Celebrity’s Private Jet Takes 17-Minute Flight, Outrage Ensues. Here Are Some Reasons I Think the Plane Operated Such a Short Flight.

Businesswoman and media personality Kylie Jenner is in the news because her private jet took a 17-minute flight from Camarillo Airport (CMA) and Van Nuys (VNY) in Southern California.

Many people assume the flight was unnecessary — and are furious about the carbon footprint Ms. Jenner’s aircraft left behind.

So, what is the reason behind the short jaunt? I have a few ideas.

What Kind of Private Jet Does Kylie Jenner Have?

Ms. Jenner’s private jet is a Bombardier Global 7500, similar to the one pictured at the top of this post. According to the FAA, her ride was made in 2019 and is registered to Rise & Shine Air LLC in Wilmington, Delaware.

The pink-accent cream-colored plane’s N-number is N810KJ. Ms. Jenner’s birthday is August 10, which may explain the “810.” Given her initials are “KJ,” I’m guessing that’s where the letters come in. (Just call me Perry Mason.)

So, Why Would Someone Fly for Just 17 Minutes?!

I’ve ridden on private jets about a half-dozen times (as a guest of someone chartering the plane). I also have spent time working with celebrities and private jet operators. So, based on that experience, here are some thoughts I have.

Kylie Jenner’s Jet Landed in Van Nuys, California, US. Apx. flt. time 17 Mins. pic.twitter.com/UaigKYnNou

— Celebrity Jets (@CelebJets) July 13, 2022

Freeway Traffic

Maybe traffic from Van Nuys to wherever Ms. Jenner was headed between there and Camarillo was awful. I wouldn’t doubt it. And, yes, taking a private jet instead is a little extreme. (Hey, one less car on the road!) But I’m sure one of her business advisors would’ve already suggested she buy a helicopter for such short trips. (However, that flight path is also near the area where Kobe Bryant’s chopper went down. So, maybe not.)

Keep in mind, though, that she probably doesn’t live at one of the airports. So, there’s the commuting time to/from the airports. Plus, there are still various pre-flight checks that need to complete before the plane even taxis. Then there’s the actual taxi time to the runway before the plane even takes off. So, it’s not like she’s saving that much time.

Repositioning/Ferry Flight

Who knows if Ms. Jenner was even on the plane? Based on the research I found on the Celebrity Jets Twitter account, it appears to me Kylie Jenner’s private jet is based at Van Nuys. So, perhaps the plane dropped off passengers in Camarillo and then headed back home to Van Nuys.

Repositioning flights happen every day. And for even shorter flights. I assume that some of these are from Van Nuys to Burbank. Or a few of these from Teterboro (TEB) to airports in the New York City area.

Camarillo Might Be Closer to the Passengers’ Final Destination

Camarillo is closer than Van Nuys to upscale areas such as Thousand Oaks and the western parts of Malibu. Maybe Ms. Jenner’s family is spending the summer at a beach house. Who knows (or cares)? Or perhaps she rents out the aircraft to others and their final destination was somewhere near Camarillo. (Though I did notice sister Kim’s jet also arrived at Camarillo from VNY earlier in the month. That followed a flight from Paris (LBG) to Van Nuys. But Van Nuys offers customs and immigration services, whereas Camarillo does not.)

Privacy

A source confirmed that some photographers receive tips about certain high-profile people departing from or arriving at private airport FBOs. While they can’t necessarily access the terminal grounds themselves, there’s plenty of space around Van Nuys to set up with a long lens and capture some images. So, perhaps getting dropped off at Camarillo provides more privacy and protection from paparazzi? Yes, having your picture taken pretty much anywhere generally comes with voluntarily being a public figure. There has to be some give and take. But when celebrities are with family members — especially young children — in private settings, they might want to remain just that: private.

Least Likely: Weather

I don’t believe Camarillo has an Instrument Landing System (ILS). (At least, there aren’t any ILS approaches published here.) That helps guide aircraft during inclement weather. Perhaps CMA was the true destination and there was fog or a thunderstorm. VNY would be the closest airport with ILS.

I think this is the least likely situation. Again, it appears to me the plane is based at VNY.

It’s Still Not a Good Look

She and partner Travis Scott posted this picture which appears to be them posing between their respective private jets. Captioned, “you wanna take mine or yours ?” it’s sort of cringey.

Plus, her plane seems to have a history of short flights. However, I don’t think she’s been an outspoken champion of the environment. Not that that’s OK. But there are some others who need to take a look in the mirror.

And I understand that air travel contributes to global warming. Private jets certainly aren’t an exception. But I wonder how much of the anger directed toward Ms. Jenner is genuinely out of concern for the environment — or if some people are just jealous they don’t have a private jet.