As a single pilot Part 135 operator (Cert. No. YZ7A240L) , Flying M Air is authorized by the FAA to conduct on-demand air taxi and charter services. This enables us to offer services beyond the 25-mile limit imposed on most helicopter operators.
What does this mean to you? It means we can perform almost any charter operation you might need. Here are some real examples of charter work we’ve done over the past few years.
- Real estate viewing. Our client owned a large parcel of land in Maricopa County and wanted to show it, from the air, to prospective buyers. We landed on-site and made multiple tours of the area with the owner and his guests on board. Our voice-activated intercom system made it easy for the men to discuss the site and its potential. We performed a similar service from Scottsdale Airport for a section of land, also in Maricopa County, that was up for auction by the state. For that job, we conducted eight flights over a period of three hours.
- Location orientation. Our client was a real estate agent selling a high-ticket property near Wickenburg. She hired us to take Realtors attending an Open House around the area so they could see from the air what it was like. We set up a safe landing zone on the property and provided ground crew to safely load and unload passengers for each flight.
- Aerial search. Our client was performing mining operations alongside a creek when a flood washed out its camp. They hired us to perform a low-level search along the creek for missing equipment and supplies. We found one of the lost items, badly damaged but recoverable, in a remote section of a creek.
- Cattle spotting. Our client was a rancher in Yavapai County who could not find four of his open range bulls during round up. He hired us to search approximately 50,000 acres of hilly desert terrain. We found three of the four bulls within 20 minutes. The fourth is presumed dead; when last seen, it had a leg injury.
- “Rescue.” Our client was a hunter who was stranded on the wrong side of a river after a heavy rain. After one night sleeping out in the desert, he called us to pick up him and his companion and bring them to his truck, several miles away. (Note: We are not outfitted for true “search and rescue” operations. In the event of an emergency where life is at stake, call the authorities for a better equipped search and rescue operation.
- Party Amusements. Our client was hosting a party on his ranch for family and friends. He hired us to provide entertainment by offering short helicopter rides in the immediate area.
- Prospecting. Our client was a miner looking for possible mining sites. He hired us to fly him around, low-level, so he could examine rock formations, including quartz “blow-outs” from the air. He found several sites that looked promising and planned to examine them from the ground.
- Site search. Our clients were looking for an abandoned mine that one of them had found more than 30 years ago just below a ridgeline on a mountain in west-central Arizona. The mine entrance was barely large enough for a man to slip in and, over the years, it had been covered by the growth of vegetation. We found what may be the site about 1/3 up the mountain.
- Sky Harbor Air Taxi. Our client was a guest at one of Wickenburg’s guest ranches who didn’t want to make the long drive from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport to Wickenburg. He hired us to pick up him and his wife at the Terminal 3 helipad and fly them up to Wickenburg. Their luggage went in the guest ranch’s van. Since then, we have air taxied at least a dozen people between Wickenburg and Sky Harbor.
- A unique proposal. Our client, an airplane owner and pilot, wanted to propose to his girlfriend in a place he couldn’t fly to. He hired us to fly them to a predetermined destination and we set them down for their overnight camping trip. In the morning, a newly engaged couple awaited us for pickup.
Charter Services Rates & Fees
Flying M Air bills clients for flight time based on its helicopter’s Hobbs meter, which records time related to the flight, measured in 1/10th hour. Flying M Air does not hide other charter costs. Our rates include fuel and a pilot. Some operators charge extra for either or both!
Our tour and charter rates do not include sales tax, which we are required by the State of Arizona to collect and pay. Wickenburg’s current sales tax rate is 8%; we may be required to collect tax at a different rate depending on where the flight originated. There is no sales tax on air-taxi flight services.
The following is a summary of our charter rates, which are applied to any custom services. All rates are per flight, not per person. We can take up to 3 passengers per flight. Weight limits apply. Contact us for details.
The following rates apply for our services:
Flight Time
Less than 5 hours: $495/hour
5 to 10 hours: $450/hour
More than 10 hours: $400/hour (must be over a period of 2 or more days; pilot overnight fees apply)
Minimum billable time: 1 hour
These rates are charged for all time related to the flight, including aircraft repositioning time (if necessary) from our base at Deer Valley Airport in North Phoenix.
Pilot Waiting Time
If our pilot is required to wait at your destination for a return flight and that waiting time exceeds 2 hours, the following fees are charged:
Pilot Waiting Fee: $50/hour
Meal/Lodging Fee (if an overnight stay is required): $200-400/night (depending on location)
Deposit Requirements
Charter services may require a deposit of $250 or 10% of the expected charter cost (whichever is more) at the time the charter is booked. Be sure to inquire about cancellation policies when booking.
Payment Methods
Flying M Air accepts the following methods of payment, in preferred order:
- Cash
- Discover
- MasterCard or Visa
We do not accept American Express. We do not accept third-party checks. We cannot invoice for services for new clients without a credit card number as a backup payment method.
