircraft. This adventure flight is guaranteed to make you a special person with your peers after you return home.
Choosing an adventure flight in a classic warplane can also be an exciting and wonderful experience. As time and technology move on, the number of options appears to be diminishing, but these flight adventures are still available in some locations. Using fast and luxurious charter jets to get to and return from your desired location, combined with a classic WWII fighter plane ride, may be the perfect match of comfort and excitement.
How to Best Use Charter Jets for Adventure Flight Vacations
Depending on your adventure flight preferences, charter jets can be important components. Whether your idea of adventure ranges from a peaceful, tropical island to a sometimes dangerous trip down the Nile River, jet charter aircraft can get you where you want to go in ultimate luxury and comfort. The speed of charter jets combined with their ability to land at many more locations than just large commercial airports makes them a perfect choice to begin and end your adventure trips.
Using one of the top air charter firms, you enjoy the added advantage of their ability to make most or all necessary arrangements for your flight adventures. Even if you're planning on tent or outdoor living during your adventure, you'll still probably want comfortable accommodations before and after your excursion. You might want to book a complete adventure tour, have ground transportation issues solved, or have other trip necessities. Most, if not all requirements can be managed by your air charter company for you.
By using a jet charter, you will also enjoy wide flexibility in the times you choose to travel, choices of locations when leaving from or returning home, in-flight services (catering, audio/visual items, and, if desired, sleeping accommodations), and, of course, total privacy of your adventure flight plans and identity of your traveling companions.
Scheduling a Stop Over
Scheduling charter jets as part of your adventure flight trip allow you to act as your own travel agent. Should you want to stop for a day of shopping in London on your way to Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa, you should have that option. Conversely, if you're on a brief jaunt with other passengers exploring the Grand Canyon, any unscheduled touchdowns will not be permitted -- or wise.
Otherwise, your ability to accomplish a stop over at one location before proceeding to another should only be affected by aircraft and airport availability. As always, you should make this activity a scheduled part of your adventure flight so air charter firm, pilot and crew, and all other interested parties are on the same page. For safety, security, and enjoyment reasons, plan your schedule and schedule your plan.
Part of the wonder of using an air charter is the ability to create your own flight adventures. You are the captain of your own ship as long as your plans and requests are reasonable. This is a wonderful freedom offered by jet charter flight. Let your creative juices flow and design an adventure flight and trip that excites and stimulates you.
Possible Restrictions for an Air Charter Adventure Flight
In many cases, there are few restrictions for air charter adventure flight. However, there may be some occasions when age, height, or other physical restrictions do apply to flight adventures. Should you simply decide to take a short adventure flight on board a helicopter, there may be no restrictions, except possibly for having a minimum age. Sometimes these flights may be open to all.
Hot air ballooning often involves age and height restrictions for safety and security purposes. You probably agree that an open cockpit hundreds of feet in the air may be an inappropriate place for a young child, as much as he may want to participate.
There may be occasions when you want to combine charter jets with an adventure trip that also may have restrictions on minimum and/or maximum age of participants. These prohibitions typically relate to the safety and security of the passengers or flight adventures participants.
While flying in your jet charter to and from your adventure flight destination should result in a totally enjoyable trip for those of all ages, the specifics of your excursion may involve some physical restrictions. Always inquire in advance if your flight adventures involve any such restrictions.
A Hot Air Balloon Experience
Many veterans of hot air balloon trips will tell you that this is one of the best flight adventures available. There is no question that hot air ballooning delivers the true feeling of flying, albeit not overly directional, so to speak. Some have compared it to sailing versus power boating. In one case, you get to your destination quickly, but in the other, you experience the beauty and power of the water. Getting to a particular destination is secondary.
Use luxurious charter jets to get you to your destination quickly, then leisurely enjoy the wonder of hot air ballooning. Most flights are offered either early in the morning or in late afternoon, around dusk. The beauty of the day just after sunrise or just before sunset is spectacular and adds to your adventure flight experience. Prevailing winds tend to be their most calm at these times to provide a smooth trip.
Your air charter firm can have your jet charter ready when you want it. Enjoy the amazing comfort and privacy offered as you travel to your balloon location. They may even be able to make your hot air balloon arrangements for you along with accommodations, ground transportation, and/or other tours. You can concentrate on your adventure flight and experiencing the excitement of hot-air balloon flight without concern for the details.
| Guru Spotlight |
| Byron White |
