Some private fliers seem to want to remain “under the radar.” They like that they can avoid interaction with the general public by leaving and arriving via inconspicuous FBOs, and they travel on unmarked jets, sometimes with the protection of NBAA’s Block Aircraft Registration Request program. The less of an impression they make on the masses the better.
But impressing colleagues and other private fliers is sometimes another matter. California-based XoJet, for example, took a chance when it painted the company logo on its airplanes’ nacelles, because conventional wisdom says that business jet travelers want to be viewed by their peers as using their own aircraft, not mere charter flights. Moreover, numerous interviewees have told me that bizjets have helped their companies not only because the airplanes save time but because they impress clients and customers and make a statement about the owner’s success level.
There’s nothing wrong with that; it’s human nature to want to make an impression. That tendency may account at least partly for the fact that some people buy $20,000 watches even though $20 ones tell time just as well. It may also explain why I’ve retained Apple’s “Sent from my iPhone” tagline on emails.
Still, a preoccupation with appearances can go too far, as I was reminded a few years ago, when I learned why aviation seatbelt maker AmSafe was having trouble introducing its products to business jets. According to a representative of the company who spoke with me at an NBAA convention, the safety value of the belts had been proven conclusively, but sales hadn’t taken off because bizjet owners felt the devices would interfere with the look of their luxurious leather cabin seats.
AmSafe has since found ways to make the belts less obtrusive and more attractive and now, according to its website, the company offers “several buckle choices, including teardrop, classic square and pushbutton, with over 100 webbing colors and multiple hardware plating possibilities” to match any interior. The design tweaks appear to have helped, as AmSafe reports that many business jet manufacturers now install its restraints.
As for any ultra-fashion-conscious aircraft owners who still opt to forgo the belts, they’ll probably be just fine, because bizjet accidents are extremely rare. Still, should an onboard crisis develop, I suspect they’d regret their decision. After all, as they might belatedly realize, it’s hard to show off the stylishness of your airplane if you’re not alive to own it.
Jeff Burger joined Business Jet Traveler in March 2004, a few months after the publication’s launch. Besides editing the magazine, he has written many articles for it and conducted its interviews with such luminaries as Sir Richard Branson, James Carville, Suze Orman, Donald Trump, F. Lee Bailey, and Steve Van Zandt. Burger helped to oversee the introduction of BJT’s annual Readers' Choice surveys and Buyers’ Guide.
During his years with the magazine, it has won well over a hundred editorial awards. In 2011, Burger received the Gold Wing Award for Reporting Excellence from the National Business Aviation Association and the Aviation Journalism Award from the National Air Transportation Association. He has also won writing and editing awards from the American Society of Business Publication Editors. BJT, meanwhile, was named Best International Publication in 2017 in the Aerospace Media Awards. It was also a Magazine of the Year finalist in 2011, 2013, and 2016 and an Overall Excellence winner in 2018 in competitions sponsored by the American Society of Business Publication Editors.
Before coming to BJT, Burger spent 14 years at Medical Economics, the nation’s leading business magazine for doctors, where he served on the editorial board; directed staff recruiting; oversaw a $2 million annual budget; and was financial editor, news editor, and director of special projects. He has been editor of several publications, including Phoenix Magazine in Arizona, and has been a consulting editor at Time Inc. His articles have appeared in more than 75 magazines and newspapers, among them The Los Angeles Times, Barron’s, Reader’s Digest, Gentlemen’s Quarterly , and Family Circle. Chicago Review Press published his books, Springsteen on Springsteen: Interviews, Speeches, and Encounters, Leonard Cohen on Leonard Cohen: Interviews and Encounter, Lennon on Lennon: Conversations with John Lennon, and Dylan on Dylan: Interviews and Encounters. His music writing appears on multiple websites, including his own byjeffburger.com.
Burger, a summa cum laude graduate of the State University of New York at Albany, lives in Ridgewood, N.J. He and his wife, Madeleine, have two grown children. His off-hours passions include cooking, travel, technology, movies, and music.
