Summing up his decision to fly with NetJets, Warren Buffett once wrote, “I viewed the selection of a flight provider as akin to picking a brain surgeon: you simply want the best. (Let someone else experiment with the low bidder.)”
The comment was light-hearted, but the comparison is apt. By any measure, 40,000 feet is no place for compromise.
That philosophy is embodied in our pilots. At NetJets, we have our pick of Europe’s elite aviators, drawing our pilots from senior air force positions and leading commercial airlines. And while regulations require that captains have at least 1,500 hours of experience, we’re precisely twice as demanding. All our pilots have at least 3,000 hours of flying time, and often far more.
What makes a pilot a NetJets pilot? First, our training programme – the most comprehensive in the industry. In total they spend 50% more time in full-motion simulators than most commercial airline pilots, and train one day for every five they fly.
And while our training is rigorous, our standards are just as strict. Our pilots are never on-call, never hired on contract, and only fly for NetJets. This ensures they know our rules and procedures intimately, and are well-rested and prepared for every flight.
That close control even extends to the cockpit. At NetJets, every pilot trains and flies on only one aircraft type, and every cockpit within that type is identical.
The result? Every NetJets pilot knows his aircraft like the back of his hand – or like a surgeon knows his tools.