A College Football Lover’s Guide to Private Travel

Many college football fans are serious about bringing the “home court advantage” to away games.

The most die-hard football fans feel duty-bound to ensure there is a respectable showing of color in the stadium at away games, no matter how far they need to travel.

The traditional options for getting to away games in the Southwest U.S. or for those living elsewhere to get “home” have traditionally included the inconvenience of a LONG road trip or the indignities of modern airline travel, including restrictions, delays, and “less than optimal” customer service experiences.

Road trips can be fun, but may not be optimal for some groups or families, or for people with demanding work schedules.

Some fans are discovering a third option – chartering a plane for a tailgating trip.

Some of the nation’s largest schools such as Penn State and the University of Texas own private planes. But why should the schools, coaches and teams have all the fun?

The Geography of the 2017 College Football Season

Imagine seeing a great game, live and in person, every single weekend this fall. As much fun as that sounds, there is a LOT of territory to cover, which leaves you two unappealing options –

Spend a LOT of time in the car
Spend a lot of time in airport security lines and making connections in airports.

Or a third option – get a group of friends together and charter a trip on a luxurious King Air. We meet you at the terminal, grab your bags, coolers and blankets, and take off when you’re ready. We arrange ground transportation and wait for you while you enjoy your game. If it finishes early or late, we’re ready to go when you are. Then we bring you directly home without security checkpoints, connections or delays.

Advantages of Tailgating by Charter

We pick you up at the nearest convenient airport and take you directly to the closest airport to your game.
We will arrange for ground transportation, your car or van will pick you up for the short drive from the airport to the stadium.
Up to nine passengers can fly at the same price as one.
Carry your favorite beverages and snacks to toast the game.
(Carryon restrictions don’t apply to private flights!)
Bring your youngest kids and oldest relatives. We cater to the needs of all of our passengers – no need to leave anyone out!
Flights take as little as an hour or two.
No security lines.
Never leave the game early, or wait in the airport. The pilot waits for you.

But Aren’t Charter Flights Expensive?

Many fans believe that tailgating by charter flight to away games would be prohibitively expensive. But tailgating with a group changes the economics of the trip.

Airline tickets can vary widely, but with checked baggage and other fees can run in the neighborhood of $800 per person, making the total cost for a group of eight to $6400.

Driving time for the same trip would be less expensive, but travel to some of these games would be a driving marathon.

By contrast, chartered trips may not be as pricey as one would expect. Private flights usually cost more, but when divided among multiple fans, the cost can be competitive. Chartered flights can accommodate the scheduling desires of the group. Many of the restrictions that apply to airlines, like those 3-ounce shampoo bottles, don’t apply to private aviation, so fans may be able to bring that bottle of champagne to celebrate a victory (or to console fans in the event of a defeat, should such a travesty occur.)

Francis Aviation provides luxury King Air charter services in the Southwest and specializes in getting people from one place to another with maximum convenience and value. Arrangements for children, elderly passengers, ground transportation, luggage preferences, and even snack preferences can be accommodated.

Schedules for Some of the Games We Want to See This Year!

Or, download a printable PDF of this schedule from Francis Aviation here.

Date	Team	Team	Location
Oct 14, 2017	TCU Horned Frogs	Kansas State Wildcats	Manhattan, KS
Oct 14, 2017	Texas Tech Red Raiders	West Virginia Mountaineers	Morgantown, WV
Oct 14, 2017	Texas A &M Aggies	Florida Gators	Gainesville FL
Oct 14, 2017	Oklahoma Sooners	Texas Longhorns	Dallas TX
Oct 14, 2017	LSU Tigers	Auburn Tigers	Baton Rouge LA
Oct 15, 2017	Tulsa Golden Hurricane	Houston Cougars	Houston TX
Oct 21, 2017	TCU Horned Frogs	Kansas Jayhawks	Fort Worth, TX
Oct 21, 2017	Texas Tech Red Raiders	Iowa State Cyclones	Lubbock, TX
Oct 21, 2017	Oklahoma Sooners	Kansas State Wildcats	Manhattan KS
Oct 21, 2017	LSU Tigers	Ole Miss Rebels	Oxford MS
Oct 22, 2017	Tulsa Golden Hurricane	Tulane Green Wave	Tulsa OK
Oct 28, 2017	TCU Horned Frogs	Iowa State Cyclones	Aimes, IA
Oct 28, 2017	Texas A &M Aggies	Mississippi State Bulldogs	College Station TX
Oct 28, 2017	Oklahoma Sooners	Texas Tech Red Raiders	Norman, OK
Oct 29, 2017	Tulsa Golden Hurricane	Memphis Tigers	Memphis, TN
Nov 4, 2017	TCU Horned Frogs	Texas Longhorns	Fort Worth, TX
Nov 4, 2017	Texas Tech Red Raiders	Kansas State Wildcats	Lubbock TX
Nov 4, 2017	Texas A &M Aggies	Auburn Tigers	College Station TX
Nov 4, 2017	Oklahoma Sooners	Oklahoma State Cowboys	Stillwater OK
Nov 4, 2017	LSU Tigers	Alabama Crimson Tide	Tuscaloosa AL
Nov 5, 2017	Tulsa Golden Hurricane	East Carolina Pirates	Tulsa OK
Nov 11, 2017	TCU Horned Frogs	Oklahoma Sooners	Norman, OK
Nov 11, 2017	Texas Tech Red Raiders	Baylor Bears	Arlington TX
Nov 11, 2017	Texas A &M Aggies	New Mexico Lobos	College Station TX
Nov 11, 2017	Oklahoma Sooners	TCU Horned Frogs	Norman OK
Nov 11, 2017	LSU Tigers	Arkansas Razorback	Baton Rouge LA
Nov 12, 2017	Tulsa Golden Hurricane	Navy Midshipmen	Anapolis, MD
Nov 18, 2017	TCU Horned Frogs	Texas Tech Red Raiders	Lubbock, TX
Nov 18, 2017	Texas A &M Aggies	Ole Miss Rebels	Oxford, MS
Nov 18, 2017	Oklahoma Sooners	Kansas Jayhawks	Lawrence, KS
Nov 18, 2017	LSU Tigers	Tennessee Volunteers	Baton Rouge, LA
Nov 19, 2017	Tulsa Golden Hurricane	UCF Knights	Orlando, FL
Nov 24, 2017	TCU Horned Frogs	Baylor Bears	Fort Worth, TX
Nov 24, 2017	Texas Tech Red Raiders	Texas Longhorns	Austin, TX
Nov 25, 2017	Texas A &M Aggies	LSU Tigers	Baton Rouge, LA
Nov 25, 2017	Tulsa Golden Hurricane	Cincinnati Bearcats	Tulsa, OK
Nov 25, 2017	Oklahoma Sooners	West Virginia Mountaineers	Norman, OK
Nov 25, 2017	LSU Tigers	Texas A & M Aggies	Baton Rouge, LA
Dec 1, 2017	Big 12 Championship		Arlington, TX
Dec 2, 2017	SEC Championship Game		Atlanta, GA
Dec 19, 2017	Tulsa Golden Hurricane	Central Michigan Chippewas	Miami FL