Mr. Al-Malik said Middle Eastern governments including Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar had ordered as many as 300 aircraft for delivery in the next five years and Dubai Aerospace would order its first this year.

The Dubai Government at the weekend announced the formation of Dubai Aerospace Enterprise as a holding company with six operating subsidiaries.

Dubai Aerospace Enterprise will be chaired by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed al Maktoum, chairman of the Emirates airline group and president of the Dubai department of civil aviation.

Dubai’s ambitious foray into the aerospace industry will build on the presence the emirate has already established in the aviation sector through the development of Dubai international airport and the rapid expansion of Emirates into one of the world’s leading long-haul airlines.

The business concept here is to create a new hub for aviation, from the leasing and maintenance of planes to training personnel at a new university to operating other airports and even manufacturing aircraft. It clearly makes excellent business sense to lever off Emirates position as a major buyer of aircraft to promote the Dubai Aerospace Enterprise to the aircraft manufacturers like Boeing and Airbus.

Why Charter a Private Business Airplane? The following are four reasons why chartering an executive business aircraft makes good business sense:

In Flight Security – Chartering an executive business jet provides a higher level of personal security that cannot be found on most of the commercial airlines today. Don’t forget that when you fly on a chartered private executive aircraft, you are renting the entire jet, not just one seat. This is why you can be sure of much greater security in terms of the protection of sensitive business information. You won’t have to worry about why the guy in the seat behind you frantically scribbling away in a notebook as your meeting is going on.

Efficiency – Chartered private executive airplane passengers will save more time during departure by having direct access to the aircraft instead of waiting in long lines at the airport security screenings. Not only that, but because it is possible for the jet to wait for you at the arrival location you can depart on your own timetable. It is possible to conduct a meeting in the early afternoon and still be home in time for dinner allowing you to be back to work the following morning.

Simplicity – It is now easier than ever before to charter an executive business aircraft. One of the easiest ways of finding an aircraft charter company is on the internet. However you can also search for aircraft charter brokers who act as your private charter jet liaison and can assist you in locating the best charter company that will suit your requirements.

Status Symbol – One of the biggest bonuses offered to quite a few prized CEO’s is the use of the company jet. Many companies are noticing this, and to remain competitive in recruiting talent they have to offer the best perks. Chartering a private executive business jet has become the trend with several mid-sized businesses that can’t afford to purchase their own company jet. Yet another example why the aircraft charter business is on the increase.

It may sound more expensive at first, but this can be an excellent business decision. The jet will leave when you want it to leave, and depart from, or arrive at, an airport of your choice, while avoiding the stress caused by long security delays. Furthermore, depending upon the amount of passengers, the actual price tag of chartering business aircrafts can be comparable to that of any scheduled commercial flight.

You see my son-in-law Steve goes by another name- “Dallas”. Steve is Major Steve Horton the #4 slot pilot for the United States Air Force Flight Demonstration Team-“The Thunderbirds”.

The occasion was the Approval show-the very first show of the season but open to only friends and family of the whole team and several high ranking Generals with pen and paper taking notes on every move. Approximately 1000 got the honor of seeing the new 2006 team do their stuff over their home at Nellis AFB under overcast skies. The crowd is so small by comparison to a normal show of 200,000 attendees that it feels like a private audience with the Pope. The biggest ever crowd was at Coney Island on 4 July1987 -a mere 2.25 million watched in awe that day.

And if that wasn’t enough the following night it was the annual show season kickoff dinner, which at least partially celebrates the end of a grueling training schedule. This year the dinner was held at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in beautiful downtown Las Vegas.

That gave me the opportunity to meet some of the new team members “up close and personal” including LTC Kevin Robbins Commander/Leader, aka “the boss”; MAJ Ed Casey, Opposing Solo; CPT Nichole Malachowski, Right Wing aka “FiFi”; and CPT Tad Clark, Narrator. “FiFi” is the first female Thunderbird flight team member-a tribute to her ability as a pilot-was the subject of a “Good Morning America” story that very morning.

As you might imagine this very elite group of 6 flyers, 6 other officers and a support team of 135 outstanding young men and women are, simply put, the very best in the world. All that talent, energy, dedication, teamwork, pride in what they do and how they do it-I am humbled to be in their presence but so proud to be an American.

In a nutshell the Thunderbird mission is primarily to support recruiting and retention programs and as you might imagine public relations. The team probably spends as much time at meet and greets as they do flying. They are a PR machine-and not a bad machine at that.

The Thunderbirds have a very demanding schedule that runs from March to November every year with usually 65-75 shows in upwards of 30 states. Check out www.nellis.af.mil for more information and a show near you. It is an experience you won’t forget and well…it is AWESOME!

Most people get their first taste of private jet flying by chartering a flight. Businesses, celebrities, and private individuals and families all peruse this service. You can too and the following list features some of the companies willing and able to provide this type of service for you:

Clay Lacy Aviation

Jet Aviation

Key Air

Million Air

Regal Aviation

TAG Aviation

The Air Group

This list is by no means exhaustive. For additional detailed information, please visit www.corporateflyer.net/PJCO.htm for all the top names.

There are also companies that will sell you fractional ownership in a private jet. What this means is that you can “co-own” part of an aircraft and fly it or a similar jet as needed. For details about how this works, visit the following companies’ web sites for information:

CitationShares

Flexjet

Flight Options

Netjets

Finally, there are several companies whose expressed business is to help you broker a flight. The better companies maintain extensive databases containing information about all the available jets that can be chartered. Some of the top companies include:

Air Royale

Bluestarjets

L&L International

Marquis Jets

Sentient

Your first flight is nearer than you think. Charter a jet today and take off to the destination of your choice!

Some people are of the opinion that the nearer one is seated to an emergency exit, the safer one is. Sadly, that is not absolutely true. A fire can start near the emergency exit as in any place within the plane. And if the emergency exit is jammed, then the person sitting nearest it is in as much of the same fix as the one sitting farthest from it.

Regardless of where the passenger is seated inside the aircraft, the risks to one’s safety is greatly minimized by one thing above all else: by being alert and aware of one’s surroundings.

Being alert means being watchful and attentive. Note the location of all exits. Listen to all pre-flight and in-flight instructions. Do not drink too much. Use common sense and try not to do anything that will be detrimental to your own safety, as well as to that of others, such as having too many or too heavy carry-on luggage, spilling hot drinks, being careless with pointed objects or things with sharp edges, and the like. Again, use common sense.

Airplane accidents are rare, despite the fears and misgivings surrounding air travel. But if one does occur during the flight, it is very important for the passenger to stay calm and not to panic. Fear is a highly contagious disease. Many casualties in accidents, even those that happened on land, could have been prevented had the panic been contained. Thus, in case of an accident, take a deep breath, keep the tone of voice down and follow the line.

There is no such thing as the safest seat in the plane. But any passenger can always make his or hers the safest seat if he or she chooses to, wherever he or she is seated. Creating the sense of safety within one’s self, after all, is a mind game.

Once the route is planned, the pilot will research alternate airports and routes. For example, if the headwinds are stronger than predicted and an alternate destination airport is required, the pilot will be prepared with the necessary charts, radio frequencies and airport information on hand.

What does this mean for you, the private air travel customer? Unfortunately, route changes often come at the expense of your time. For instance, when a pilot is not comfortable with the weather prediction at your desired airport, or recommends a fuel stop to ensure enough range in your flight route, this can certainly cause an inconvenience. However, when it comes to air travel, one should always put safety before convenience.

“What is an STMP?” Special Traffic Management Programs (STMP’s) are implemented for special events that attract thousands of people and aircraft to participating airports. The FAA requires users to make arrival and departure reservations to and from these airports to manage the flow of arrivals and departures for these events.

“What is a slot time?” Slot times refer to airports expecting high traffic volume due to special events or seasonal activity. Slot times are issued to stagger incoming flight traffic in order to relieve air traffic control duties. Slot time reservations are typically available 72 hours prior to the estimated time of arrival.

Private Jet Travel Tips: • Be flexible with your departure time requests. Allow a window for departure times. Slot times will not be assigned more than 72 hours in advance to the flight departure request. • Avoid changing flight dates & times. Slot times are valuable and go quickly, so try to stick to your flight schedule to avoid conflicts. • Arrive on time. Particularly in mountainous areas, weather can change rapidly. The closer you leave to your intended time, the better opportunity you have to guarantee your arrival time. So if your slot departure is 8am, please allow time for boarding so the jet will be ready and in position for an 8am departure.

Whether you’re flying for business or pleasure on a private jet you are assured personalized service in every aspect of your travel. It truly is the ultimate way to travel. Enjoy the opulence and luxury of a private jet, save time and have peace of mind.

I will be honest, I have always had opinions about people who were wealthy enough to have a charter flight to any vacation or event of their choice without thinking twice about it. Recently, however, a friend of mine booked a charter flight for six of our friends who were wanting to get away to the mountains for a long weekend. I thought she was crazy when she said that she had gotten a reasonable deal on a charter flight.

There are many types of charter flights I have learned, and they are not all as glamorous as I onced imagined. For example, I have friends who vacation in Mexico each year and they use a charter flight each time. For them, a charter flight simply means a non-stop flight on an airline that isn’t a mainstream big name that we often hear about. They do not have to mess with layovers at random airlines, but their charter flight goes directly from their hometown airport to the airport at their destination city.

Finding a charter flight doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, it can be quite easy. Get ahold of a travel agent and see what they have to say about booking a charter flight, or get online and see what you can learn about the benefits of a charter flight. In my opinion, they are much easier than regular commercial flights and they are much more comfortable as well.

A charter flight is in fact one of life’s finer things. It is not, however, reserved only for the rich and famous. You and almost everyone you know could benefit by learning the truth about a charter flight and then booking one for your next trip or vacation. I assure you that you’ll be glad you did. And you may never go back to regular commercial flights.