NAFA member, H. Lee Rohde, III, President & CEO of Essex Aviation, shares a private aviation case study on finding the right combination of services for your aviation needs..
The Client
The client, an executive in the venture capital division of a global asset management firm, spends a significant amount of time traveling, for both professional and personal reasons. A longtime private flyer, the client also frequently makes use of private aviation services for his family.
Prior to working with a dedicated private aviation consultancy, the client utilized the services of a number of different jet carriers on a charter basis, quoting and scheduling each flight individually with help from his executive assistant.
The Challenge
Following a move from Massachusetts to Vermont, the client saw a significant increase in his volume of travel, both personally and professionally. Since the client continued to work in Boston, he began to use small light jet charters to commute from Vermont to Massachusetts on a weekly basis. As the number of charters began to add up, the client realized he needed a more practical solution to his private aviation needs.
In addition to an increased volume of travel, the client also increased his use of other charter aircraft instead of his charter provider’s fleet of aircraft; this prompted the client to look at alternative or supplemental lift options for his ongoing travel.
The Solution
Based on a referral from his wealth management firm, which has worked with Essex in the past to handle other clients’ travel requirements, the client turned to Essex Aviation Group for dedicated private aviation consulting services.
The consultants at Essex immediately set to work conducting a comprehensive flight history analysis for the client, examining key metrics such as the average duration of the client’s flights, mileage, frequency, aircraft type, etc. Based on the results of this analysis, Lee Rohde, President and CEO of Essex Aviation, crafted a multiple service provider program that would best meet the client’s various business and personal travel needs. The program Lee developed included a combination of a membership program, card program and fractional share provider, which reduced some of the overall flight costs by as much as 50 percent.
By working with Essex Aviation the client was able to reduce some of the overall flight costs by as much as 50%
The Conclusion
Essex Aviation’s ability to adapt to the client’s changing private aviation needs has contributed to a positive, ongoing relationship.
Recently, Essex facilitated the sale of the client’s shares in the fractional share program, processed renewals with his business aviation services provider and re-evaluated his usage, helping him shift from a 25-hour jet travel card to a 50-hour renewal. According to the client’s executive assistant, the client continues to rely on Essex for tracking analysis and fully intends to engage Essex’s services in the future for an updated usage analysis.
“Lee’s always ready with the next step and the next idea — he often points out options I might not think of or see,” said the client’s executive assistant. “He’s also patient with us as our needs change, especially since we don’t always have time to delve into things ourselves.”
Together, the client and the team at Essex have developed an efficient system for exchanging and updating information, as well as demarcating professional and personal usage, all of which allow for more in-depth ongoing usage analysis.
Said the client’s executive assistant, “It’s been a pleasure all along to work with Lee. He’s extremely responsive and has been able to provide a quick turnaround on everything we’ve asked for. Everything’s running like a well-oiled machine.”
To download the full case study, click here.
This article was originally published on Essex Aviation's blog.
