Dry leasing, explained

A dry lease is an agreement in which we provide the aircraft — and only the aircraft. You supply your own flight crew, arrange your own insurance, and hold operational control of every flight, operating privately under 14 CFR Part 91. You pay a rental rate for use of the equipment. It's the difference between renting the airplane and buying a ticket.

A charter (Part 135) is a commercial operation where a certificated operator provides the aircraft and the crew and carries you for hire — they hold operational control. In a dry lease, you provide the crew and hold operational control yourself. The single deciding factor is the crew: if the party providing the aircraft also provides any crewmember, the FAA treats it as a wet lease/charter that requires a Part 135 certificate. Palm Aero is not a charter operator and holds no Part 135 certificate.

You do. Under a dry lease the crew must come from the lessee, not the lessor — that's what keeps operational control (and the operation itself) on your side. To make it easy, we can share a list of independent pilots in the area who fly the aircraft type — but you choose, hire, and pay them directly, and your insurer sets the qualification bar. We never select, schedule, direct, or pay your crew.

Absolutely — as long as your pilot meets the insurance requirements for the aircraft. Many lessees do. Whether you use one of the pilots we can point you to or your own, the crew is engaged by you.

You do. The FAA (14 CFR § 1.1) defines operational control as the authority over initiating, conducting, and terminating a flight. As the lessee you hold that authority and the responsibility that comes with it. You can delegate the work — a pilot flies, a shop maintains — but the responsibility stays with you.

Yes. A properly structured dry lease is a well-established, fully legal way for a non-owner to operate an aircraft under Part 91. What gets operators in trouble is a "dry lease" that isn't really one — typically because the lessor also supplies the crew or otherwise keeps control, which turns it into an unauthorized charter. We build our leases to stay clearly on the right side of that line, and we always recommend your own aviation counsel review the agreement.

Your cost is the dry-lease rate for the aircraft, plus your fuel and your pilot. Our indicative CJ1 rates are $1,750/hour on a block (hours committed up front) or $1,950/hour pay-as-you-go; a pilot typically runs about $1,000–1,500 per day and is paid by you. Try the cost estimator to model a trip and compare it to chartering the same jet.

Terms are flexible — from a month or two of interim lift (aircraft in the shop, between airplanes) to a season or a multi-year arrangement. Seasonal terms work well for winter residents. Tell us the window you need and we'll structure around it.

Block means you commit to a set number of hours up front at the lower rate — $1,750/hour indicative — versus $1,950/hour pay-as-you-go with no commitment. Fly 25+ hours a year and the block usually wins; the estimator shows the difference on your numbers.

Leases are non-exclusive: you request dates and we confirm. In practice a light schedule of lessees on one well-kept airframe means most requests are simply confirmed — but we'd rather tell you how it works than promise what no one can guarantee.

Fuel is your cost as the operator. CAA (Corporate Aircraft Association) contract-fuel enrollment is in process for our CJ1 — once verified, you benefit from negotiated Jet-A pricing that's typically well below posted FBO retail at participating airports. It's one of the quiet ways dry leasing keeps your direct costs down.

You either carry your own policy or are named as an insured on the aircraft policy, with your operational control recognized by the insurer. Either way, coverage is confirmed before you fly. We'll walk you through what's needed.

Our dry-lease CJ1 will be based at Fort Lauderdale Executive (FXE) and can be positioned across South Florida — Boca Raton (BCT), Pompano Beach (PMP), Palm Beach (PBI), and the Miami-area executive fields (OPF, TMB) — wherever your mission takes you. You're never tied to a single airport.

A written, signed lease with a clear acknowledgment that operational control rests with you, plus your insurance and crew arrangements. For aircraft over 12,500 lbs, the FAA's truth-in-leasing rule (§ 91.23) adds specific lease language, a filing with the FAA registry, a copy carried aboard, and notice to your local FSDO before the first flight. We handle the essentials and coordinate with your counsel.

Yes. Alongside dry leasing we're an aircraft dealer — we represent quality turbine aircraft for sale and help buyers find, vet, and acquire the right airplane. Our 1985 King Air B200 is currently listed for sale.

Tell us your typical routes, how often you fly, and the aircraft type you want. We'll tell you honestly whether we're a fit, match the aircraft, and structure a clean lease for your counsel to review. Get in touch and we'll take it from there.