REFERENCE · A-Z

The Private Jet Glossary

75 business-aviation terms, defined in plain English and grounded in the way the industry actually operates. From empty legs and Part 135 to MTOW and ARGUS ratings — updated and maintained by the Limitless Sky charter desk.

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A B C D E F G H I J L M N O P R S T U V W

BROWSE BY CATEGORY

Aircraft

9 terms

Commercial

18 terms

Regulation

11 terms

Safety

5 terms

Airports

10 terms

Operations

8 terms

Performance

9 terms

Crew & Cabin

5 terms

A TO Z INDEX

A

ADS-B: Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast. A required avionics system that transmits an aircraft's identity, position and altitude in real time.
Air Operator Certificate (AOC): The European equivalent of a US Part 135 certificate, issued by EASA member-state authorities to companies authorised to conduct commercial air transport.
Air Traffic Control (ATC): Ground-based controllers who direct aircraft movement on the surface and through controlled airspace.
ARGUS Rating: An independent operator safety audit ranking aircraft and operator history into Gold, Gold Plus and Platinum tiers.

B

Balanced Field Length: The runway length required for an aircraft at a given weight to either accelerate to take-off speed or, in the event of an engine failure at V1, stop safely on the remaining runway.
Block Hour: The unit of flight time used for pricing: from the moment the aircraft begins to taxi until the moment it parks after landing.
Broker Disclosure: Written disclosure US charter brokers are required to provide before a flight, identifying the broker, the operator and any agency relationships under 14 CFR Section 295.20.

C

Cabin Attendant: A trained crew member responsible for passenger service, safety briefings, catering and emergency procedures in the cabin.
Callout Time: The contractual notice an operator or programme requires to confirm an aircraft and crew for a charter flight.
Captain (PIC): The Pilot in Command — the crew member with ultimate authority and responsibility for the safe operation of a flight.
Catering: On-board food and beverage service, customised per flight and provided by airport-side catering specialists rather than the operator.
Charter Broker: An intermediary that sources aircraft from certified operators on behalf of a client — never owning or operating the aircraft itself.
Cruise Altitude: The altitude at which an aircraft spends the majority of its flight, optimised for fuel burn, weather and traffic.
Customs & Immigration: The clearance process for international arrivals — usually performed at the FBO for private flights, often in under 10 minutes.

D

Deadhead: Industry slang for any flight segment operated with no revenue passengers, including positioning and recovery legs.
Delay Code: A standardised IATA reference identifying the cause of a flight delay, used by operators in post-flight reporting.
Dry Lease: A lease that transfers only the aircraft, leaving crew, maintenance and insurance to the lessee.
Duty Time: The maximum hours a pilot can be on duty in a single period, regulated by the FAA, EASA and other authorities to prevent fatigue.

E

EASA: The European Union Aviation Safety Agency — the regulator responsible for civil aviation safety rules across EU member states plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
Empty Leg: A repositioning flight an operator has to fly anyway with no passengers — typically offered to retail buyers at 25-75% off the standard charter price.
ETOPS: Extended-range Twin-engine Operations — certification required for twin-engine aircraft to fly routes more than 60 minutes from a diversion airport.

F

FAA: The US Federal Aviation Administration — the agency responsible for regulating all aspects of civil aviation in the United States.
FBO: A commercial business at an airport that provides services to general aviation — fuel, hangarage, passenger lounges, catering, customs facilitation and crew rest.
FBO Fees: The aggregate handling, parking, ramp, security and after-hours charges levied by a private terminal — typically billed to the operator and passed through to the charter customer.
Federal Excise Tax (FET): A 7.5% US tax on domestic commercial air transportation, plus a per-segment fee, collected by the operator and remitted to the IRS.
Ferry Flight: A non-revenue positioning flight, often over long distances, to move an aircraft from one operating base to another.
First Officer (SIC): The Second in Command, who shares flying duties with the captain and assumes command if the captain is incapacitated.
Fractional Ownership: A shared-ownership model where buyers purchase a 1/16 to 1/2 share of a specific aircraft and receive 50 to 400 occupied hours per year.
Fuel Stop: A short intermediate landing to refuel and continue, common on long trans-oceanic flights at the edge of an aircraft's range.

G

Ground Handling: The package of services delivered to a private aircraft on the ground: marshalling, passenger transfers, baggage, fuel coordination, lavatory and water services.
Ground Transfer: Chauffeured or self-driven transport between the FBO and the passenger's origin or final destination.
Group Charter: Charter of a larger-cabin aircraft — typically a heavy jet or VIP airliner — for groups of 12 or more passengers.
Guaranteed Availability: A contractual commitment from a jet card or fractional programme to deliver a specified aircraft category within a defined callout window.

H

Heavy Jet: Large-cabin business jet seating 10-16 passengers with intercontinental range, including the Falcon 2000, Gulfstream G450 and Challenger 605.
Helicopter Charter: On-demand rotorcraft service, typically used for last-mile transfers from major airports to city centres, marinas or remote estates.

I

ICAO: The International Civil Aviation Organization — the UN agency that sets global standards and recommended practices for international civil aviation.
Illegal Charter: Any compensated passenger flight conducted outside a valid Part 135 / AOC certificate — including most flights offered through sham dry leases or owner-pilot arrangements.
International Handling: The package of services required for a flight crossing international borders: overflight and landing permits, customs coordination, ground handling and security.
IS-BAO: International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations — a voluntary, peer-reviewed code of best practice for business-aviation flight departments.

J

Jet Card: A pre-paid charter product that locks in hourly rates, guaranteed availability and a fixed aircraft category for a set block of hours, usually 25 or 50.

L

Light Jet: Twin-engine business jet seating 6-8 passengers with ranges of roughly 1,500-2,000 nm — the workhorse of regional private aviation.

M

Maximum Landing Weight (MLW): The maximum weight at which an aircraft is certified to land safely without overstressing the landing gear.
Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW): The maximum weight at which an aircraft is certified to begin its take-off roll, including fuel, payload and crew.
Medevac Flight: A medically-equipped charter flight transporting a patient with on-board medical staff and life-support equipment.
Midsize Jet: Business jet category offering a stand-up cabin, ~2,500-3,000 nm range and seating for 7-9 passengers — comfortable for transcontinental US flights.
Minimum Day: The minimum number of block hours an operator will charge per calendar day, regardless of actual flight time.

N

Noise Restriction: Local regulation limiting operations of older, noisier aircraft (or all aircraft during night hours) at specific airports.

O

On-Demand Charter: Single-trip aircraft rental priced and quoted per flight, with no membership, deposit or long-term commitment.
Operator: The certified company that actually flies the aircraft under its own air operator certificate (AOC in Europe, Part 135 in the US).
Overnight Fee: A daily charge covering crew accommodation, meals and per diem when an aircraft and crew remain away from base overnight.

P

Part 135: The US Federal Aviation Regulation that governs on-demand commercial charter operations — the certificate every legal US charter operator holds.
Part 295: The US Department of Transportation regulation that governs charter brokers, including required customer disclosures and prohibited deceptive practices.
Part 91: The US Federal Aviation Regulation that governs non-commercial general aviation, including most private aircraft owners flying themselves and their guests.
Peak Day: A calendar day with concentrated demand on which charter rates, callout notice and minimum daily hours typically increase.
Prior Permission Required (PPR): A condition imposed by some airports requiring operators to obtain explicit clearance before an arrival or departure, typically because of noise, capacity or security constraints.
Private Terminal: A passenger facility dedicated to private aviation, separate from the main commercial terminal, often allowing curb-to-aircraft transit in under 15 minutes.

R

Ramp Fee: A fee charged by an FBO for parking a private aircraft on its ramp, typically waived if a minimum amount of fuel is purchased.
Range: The maximum distance an aircraft can fly in still air with a defined payload, cruise altitude and fuel reserves.
Repositioning Fee: The charge applied when an aircraft must fly empty to or from a charter flight's actual departure point.

S

Safety Management System (SMS): A formal, top-down approach to managing safety risk in flight operations, mandated by ICAO for international commercial operators.
Segment Fee: A flat per-passenger, per-flight-segment fee imposed by the IRS on domestic US commercial air transportation, indexed annually to inflation.
Short-Field Performance: An aircraft's certified ability to operate from runways shorter than the industry norm — a defining capability for accessing alpine, island and private airfields.
Slot: A timed permission to take off or land at a slot-coordinated airport, typically issued in 10- to 15-minute windows by a designated coordinator.
Slot-Coordinated Airport: An airport where capacity is managed through formal slot allocation — every arrival and departure must be assigned a coordinated slot in advance.
STOL: Short Take-Off and Landing — a category of aircraft designed to operate from runways well under 2,000 ft, often unpaved.
Super-Midsize Jet: Business jet with a wide-body cabin, ~3,000-3,800 nm range and trans-continental capability — Challenger 350, Citation Longitude, Praetor 600.

T

Tail Number: The unique alphanumeric registration painted on an aircraft, identifying its country of registry and individual airframe.
Turboprop: Aircraft powered by turbine engines driving propellers — slower than jets but capable of operating from very short and unpaved runways.
Type Rating: An additional certification a pilot must obtain to act as pilot in command on a specific aircraft type above a defined weight or complexity threshold.

U

Ultra-Long-Range Jet: Top-tier business jet with 6,000+ nm range — Gulfstream G650/G700, Bombardier Global 7500, Falcon 8X — capable of city-pair missions like Hong Kong-New York non-stop.
Useful Load: The difference between MTOW and the aircraft's basic operating weight — the combined weight of fuel, passengers, baggage and consumables an aircraft can carry.

V

Very Light Jet (VLJ): The smallest category of business jet, typically certified for single-pilot operation with 4-5 passengers and ranges under 1,500 nm.
VIP Airliner: Commercial airliner — typically a Boeing BBJ or Airbus ACJ — converted to a private cabin for heads of state, royal families, sports teams and large corporate groups.

W

Wet Lease: A lease of an aircraft together with crew, maintenance and insurance — the foundation of how brokered charter flights are actually operated.
Wyvern Wingman: An independent operator safety standard requiring an on-site audit, documented safety management system and minimum crew experience thresholds.