Why does Taylor Swift have two private jets?
It's no wonder there is a strong connection between famous musicians and private jets. From Carly Simon singing Christmas carols about a mystery man flying his "Learjet to Nova Scotia" to Elvis Presley's well-known affinity for airplanes, singers seem to love airplanes (we certainly can't blame them!) But pop princess Taylor Swift, who owns a pair of Dassault Falcon planes, may be one of the current rulers of the charts and the skies.
Much has been written about Taylor Swift's Dassault Falcon 900 tri-jet, which wore a custom livery with the singer's favorite number (13) painted near the main cabin door and an interesting ribbon-like paint scheme resembling to a tribal tattoo from afar. far. The aircraft's record, N898TS, is believed to be a reference to the year of its birth (1989, which is also the name of its last album), the number of # 1 singles it had at the time of purchasing the aircraft (8) and your initials (TS). Since then, the plane has been repainted in a much more subdued and neutral gray scheme.
Swift's Falcon 900 is registered to a company called “SATA, LLC” in Nashville, Tennessee, which shares a physical address with 13 Management, its management company. SATA is believed to represent the initials of Swift and her immediate family members, Scott (father), Andrea (mother), and Austin (brother). But there is another aircraft registered with SATA, LLC, a Dassault Falcon 50 that was apparently added to Swift's squad in 2012.
A Dassault Falcon 50 as registered with SATA, LLC.
Why would Swift need two planes if she can only fly one of them at a time? there are several possible explanations. First, having two jets ensures that if one is under maintenance, another is likely to be available at any time. Also, Swift could send one of the two planes to retrieve family or friends while she uses the other. Swift is also her own company and brand, and with a small army of people supporting her, having a second guard plane adds great capability to her empire. When money is of little or no concern, airplanes are assets that buy the owner freedom, convenience, and access that he might not otherwise be able to get.
While the two Swift jets may look quite similar, there are a few key differences. Both planes are made by the same French company, Dassault Aviation, which is also known for building the Rafale fighter jet. The Falcon 50 was most recently registered with SATA, LLC, so we'll start there. Visually, you can tell a Falcon 50 from a Falcon 900 by looking at the length of the fuselage (the Falcon 900's fuselage is five feet longer than the Falcon 50). Swift's Falcon 50 has a build date of 1998 and is one of 352 Falcon 50s produced between 1976 and 2008.
The Falcon 50 is powered by a trio of Honeywell TFE731 engines, each with a maximum of 3,500 pounds of thrust. These propel the Falcon 50 to a cruising speed of 520 miles per hour and give the jet a range of 3,450 miles. The Falcon 50s are well known for having excellent short field performance and can accommodate up to 9 passengers.
We don't know how much SATA, LLC paid for its Falcon 50 in 2012, but similar jets are currently trading in the market for between $ 1 million and $ 6 million, depending on how many hours they have accumulated and the history of individual jets. But many reports indicate that Swift paid $ 40 million for her Falcon 900 in 2011.
Swift's Falcon 900 originally entered service in 1991, making it slightly younger than the singer and substantially older than her Falcon 50. But despite not being the newest private jet in the sky, the Swift Falcon 900 offers longer stretches (nearly 4,600 miles) and higher cruising speed (590 miles per hour), as well as the ability to carry more people (12) than the Falcon 50. This makes the Falcon 900 the ideal choice for intercontinental flights between Swift's penthouse in New York and the London residence of her current boyfriend, Calvin Harris.
Is there a reason that Swift prefers Dassault Falcon jets over another manufacturer, like Gulfstream or Bombardier? It may just be Swift's personal taste, or it may also have to do with the perceived safety of having a third engine. This could be of particular concern to anyone intending to take regular trips across the ocean.
With an estimated net worth of more than $ 200 million, owning and operating a couple of private jets surely doesn't mean living beyond Swift's means. Swift's father Scott worked as a financial advisor to Merrill Lynch for 30 years, and the Swift family has long been associated with the upper class of society. Also, the singer is only 25 years old, which means that she has many years of income ahead of her.
Unlike many other musicians who rent planes from her, Swift's ownership of these vehicles shows the degree to which she manages her estate. Notably, she also owns and operates her own tour coaches and ground logistics vehicles, which she rents to other production companies when they do not support her own tours.
So, whether or not you ’ve warmed up to her music by ella, Taylor Swift clearly has good taste when it comes to aircraft. Whether in the business jet category, or larger airliners like the Boeing 727 or McDonnell Douglas DC-10, there is something about a tri-jet that never goes out of style.
