Contact
Registered Address
Mulberry House
78a Nightingale Lane
Wanstead
London
E11 3AW
United Kingdom
Use one of the below methods to get in touch with us at Sentinel Aviation.
Alternatively fill out the form further down with your ideal journey and we’ll get back to you with a quote.
It’s a very straight forward process. You can contact us by email, complete the booking form or call us using the details provided on the website and we will always reply within a couple of hours and 24hrs at the most.
We will require the following information:
- Dates of Travel
- Number of Passengers
- Departure and Arrival Airports (If you’re unsure we can advise)
- Requested Departure and Arrival Times
- Expected Volume of luggage (ie weight of suitcase in kg)
- Any outsize luggage (Skis/Golfclubs/Fishing Rods/Mobility aids/pushchairs etc)
- Pets if you are considering taking them with you
- Shotguns and Firearms
Of course. You should be aware that within the UK almost all aircraft and helicopters with less than 10 seats (including the pilots) will attract HMRC VAT at 20%.
As former business jet pilots we will use our professional experience and sound judgement to pick the aircraft that will complete the trip based on the information you have given us. It is extremely unlikely that you can go down an aircraft size, but, if you wanted a bigger aircraft we can source that for you too. The majority of time we will come back to you with several options from which to choose. On occasion, however, we may only come back with one aircraft because the quote is so good, we know it cannot be beaten.
Our in depth knowledge of the aviation industry means that we source aircraft from operators with a sound safety record and reputation. As trained aviation safety and compliance auditors we can also carry out our own in depth audit of a company should we deem it necessary. All aircraft operators must have an “Air Operator’s Certificate” or AOC. They will have gone through exactly the same regulatory, audit and licensing process as an airline like British Airways to receive their AOC, which is renewed every year.
Once you have selected your aircraft, we will confirm this with the aircraft operator and they will issue us with a contract. They may need to ask for the “Owner’s Approval” before final confirmation. We will then issue you with a quote and booking confirmation via Docusign or Adobe which can be electronically signed.
Very few companies actually own their aircraft, instead they are owned by individuals who charter their aircraft out to help balance costs. The aircraft operator will approach the owner once they have a signed contract from us and ask for “Owner’s Approval or Owner’s Release”. This is not always given and we may need to select a different aircraft.
An empty leg is where an aircraft is reposition prior to or after a flight with no passengers on board. These are offered with restricted terms and are similar to having a “standby ticket” for a commercial flight. There are savings to be made, providing you are flexible and keep at the back of your mind, that even at the last minute you can be ‘bumped’ off the aircraft. There is no legal requirement for the operator to find you another aircraft and you will simply get your money back.
Yes, but we will need to find aircraft with permission to carry pets and not all airports are approved to allow pets to transit through them, so you may need to select alternative departure and arrival airports. Post BREXIT, this has become a little bit more complicated if you are travelling to an island such as Menorca, Majorca and Ibiza.
Yes, but please give us as much notice as possible as there is plenty of paper work to complete. You will also need to provide your licence(s) and the weapons will need to be transported in a lockable case. Likewise, if you intend to carry any ammunition with you.
We base all luggage on an average weight of 20kg. We will always aim to agree what volume you can carry with you in the charter contract. Up to midsize jets, generally one normal soft sided case and a small item of carry on luggage is permitted. Soft sided cases tend to fit better into the holds, which can vary in size. From super midsize upwards there is more flexibility on suitcase type and size.
We sign a contract with the charter operator and you sign a charter contract with us. The contract highlights to you what services we have agreed to provide you with. It all states that there may on occasion be certain price variations which we will have to pass on to you such as Federal Excise Taxes in the USA. It also states that De-Icing and Wifi costs are almost never included in the price and they will be invoiced to you in arrears.
De-icing invoices are not a precise science and are invoiced according to the volume and type of de-icing fluid used. It also depends on the prevailing weather conditions and the size of the aircraft. Invoices can run from a few hundred euros up to a few thousand euros for bigger jets.
Not all aircraft have WiFi as a standard feature, it tends to be the heavy jet class upwards. We will also confirm whether you require the wifi to be switched on or off for the flight. As all aircraft wifi is routed through a satellite, it can be extremely expensive and on average can be €10.00 Euros or more and invoices frequently run into thousands of Euros.
Flight attendants tend to only be available with super midsize jets and upwards. This is purely down to space on the aircraft as opposed to cost.
Most aircraft will come with a small fridge containing both alcohol and soft drinks and snacks. On longer flights we will agree the catering with you from specialist VIP Catering providers and ensure any dietary requirements and allergies are made known. You may of course bring your own catering and if necessary we can even arrange for you to have catering from your favourite Michelin star restaurant and chef.
An FBO is a fixed-base operator, which is a company that is given permission by an airport to operate on its premises to provide aeronautical services for aircraft, passengers, and crew. Generally, FBOs are the main providers or Handling Agents, of services in general aviation, or for private and recreational flying. They’re usually found at public airports but can sometimes be found in a property next to the airport. FBOs at larger or higher-traffic airports are usually private companies. At smaller airports, FBOs are sometimes run by the local government.
Once you have signed the charter contract you will be subject to certain terms and conditions and on occasion financial penalties if you need to make major changes to your booking. If you are going skiing and want to add boots and skis at a later date, this may not be always possible due to the size of aircraft that you have booked. Likewise, adding passengers at a later day may not be possible either for aircraft performance reasons. We will always endeavour to accommodate any changes you have but there are never any guarantees.
We will invoice you by electronic invoice to be paid by bank transfer in either GBP Sterling, US Dollars or Euros. This must be done by the date stated in the contract as we may need to transfer funds overseas for payment and this can take a few days, particularly with the US Bank clearing system. Failure to transfer the funds on time may risk the cancellation of your charter. We can accept credit cards but will add a 5% charge on top of the charter price. We Do Not accept Bitcoin or any other digital currencies. We also state on the invoice that you must bear all the bank transfer charges and any additional fees.
On the contract we will state how long before the flight you should arrive. Generally for smaller airports this can be 15 to 20 minutes, for larger airports this could be 20 minutes to half an hour. If you are carrying shotguns and firearms we will always state a minimum of 30 minutes to allow for any final paperwork and licence checks.
We can source most items for our clients. We can provide additional security and medical cover should it be required and is an additional charge. In short please ask and we will do our very best to provide.
We charge an industry standard commission which is included in the charter price. You are paying for our considerable flying experience, knowledge and impeccable service from start to finish. There will be charter brokers out there who charge more than us and there are even those who “guarantee to undercut” any other charter quote. We do not compromise on safety or quality, and as a result of this, we do not compromise on price. We know you will be thoroughly pleased with our standard service, as so many of our previous clients have.
We are currently partnering up with a Climate Care specialist to deliver a transparent and comprehensive carbon offset programme
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