Charter air service bringing people to Lake Tahoe
By Kathryn Reed
Skip driving, skip Reno, skip Sacramento. The fastest way to get to Lake Tahoe is via Gary Air.
Trish and Dave Guerrieri are flying clients in their Cessna 182 into Lake Tahoe Airport. The Bay Area couple, who have a second home in South Lake Tahoe, received clearance last week from the FAA for their charter service.
Gary Air charter service is flying into Lake Tahoe Airport. Photo/Provided
The Cessna carries two to three passengers – plus gear – including skis and snowboards.
For years, the South Bay couple has been acting as an air taxi broker. For the last five years they’ve been booking flights to Tahoe for other pilots as the broker.
“If our plane is not the right plane for the mission, we can still act as a broker to find people another operator who suits them best,” Guerrieri said.
It’s not just South Lake where the couple will fly to – it’s any airport. Regionally, that could be Truckee, Minden or Reno.
In the months they’ve been waiting for the FAA clearance, inquiries have been coming in from second homeowners and skiers. The Guerrieris anticipate creating a ride-sharing program for people who want to go to the same place but don’t want to charter the entire plane for themselves.
One thing they have over commercial airlines is no need to book two weeks in advance for the best rate. Their rates start at $250 person. Someone flying back and forth the same day will likely get the best rate.
From the website people can get quotes about fares.
The plane is based at Reid-Hillview Airport in San Jose. Having the plane near the population base is more economical than keeping it at the most popular destination.
Dave Guerrieri, who is the pilot, expects to fly mostly during the day – when it is safest with the optimal flying conditions.
It’s not just people recreating in Tahoe who the Guerrieris anticipate using their service. Their plane, they say, is ideal for shuttling the businessperson between multiple cities in a day. It also gets the Tahoe resident out of the basin and back again.
“I don’t think we will have an office in South Lake Tahoe. With everything so easy on the Internet, we don’t need to man an office (there),” Guerrieri said.
They aren’t worried about the ongoing recession impacting their business, saying they’ve seen the charter industry beginning to rebound in the Bay Area.
The couple brought their plane to the air show at Lake Tahoe Airport in August. They were also a sponsor of the Tour de Tahoe bike ride Sunday.
Details:
Email: info@GaryAir.us
Phone: (408) 729.4359
Prices: Start at $250/person from the South Bay to South Lake Tahoe