Blue Star Jets and the 2/2/05 TEB Accident

[soarby007]

Challenger

We don't deal with Blue Star anymore because of the hazy area involving the part 135 certificate. They don't have a certificate but do the contracting. I don't understand all the legal stuff, although someone else did a good job of describing it.

 

[RJL]

"According to the FAA, the Teterboro flight was arranged through Blue Star Jets, a New York City-based charter broker."

3/8/05
AIN Alert from Aviation International News

Operator of Teterboro Challenger Fights FAA Actions

Fallout continues in the wake of the Challenger 600 overrun accident on February 2 at New Jersey’s Teterboro Airport. Platinum Jet Management of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., which operated the flight, received a “cease and desist” order from the FAA to halt air carrier operations. The order, issued last week, said Platinum did not have “an air carrier certificate.” According to the FAA, the Teterboro flight was arranged through Blue Star Jets, a New York City-based charter broker. Randy Williams, a safety consultant hired by Platinum after the accident, said the airplane was managed by Platinum on behalf of the owner and operated legally under a Part 135 certificate issued to Darby Air, doing business as AlphaJet out of Muscle Shoals, Ala. Under the agreement, Platinum provides the aircraft, contract crews and scheduling service. In return, Platinum pays AlphaJet a monthly “certificate fee” and 10 percent of all charter revenues. The FAA also issued a subpoena to Platinum Jet on February 16, requiring it to provide documentation of its operation, including training and pay records for the flight crew, advertising agreements, aircraft maintenance and flight logs. Platinum Jet objected to the extent of the subpoena, saying that certain records violated the privacy of the flight crew. Meanwhile, the U.S. District Court of New Jersey has ordered that Platinum appear before the court next Monday (March 14) to show why it should not provide the documents requested by the FAA.

 

[PMVULB AvMgr]

The folks at Blue Star are the scum of the earth. Their reputation is so poor, that anyone doing business with them at this point must really have their head stuck in the sand. Their cold-calling ninkampoop sales people know nothing about aviation, except what is printed on their calling sheets. They are so stupid that whenever they call anyone in my company, the call is forwarded to me, and I thoroughly enjoy playing word games with these idiots.

Ask any legitimate charter company what their impression of Blue Star is, and you'll see that the responses all the way around are going to be totally negative. They also seem to enjoy using scare tactics against anyone who tells the truth about their shady operations, such as threatening anyone who badmouths them with law suits and the like. Sounds more like the mob to me than a serious outfit trying to make some bucks legitimately.

 

[G100driver]

PMVULB AvMgr: Excellent post. I am sure that you saw the BC/A article a few months back stating just this. Blue Star is the scum of the brokers. If charter operators would just say no to these idiots perhaps they could make a few more buck and 135 pilots could make a decent living and even have a schedule.

Keep up the good work and remind the Blue Star idiots what they are.

 

[Zipperhead]

Yes it was Platinum Jet. I know most of the pilots that worked for them through a mutual flight attendant friend who also did some contract work for Platinum at one point. The flight attendant quit because of safety concerns. The FA had come from the majors and was furloughed after 14 years and decided to try the corporate side.

I witnessed Platinum Jets operation first hand and can say that they were beyond illegal. Everything from pilot training, (which was three T/O's and landings) to lots of part 134 1/2 trips. I know they "chartered" some fairly big names from rock groups to sports players and the S**t is certainely going to hit the fan.

No, I was not a pilot there, thank God. The FAA has shut them down and is breathing down several of the pilots necks. They obtained lots of their work through Blue Star. STAY AWAY FROM BLUE STAR!!!

Be safe out there.