We’re not naming names or charter companies—because, like Vegas, what happens on a private jet tends to stay there. But behind every smooth takeoff and discreet landing, there’s a crew with a story. Here are a few of their favorite tales.
Santa on the Tarmac
A jet loaded with two families and lots of kids headed for Christmas in Maine stopped at the end of a Tampa taxiway. Looking out the windows, the kids were ecstatic to see another “aircraft” pull alongside: a sleigh with Santa and eight reindeer, ostensibly to “show them the way.”
The Stuffed Plus-Eights
A regular client asked her charter company to book a Tampa–New York flight for nine: her plus eight friends. She gave only the friends’ first names and, when she arrived at the jet, she needed the crew to help get Alfred, Fuzzy, Lumpy and the others aboard. Yes, they were all full-sized stuffed animals in their own seats. And there were no special food requests.
MapQuest Mischief
Four fun-loving couples were bound for Arizona from Tampa for a week of trout fishing when the captain, in a starched shirt with gold epaulettes, came from the cockpit to ask the organizer, “Sir, have you been to this airport before?” Responding that he had, the pilot spread out a Texaco road map, pointed at a spot on it, and said, “It’s about, umm, in this area?” The client was shocked until the laughter from his prankster friends alerted him that he’d been had.
Demands at 30,000 Feet
Rock stars are infamous with flight crews. One demanded a popcorn machine, with only truffle salt, be installed for the flight, while a well-known TV star requested bowls of M&Ms for munchies—but only green—so the crew had to sort the candies preflight.
Pocket Change
A Middle Eastern sheik left a Ziploc baggie in a seat pocket filled with thousands of hundred-dollar bills. Yes, they were all returned!
The Dog Walk Detour
One traveler asked the captain to land halfway to the destination. His dog “needed fresh air and a walk.” The crew handled it with aplomb.
Chris Caswell is an award-winning writer and the former editor of several yachting magazines. He has appeared on Oprah as a boating lifestyle expert and hosted the Marine Voyager series on the Speed Channel.
Want to make your own tale? Check out Private Jet Travel. Or if you need info on advertising with us, click here.
