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    Independent advisory

    Independent private aviation advisor for fractional, jet card and lease decisions

    An independent private aviation advisor helps you choose aircraft, programs and commercial terms that fit your travel. Fractional Aviation Advisors compares fractional shares, jet cards, leases and charter on the client’s behalf. Our principals are former senior NetJets executives; we are paid by the client and take no operator commissions or referral fees.

    Why independent advice

    What does a private aviation advisor help decide?

    An operator can explain its aircraft, service and terms. We judge its proposal alongside alternatives for your travel, including whether additional access or aircraft capability is worth the additional commitment. We advise on that choice; we do not broker the purchase or arrange the flights.

    Aircraft category and share size are separate decisions. Choosing an aircraft around an occasional long trip can raise the cost of routine travel; buying more hours than you use can leave an unused allocation. Our advice distinguishes the capability you need regularly from the exceptions, and the amount of flying the program should cover.

    Annual hours alone do not establish whether a program can serve you. Peak-day rules, advance notice and aircraft substitution affect access when a particular cabin or departure time matters. We consider those conditions against your travel requirements before treating one proposal as a viable alternative to another.

    The advisory role

    How does our role differ from a broker or an operator's sales representative?

    The client-paid model described here is Fractional Aviation Advisors' model. Another firm's role, representation and compensation depend on its own engagement terms.

    Fractional Aviation Advisors
    We compare aircraft, programs and commercial commitments for the client's travel. The client pays our agreed advisory fee; we receive no operator commissions or referral fees and do not broker the purchase or arrange flights.
    Charter broker
    A charter broker arranges air transportation with a direct air carrier. The broker's agreement establishes its role in the transaction and the services it provides; that role is different from our analysis of whether a program or form of access fits the client's needs.
    Operator sales representative
    An operator's representative explains that operator's aircraft, programs and terms and provides its proposal. We assess the proposal alongside relevant alternatives for the client's travel.

    The U.S. Department of Transportation describes the role of air charter brokers. Our fee and independence statements apply to this firm, not to every provider of aviation advice.

    Our team

    Who provides our private aviation advice?

    Steve Eiseman co-founded the fractional jet ownership model alongside Richard Santulli in 1986 at Executive Jet Aviation. He was NetJets' first sales executive and spent more than three decades at NetJets working with private aviation clients on acquisitions, account management and program transitions.

    Erich Walsh served as Senior Vice President of Sales at NetJets from 2016 to 2024. His background includes finance, business development and advice on fractional ownership, aircraft leasing and jet card programs.

    Erich Walsh, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Fractional Aviation Advisors
    Erich Walsh
    Founder and Chief Executive Officer
    Steve Eiseman, Executive Aviation Advisor at Fractional Aviation Advisors
    Steve Eiseman
    Executive Aviation Advisor

    We provide an independent assessment of your aviation options, weighing cost, access and commitment against the way you travel.

    Discuss your aviation options

    Cost and commitment

    How do cost and commitment affect the choice?

    In a program with fixed monthly fees, less flying does not reduce those payments. An attractive flight rate can therefore accompany a high cost for the hours actually used. We compare the full cost over your expected use and holding period, including how a change in flying would affect the case for each option.

    A fractional share also commits capital. A defined repurchase process does not establish how much of that capital you will recover: the net amount returned at exit affects the cost of ownership. We account for it when comparing a share with a lease or another form of access. Your tax advisor evaluates the tax treatment.

    The agreement matters if your plans change before the term ends. The ability to reduce hours, change aircraft or leave early depends on its terms, and those changes may carry costs. We review that flexibility before recommending a program, with legal questions reserved for your counsel.

    Acquisition Guidance

    What does an acquisition engagement include?

    Program and aircraft selection
    We assess your travel needs across fractional ownership, leases, jet cards, memberships, charter and whole aircraft. Cabin size, range, luggage capacity and passenger requirements inform our aircraft advice.
    Proposal and cost analysis
    We source competing proposals and compare their costs and limitations on consistent assumptions. The analysis includes ongoing charges, expected changes in usage and the cost of leaving.
    Operator and agreement review
    Operator due diligence covers training, maintenance, service standards and operational decision making. Our commercial review addresses fees, restrictions, service remedies, renewal and exit provisions.
    Coordination with your advisors
    We identify legal and tax questions for your counsel and tax specialists, so their advice informs the aviation decision before you commit.

    Our written recommendation sets out which aircraft and program we favor for your needs, the reasons for that choice and the limitations you would be accepting.

    Account Management

    How does advice continue during an existing program?

    A sound initial choice can become less suitable as travel changes. An unused allocation, rising charges or service that no longer meets your needs can change the case for keeping the program.

    Account Management provides periodic oversight of an existing fractional or jet card program. We compare billing and flight records with the agreement and the assumptions behind the purchase, and review service quality and contractual performance. That review helps distinguish a change in your needs from a billing question or a failure to deliver the agreed service.

    Renewal gives you a further decision: retain the current program, change its structure or move elsewhere. We advise on those options using your experience in the program, the terms being offered and the alternatives available. Notice periods and exit conditions inform when a change can take place.

    This is strategic oversight. Trip booking, traveler coordination and 24-hour operational support remain outside our service.

    Engagement scope

    How does an engagement begin?

    The initial conversation establishes the decision ahead, whether you already have a proposal or program, and where independent analysis could help. It is confidential and carries no obligation.

    Before an engagement begins, we agree its scope and fee. Acquisition Guidance covers the decision before a commitment; Account Management provides periodic oversight of a program already in place. The agreed scope sets out the analysis or reporting required and, for ongoing oversight, the review schedule. Legal and tax advice remain with your counsel and tax advisor.

    We provide an independent assessment of your aviation options, weighing cost, access and commitment against the way you travel.

    Discuss your aviation options

    Common questions

    Frequently asked questions

    Yes. A review can support retaining the current program if its cost, access and terms continue to fit your travel. Our compensation does not depend on a change of provider or on placing business with an operator.

    Yes. A proposal can be the starting point for the engagement. We agree which decisions need review, such as aircraft choice, the amount of access or the commercial commitment, and examine the proposal against your travel and relevant alternatives before you commit.

    No. Account Management reviews an existing program and prepares for renewal, restructuring or transition. The current agreement's notice periods and exit conditions affect when changes can take place; a review does not remove those obligations.

    Your operator or the party responsible for arranging your travel continues to handle bookings and changes. Our Account Management service is periodic oversight of cost, utilization, service and contractual performance; it does not include traveler coordination or 24-hour operational support.

    No. We identify the questions an aviation decision raises and coordinate with your counsel and tax advisor. They advise on matters such as liability, enforceability, depreciation and entity structure; we provide the commercial, operational and financial analysis.

    No. We are not a direct air carrier, broker, dealer or lender. We do not arrange flights or hold operational control. Our role is independent analysis and advice on the client's side.

    The fee depends on the scope of the engagement and is agreed before it begins. The first conversation is confidential and carries no obligation. We are paid by the client alone and take no operator commissions or referral fees.

    Disclaimer.

    Prepared by Fractional Aviation Advisors. About our principals. Last updated October 2026.