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Behind the Scenes
To better understand all of the moving parts, we turned to Shepherd Aero based at Bellingham International Air- port (KBLI) in Washington. Shepherd Aero specializes in moving aircraft around the globe by way of ferry services and international trip support. The company accomplishes more than 100 international deliveries each year.
“North America and Europe see the highest number of city pairs, but our ‘hot spots’ evolve with geopolitical condi- tions,” said Andrew Gallagher, director of marketing and business development at Shepherd Aero (and pilot). “For example, the strength of the U.S. dollar can sway which direction the flow of transactions is occurring as most aircraft transactions are conducted in USD.
“Or, if political conditions in a certain region are deterio- rating, we may see more aircraft coming from that region outbound to other locations around the world as buyers take advantage of depressed demand and pricing caused by the politics. We also handle seasonal ferry missions. Some international companies lease aircraft for certain months of the year then use our company to move aircraft from one operating location to another.”
For ferry missions occurring in the westward direction, aircraft without ocean-crossing endurance typically follow a path up through Alaska from the western United States or Canada into Russia, then south toward the Pacific Rim countries. Some notable destinations include China, Japan and Australia. The remainder of the company’s flight activ- ity occurs eastward in the form of North Atlantic crossings.
This route has operators flying from the northeastern United States through Canada on to Greenland or Iceland, then further across the pond into the United Kingdom and on to Europe, the Middle East or Africa.
Follow a Ferry
Recently, the company conducted a North Atlantic delivery of a Phenom 100 from the United States to the Czech Republic. The three-day journey (a standard trip length) originated in Hartford, Connecticut bound for a private individual/buyer in Prague.
The physical aircraft journey began in the middle of the night with a red-eye departure. The delivery and arrival times were strategically based on trip length and weather and prevented the team from running into much traffic. In the cockpit was Shepherd Aero President Travis Holland accompanied by Andrew Gallagher. The Phenom 100 fits the company’s standard mission profile as the majority of their business involves moving light to midsize turbine aircraft, often under single-pilot operations. Though some clients’ insurance or operational practices will require a second pilot to be present.
Arriving in Goose Bay after a two-and-a-half-hour flight from across the border, the local time was about 5:00 am. The flight was mostly uneventful oth- er than facing night and IFR conditions at the arrival airport. The Phenom did not stay in Canada for long, only a quick technical stop for fuel and customs work. Soon, the two departed towards the next destination – Greenland. As Holland and Gallagher flew the aircraft
A Shepherd Aero crew ferries a Learjet 60 from Florida to the country of Laos. This was a special milestone as this aircraft was the first private jet placed on the Laos national aircraft registry.
10 • TWIN & TURBINE / June 2021