Apollo Jets Blog

2nd Annual Apollo Jets Holiday Party

On December 7^th, Apollo celebrated its Second Annual Holiday Party at Circa Restorante in Mineola, NY. The night was a huge success with a guest appearance from Shaquille O’Neal and performances by Kevin Hart, John Pizzi and Ken Salaz. Check out some pictures from the event below!

Dean & Joanne Giasi, Susan Dave Choe and
Hader and Danica and Bruce Berman
Andrew Drykerman (more…)

Travel Spotlight: Sweden

Whether its books, movies or travelers themselves, everyone seems to be talking about Sweden. Whether you’re going to work or fun, this Northern European country is easily becoming the hottest, frozen destination.

While people may think of Kingdom of Sweden as the home of Vikings and those delicious tiny meatballs, the capital city of Stockholm is a top tourist destination with Palaces for the monarchy, beautiful architecture and an extensive transportation system. The city is known for its green initiatives with over 1,000 park and nature spaces. Although the air may be clean, it’s also crisp – the warmest temperature in Southern Sweden is about 72 degrees in July… and it only gets colder from there!

Traveling up to Northern Sweden seems a little off the beaten trail, but once you make it past the Arctic Circle is the Ice Hotel, that’s right – a hotel made entirely of ice is within your reach. Luckily for you private fliers, the city of Kiruna is right next door with its own airport. Just make sure you get up there before it melts!

And remember, whether you’re going for ABBA, some time in the mountains, or business meetings, Apollo Jets can take you there!

The Holiday Season is back again!

Today marks the beginning of the busiest travel months and this year is no exception! Over 42.5 million Americans will be traveling long distances this Thanksgiving alone, which can lead to a lot of hassles and headaches if you’re not prepared. No one wants to look frazzled by the time they get to their final destination so check out these tips to looking fabulous for the holiday festivities:

Stay Hydrated: The high elevation and pressurized cabin leads to very dry air. Be sure to hot only drink plenty of water (which will help your skin and hair), but also bring a moisturizer to keep your skin looking fresh.

Change it up: Nothing’s going to make you feel refreshed after a long flight like a change of clothes. Packing a new t-shirt and accessories will leave you feeling like you’re ready to start the party.

Wash your hands often or pack sanitizer: Getting sick on your journey should be the least of your worries! Even the cleanest airport leaves you prone to illness, so combat it by staying clean. And remember an apple a day, keeps the doctor away!

Cancel out the stress: Advancements in headphones have made relaxing while traveling extremely easy. Make yourself a calming travel mix to get you through the day. Noise cancelling headphones will make you feel like you’re by yourself (even when you’re surrounded by hundreds).

It’s not too late to make your holiday plans and remember, Apollo Jets can take you there!

Jet Report: Challenger 604

Developed as a new venture from the father of the Lear Jet, the Challenger series was created as the next step in comfortable, luxury private jets. Now over 30 year later, the name Challenger is recognized for its long legacy of Heavy and Super Mid Sized jets, one of its most popular being the Challenger 604.

The 604 was originally introduced in 1995 with a largerfuelcapacity, wing improvements and a newly developed undercarriage to improve takeoffs and landings. With a similar cabin to its predecessor, this heavy jet boasts an extremely comfortable 6.1 H x 8.2 W x 28 L cabin and on average can hold about 9 passengers. Some configuration can remarkably even hold 19 of your closest friends and family! (Although that would be a little tight!) Along with 115 cubic feet of baggage space, this is the ultimate large group aircraft. Check out some of the specs below!

Equipped with dual CF34-3B engines
Average speed of .74 Mach
Collins Pro Line 4 glass cockpit avionics system
Range of 4,017 Nautical Miles

Does Your Jet Track?

Over the past few years, many companies have come under scrutiny for using private jets under secret tracking codes. In the easiest terms, all jets are assigned a tail number (for example, N498PQ). Under normal circumstances, these numbers can be tracked while a plane is in flight using a number of FAA associated websites. When a jet owner wants more anonymity, they can have the jet track under a different number (such as BRT498). This is a private number that only the jet operator, crew and airport personnel know. While some argue that this secretive practice is wrong, it has really been known to help large companies keep their business dealings under wraps.

Imagine if a major corporation was looking to buy out a little company. If competitorssaw that a jet kept going back and forth for meetings, they would know that something big was about to happen and try to sabotage. If investors saw the same thing, they could buy stock in one of the companies’ right before the news was made public and make a killing! Either way this does not fare well for the flyers.

Using tracking codes are becoming less and less common, but when used properly they can be an integral part of a business. So next time you’re looking for a private flight – don’t be so surprised if you can’t find it!

The Most Haunted Places on Earth: Travel if you Dare

Are you a Halloween fanatic? Do you go searching for all things creepy, supernatural or downright scary? In celebration of the upcoming All Hallows Eve, here are 10 of the most haunted places on the planet.

L’Empire de la Mort
(more…)

Travel Spotlight: New Orleans

Some know it as the Big Easy, the Crescent City or simply as NOLA, but the birthplace of Jazz has left its mark on the US as the go to city for Mardi Gras, unlimited crawfish and of course, a little voodoo.

Founded in 1718, the city was named after Philippe d’Orleans, Duke of the French city of Orleans. New Orleans has grown exponentially over the last couple centuries and is now home to over 1.2 residents. Although it has had its fair share of setbacks, the most recent being Hurricane Katrina in 2005, NOLA has rebounded to once again become a US travel destination that cannot be missed.

With more than a handful of must-see sections of the city, one of the most visited areas of New Orleans is the French Quarter, known for its party atmosphere and beautiful architecture. When you’ve had your fill of beignets from Café du Monde, travel over to Saint Louis Cemetery for above ground graves, designed due to the high water table where the city is located. Other attractions that shouldn’t be missed are the Natchez steamboat, the Superdome, VooDoo shops and of course, some authentic Creole or Cajun cuisine. If you’re feeling adventurous, be sure to travel into the bayou and check out the alligators with an airboat. Just be sure not to get to close to the water!

Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) is located within the city limits, so travel is at a minimum. When you’re ready to check out the mysterious, intriguing and notorious New Orleans, remember: Apollo Jets can take you there!

Wi-fi in the Sky

As technology grows and jets become more advanced, the ideal of having an office in the sky is becoming a reality rather than a futuristic dream. Sure using a flight phone is a old perk of the trade, but full fledge video conferencing, email and internet is all becoming a normal occurrence on these luxury jets.

This is done largely in part by the capability of Wi-fi on board of some of the newest aircraft in the industry. Using the internet why flying is still a relatively new concept, but those who’ve used it, say they can never go back. In fact, when given the option to use it during a flight that was under an hour long (and the internet would only be available for about 30 minutes, flyers still opt to use it!)

For those people that don’t want to use the Wi-fi, it can easily be turned off. Although becoming less common as more companies adapt to internet accessible aircraft, some will charge for the use of it, so make sure you check before boarding.

Next time you want to really impress a client – try video chatting from 40,000 feet!

Jet Report: Hawker 800XP

As one of the most popular jets available today, the Hawker 800XP is to perfect aircraft for family winter vacations or overnight business trips. A cousin of British Aerospace and Hawker Beechcraft’s Hawker 400XP, this mid size jet boasts a comfortable cabin of 5.7 H x 6 W x 21.3 L and a sizable luggage compartment that can hold 48 cubic feet worth of bags and travel gear.

Since 1983 when the first of the 800 series took flight, this jet has been taking the world by storm with a redesigned cockpit from its predecessor and a modified fuselage (which makes the 8 passenger cabin very roomy!) One of the great advantages of using the Hawker 800XP is unlike many of the other mid size jets in their category, this aircraft can use a runway of just 5,100 ft, making it accessible to many of the smaller airports in the world. Check out some more facts about the Hawker 800XP below:

Has range of over 3,000 nautical miles (if not fully loaded, this has the potential to go nonstop from New York to Los Angeles)
Allied Signal TFE731-5BR engines
Normal cruise speed of 495 miles per hour
Equipped with a GPWS or Ground Proximity Warning System, which alerts pilots of obstacles or danger on the ground.

Baggage Woes: Can you fit it?

Private jets create a feeling of ease, comfort and of course exclusivity that is unparallel. While passengers may have more than enough space for lounging, it’s important to make sure over-packing all of those fabulous accessories doesn’t leave you with luggage left on the tarmac!

Know your jet’s baggage capacity before you get on the jet. A summer in the Hamptons can be majorly delayed when you have to ship your luggage from the airport! Below check out the different size jets and what you can actually take with you. (more…)