Published on June 20, 2018
It's no wonder ferry flights are a hot topic: they're luxurious, free, and there's probably one available today.
A number of NetJets employees have already taken advantage of the Ferry Flight Program. In fact, in the first two weeks of the Program, more than 200 passengers took flights. Matt Siebert in Owner Services is just one of the people who've used the Program. On June 11th, he took his wife and two daughters on a Challenger 350 from Minneapolis to Lexington.
“We had great flights and the crew was fantastic! The opportunity really makes you proud to be a part of the company you work for and gives you a great appreciation of what our organization accomplishes on a daily basis,” Matt said. “It was a proud moment to be able to share the new NetJets product with my family, and my wife commented that it was one of the coolest experiences she has ever had.”
While the Program allows you to go nearly anywhere, it may call for team members to find their own transportation to fly back home. “But that endeavor is completely worth the privilege of flying on our aircraft,” said Shane Flores in Owner Services. “The flight was phenomenal. It was very nice to experience, firsthand, the luxury of private aviation. Also, the crew was incredibly kind, enthusiastic, and accommodating.”
One key to a successful ferry flight experience is to remain flexible and be willing to go anywhere the wind takes you. Brandon Foster, who works in Owner Services, has already taken two ferry flights. Though he admits his first will “forever be the flight to beat.”
“The crew, Captain Bob and SIC Diane, was amazing and took the time to walk me through the features of the Latitude and show me things I would have never known otherwise,” Brandon said. “They were also aware that I was a student pilot and a true aviation nerd at heart. During the flight I was invited up to the cockpit where they showed me the features of the avionics. It was very neat to find out Diane was a flight instructor and she introduced things to me in a lingo I would understand.”
Even pilots themselves are benefitting from this opportunity. Captain Scott Timko recently embarked on a spontaneous vacation with his wife. “We started on day one out of Pittsburgh – took a rental car to Ohio to meet a Latitude going to Charlottesville, VA that evening. Then we spent the next day touring Monticello.”
“The next morning, we took another Latitude to Washington, D.C., spent the day at the Smithsonian, and had lunch. Then we jumped on a Sovereign that was on its way to Portsmouth, NH and had chowder and lobster downtown near Tugboat Alley. After, we rented a car from the FBO and spent the next two days exploring the Maine coast. We spent a night in Portland, ME and walked down around the harbor.”
“The next day, we hopped on a Global to Teterboro and spent a day in New York. We had a flight lined up for Boston afterwards, but school was out and there were no convenient hotels or rentals in the city. Instead, we headed to Gettysburg, PA and spent a day walking the battlefield–finally getting home eight days later.”
Intrigued? Take the leap and click here to find ferry flights near you. Take it from Brandon: “I highly recommend everyone to take an opportunity to step into our Owner’s shoes and experience private aviation at its finest.”