The Sensible Skies

People have so many demands on them at that level. If they are able to squeeze in an extra night with their family, or if they are able to combine a business and a vacation trip, it just gives them a more reasonable schedule. It’s a retention issue with some companies.”

Batchelder concurs that there is a public misconception that planes are a corporate frill. “In years past, a lot of companies have been very careful to not publicize if they own an aircraft,” he admits. “In some cases today, I won’t disclose who my customers are, because they don’t want people to know. But that’s changing a little bit. Yesterday [a plane] was considered a perk for the CEO. But if you look at who is jumping onboard these aircraft, yes, it may be the CEO, but more times than not it’s a team of middle managers who have been able to increase productivity tenfold by taking four or five, six or eight people to a business meeting and then coming back the same day.”

“It’s your rank-and-file employees, it’s managers, it’s specialists,” Behn says. “It could be engineers who have special talents and need to go out and visit a plant. It’s not necessarily just upper management flying.”

Myth: It’s Not Safe

Maybe it’s because of a few very memorable and tragic small-plane crashes in our collective consciousness, but many people still believe that prop planes and private jets aren’t as safe as larger aircraft. That’s a belief Behn would like to put to rest. “Corporate air travel is nearly as safe as airline travel,” he says. “There is hardly a statistical difference between the two. Some people may be a little averse, but you can show them all the statistics out there that small airplanes aren’t any more dangerous than large aircraft.”

There’s an added comfort factor with a private plane in that you tend to know the staff. It’s all but impossible for unauthorized people to gain access. “All of our people are full-time salaried employees,” Boyle says. “Flight after flight, our members are able to fly with the same pilots that average over 8,000 hours and 15 years of experience. Also, you know every aspect about the operation. You know who owns the planes, you know who maintains the planes, you know who flies the planes. There’s no uncertainty with regard to maintenance, safety, and security.”

Rohlfing says North Star customers have a similar comfort level. They get an itemized bill for maintenance every month, so they know without a doubt what’s been done. “They know every mechanic,” he says. “They know every person that fuels the airplane. They know exactly what our quality-control measures are. An airplane is a high-dollar item, and they have a hand in everything that happens. So they know exactly what is going on.”