Sky-high sports charters: elevate your game

With over 30 years’ experience in aviation charters and a network of offices across the US, we can help consolidate that long list of travel into smaller chunks – from flying teams and their affiliates to games to recruitment trips, we ensure that you and your clients are our highest priority.

Meeting the specific needs of collegiate travel

We know, as you do, that organizing a college sports schedule can require intricate charter arrangements; we also know that no two seasons, schedules (or clients), are the same. At ACS, we work hard to meet each and every charter challenge, making sure that all of the linemen are in a row - and on the plane when they need to be! 

Whether you require a private charter for scouting followed by a whirlwind itinerary of helicopter landings on high school fields for recruitment tours, having the celebratory (but stressful) responsibility of organizing last-minute championship game travel, or the need for a group charter when an ad hoc request comes in to transport an entire marching band with dozens of drums and bags brimming with brass instruments with little or no notice, ACS is there for support as and when you need us.

A range of aircraft, with a range of applications

In our experience, colleges appreciate seamless, time-sensitive and efficient travel, and, having coordinated recruitment tours for a number of colleges (over a number of sports), we feel that we understand what they are looking for. When dealing with potential recruits who may have a number of offers from colleges, we appreciate that first impressions count; we have previously arranged for helicopters carrying collegiate scouts to be wrapped in college branding to ensure that any players being considered for a scholarship have an overwhelmingly positive visual marker of the visiting school. 

Depending on the distance, we find that colleges may opt for a light jet (for closer schools), midsize or super-midsize jets to fly to the city where the schools are located. Upon landing, the scouts and their affiliates transfer to twin-engine helicopters to fly directly to each high school campus, usually touching down on the football field. (These choices or combinations of choices are obviously dependent on budget considerations.)

With tight schedules, and a number of games to scout recruits in a day, we have found that travelling by helicopter is often the most efficient way for colleges to organize the more localized parts of recruitment tours. Bear in mind that while landing on a football field requires signed approval from a school director (and compliance with safety regulations), this direct access and dramatic entrance showcases the university’s commitment to potential recruits, enhances the school’s appeal, and can create a lasting impression when the time for recruits to make a decision comes.

Seasonal recruitment spikes

In our experience, recruitment activities often peak between December and January; during this time, the demand for charters vastly increases as schools strive to attract top talent. 

We know that this period can be an organizational nightmare for you, and while some schools are lucky to own their own aircraft, the fight for a finite number of aircraft can be a tough one.

There is, however, a way of demystifying and decomplicating the world of charters – by choosing ACS as your go-to partner for arranging seamless and complex charters for college sports teams. With over three decades’ experience in the world of charters, thirteen offices across North America, and the industry weight the ACS name holds, doing business with ACS means partnering with a charter champion.

Contact us today to discuss your collegiate charter requirements.