How do you quote and bill a Part 135 charter trip without rebuilding the numbers by hand?

Quote the trip, generate a dispatch trip-sheet and contract, fly it, then close out billing on actual Hobbs time so the invoice matches what was flown — not an estimate. AviationAlley is built to run this as one connected flow: charter quote to trip-sheet to Hobbs close-out billing, with international wire reconciliation (including BSA/FinCEN checks) and a one-click QuickBooks Online bridge so the books stay current without double entry.

Most Part 135 operators quote a charter in one tool, dispatch it in another, and rebuild the invoice by hand from flight records at month-end — which is where billable hours go missing and disputes start. The fix is to keep quoting, dispatch, and billing on one record so the number you invoice traces straight back to the Hobbs time that was actually flown. AviationAlley is a pre-launch aviation operations platform scoped to whichever FAR Part you operate under — Part 135 charter included — opening to a founding cohort of operators. Here is how it is built to take a charter trip from quote to paid.

Why the answer is what it is

Quote the trip on the same record you'll dispatch and bill

AviationAlley is built so a charter quote, the dispatch trip-sheet, and the contract all live on one trip record. You quote the trip, the operation flies it off the same record, and nothing has to be re-keyed between sales and dispatch — billing is connected to ops, not bolted on afterward (product page, line 138 / feature 485).

Close out billing on actual Hobbs time, not an estimate

The invoice is built from Hobbs close-out, so you bill what was actually flown instead of what was quoted. That removes the month-end reconciliation pass where flight records, logs, and the accounting system get squared up by hand — the step where billable hours quietly go missing (product page, line 485).

Reconcile international airline and client wires to the invoice they fund

For B2B charter clients paying by wire, AviationAlley is built to reconcile international wire transfers against the open invoice, with BSA/FinCEN checks built into the flow rather than handled in a separate compliance step (product page, line 138).

Bridge the invoice to QuickBooks Online without double entry

Once the trip is billed, the invoice pushes to QuickBooks Online so your books stay current without anyone re-keying it — the receivable lives in AviationAlley with the trip, the accounting record lands in QBO where your bookkeeper already works (product page, line 491).

Track charter clients as named B2B accounts

Charter operators and corporate clients are tracked as named client accounts rather than loose contacts, so every quote, trip-sheet, contract, and invoice for a given client stays tied to that account (product page, line 138 / feature 489).

One platform scoped to the Part you fly

AviationAlley is built as a single operations platform scoped to whichever FAR Part you operate under, with Part 135 charter as one of the named verticals — so charter quoting and trip billing sit in the same system as your dispatch and records instead of a separate point tool (product page, line 70).

What to look for

  • Build the charter quote on a trip record (not a standalone estimate)
  • Generate the dispatch trip-sheet and contract from that same quote
  • Tie the trip to a named B2B client account
  • Log Hobbs time and close out billing on the actual hours flown
  • Reconcile the incoming wire to the open invoice, with BSA/FinCEN checks
  • Push the finished invoice to QuickBooks Online to avoid double entry
  • Keep the receivable with the trip record for a clean audit trail

Related questions

Why bill from Hobbs close-out instead of the quoted amount?

Because a charter rarely flies exactly as quoted. Billing from actual Hobbs time means the invoice matches what was flown, which avoids the manual month-end reconciliation between flight records and accounting where billable hours get missed and disputes start. AviationAlley is built to carry the trip from quote to Hobbs close-out on one record (product page, line 485).

Does it handle international wire payments from charter clients?

Yes — AviationAlley is built to reconcile international wire transfers against the invoice they fund, with BSA/FinCEN checks built into the billing flow rather than handled separately. Note AviationAlley is pre-launch and opening to a founding cohort, so this describes what the platform is built to do at launch (product page, line 138).

Will charter invoices sync to my accounting system?

AviationAlley is built with a QuickBooks Online invoice bridge, so a billed charter invoice pushes to QBO without double entry and your books stay current. The receivable stays in AviationAlley with the trip record; the accounting entry lands in QuickBooks (product page, line 491).

How Roffik addresses this

The platform for FAA-approved Part 142 training centers — simulator scheduling, FAA compliance records, client-account billing, and SWIFT wire reconciliation. Learn more about AviationAlley.

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