Jett Aircraft in Fayetteville to expand fleet, service offerings

Fayetteville-based charter company Jett Aircraft has plans for growth as it seeks approval to provide international service in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Asa Hutchinson III, attorney for Jett Aircraft, said the company provides charter flights throughout the United States and is working to receive authorization from the Federal Aviation Administration to offer the service to South America, Canada and the Caribbean.

Based at Drake Field, the company owns two Bombardier Learjet airplanes, a Cessna Citation Encore and a Daher TBM 700, according to Hutchinson. The company is expected to acquire two more aircraft in 2022 and three to four new planes each year thereafter as they become available, he added.

“Because of COVID, there are no suitable planes to purchase at this time,” Hutchinson noted. “The company is a very strong competitor for all the major 135 carriers in the U.S. and has a national customer base.”

Lance Creamer is the sole owner of Creamer Pilot Services LLC, doing business as Jett Aircraft. According to Hutchinson, Creamer founded Creamer Pilot Services in 2013, and it has provided charter flights since 2018, under FAA Part 135 air carrier certificate. Hutchinson noted the company’s origins date back to 2011 when Creamer started leasing his planes to customers, under FAA Part 91 regulations.

The company’s aircraft are identified as Darkhorse, a call sign obtained from the International Civil Aviation Organization. The call sign is exclusively for the aircraft flown by the company, according to Hutchinson.

“This call sign provides privacy for customers and distinct recognition for the company but also helps prevent others from being able to track these flights,” Hutchinson explained. “Independent flight trackers constantly try to track flights and sell that information, which is not technically legal in connection with Part 135 flights.”

Jett Aircraft has 16 full-time employees, six of whom are pilots, not including Creamer. Revenue is projected to exceed $8 million in 2021, Hutchinson said.

In September 2020, Creamer and Fort Smith entrepreneur Luis Andrade, owner of Andrade Holdings LLC, reached an agreement for Andrade to acquire a share of Jett Aircraft. However, the deal fell through and was not completed.