Quest private jets

From Quest to Daher: the Kodiak family

Where a Kodiak makes sense

The short-field figures explain the type. Daher quotes a take-off run of 285 m at the maximum weight of 3,290 kg and a landing roll of 233 m, and at maximum cruise speed a range of 1,861 km. The certified ceiling is 7,620 m, but the Quest design is at home on hops of about an hour to places that larger aircraft cannot reach:

The seats sit on rails and come out quickly, and three doors include the 1.25 x 1.25 m cargo door. Layouts range from eight passengers with their bags to six with bicycles, skis or other bulky kit. Daher says floats can be fitted without structural changes; in Europe a seaplane trip needs an approved operator and a permitted water aerodrome, so it stays a local service.

What the Kodiak is not

It is not a business aircraft. The cabin is 4.83 m long, 1.37 m wide and 1.45 m high without pressurisation, so with passengers it flies low, usually up to about 3,000 m. There is no toilet, galley or flight attendant, the engine is heard all the way, and at up to 322 km/h Paris Le Bourget - Nice takes 2:44 h. Unless the operator holds SET-IMC approval, a commercial flight in this single-engine aircraft is limited to daylight and good visibility.

Rare in charter: the usual alternatives

Operators use three other types for the same kind of work:

On Hamburg - Sylt the Quest Kodiak and the Grand Caravan cost the same, from EUR 6,000. The PC-12 is pressurised and quicker: Munich - Samedan takes 1:00 h from EUR 7,000, against 1:18 h from EUR 6,500 in the Kodiak.

What a Kodiak flight costs

The Kodiak is priced from EUR 2,000 per flight hour for the whole aircraft with pilot and fuel, the floor for turboprops in the block below. The Grand Caravan and the PC-12 start at the same rate, and the Islander, a piston twin, at EUR 900.

Business jet price per flight hour

Heavy Jets from EUR 8,300 / hour

Light Jets from EUR 3,200 / hour

Ultra Long Range Jets from EUR 12,000 / hour

Super Midsize Jets from EUR 6,300 / hour

Very Light Jets from EUR 2,500 / hour

Long Range Jets from EUR 9,800 / hour

Midsize Jets from EUR 4,500 / hour

Turboprops from EUR 2,000 / hour

A short hop costs much more than rate times time, because positioning, the minimum charge and fees are fixed: Nice - Saint-Tropez takes 0:45 h and costs from EUR 5,500. With eight or nine on board the share per person falls sharply.

Kodiak 100, one way

Alternatives on the same legs

Added to the table price:

• landing and handling fees, including private strips
• passenger taxes where the country charges them
• positioning from the operator's base, often a skydiving or regional airfield
• the pilot's hotel if the aircraft waits overnight

Saving and Empty Legs

Few Kodiaks carry passengers in Europe, so Empty Legs on the type are scarce. Those that appear are mostly returns to base after a one-way trip, at 40-65 % under a normal charter, on the operator's date and route and subject to cancellation if the aircraft is booked in full.

Ways to pay less:

• Fill the cabin: the price is for the aircraft, so eight passengers pay far less each than three
• Fly out and back within daylight on the same day
• Keep a spare day for wind or low cloud at small island strips

Booking the flight

For a quote we need:

• the route, with the name, length and surface of any private or grass strip
• date and a departure time within daylight
• the number of passengers and a list of bulky items
• whether a Grand Caravan or a PC-12 is acceptable if no Kodiak is free

The offer names the operator, the layout and the approvals of the aircraft. The contract sets out the price, the payment terms and what happens if weather stops the flight.

Why book a Quest Kodiak through us

Most Kodiaks in Europe never carry paying passengers, so the first question is which ones may. We find the operators that hold the approvals for passengers and for your strip, and we price a Caravan or a PC-12 alongside when that is quicker or cheaper.

European Private Jets has 14 years in business aviation, offices in Cyprus, Nice, Hamburg and Geneva and access to about 6,500 aircraft through operators. Write to private@jets.flights or call +357 96407410; the office is open from 08:00 to 23:30 and requests are accepted 24/7.

Our team

Charlotte McKinney

Commercial Director

charlotte.m@jets.flights

Henry Richter

Head of Aviation Department and Data Protection Officer

henry.r@jets.flights

Emma Miller

Director of Development

emma.m@jets.flights

Liam Bishop

Senior Aviation Consultant

liam.b@jets.flights

Oliver Davis

Aviation Consultant

oliver.d@jets.flights

Anna Laurent

Aviation Consultant

anna.l@jets.flights

Questions about the Quest Kodiak

• • Is the Kodiak built by Quest or by Daher?

  • Quest Aircraft designed and built it in Idaho. After Daher took over the company, the type continued as the Daher Kodiak 100 Series III.

• • How much does a Kodiak flight cost?

  • Nice - Saint-Tropez costs from EUR 5,500, Hamburg - Sylt from EUR 6,000 and London Farnborough - Isles of Scilly from EUR 7,500 for the whole aircraft one way. Fees, taxes and positioning are added.

• • Can the Kodiak land on a grass strip?

  • Yes, when weight, temperature and surface allow and the operator is approved for unpaved runways. We need the strip's details and the owner's permission.

• • Is the cabin pressurised, and is there a toilet?

  • Neither. The Kodiak flies low with passengers and suits legs of about an hour; for longer trips we suggest a PC-12.

• • Can it fly at night?

  • On a commercial flight only if the operator holds SET-IMC approval for single-engine turbine aircraft. Otherwise flights are planned in daylight and good visibility.

• • Are there Empty Legs on the Kodiak?

  • Rarely, mostly a return to base after a one-way trip, at 40-65 % below a normal charter on the operator's date and route.