Flying privately is one of the most exclusive and luxurious ways to travel. Travelers who have the ability to fly privately are granted the ultimate flexibility. Because business jets are typically smaller than commercial airliners, this grants them access to shorter or smaller runways across the world. This means travelers are not restricted to flying out of commercial or public airports. Plus, they can use smaller airports that may be closer to their intended destination as well.

Additionally, private jet users can schedule which route they want to take to their intended destination. This means they are not forced to take connecting flights if a direct commercial flight is not offered, and, instead, they can take a direct route to the airport of their choice. The passenger also has the flexibility to leave whenever they want. They are not restricted to commercial flights, which are scheduled for specific times. Instead, these private jet users can choose when to fly, which grants them the ultimate flexibility when traveling.

Related

Getting A Flight On A Private Jet: The Ultimate Guide

There are a range of ways to embark on such a journey.

There are several ways to fly privately. Several business jet management companies offer aircraft membership programs like jet cards, which allow pay-per-use access to their fleet of private jets. These are typically distributed in blocks of hours for use. Other companies, like JSX, offer private jet flights that are scheduled. These are considered semi-private charter services. Other companies offer seats for empty spots on already-chartered aircraft, or even offer huge discounts on empty-leg flights, in which the aircraft is returning to its base with no passengers.

Photo: Fasttailwind | Shutterstock

However, one of the most common ways to fly privately is via a standard private jet charter. Private jet brokerages are one of the premier ways to travel on a private jet. One of the dominant companies in the private jet brokerage industry is Advanced Aviation Team (AAT). This Arlington, Virginia-based company is one of the unique charter brokers in the United States. Let’s take a closer look at what makes this charter brokerage so interesting.

The start of AAT

As previously mentioned, AAT was founded in 2015. The company was founded by Gregg Brunson-Pitts, a notable figure in politics prior to the development of AAT. Brunson-Pitts began his political career in the early 2000s. He worked for President George W. Bush from 2002 through 2009, during which time he ran the White House Travel Office.

Photo: Karolis Kavolelis | Shutterstock

During his time under President Bush at the White House Travel Office, Brunson-Pitts managed many of the charter aircraft that flew with Air Force One, as well as the operations for chartered aircraft beyond Presidential travel. These operations included transporting the entourage of White House staff, the press, and the associated Secret Service detail. Some of the scheduling that Brunson-Pitts managed included planning several of President Bush’s secret trips to Afghanistan.

This experience working in politics set the foundation for AAT. In an interview with Simple Flying, Brunson-Pitts stated,

“Now, at AAT, we serve many clients in politics and government, leveraging the insights gained from that experience. Working with all stakeholders, including the Secret Service and the traveling White House press pool, gave me valuable expertise that I bring to our clients today.”

How AAT operates in the charter broker industry

Due to Brunson-Pitts’s experience in politics, it makes sense that AAT has significant operations within United States politics. The company is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, just outside Washington DC. The DC area is a major hub for AAT’s operations. Along with a substantial amount of business along the East Coast, AAT also serves clients across the United States. Brunson-Pitts believes this is what sets AAT apart from the private charter brokerage industry. He told Simple Flying,

“What sets AAT apart is my White House experience and our unique team composition. We have a blend of people with and without industry experience—I don’t always look exclusively within the industry for hires. We don’t particularly specialize in trying to bring in the most clients or move the most planes. Instead, we prioritize offering high-touch, attentive service to clients who value attention to detail.”

Currently, AAT works extensively with campaigns and candidate travel. For example, AAT was the exclusive charter provider for the Biden-Harris campaign in 2020. This led to over 1,100 total flights.

Photo: Santi Rodriguez | Shutterstock

Although the Biden-Harris campaign was made up of Democratic candidates, AAT is non-partisan and works extensively with politicians in both parties. Among the candidates the team at AAT has supported are:

• Steve Forbes
• George W. Bush
• John Kerry
• Mitt Romney
• Hillary Clinton
• Bernie Sanders
• Ron DeSantis

Beyond flying for campaigns, AAT has also made a name for itself flying for a wide variety of clients outside of politics. This includes both domestic travel and international trips.

Overall, AAT operates an extensive operator network to achieve this. These operators must meet AAT’s stringent criteria before they can begin quoting future AAT clients. Brunson-Pitts noted that AAT will always prioritize quality and reliability in every charter arrangement that the company facilitates.

Because AAT is a charter broker, the company is not specifically tied to a certain type of aircraft. This allows the company to maintain flexibility when booking charters for clients, and AAT can tailor the booking to the client’s needs. AAT has access to a wide range of aircraft, from smaller jets like Cessna Citation CJ3s all the way up to Boeing 737 narrowbody aircraft. Brunson-Pitts mentioned that AAT typically sees a preference for ultra-long-range aircraft, such as the Gulfstream G650, over light business jets, such as the Hawker 400.

AAT, in general, provides a unique experience of brokering charter aircraft for a wide range of clients. Although the company has historically served government clients, AAT has made a larger jump into the charter industry by taking on a wider variety of customers, including family offices and high-net-worth individuals. Overall, Brunson-Pitts mentioned that AAT will “always focus on delivering exceptional service and managing complex logistics.”