Tag: weather

How Hurricanes Impact Private Jets: What You Need to Know

Posted on by rbaliatico
Hurricanes are powerful natural phenomena that can cause extensive damage to infrastructure, homes, and transportation networks. This week’s blog covers how Private jets, which represent a significant investment for their owners and operators, are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of hurricanes. Understanding how hurricanes affect private jets and taking appropriate precautions can mitigate risks and ensure the safety of both the aircraft and those who operate them.

Hurricanes

Hurricanes

 

Hurricanes

 

Direct Impact of Hurricanes on Private Jets

  1. Wind Damage:
    • High Winds: Hurricanes bring extremely high winds, which can exceed 100 mph. These winds can cause significant structural damage to private jets, including damage to the fuselage, wings, and control surfaces.
    • Debris: High winds can lift and propel debris, which can strike and damage parked aircraft. Even small objects can cause considerable harm when hurled at high speeds.

  2. Hurricanes

    Flooding:

    • Runway Flooding: Heavy rainfall associated with hurricanes can lead to flooding of runways and taxiways, making them unusable and posing a risk of water damage to aircraft systems.
    • Hangar Flooding: Floodwaters can inundate hangars, potentially causing damage to aircraft stored inside. Water can damage electronic systems, interiors, and engines.
  3. Turbulence and Severe Weather Conditions:
    • In-flight Hazards: Flying through or near a hurricane involves severe turbulence, lightning, hail, and other hazardous weather conditions that can jeopardize the safety of the flight.

Indirect Impact of Hurricanes on Private Jet

 Operations

  1. Airport Closures:
    • Evacuations and Closures: Airports in the path of a hurricane may close for safety reasons, disrupting flight schedules and necessitating the relocation of aircraft to safer locations.
  2. Air Traffic Control Disruptions:
    • Communication and Navigation: Hurricanes can disrupt air traffic control services, affecting communication and navigation systems critical for the safe operation of private jets.
  3. Fuel Availability:
    • Supply Chain Issues: Hurricanes can disrupt fuel supplies and logistics, leading to shortages and affecting the availability of aviation fuel at airports.

Precautionary Measures for Private Jet Owners and Operators

  1. Relocation:
    • Evacuation: One of the most effective measures is to relocate private jets out of the hurricane’s projected path to a safer location well in advance of the storm’s arrival.
  2. Securing the Aircraft:
    • Hangar Storage: If relocation is not feasible, storing the aircraft in a robust hangar that can withstand hurricane-force winds is essential. Ensure the hangar is secure and properly maintained.
    • Tie-Downs: For aircraft that must remain outdoors, using heavy-duty tie-downs can help secure them against high winds. Ensure all tie-down points are secure and in good condition.
  3. Protective Covers:
    • Engine and Pitot Covers: Using covers can help protect sensitive parts of the aircraft, such as engines and pitot tubes, from debris and water ingress.
  4. Insurance Review:
    • Policy Check: Review the aircraft’s insurance policy to ensure it covers hurricane-related damages. Understand the terms and conditions, and consider additional coverage if necessary.
  5. Operational Planning:
    • Flight Planning: Avoid planning flights during the hurricane season without considering the latest weather forecasts and advisories. Have contingency plans in place for unexpected weather developments.

Post-Hurricane Actions

  1. Damage Assessment:
    • Thorough Inspection: Conduct a thorough inspection of the aircraft for any signs of damage before resuming operations. Pay special attention to structural components, control surfaces, and electronic systems.
  2. Maintenance and Repairs:
    • Professional Assessment: Engage a certified maintenance professional to assess and repair any damage. Ensure all repairs meet regulatory and safety standards.
  3. Documentation:
    • Insurance Claims: Document all damages meticulously and file insurance claims promptly. Keep detailed records of inspections, repairs, and communications with insurers.

Wrapping It Up

Hurricanes pose significant risks to private jets, but with careful planning and proactive measures, these risks can be managed effectively. By relocating aircraft, securing them properly, and staying informed about weather developments, private jet owners and operators can protect their valuable assets and ensure the safety of their operations during the hurricane season. Well lets see how the current tropical depression pans out this week, until next update remember to Be Social, Fly Private!

 

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Out Of Harms Way, Hurricane Ian

Posted on by rbaliatico

out of harms way, hurricane ian                                                                                                                                                                                                                              When we need to get out of harms way. Hurricane Ian’s insured losses continue to mount. Estimated losses are ranged from 53 to 74 billion dollars from Florida to the Carolinas. The modeling firm, RMS *, estimates that the damage will be very close to $67 billion in insured losses. These figures will rank Hurricane Ian as the All-Time costliest storms to hit Florida and place it 2nd only to Hurricane Katrina nationally as pertaining to insured losses. Densely populated areas such as Naples, Ft. Myers, and the barrier Island Sanibel were devastated and the death toll has already surpassed 100 souls**.

As the storm approached, many Floridians, not on the west coast, slowly started breathing a sigh of relief as the storm did not seem to be in the path of their assets and, more importantly, their families. Only those familiar with the unpredictable nature of these storms were not ready to let their guards down. We watched very closely as the storm developed and spaghetti models changed on the National Hurricane Center website. For those in the aviation world, frequent visits to the aviation weather website became an hourly process. Pilots and others in the aviation business rely on this site for the data it offers regarding wind speeds, wind patterns, rain, pressure trends, and other such important forecast tools. I note that early on the aviation weather forecasted a track closer to where the storm finally arrived further south than was being projected by national and local news stations. It was very accurate in its forecast as it often is. This data put us on high alert, and we shared our concerns with operators and clients looking for more information. 

Many air charter operators are responsible for not only keeping their clients safe during flights, but also protecting their own and their clients managed aviation assets. Insurance policies  often offer some level of reimbursement to move the aircraft out of the predicted path. Simultaneously, clients wishing to relocate during the storm often turn to companies like ours to help them find flights departing the area. Recognizing this situation as being mutually beneficial, we match our clients with operators looking to move their planes quickly prior to the arrival of the storm. Unfortunately traditional brokers look at this as an opportunity to price gouge, taking advantage of clients fears by abusively marking up the flights. We disagree with this practice and do our best to match our clients with the need to get to a safer location with the operators desiring to do the same. Pricing will likely be a bit higher than normal as these are often last minute arrangements and take considerable effort to accomplish, however, the main objective is always the same: help clients and assets to get to a safe location as quickly as possible, and most importantly, out of harms way.

Our personal experience with this storm was illuminating. With our knowledge of the weather data we have access to, we felt we were out of harms way with this storm. We felt comfortable our residence was secure and ready, but our personal plane was in for service and would be left exposed on the tarmac at North Perry Airport. Thankfully we were able to relocate it to our hangar only a few short hours before a horrific tornado spawned by one of Hurricane Ian’s outer bands set down on the airport and wreaked havoc on over 35 unprotected planes. This redefined our definition of safe and secure. We now plan to increase our efforts in storm preparedness for our clients and supporting air charter operators. You will soon see a new page on emptylegs.net dedicated to storm and other natural disaster tools where we will share bad weather data as it approaches. Of course, we always recommend following the guidelines from official channels.

Whether you are an air charter operator or a current or potential private air travel client, feel free to contact us now with your evacuation requests, concerns, and questions about future storm or disaster preparedness. Our email, info@emptylegs.net, is the best way to request to be added to our evacuation plan until our emergency page is live. 

We publish our blog weekly every Tuesday morning and our next one will look to clarify some of the differences between FAA Part 135, 121, and 91 for the private air charter clients.  

Until then, Be Social, Fly Private! Sign Up Today!  Follow us on Instagram  Follow us on Facebook

 

*RMS, a Moody’s Analytics Company, Newark, CA – October 7, 2022

**Associated Press, Stephen Smith, October 6th, 2022

Hurricane Ian & Private Aviation

Posted on by rbaliatico

hurricane ian, florida                                                                                                                                               Hurricane Ian will go down in history as one of the worst storms to impact the state of Florida in decades. It devastated the west coast of Florida with near Category 5 winds, torrential and unrelenting rain, plus a whopping 12+ ft storm surge. Like its predecessor, Hurricane Andrew, it caused death and destruction in the billions of dollars. 30 years ago, Hurricane Andrew caused 50 billion in damage, destroyed 60,000 homes, and left 170,000 people homeless. We haven’t had enough time to tally the pain caused by Hurricane Ian, but I’m sure the numbers will dwarf those of Andrew. Most of the areas hit were swamps and mangroves back in the early 1900s until men like Carl Fisher and Henry Flagler etched out their respective fortunes turning these same natural landscapes into concrete and coral stone. We no longer have the protection from mother nature’s palm trees, everglades, and mangroves to protect us. Although newer multi-million dollar homes and buildings are engineered with strength to endure these natural disasters, they seem not as well suited for battle as these weather events get more and more powerful with our ever changing climate and environment. 

Sprawling growth throughout the coastal states over the last 30 years is staggering. The number of homes in Florida doubled from 1990 to 2020 from 5 million to a whopping 10 million homes. Many more people have called “waterfront properties” their homes of choice, exposing themselves to all types of natural disasters like hurricanes and tropical storms. Even our Northern states have seen unheard of devastation like Hurricane Sandy and most recently Fiona. As our population continues to grow, more people than ever are placing their homes and families in harms way.  Other hazards throughout the United States are continuing to make the news such as geophysical events like earthquakes, storms, tornados, and forest fires.

We are far from innocent or powerless in the fight against these catastrophic events, but we sometimes act too slow or don’t do enough. In fact, we play a critical role in our own decisions of where to live and what level of risks we are willing to take. We do have the power to impact the very climate changes that threaten the dream lives we have made for ourselves. In our next weeks blog post we will share some figures on the damage to our aviation community caused by Hurricane Ian, what role our company can serve to help avoid damage to our Aviation assets, and more importantly helping our clients prepare for future natural disasters to keep them and their loved ones out of harms way. Next post we will discuss how to get out of harms way with a hurricane approaching.

Until the, Be Social, Fly Private! Sign Up Today!  Follow us on Instagram  Follow us on Facebook