The managing director of Gulfstream specialist Jetclub has called for a structured industry-wide training programme, to equip long-range operators with the necessary skills.

The skillset for longer trips differs greatly to shorter operations, says Murray Law. “If you’re used to operating smaller aircraft and a client comes to you looking for a long-range service, it’s a totally different ball game. There is nowhere you can go to learn the necessary skillset. Most people pick it up on the job but you cannot afford to make mistakes.

“Long-range operators need to consider a range of factors, apart from just the mechanics of the aircraft. There are lots of human factors that we as an industry are not too good at managing. We need to train people to manage and operate these aeroplanes.

“There were days when we used to have Hawkers and Falcons dotting around Europe all on the same time zone. Now you can fly for 13 hours without stopping, crossing different time zones, with aeroplanes flying in different directions and for that, you need a totally different skillset,” he added.

“On long-distance flights, pilots need to know about geography, physiology, time zones and foreign currency. At the moment, operators have to provide the training themselves.”

Nevertheless, Law believes that the long-range sector will continue to grow steadily over the coming months. “As people get used to moving around the planet over longer ranges, the security implications of flying privately are also attractive to some people.”

As part of the company’s objective to develop its long-range business further, Jetclub has acquired four Gulfstream 550 aircraft.

The aeroplanes will operate globally and will not be restricted to one base. “Two of them will hardly touch the ground,” he said, adding that the company has no plans to acquire more aircraft at this time.

The Zurich-based company operates a variety of aircraft, including a Gulfstream V, Citation Excel and Challenger, which also operate out of Farnborough, Moscow and Palma de Mallorca.