Read this guide to know the different ways weather can affect your private jet flight. Fly with the best private jet charter companies for utmost comfort and safety.
Even the best private jet charter companies can be affected by the weather. The weather is top of mind for a lot of private jet clients. Constant monitoring of the weather forms an important part of handling a flight. A good charter company should work closely with the crew and operators when organizing your flight and adjusting the route and calculating the timings using weather planning tools. Different weather conditions affect your flight in numerous ways – from daily consideration of wind direction and strength to the unusual challenges of heavy fog, extreme heat and snow.
Snow and ice
The main challenge that private jet flights could face in very cold weather comes on the ground. Your aircraft is designed to cope with snowfall and freezing temperatures once in the air. The temperature reaches as low as -80 degrees at 30000 feet. It can even fall lower without causing any problems.
When it comes to factoring in snow or ice, the major focus should be the condition of the taxiway and runway at the airport and on de-icing the jet before a flight. De-icing is a safety and legal requirement for private jet flights. With limited hangar space at most airports, standing jets will ice up in cold weather – the same way as a vehicle. Aircraft de-icing will add to the costs to charter a plane because it costs money and this is one of the most important things you need to know before using the services of a private jet charter.
Private jets are less affected than airline flights by snowfall as they can use small airports where de-icing and snow clearing can take place quicker than at big hubs. There is a smaller area of the taxiway to keep clear. If all flights are grounded because of extreme snow then the agility of the jet means flights can return to normal immediately after lifting restrictions.
Sun
Sun can also affect aircraft. Aircraft can operate safely in sunny and hot weather in high temperatures. However, at a high air temperature, the performance of the aircraft will be impacted. Since hot air is thinner than cooler air, this affects the output of the engine of the aircraft as well as the aerodynamic payload. Pilots can use a higher engine thrust setting when it is hot. While it is rarely hot enough for aircraft to be grounded, it is something that should be factored into the plan. However cold or hot it may be outside, the temperature in the cabin will always be set to the preference of the client.
Fog
Both commercial and private jets are affected by fog which causes poor visibility. This can cause flight delays. Although a lot of commercial aircraft come with auto land, it is on the ground and during the taking-off phase that most of the delays occur.
When there is the low visibility of an airport, air traffic will reduce the number of jets taking off and taxing to prevent accidents. The best private jet charter companies have to consider the fog to improve safety.
