Leaving On a Jet Plane? Check In Here Before Boarding!

Where in the world do you want to go?

Travel guru Rick Steves took us on a whirlwind Grand Tour with your calls and his expertise at roaming the world, which he does on radio, TV, online and in the books and DVDs being made available to folks contributing to KPCC; you can find out all about that at kpcc.org.

Traveling with kids, traveling alone, traveling on the cheap -- he does it all, and he told us all about the best hints and tips for getting the most out of our vacation bucks, especially important since Americans have so little vacation time compared to the rest of the world.

On Monday, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's here to size up how the city council may vote on the LAPD budget, and maybe he'll drop a hint or two about what he's looking for in a new chief, after William Bratton, CBE [Commander of the British Empire] departs the scene at the end of the month.

In the meantime, if you haven't shown KPCC some love lately, go to kpcc.org and put your money where your ears are.

How much U.S. dollars does it cost to buy an airplane?

A used Cessna 150 will run you about $25,000. That's a single engine, shoulder wing, 2-seater. It's a "training" plane. As basic as you can get. Cessna's weren't under production for a while. They are again, but not this one.

A used Piper Arrow might be more like $45,000. That's a lwo-wing, single engine, 4-seater.

A used Beechcraft King Air, a nice twin-engine turbo-prop, 6 or 7-seater, might run you more like two and a half or three million.

And if you want to buy new, well, obviously the prices can skyrocket from there. 

Boeing posts $1.6B loss in 3Q on plane charges

Airplane maker Boeing said Wednesday it lost $1.6 billion in its third quarter as charges from its delayed 787 and a new version of its 747 jumbo jet weighed down results. It also slashed its profit forecast for 2009.

Shares of the Chicago-based airplane maker fell $1.29, or 2.5 percent, to $50.60 in pre-market trade.

Weak demand for air travel and cargo services has undermined demand for Boeing's jetliners since the global economy deteriorated late last year. Some customers have been forced to cancel or delay plans to buy new aircraft.

But Boeing, the world's second-largest commercial plane maker after Europe's Airbus, has had its own problems, too: production setbacks have delayed its eagerly awaited 787 and 747-8 jets, resulting in hefty charges.

The company said its quarterly loss amounted to $2.23 per share. During the same period last year, Boeing earned $695 million, or 96 cents per share. A labor strike and problems with suppliers reduced year-earlier profit by 60 cents per share and revenue by an estimated $2.1 billion.

Revenue rose 9 percent to $16.69 billion.

Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters, on average, expected a loss of $2.12 per share on revenue of $17.16 billion. Wall Street estimates typically exclude one-time charges.

History of Jet Planes

The 8 principal reasons why you should buy a private plane 

Circa 300 BCE - Greece, Aristotle philosophizing at some length about the nature of light, envisions light as a quality and not as an actual substance; as it was thought of by many at the time. He observed that some objects have the potential for transpa rency but this state is only rendered actual by the presence of light. He then defined light as the act of, or energy of, a transparent body as such. 

10th Century - Al Hazan of Basra credited with the explanation of the principle of the camera obscura. 

1666 - Sir Isaac Newton, while experimenting with a prism, found that he could disperse light into a spectrum of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. Utilizing a second prism, he found that he could recombine the colors into white light. 

1802 - Thomas Young puts forth the basic concepts of the Young-Von Helmholtz theory of color vision: Three separate sets of cones in the retina of the eye, one attuned to red, one to blue, and one to green. 

1827 - Joseph Nicephore Niepce takes the first picture of nature. (Exposure time was 8 hours, emulsion was bitumen of Jedea.) 

1829 - Joseph Nicephore Niepce and Louis M. Daguere signed their partnership agreement (Nicephore Niepce had been working on Heliography, or sun drawing; Daguerre on dioramas, which he constructed with the aid of a camera obscura.) 

1839 - Daguerre announces the invention of Daguerrotype (Niepce had died). Daguerre had discovered that mercury vapors could bring out an image on a silver plate and that sodicum thiosulfate ("hypo") could fix the image and make it permanent. 

1939 - William Henry Fox Talbot describes a system of imaging on silver chloride paper using a fixative solution of sodium chloride. Talbot later found that the latent image could be developed in a solution of gallic acid, and he was teh first person to employ a negative/positive process "Calotype" laying the groundwork for modern photography. 

1830s - Invention of the stereoscope by the Germans. The device was used during the Victorian era for amusement. 

1855 - Scottish physicist James Clark Maxwell, postulates the color additive theory for the production of color photographs. 

1858 - First known aerial photograph is taken from a captive balloon from an altitude of 1,200 feet over Paris by Gaspar Felix Tournachon Nadar. 

1861 - With the help of photographer Thomas Sutton, Maxwell demonstrates his techniques using a bow of multicolored ribbon. (Red filter - sulfo-cyanice of iron, blue filter - ammoniacal sulfate of copper, green filter - copper chloride, a fourth filter of lemon-colored glass was also used.) 

1860s - Use of aerial observations from captive balloons in American War. Balloons used to map forest in 1862 not aerial photo though. 

1870s - Pictures taken from greater heights, 33,000-34,000 feet, from free balloons. 

1873 - Herman Vogel found that by soaking silver halide emulsions (which are naturally sensitive to only blue light) in various dyes, he could extend their sensitivity to longer and longer wavelengths, paving the way for photography in the near infrared. 

1879 - S.P. Langley begins work to find a superior radiation detector. 

1887 - Germans began experiments with photography for forestry. 

1899 - George Eastman produced a nitrocellulose-based film which retained the clarity of the glass plates which had been used to that time. 

1903 - Julius Neubronne patents breast mounted camera for pigeons. 

1906 - Albert Maul takes first aerial photograph using a rocket propelled by compressed air which rose to a height of 2,600 feet and took pictures and then parachuted the camera back to earth. 

1906 - G.R. Lawrence who had been experimenting with cameras for some time (some of which weighed more than 1,000 lbs.) which were hoisted into the air with the aid of balloon-kites and associated controls, takes pictures of San Francisco earthquake and f ire damage from an altitude of some 600 meters. Many people have thought that these photos were taken from airplanes. Lawrence's camera alone weighed more than the Wright Brothers plane and its pilot combined. 

1909 - Wilbur Wright takes first aerial photograph from an airplane of Centrocelli, Italy. WWI produced a boost in the use of aerial photography, but after the war, enthusiasm wanted. 

1914 - Lt. Lawes, British Flying Service, first takes airplane over enemy territory. 

1915 - Cameras especially built for aerial use are being produced. Lt. Col. J.T.C. More Brabazon designed and produced the first practical aerial camera in collaboration with Thornton Pickard Ltd. 

1918 - By this time in WWI, French aerial units were developing and printing as many as 10,000 photographs each night, during periods of intense activity. During the Meuse-Argonne offensive, 56,000 prints of aerial photograpy were made and delivered to A merican Expeditionary Forces in four days. 

1914-1919 - WWI produces boost in the use of aerial photography, but after war interest wanes. 

1919 - Canadian Forestry Mapping Program begins. 

1919 - Hoffman first to sense from an aircraft in thermal IR. First books: Lee 1922; Joerg 1923 (urban); Platt & Johnson 1927 (archaeology). 

1924 - Mannes and Godousky patent the first of their work on multi-layer film which led to the marketing of Kodachrome in 1935. 

1931 - Stevens development of an IR sensitive film (B&W). 

1934 - American Society of Photogrammetry founded. Photogrammetric Engineering is first published. This journal of the American Society of Photogrammetry was later renamed Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing. The Society is now named the Ame rican Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. 

1936 - Captain Albert W. Stevens takes the first photograph of the actual curvature of the earth - taken from a free balloon at an altitude of 72,000 feet. 

1920s-1930s - Interest in the peaceful uses of aerial photography increases (ISDA, USAF, TVA). WWII brought about more sophisticated techniques in API. 

1941-1945 - WWII brings about the development of more sophisticated techniques in aerial photographic interpretation (API). American, British and Germans all produce promising TIR devices. 

1942 - Kodak patents first false color IR sensitive film. 

1946 - First space photographs from V-2 rockets. 

1950s - Advances in sensor technology move into multi-spectral range. 

1954 - Westinghouse develops first side-looking airborne radar system. 

1954 - U-2 takes first flight. 

1956 - Lu Meuser makes first TIR motion picture employing an AN/AAS-4, a devise for air to ground strip mapping ("...features and vehicles move like an old keystone cops movie.") 

1960 - U-2 is "shot down" over Sverdlovsk, USSR. 

1960 - TIROS 1 launched as first meteorological satellite. 

1960s - U.S. begins collection of intelligence photography from Earth orbiting satellites, CORONA and KH programs. 

1962 - Zaitor and Tsuprun construct prototype nine lens multispectral camera permitting nine different film-filter combinations. ITEK employs camera to explore the potential value of multispectral photography. 

1964 - SR-71 shown to the press in the Presidential campaign between Goldwater and LBJ. 

Late 1960s - Gemini and Apollo Space photography. 

1968 - Hemphill describes first use of laser for airborne sensing. 

1972 - Launch of the first Earth Resources Technology Satellite (ERTS-1). This system is later renamed Landsat-1. ERTS carries a return beam vidicon (RBV) and a multispectral scanner (MSS). 

1972 - Photography from Sky Lab precursor of manned space station whos first element launch is currently scheduled for 1998. 

1975 - Launch of Landsat 2. 

1978 - Launch of Landsat 3 (March 5). 

1978 - Launch and failure of Seasat. First civil SAR satellite. 

1978 - Launch of Nimbus 7 (Coastal Zone Color Scanner). 

1978 - Launch of NOAA 6 (aka TIROS-N), first satellite to carry the advanced very high resolution radiometer (AVHRR) on board. 

1981 - Launch of SIR-A (Space Imaging Radar - A). 

1982 - Launch of Landsat 4 (Thematic Mapper and MSS). 

1984 - Launch of SIR-B. 

1984 - Launch of Landsat 5. 

1985 - Landsat Commercial contract awarded to EOSAT. Vendor takes over operation of the satellites and rights to Landsat data. 

1986 - Launch of SPOT-1, French Earth Resources Satellite (Systeme Probatoire de la Observation de la Terre. 

1988 - Indian Remote Sensing Satellite (IRS) launched. 

1990 - Launch of SPOT-2. 

1991 - Launch of ERS-1, European Radar Satellite, primarily designed for oceanographic applications. 

1991 - Second Indian Remote Sensing Satellite launched. 

1992 - JERS, Japanese Earth Resources Satellite launched with L-band radar and visible and infrared radiance/reflectance recording devices on-board. 

1992 - Land Remote Sensing Act of 1992 brings Landsat back under U.S. Government control. EOSAT retains data rights to some Landsat data for up to ten years from acquisition. 

1993 - Launch of SIR-C. 

1993 - Launch of SPOT-3. 

1994 - Landsat 6 fails to achieve orbit. 

1995 - Third Indian Remote Sensing Satellite launched. 

1995 - Canada launches RADARSAT. 

1995 - Early CORONA and KH satellite data are declassified by an Executive Order signed by President Clinton on 23 February. This order authorizes the declassification of intelligence satellite photography acquired in the 1960s. 

1995 - Launch of ERS-2. 

1995 - First indication that a new class of intelligence satellite is being developed appears in the press. The new satellite code name 8x is said to be a major upgrade of the KH-12 spy satellite. The satellite which may weigh as much as twenty tons wil l be able to acquire "intricately detailed images of an area as large as 1,000 square miles of the Earth's surface...with roughly the same precision as existing satellites," according to an article in the September 28 Los Angeles Times. The Time article goes on to say that the current generation of photographic satellites photograph areas about 10 miles by 10 miles (100 square miles) typically showing details as small as six inches. 

What is the future of private jet travel?

For the past six months, the private jet industry has been hit from all sides. Not only has the recession caused both businesses and high net-worth individuals to travel less, but the government has gotten involved.
Ever since the automakers who flew to Washington D.C. were grilled about how they got there, the private jet has become synonymous with excess and greed. And now everyone from CEOs to celebrities to Britain's royal familyare flying commercial. As Josh Smith over at our sister blog, WalletPop, put it, "private air travel is as uncool as taking your mom to prom."
This airborne austerity is nothing but bad news to the private jet industry, which already saw usage plummet last summer after the spike in fuel costs. The industry includes not just the companies that make the planes, but also the maintenance and repair industries, the FBOs (fixed base operators) at the airport that offer services, and of course the charter companies. In response to the slowdown, Cessna has cut back production, Gulfstream has laid off workers and the entire industry has been forced to dramatically scale back.
I recently spoke with Ryan Dos Ramos, VP of Business Development at Pacific Coast Jet, to see how private jet companies are dealing with these changes and what the future holds for this beleaguered industry.
Pacific Coast Jet is based out of Hayward, Calif., and offers charter, management, sales, and acquisition services. As you might imagine, Dos Ramos is concerned over the bad reputation that private jets have gotten recently. He says that the private jet industry accounts for 1.2 million jobs and points out that private jets are "a lifeline for tens of thousands of companies" because they provide not only faster connections but also remote access to locations that aren't serviced by commercial airlines. For these people, time is money and they often don't have the patience to travel commercially, wasting countless hours in airports. Currently, however, image is nearly as important as utility, and private jet users are hyper-aware of how they are perceived by the public. No wonder then that many companies, not just those under government scrutiny, have decided to trim their fleets.
For those in the market for a plane, there has probably never been a better time to buy. Dos Ramos mentions that some have even forecast that by the time the market bottoms, one in five of the world's active business jet fleets will be up for sale. While it's a great time for buyers, there's one major fly in the ointment: financing. The world's banking crisis, which has decimated the real estate market also, means that financing terms for expensive planes are not nearly as generous as they used to be. If you've got the cash in hand though, you can get yourself a great deal.
At Pacific Coast Jet, one strategy they have been using to keep their customers flying private is introducing them to the world of smaller planes. Dos Ramos says that they has been showing people that "smaller, more efficient airplanes like the Cessna Citation Mustangs" can reduce the cost of private travel. He reports that while those who are accustomed to flying in Gulfsteams are still flying in them for the most part, others who were flying in mid-size jets are finding the small Cessnas a more affordable alternative. Smaller planes from Cessna, Embraer, and others have another big benefit: they use less fuel. This could be a huge advantage in the future when fuel prices rise again.
Dos Ramos asserts that the private jet charter industry has a bright future despite the downturn in the economy, and that traveling on a private jet is one of the greatest luxuries and tools to both business and leisure travelers. Words I saw recently mirrored by National Business Aviation Association CEO Ed Bolen, who told Investor's Business Daily that corporate jets are and will continue to be the workhorses of the business world.
After our initial chat, I had to ask Dos Ramos one final question that has been on my mind for some time. In 2005 I started hearing about air taxi services like DayJet promising a fleet of very light aircraft that would zip around the United States on quick and affordable short flights. DayJet came out of the box early, ordering more than 300 of Eclipse Aviation's Eclipse 500, the hot new very light jet that everyone was talking about. Flash forward to now, DayJet has folded and Eclipse has filed for Chapter 11. Will the market ever be ready for an air taxi service?
"I don't see the potential for air taxi services like DayJet, at least in the foreseeable future, says Dos Ramos. "Also, you must quantify what an air taxi is. Some view it as shared seating on an airplane with normal routes, to others it is just normal charter. I think there is tremendous charter potential for very light jet aircraft, but I don't think it will ever be as affordable as an airline ticket. Flying on any private jet will remain expensive, no matter what some of these air taxis are claiming. That being said, very light jet charter and ownership is significantly less expensive than Gulfstreams, Hawkers, and Falcons. Many people are still excited about these smaller, more efficient, and cheaper aircraft."

How to Buy Fractional Ownership of a Jet Plane

Instructions

Step1 Contact a fractional program provider. Fractional ownership in an aircraft employs similar provisions to time-share companies. You buy stakes in an aircraft and the vessel is available to you for a portion of the overall time. There are several companies that offer the service, but they do so with differing rules and policies. It is important to customize an ownership plan with a company that works for you and your needs.
Step2 Decide what your flight requirements are. Before you can choose an aircraft or a company, you must first decide upon the type of flying you will be doing, when and where, and how many passengers you anticipate on an average flight.
Step3 Choose an aircraft. The size of an aircraft determines not only its passenger capacity but also its speed and travel distance between refuels. Light jets are the smallest, with the fewest amenities, a typical 4-8 person capacity and a 3-4 hour range; Mid-size crafts can travel 4-5 hours or up to 2,500 miles, usually offer a small galley and fully enclosed lavatory and have a capacity between 5-9, and Heavy Jets are the largest, with the most amenities, a travel range of up to 7,500 miles and a capacity up to 19 passengers. The well-known Gulfstream is of this category.
Step4 Ask about safety and track record. Before you sign with a fractional provider ask to which organizations they and their pilots belong. Ask about pilot training and requirements on all of the planes in their fleet. Choosing a firm that offers only one type of aircraft is limiting, but it assures pilot familiarity with the plane. Among the other questions to put forth are whether they are monitored under Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR); if they subscribe to maintenance organizations such as Wyvern, Q-Star, and Argus; if the planes are equipped with Traffic Collision Alert Systems (TCAS) and Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning Systems (EGPWS), and whether the pilots are trained in basic first aid and CPR.
Step5 Select a level of fractional ownership: 1/8, ¼, 3/8, or 1/16. The fraction translates to hours of flight time in a year. The number from which they base the fraction varies with the company. For a sample chart and rates, look at the below Plane Smart website where a ¼ share represents 150 flight hours at a base cost of $151,800.
Step6 Sign a contract, commit to a tentative calendar and make payment.

Jet Airways to buy Air Sahara at lower valuation

Private airliner Jet Airways has restruck its deal with Air Sahara at a lower valuation, according to sources. The deal, which was originally valued at Rs 2200 crore, has been struck in the region of Rs 1,850 crore, reports CNBC-TV18.
The new deal is likely to include creditors’ balance of Rs 350 crore. The new deal includes creditors’ deduction of Rs 350 crore. According to hearsay, the airline is expected pay the remaining amount of Rs 1365-1375 crore for Air Sahara. Jet has already paid Rs 500 crore as bank guarantee.
The deal may take shape over a period of two to three months. The Indian air carrier was in talks with various new players, including a private equity player.
Sources also inform that both the airliners have reached a commercial agreement and have informed the arbitration panel about the same, added sources. Meanwhile, the panel has set the Jet-Sahara hearing for 5:30 pm on Wednesday. Jet has only two options - either to buy out Air Sahara or compensate it.

How to Buy Private Jets

private jet is possibly the ultimate status symbol for the truly successful individual. Private jets are also owned by corporations. They are placed at the service of executives who often need to travel at a moment's notice. Buying a private jet requires taking a careful look at what you really need in air transportation. Read on to learn how to purchase a private jet.

Step1 Consider what you need. Private jets come in a variety of sizes. A small craft may be sufficient if it is going to be used only by a small number of people. A larger and more luxuriant plane will transport large numbers of people while making a statement about you or your company. Take a look at what the market has to offer. An Internet search will reveal numerous companies that specialize in the sale of private jets. They start at as little as $1 million for a six-person Cessna, but your private jet could set you back by tens of millions.
Step2 Decide how your craft will look. This includes the external appearance. A private plane might feature a corporate logo or personal emblem. It might also be painted in specific colors that represent your taste or business. A fancy paint job can also add unexpected costs. With today's high-priced jet fuels, it is important to know that paint actually increases the weight of your plane. Major commercial airlines are increasingly choosing to forgo that extra coat.
Step3 Develop the proper interior design. You can do a lot with your plane, but this will add to your costs. Large private jets can be equipped almost like small hotels. A living room might be complimented with sleeping quarters and a bar. You might want to have an area in which to conduct meetings. And of course, you will almost certainly want to put on board the latest in communications equipment. Both business people and private individuals will also enjoy a state-of-the art entertainment system.
Step4 Examine lower-cost options. Pricey travel arrangements are not for everyone. Cessna has recently introduced its own no-frills craft. With just enough room for several passengers, you get the benefits of the latest flight technology with interior furnishings that meet your essential needs. These miniature private jets are more like flying sedans. Space is at a premium. Extras, like bathroom doors, are eliminated. You can even cut out the bathroom completely if you do not mind waiting until you get where you are going.
Step5 Remember, cut the size of your private jet, and you also cut down on some of the other benefits of a large craft. While a large plane may be capable of achieving speeds of up to 600 mph, a small car-sized one will only make around 400 to 460 mph. Your range will be slashed as well. The big planes can fly from the East Coast to Europe, but smaller craft may have a range of no more than 1,500 nautical miles. These are significant considerations if you need to travel across the globe and not just across your region of the country. To buy a private jet you need to weigh each cost against each possible benefit.

Helicopters & Air Jetplanes for sale at FlyPowerJet

We are quickly becoming well known by a large number of individuals that are located all around the world as the only name a person will ever need to know if they want to receive quality and dependable airplanes for sale that are always priced at some of the best prices obtainable. If you are looking to find a dependable jet plane for sale, a war plane, sea plane, parachute aircraft, Diecast airplane, multi-engine prop, helicopter, single-engine prop, antique aircraft, experimental aircraft, turbo prop aircraft, or even aircrafts parts, we have everything you may be looking for and all priced at reasonable prices.
Within our tremendous selection of listings you will be able to easily locate some of the most well-known and popular names to be found in aircraft manufacturers such as Diamond aircraft sales, Sabre, Tiger, Piper, Hawker Noorduvne, Lake, Glassair, Beechcraft King, American Champion, Eclipse, Britten Norman, Bonanze, and there is even a large selection of used Cessna aircraft.
We pride ourselves in continuously being able to provide numerous individuals with some of the hottest deals that can be found in airplanes for sale that are priced to fit within most any type budget.
For any type of business type traveling or even for those long awaited family vacations, you can save a tremendous amount of money by doing all of your traveling by aircraft. When you see the unbelievable prices offered, you will wonder why you waited so long to purchase an airplane of your very own!

Private Jet Charter Company Planemasters Adds Two New Aircrafts to Its Fleet

Chicago, IL, April 02, 2009 --(PR.com)-- Planemasters Jet Charter recently announced it has added a King Air 350 and Citation Ultra aircraft to its versatile fleet of private planes. Like its existing aircrafts, the new planes offer guests spacious and well-appointed interiors, making any trip convenient and comfortable.As a provider of premier air charter in Chicago for more than 30 years, Planemasters has maintained a competitive edge by offering guests exceptional service, freedom, flexibility and control to create an enjoyable air travel experience. Based out of the DuPage Airport, the Chicago private jet company strives to offer a relaxing environment for all guests to enjoy, whether for a family vacation, last minute business trip, or a romantic getaway.“We are very excited about the addition of the new King Air 350 and Citation Ultra aircrafts. These sleek, yet spacious planes highly complement our existing fleet. Now when guests choose Planemasters we are proud to offer them even more choices for convenient, relaxing and pleasant air travel,” says Todd DeSimone of Planemasters.With a cruising speed of 360 mph and an average range of 1,800 miles, the King Air 350 makes reaching any destination fast and enjoyable. The new turbo-prop plane comfortably seats up to nine passengers and offers an array of amenities to make the in-flight experience a memorable one, including an active noise canceling system throughout the cabin and comfortable double club seating with tables. Power outlets are located throughout the aircraft for added convenience.Like the King Air 350, Planemasters’ new Citation Ultra aircraft also provides guests with an enjoyable private charter experience. The sleek and powerful Citation Ultra cruises at 490 miles per hour and offers a 1,900-mile range. The comfortable cabin accommodates up to eight passengers and features a convenient refreshment center and club seating. Additional features of the Citation Ultra include an enclosed lavatory, XM radio, wireless headsets and a DVD player.Along with offering Chicago charter flight rentals, Planemasters also provides many services to existing jet owners. The private charter company offers an aircraft lease back program, giving owners the ability to generate income through charter opportunities. For added convenience, Planemasters also offers turnkey aircraft management services, which includes coordination of the everyday management of the aircraft.“Our passion for providing comfortable and convenient air travel choices is highlighted by the expansion of our fleet. With a wide selection of aircraft options combined with our exceptional customer service, we are confident that Planemasters offers the most enjoyable charter flights in Chicago,” says Todd DeSimone.About Planemasters: Offering premier jet charter services in Chicago for over 30 years, Planemasters (http://www.planemasters.com) is committed to providing relaxing, comfortable and safe air travel experiences to destinations around the world. In addition to private jet charters, Planemasters offers turnkey aircraft management and cargo shipping services for added convenience

Jet aircraft

A jet aircraft is an aircraft propelled by jet engines. Jet aircraft fly much faster than propeller-powered aircrafts and at higher altitudes -- as high as 10,000 to 15,000 meters (about 33,000 to 49,000 ft). At these altitudes, jet engines achieve maximum efficiency over long distances. The engines in propeller powered aircraft achieve their maximum efficiency at much lower altitudes. Jet aircraft can move faster than sound.
Henri Coandă, a Romanian Engineer, was the first to build a jet plane in 1910 - the Coanda-1910. Later on, two engineers, Frank Whittle in the United Kingdom and Hans von Ohain in Germany, developed the concept independently during the late 1930s, although credit for the first turbojet is given to Whittle.[citation needed] The concept had already been discussed as early as August 1928 by Frank Whittle at Flying School, Wittering, but Hans von Ohain also wrote in February 1936 to Ernst Heinkel, telling him of the design and its possibilities. However, it can be argued that A. A. Griffith, who published a paper in July 1926 on compressors and turbines, which he had been studying at the RAE, also deserves priority credit,perhaps more than either Frank Whittle or Hans von Ohain

Modern jet aircraft

Modern airliners cruise at speeds of 0.75 to 0.85 Mach, or 75% to 85% of the speed of sound (420 to 580 mph/ 680-900 km/h). The speed of sound predominantly depends on air temperature (hardly at all on pressure), so the Mach number for the speed of a jet also varies with atmospheric conditions. NASA and the US Federal Aviation Administration have been promoting Very Light Jets: small general aviation aircraft seating 4 to 8 passengers

Other jets
Most people use the term 'jet aircraft' to denote gas turbine based airbreathing jet engines, but rockets and scramjets are both also propelled by jets.
The fastest airbreathing jet aircraft is the unmanned X-43 scramjet at around Mach 9-10. The fastest manned (rocket) aircraft is the X-15 at Mach 6.85.
The Space Shuttle, while far faster than the X-43 or X-15, is not regarded as a jet aircraft during ascent, nor during reentry and landing (as it is unpowered during this phase of operation