What company flew Bill Clinton to North Korea?

[HoserASA]

Avjet Plays Key Role in Clinton’s Mission to N. Korea

Aircraft management and charter firm Avjet held a crucial role in the air transportation for former President Bill Clinton on his visit to North Korea on Tuesday. Clinton’s mission to the North Korean capital of Pyongyang secured the release of two imprisoned American television journalists. The former president traveled to Pyongang aboard a Boeing Business Jet operated by Avjet and owned by Steve Bing, owner of Shangri-La Entertainment and a long-time friend of Clinton. Bing also paid for the entire trip, Avjet told AIN. Planning for the mission began last Friday, and on the following day Avjet secured an FAA exemption and letter of authorization to conduct the flight to North Korea. In coordination with the U.S. State Department, FAA and U.S. Air Force, the aircraft flew on Monday from Burbank, Calif., to Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska, to Misawa Air Force Base in Misawa, Japan, and on to Pyongyang Sunan Airport, for a total flight time of 14 hours. After 20 hours in Pyongyang, the BBJ headed back to Burbank yesterday with Clinton’s team, the two released journalists and the six-person Avjet flight crew. “We are honored to have been selected as the global air transportation partner for this historic humanitarian mission,” said Avjet senior vice president Andrew Bradley.

Hoser
Roll Tide!

 

[pilotyip]

DOW Japan - US

Yeah - CNN - I really believe anything they say. You gotta be kidding me!

The aircraft was one of Avjet's BBJ's, specifically N2121. The flight was not a 135 flight, but operated under part 91, so it was not chartered by Avjet, but being operated by Shangri La.

Dow has ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with this aircraft.

DOW flew them from Japan back to the US, I believe in thier G? whatever the long range numbers are now days.

 

[JumpJetter]

dude, it wasn't DOW....I don't know who works for or is so proud of DOW on this board...but it wasn't them.

 

[AA717driver]

Can a BBJ do PRK to BUR? I know a G550 can.

Oops. I take this back. Should post it on the Corporate board.

TC

 

[pilotyip]

The AW&ST real story

AVIATION WEEK Fred George
The unofficial diplomatic mission done and a complete success, the operator of the Boeing Business Jet that transported former president Bill Clinton from the US to North Korea on Monday Aug. 3 and back on Tuesday Aug. 4 is now free to provide details of the that flight resulted in the release of American journalists Euna Lee and Laura Ling who returned with Clinton to Burbank. The aircraft is managed and operated by Burbank, Calif.-based Avjet Corp.
"We got the request on Friday, July 31 at 1100 AM and immediately we called the U.S. Department of State for assistance," Marc Foulkrod, Avjet's chairman and CEO, said. "We had to get a waiver from SFAR 79 that prohibits flights to North Korea, obtain an overflight permit from Russia, arrange for flight coordination between Japan and North Korea, set up ground support at Elmendorf AFB near Anchorage and Misawa AFB in Japan, request special Customs and Immigration services at Burbank, vet our crews with U.S. Secret Service and pre-position pilots in Alaska. We also had to coordinate with FAA and the U.S. Department of Defense because of the special and sensitive nature of the mission. State Department made it happen. Sixty-six hours later, we were airborne from Burbank to Pyongyang via Elmendorf and Misawa with President Clinton's team at 300 AM on Monday."
The mission was conducted as a private flight in accordance with FAR Part 91, sponsored by the aircraft's owner, Stephen Bing of L.A.-based Shangri-la Entertainment. Bing's BBJ has seven aux fuel tanks, giving it a 12.5 hour endurance and a 5,500 nm range. However, the longest leg on the Pyongyang trip was the 2,700+ nm, six-hour leg between Elmendorf AFB and Misawa AFB.
After departing Burbank early Monday morning, the Avjet crew flew the Clinton team to Elmendorf AFB where the aircraft was refueled and the second flight crew boarded the airplane. It then flew to Misawa AFB where it again was refueled and the first crew was dropped off, along with the flight attendants and other non-essential personnel.
The aircraft then departed for North Korea with President Clinton's team. The great circle distance from Misawa AFB to Pyongyang only is 726 miles, but the BBJ spent an hour in a holding pattern in Japanese airspace before being given clearance by the North Koreans to continue to Pyongyang . Foulkrod believes it was escorted by North Korean fighters during the entire time it operated in North Korean airspace.
The aircraft remained on the ground in Pyongyang for 20 hours during the President's diplomatic mission. The flight crew remained on board the aircraft during the layover. Once the President's team was safely back aboard with Lee and Ling, it departed for Misawa AFB, picked up the other crew members and few directly home to Burbank .
Foulkrod said the mission was tough, especially considering the short lead time during which all the preparations had to be completed. Bu he says the mission is generating a lot of new business leads for his company.

 

[Pilotbob3]

Great story! Thanks!

 

[QOL_is_great:)]

So, private avaition (Part 91) comes in, does a great job and of course not a "slizzy waste of life" from Congress says a word. Certainly the left supporting news agencies didn't condemn general aviation at all. They sure did a great job taking the news feed from the ENG helicopter as the 737 flew it's approach, taxied, parked and deplaned. Only a few months ago private aviation was the devil's hands at work. All involved should be keelhulled if the media or some in Congress had their way.

I am happy that the families finally had the chance to hug their loved ones. Not much is better then a reunion after a prolonged separation or a situation like this one.

 

[DieselDragRacer]

AVIATION WEEK Fred George
The unofficial diplomatic mission done and a complete success, the operator of the Boeing Business Jet that transported former president Bill Clinton from the US to North Korea on Monday Aug. 3 and back on Tuesday Aug. 4 is now free to provide details of the that flight resulted in the release of American journalists Euna Lee and Laura Ling who returned with Clinton to Burbank. The aircraft is managed and operated by Burbank, Calif.-based Avjet Corp.
"We got the request on Friday, July 31 at 1100 AM and immediately we called the U.S. Department of State for assistance," Marc Foulkrod, Avjet's chairman and CEO, said. "We had to get a waiver from SFAR 79 that prohibits flights to North Korea, obtain an overflight permit from Russia, arrange for flight coordination between Japan and North Korea, set up ground support at Elmendorf AFB near Anchorage and Misawa AFB in Japan, request special Customs and Immigration services at Burbank, vet our crews with U.S. Secret Service and pre-position pilots in Alaska. We also had to coordinate with FAA and the U.S. Department of Defense because of the special and sensitive nature of the mission. State Department made it happen. Sixty-six hours later, we were airborne from Burbank to Pyongyang via Elmendorf and Misawa with President Clinton's team at 300 AM on Monday."
The mission was conducted as a private flight in accordance with FAR Part 91, sponsored by the aircraft's owner, Stephen Bing of L.A.-based Shangri-la Entertainment. Bing's BBJ has seven aux fuel tanks, giving it a 12.5 hour endurance and a 5,500 nm range. However, the longest leg on the Pyongyang trip was the 2,700+ nm, six-hour leg between Elmendorf AFB and Misawa AFB.
After departing Burbank early Monday morning, the Avjet crew flew the Clinton team to Elmendorf AFB where the aircraft was refueled and the second flight crew boarded the airplane. It then flew to Misawa AFB where it again was refueled and the first crew was dropped off, along with the flight attendants and other non-essential personnel.
The aircraft then departed for North Korea with President Clinton's team. The great circle distance from Misawa AFB to Pyongyang only is 726 miles, but the BBJ spent an hour in a holding pattern in Japanese airspace before being given clearance by the North Koreans to continue to Pyongyang . Foulkrod believes it was escorted by North Korean fighters during the entire time it operated in North Korean airspace.
The aircraft remained on the ground in Pyongyang for 20 hours during the President's diplomatic mission. The flight crew remained on board the aircraft during the layover. Once the President's team was safely back aboard with Lee and Ling, it departed for Misawa AFB, picked up the other crew members and few directly home to Burbank .
Foulkrod said the mission was tough, especially considering the short lead time during which all the preparations had to be completed. Bu he says the mission is generating a lot of new business leads for his company.

Let me guess.....the CA didn't need his corp Visa when refueling at the AFB's?

 

[LJ45]

Dow was thanked by the returned prisoners for helping out. I don't know if they flew the passport of the doctor, who forgot his passport, or what. I know they came back in the BBJ, I watched it live on TV. Dow was thanked for some part of it, maybe they flew Clinton out to California...who knows.

 

[LJ45]

dude, it wasn't DOW....I don't know who works for or is so proud of DOW on this board...but it wasn't them.

they helped some how...

Quote

Thirty hours ago, Euna Lee and I were prisoners in North Korea. We feared that at any moment, we could be sent to a hard-labor camp. And then suddenly we were told that we... More »
Thirty hours ago, Euna Lee and I were prisoners in North Korea. We feared that at any moment, we could be sent to a hard-labor camp. And then suddenly we were told that we were going to a meeting.
We were taken to a location. And when we walked in through the doors, we saw, standing before us, President Bill Clinton. (Applause.) We were shocked. But we knew instantly in our hearts that the nightmare of our lives was finally coming to an end. And now we stand here, home and free.
Euna and I would like to express our deepest gratitude to President Clinton and his wonderful, amazing, not to mention super cool team including John Pedesta, Doug, Justin Cooper, Dr. Roger Band, David Straus, Mingy Kwan and the United States Secret Service, who traveled halfway around the world to secure our release. We’d also like to thank President Obama, Secretary Clinton, Vice President Gore, who we also call Al, the Swedish ambassador Matt, Kurt, Linda McFadden and the people at the US State Department who worked so hard to win the release of their fellow Americans. Steve Bing and his crew and Andrew and the DOW Company. And I know that I am forgetting a bunch of instrumental people right now but forgive me if I’m a little incoherent.
To our loved ones, friends, colleagues and to the complete strangers of the kindness of hearts who showed us so much love and sent us so many positive thoughts and energy, we thank you. We could feel your love all the way in North Korea. It’s what kept us going in the darkest of hours, it is what sustained our faith that we would come home.
The past 140 days have been the most difficult, heart-wrenching time of our lives. We are very grateful that we were granted amnesty by the government of North Korea, and we are so happy to be home. And we are just so anxious right now to be able to spend some quiet, private time getting reacquainted with our families. Thank you so much.