Safety on every Baltimore charter flight
Safety is the first thing we consider for a trip out of Baltimore, and while brokers are not required by law to have any safety due diligence procedures in place, we go above and beyond. Before we send you a single option, we check who operates the aircraft, review that operator’s safety and incident history, and confirm that the pilots are experienced and current on the aircraft type you will be flying on.
The people on board are your family, your guests or your colleagues, and you are entitled to know who is flying them, whether it is a short hop up to Teterboro for a day of meetings or a family trip down to the Bahamas.
Vetting Behind Every Trip
Every operator, aircraft, and crew goes through our internal due diligence before we present any options. Our internal standards meet or exceed what the FAA requires:
- FAR Part 135 charter operators for traditional private aircraft, or FAR Part 121 for airliner-size and group trips (or the foreign equivalent on international legs)
- Operator subscription to Wyvern and ARGUS reviewed where the operator participates.
- Pilot experience and operator incident history reviewed before we recommend an aircraft.
- Fewer than 60 brokers worldwide hold Premium Wyvern Broker Member status, and Air Charter Advisors is one of them.
Wyvern and ARGUS are independent aviation safety organizations. They audit operators and keep records on operator safety, and where an operator takes part in one of those programs, we use the audit in our own review.
Part 135 is the FAA’s set of rules for on-demand, for-hire charter. It carries stricter operating, crew, and insurance requirements than FAR Part 91, the rules for private, non-commercial flying that cannot be sold as charter.
Crew qualification
FAR Part 135 sets minimum crew requirements by aircraft type, and some aircraft types are certified for single-pilot operations. We do not make a blanket promise about crew size. We confirm that the pilots assigned to your flight are experienced and current on the specific aircraft type they will be flying.
Who controls the flight
The certified operator holds operational control of every flight we arrange, and the Pilot in Command makes the final call on departure, routing, and landing. Maintenance is the responsibility of the air carrier and aircraft owners. It is their job to ensure they are up to date and in compliance with all laws and regulations.
We review that operator before you book, and an operator that does not meet our standards never reaches your quote.
Trips outside the United States
Baltimore clients fly to the Bahamas, the Caribbean, Canada and Europe, and when a trip crosses a border, the operator plans the international side of the flight, including where the aircraft clears customs on the way back into the United States. Many international destinations require special permissions for landing and customs. Permits are generally applied for after a trip has been secured on the aircraft schedule, and sometimes the timeline is dictated by the local airport authorities. We will always do our best to ensure departure / arrival times meet your needs, but these are sometimes subject to the approvals of the local airport authority and government.
Every passenger needs a valid passport for an international trip, and some destinations require a visa as well, so check your documents early.
Weather, airspace and the busy weeks
Baltimore winters can bring snow and the occasional nor’easter, summer brings afternoon thunderstorms, and the Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1st to November 30th. Your advisor monitors conditions ahead of departure. If any changes are required due to weather and passenger safety, you can expect your advisor to reach out as soon as we are aware. Depending on the day, we may recommend expediting departure, delaying, or using an alternate airport, subject to scheduling and aircraft availability.
BWI sits inside the Washington special flight rules area, which the crew plans for on every flight. Late May is one of the busiest stretches of the year, with the Preakness and the Naval Academy’s Commissioning Week, and summer weekends on the Eastern Shore book up early as well, so we plan those trips well ahead.
Ask us
If you have a question about an operator, a crew or an aircraft on your quote, ask before you book. The phone is answered 24 hours a day at 1-888-987-5387, or you can send your trip details through our contact page.
Our Baltimore charter FAQ page answers the common questions about booking, payment, travel documents and choosing an aircraft.