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Northern Jet is a Part 135 charter and aircraft management operator headquartered in Orlando, Florida, with additional bases in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Naples, Florida. The company was formed in July 2023 through the merger of Northern Jet Management (Grand Rapids, founded 1995) and SpeedBird (Orlando/Naples), and rebranded as "Northern Jet" in November 2023. It operates a fleet of approximately 37-40+ aircraft — primarily Learjet 45 variants and Cessna Citation CE525 family (CJ3, CJ4), with additional types including Challenger and helicopters. Northern Jet employs 100+ pilots and 200+ total employees, generating $110M+ in annual revenue. The company is non-union. Chris Bull (founder of SpeedBird) serves as CEO, and Chuck Cox (who led Northern Jet Management since 1995) serves as Chairman.
For interview purposes, the simplest way to frame Northern Jet is this: it is a rapidly growing, mid-size Part 135 charter and management operator formed by the merger of two established companies — combining NJM's nearly 30-year track record in the Midwest with SpeedBird's Florida-based operations. The combined entity emerged as a Top 20 US operator. Northern Jet offers a salary-based compensation model (no hourly pay), dedicated customer terminals at all three bases, and a schedule structure (8/6 or 15/13) with no reserve positions. CE525 Captain pay is approximately $145,000/year, and company-paid type ratings, CTP, and ATP training make it accessible for pilots building toward Part 121 careers or seeking a long-term Part 135 home. Upgrade timelines of 6-14 months are notably fast.
Sources listed at the end of each profile. Data compiled from public filings, airline newsrooms, AirlinePilotCentral, Glassdoor, FAA records, and industry publications.