Tag Global: Yacht Crew & Private Jets

Private aircraft with fewer than 19 seats are not legally required to have trained cabin crew and many yacht crew, as well as nannies and bodyguards, find themselves working onboard their bosses’ private jet without any specific training. 

Yacht crew will have covered basic safety and first aid as part of the STCW, but in the context of a private jet, crew also need to know how to evacuate the aircraft on water or on land, and should be aware of firefighting procedures at altitude where fire behaves very differently. 

We recently spoke with Debbie Elliott, Training Manager at TAG Global Training, to get her perspective on the synergies and differences from a crew perspective, and to find out about the training courses now available to superyacht crew operating onboard private jets. 

How did you get involved with the aviation industry? 

I have worked in aviation in varying roles over the last 25 years. I started my career with Virgin Atlantic, where I held a myriad of roles during the 17 years I was there, some in the air and some on the ground. I was determined to work for TAG after leaving Virgin, as the private jet industry was definitely the pinnacle of my career.

When did you join TAG Aviation and how did it come about?

I joined TAG Aviation six years ago as part of a strategic overhaul of the business focus. I was tenacious in applying for any job that came up until finally the right one did, and in the last six years I have worked hard to enhance our brand in all areas that touch the world of the Ultra High Net Worth (UHNW). My team is amazing and supports my many controversial ideas for training. 

There are clear parallels between the business of private aviation and the superyacht industry in terms of charter, management and training – but what are the similarities for crew on the front line? [...]

Continue reading the interview here.