Industry Magazine Desert Jet Oasis Magazine Fall 2017 | Page 8

GETTING YOU THERE
WHAT GOES INTO GETTING YOU THERE?
HAVE you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes
in preparing for your flight? Many departments at Desert Jet
collaborate to ensure you have a well-planned flight experience.
When a request for a flight is received, our charter dispatchers
complete a safety checklist covering items such as runway length,
airport capabilities, and passenger requirements that may affect
the aircraft’s performance capabilities. Prior to dispatch, our
Director of Operations verifies that the weather is acceptable,
the aircraft is airworthy, and the pilots are fit for assignment. The
Captain makes the determination of suitability of the flight, taking
all current and anticipated conditions under consideration. This is
a continuous process, beginning once the flight is scheduled and
continues up until departure.
The Captain uses Desert Jet’s Flight Risk Assessment Tool to
determine the actual risks present in the operating environment at
the time of departure and scheduled arrival.
The Flight Risk Assessment Tool was developed exclusively by
all members of the company’s Safety Committee. It is accessed via
the company aircraft’s iPads and allows for immediate electronic
submission for real-time collaboration of all departments.
The Destination Airport Analysis Checklist is used in conjunction
with this assessment tool to ensure that any unforeseen risks, such
as rapidly changing weather conditions, do not affect the ability to
use a particular airport. If any unusual risk is present, or if a pattern
of risk presents itself, the Captain and Chief Pilot together review
the flight circumstances and proceed to mitigate the risk. Common
mitigation strategies might include delaying a flight until conditions
improve or choosing a more suitable airport.
Once mitigation procedures have been implemented, the
Director of Operations gives final approval to dispatch the flight.
In any case, the flight is not dispatched until four personnel give
the nod of approval for safe operations—the Charter Dispatcher,
the Captain, the Chief Pilot, and the Director of Operations.
From this point on, the trip is a go! Starting well before your flight,
our maintenance technicians accomplish a thorough pre-flight
inspection, our aircraft detailers do a last-minute touch up, and our
quality assurance manager checks to ensure your aircraft is ready
for your flight, including any catering that has been requested. Our
FBO fuels the aircraft and stages it in position for departure. Upon
your arrival, our flight-following team watches the aircraft through
the flight to anticipate any issues caused by weather or air traffic
control.
The well-choreographed events that come together to ensure
your flight is seamless is just the first step. What really moves
our team is to try to anticipate your needs throughout your flight
experience to give you the “WOW.” It’s our goal to anticipate what
you might need before you’ve had a chance to express it.
That is how you get there!
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