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Carpet and aircraft

01.07.2006
Author: Natalia DOVNAR
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For thousands of years, people have been plowing the seas around the Greek islands. As Homer wrote, Ithaca was the birthplace of Odysseus, where he returned after his success in the Trojan War. Hippocrates, the founder of European medicine, lived on the island of Kos, and St. John went into exile on Patmos, another island of the Dodecanese archipelago, where he wrote his gospel. The poet Sappho, who preferred women all her life, lived on the island of Lesbos, whose name has since become a household name, and she found her tragic death due to unrequited love for a man on one of the Ionian Islands - Lefkada. Many centuries later, in the 19th century, Lord Byron, who wanted to devote his life to the struggle for the independence of Greece, wrote the famous poem "From a diary in Kefalonia". The film "Captain Corelli's Choice" was shot about the military events on the same island, and the island of Corfu gained worldwide fame largely thanks to Gerald Durrell's book "My Family and Other Animals". The interest of the creative elite in the Greek islands was fueled by the cult poet and singer Leonard Cohen, who bought a house on the island of Hydra in the Sardonic Gulf, near Athens. Real estate buyers, however, have their favorites among the Greek islands. Most people prefer the good old Crete, Corfu and Rhodes. Each island has its own reasons for popularity. Crete is the largest island of all belonging to Greece, there are many unique historical monuments, as well as international airports. The island of Corfu, which also has the name of Kerkyra, was part of the British Empire for 50 years, which caused the British investors to love it "number one" in the global real estate market. Finally, Rhodes is popular, oddly enough, due to strict restrictions on construction – they made it possible to avoid over-compaction of buildings. Crete is a rival of Cyprus Crete is a large island, comparable in scale to the super–popular Cyprus. According to statistics, more than 10,000 foreigners own real estate here, of which the majority are British. Unlike the Greek real estate market as a whole, which has been stable for a long time and began to rise only due to changes in tax legislation, housing prices in Crete have been rising over the past five years. The general trend is associated with a combination of several factors, among which we note the development of tourist infrastructure, the construction of new golf courses and the opening of a new airport in Sitia, which made the eastern part of the island much more accessible. "Land prices have risen by 15% over the past two years. Before that, the growth rate was slightly higher," says Douglas Milne of Cretan Traditional Homes. - Nevertheless, the price-quality ratio remains very good. Here, in Crete, an investor can get three times more for his money than on the expensive coasts of Spain." Milne himself started his Cyprus real estate business almost by accident. Twelve years ago, he bought a house here, which served to satisfy the ambitions of the owner rather than being a far-sighted investment. However, realizing how fast real estate prices were rising, Milne thought about starting his own business. Together with a partner, in 1997, he purchased a plot on a mountain slope and built his first village of 12 houses there. The business is developing very well, so in a record year for himself in 2004, Milne sold almost 100 houses! Milne's company is mainly engaged in the western part of Crete and operates in the area between Chania and Rethymnon. Some of the houses have already been built, others are at the design stage. Those who buy objects at the zero cycle stage and even at the construction stage have the opportunity to make changes to the project. Prices here reach 150,000 euros - for townhouses and apartments, and a villa of about 100 square meters. m will cost in the range of 240,000 euros. Crete is of great interest to those who are going to buy real estate for rent. Due to the long holiday season, the income is quite high - about 7-8%. The part of the island that tends to Heraklion, where most tourists arrive, is especially popular among tenants. However, in order to rent a property, it is necessary to obtain an official permit from the Greek Tourist Association, indicating that the object meets certain requirements. These requirements can and should be taken into account when buying a house, especially if it is made at the design stage. Prices for old but renovated houses and apartments, which most often have a small area, are more affordable. Crete Property Consultants has many such offers, one of them is a traditional stone cottage in the area of the village of Aspro Potamos in the south-east of the island. This is a real traditional dwelling with wooden ceilings, stone floors, a living room with an open kitchen area and one bedroom. The area is quite small - 40 sq. m., and for complete comfort there is not enough full bathroom, which is replaced by a small shower room. This is generally a typical picture for small and not new facilities, which were most likely built before the appearance of a water pipeline in this part of Crete. The house is located 800 m from the sea, its cost is 66,000 euros. Ionic motifs The islands of Corfu, Zakynthos, Kefalonia and Lefkada, which are part of the Ionian Islands group, are located along the western shores of Greece. The location of Corfu stands out especially, the northernmost among them, neighboring Albania rather than the mainland of Greece. Corfu, along with Zakynthos, can be safely called the most popular among all the Ionian Islands. Nevertheless, there is still an opportunity to purchase magnificent real estate, however, very expensive. The island of Kefalonia became famous after the already mentioned film about Captain Corelli, and largely thanks to him it became very popular with tourists and real estate buyers. But Lefkada can still be considered little-known on the market, especially its west coast. This is partly due to the danger of earthquakes, which is quite high on Levkada. By the way, thanks to the strict antiseismic building regulations that exist in the Ionian Islands, local buildings are famous for their durability. Next door to Athens Looking at the map, it is easy to see that most of the Greek islands are located in the Aegean Sea, but not all of them are attractive for buying real estate. The popularity of Mykonos, which has become one of the most fashionable resort regions in Europe, is growing rapidly. Those who have free funds at their disposal may like the idea of investing them in one of the local luxury villas, traditionally painted white. Here, for example, is a beautiful two-storey house located at an altitude of 350 m above the beach of Saint Stephanos and 3.5 km from the city of Mykonos. The price is quite high - 650,000 euros, but this amount includes not only three bedrooms, but also a huge terrace, a deep diving pool, a garden and a veranda with upholstered furniture. However, according to the seller of Property in Greece, the main highlight of the villa is the magnificent view of the sea and the neighboring island of Tinos. The area of the house is 145 sq. m., and the land area is 0.047 ha Those who want to feel like they belong to bohemia should look for offers on Hydra Island, next door to Leonard Cohen. The singer himself no longer lives there permanently, but visits only occasionally and for a short time to take a break from the hustle and bustle and enjoy the colors and aromas of this small island. In 1960, he paid only $1,500 for the house, but now it is estimated at about 1 million euros. By the way, Hydra is so environmentally friendly that motor transport is strictly prohibited, an exception is made only for local garbage trucks. The attractiveness of the island is largely due to its location near the capital of Greece – Piraeus, the port part of Athens, is only 1.5 hours away by high-speed boat. Non-standard islands The Greek islands are good because the buyer can find among them exactly the piece of land that he will like. And it doesn't have to be a popular place at all – you can even be proud of your non-standard choice! Since the time of Sappho, the island of Lesbos has been considered a place favored by fans of same-sex love. Locals do not like such fame – they believe that the reputation of the island is spoiled and because of this, the island is not as visited as it could be. Indeed, tourism is relatively poorly developed here, and few people even think about buying real estate here. But in fact, this is more due to transport problems - it is more difficult to get to Lesbos than to larger islands. However, far-sighted buyers, free from prejudice, may well be interested in extensive development opportunities and beautiful unspoilt beaches. "I have received a lot of requests from foreigners who want to buy real estate," says Panagiotis Karavataskis, head of the Greek representative office of ReMax, "but in practice this interest has not been realized. Probably, little is known about the opportunities for buyers of real estate in Lesbos. By the way, this has its advantages - land on the island is still relatively inexpensive." A number of objects on Lesbos can be found in the ReMax catalog. The house has an area of 100 sq. m. m in Mitelen, the main city of the island, costs only 58000 euros. Villa with a living area of 170 sq. m. m and a large plot of 0.45 hectares, on which an olive grove stretches, is estimated at only 560,000 euros. A more expensive, truly luxurious villa on the outskirts of Mitelene is estimated at 1.3 million euros. The area of the villa itself is 265 sq. m., and although its layout provides only two bedrooms, this is fully compensated by the amazing sea views from the spacious balconies. The land has an area of 2.2 hectares, and the villa is easily accessible both from Mitelene itself and from the airport.
It is wrong to assume that business aviation is a magic magic carpet that can take you directly from Moscow to an American ranch, landing nearby on a highway, as shown in Western films. However, using business flights, you can significantly save time and get maximum comfort at the same time.

Where and from
Business aviation is unlikely to be useful for those who have purchased real estate in one of the European capitals or just in a large city connected with Moscow by regular flights. If your home is located outside the reach of direct lines, but not far from airports hosting international flights, light aircraft flights become a justified solution.
The most popular destinations for private flights are Malaga, Spain, the south of France – Nice and Cannes, as well as winter Alpine resorts – Grenoble, Courchevel, Innsbruck. "Although most VIP flight customers prefer traditional European destinations, you can fly on a business class plane almost anywhere," says Lev Gorbunov, CEO of Business Aviation. - The exception, perhaps, is only some islands, where, according to technical conditions, not all planes can land. The main thing is to find the nearest airport."
The way the flight will be organized depends primarily on the financial capabilities of the client and only secondly on his wishes. For example, non–stop long-distance flights require significant expenses - those who are going to save money will most likely be offered to fly with a landing, this option will reduce the cost by about 30%. Savings are especially noticeable on ultra-long routes - for example, to South Africa, Japan or Australia, where more "heavy" and, accordingly, more expensive models are required for a non-stop flight. "Not all types of aircraft are suitable for direct flights to other continents, besides, the cost of long-distance flights has increased significantly recently due to rising fuel prices," notes Alexander Kondratiev, consultant at Golden Wings.
Another important detail is that the airport must comply with the technical data of the aircraft upon landing. According to Konstantin Alekseev, Deputy General Director of Berkut Business Air, even if a heavy aircraft can theoretically fly anywhere in South Africa, it will not be able to land on a dirt strip, which are not uncommon in this country.
An airport receiving a business class aircraft from Russia must meet some other conditions. First of all, it is necessary to have customs and border control. "In some cases," says Lev Gorbunov, "this problem is solved quite simply. We can bring our customers customs and border guards from the nearest airport, and all formalities will be settled without leaving the plane." So, for example, if you intend to get to Salamanca, where there is no international airport, you can choose two flight options. The first is to land in Madrid, also, without leaving the plane, go through security and go on to Salamanca. The second option is to wait for customs in Salamanca. The cost of such a service is about 2000 euros.
As for departure, business aviation planes fly from all airports in Moscow, except Bykovo. VIP clients use separate terminals or specialized service centers. Vnukovo has the Vnukovo-3 Space terminal, Sheremetyevo has the Avkom terminal, and there are also Business Aviation Centers in Sheremetyevo and Domodedovo. They are distinguished by the presence of VIP halls, their own parking, and separate customs and border control points. "The desire of customers for privacy and confidentiality is reflected in all the details of the service, for example, passengers are brought on board by limousines," says Lev Gorbunov.

Comfort is guaranteed
The type of aircraft performing the flight depends on a number of conditions, the main of which are related to the flight distance and the receiving airport. Conventionally, the entire fleet is divided into three classes. Light aircraft are designed for 5-8 seats, their flight range is up to 2500 km. Medium-sized aircraft are more spacious - 6-10 seats, and the range is 3,700 km, which is quite enough for any European flight. You can get to Asia, Africa and the USA on heavy models designed for distances of 7000 km or more, they are much more spacious – up to 19-20 seats.
The most popular Western aircraft models originally designed for business aviation are Hawker, Falcon, Gulfstream and Embraer. The Russian aviation industry does not produce aircraft specifically designed for VIP aviation. Standard passenger models that have undergone high-quality reconstruction at factories are adapted to its needs. "The alteration is irreversible," says Lev Gorbunov, "it affects all systems - from the technical equipment of the cabin to the interior design, so that the VIP plane will never become a passenger plane again." On international flights, Russian models are mainly used Yak-42, Tu-154 and Il-62. The latest Russian development, the medium-range Tu-334, has not yet entered service, and many other models have ceased to meet European requirements in terms of their noise and environmental characteristics, for example, the popular Tu-134, which operates exclusively on domestic routes.
The conditions on the sides of domestic and foreign-made aircraft do not differ. All business class aircraft, regardless of their place of production, must meet a number of indicators. The number of seats in them does not exceed 20, there are either separate beds or soft areas with folding chairs and sofas installed in salon layouts. For finishing, only environmentally friendly materials are used, the rarest types of wood – Karelian birch, cherry, as well as exclusive varieties of leather. At the same time, the quality of the work of Russian aviation designers is not inferior to Western, and sometimes surpasses it.
Often the interior is divided into several salons, differently equipped and decorated, for example, "gentleman's" - for smoking and discussing business issues, "ladies'" or a lounge for recreation, and children's. A conference room equipped with the latest technology, including computers, is often equipped. Showers are also installed on private planes.
Business aviation aircraft are distinguished by the state-of-the-art technical equipment of the cabin. The standard set includes LCD monitors mounted in the back of the front seat, hi-fi audio and video equipment. The popular "airshow" is a camera mounted on the nose of the aircraft and transmitting to a personal monitor an image identical to the views from the cockpit. Additional equipment can be installed at the request of the client.

We are flying out urgently
It is very easy to order a business flight - many dispatch services of companies providing business aviation services work around the clock, and often an application can be made by e–mail. Confirmation can often be received within 10-15 minutes. Initially, it is required to report only the number of passengers and the route, as well as possible nuances, such as a large amount of luggage or the presence of service weapons in accompanying persons.
You can fly out as early as three hours after receiving confirmation, but there are some exceptions here. In some countries - Iraq, India, China - it is very difficult to get a flight permit, it takes several days, so it is best to apply for a flight two weeks in advance. It is almost impossible to get permission to fly to hot spots over which air traffic is prohibited. It is necessary to book a plane in advance during the summer or on holidays. If the client needs to fly urgently, and there are no available planes at this moment, then the airline can contact its foreign colleagues, but the cost of the flight will increase slightly.
You can't order a plane and then change your mind about flying. Foreign companies react especially harshly to this – the fine can reach 50-80% of the designated amount. Payment is made before the flight, however, there are exceptions to this rule – many regular customers fly on credit.
The final cost of the flight depends on the type of aircraft, the flight range, the level of service, and the number of crew members on board. Long–distance flights are often accompanied by two crews - the main and the spare, if there is no time for rest between the round trip flight. The quality of food also matters: minimum prices are $15 per person, business class meals cost about $60, VIP meals - $ 100-150. Restaurant food and collectible wines will cost much more.
In short, the price range is exceptionally large and ranges from $6,500 to $400,000. For example, a flight to Geneva for one day without an overnight stay will cost about $35,000. It is simply impossible to give more accurate figures. As Lev Gorbunov notes, flight preparation is a piece-by-piece job based solely on the individual preferences of the customer.

The liner is on sale
You can also buy a business class plane. Most buyers prefer Western-made aircraft. The cost of new ones varies between $ 16-50 million, used ones are much cheaper - from $ 1 million. The price is influenced by the date of manufacture and the number of flight hours. Note only that, according to technical standards, aircraft older than 30 years are considered unsafe.
You can register your purchased car both in Moscow and abroad – in Europe or offshore zones, for example, in the Cayman Islands. In the firstIn this case, it is more difficult to register, and the subsequent issuance of permits for flights abroad will take a significant amount of time. In addition, you have to pay the same amount for "customs clearance" as for the plane itself. Foreign registration is much more profitable, although flights across Russia on an aircraft registered under a different flag will be prohibited.
"From a financial point of view, buying an airplane never justifies itself," says Lev Gorbunov. "The only way to reduce the cost of its operation is its partial commercial use." Alexander Kondratiev agrees with this opinion: "In order for the purchase to pay off, the plane must fly like a clockwork." Indeed, maintenance "eats up" significant amounts, they include parking rentals, technical inspections, crew training, his salary and accommodation. On average, annual costs amount to $300,000-600,000, but in the case of heavy foreign-made aircraft, the cost increases to $3-5 million.

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