Yves Pickardt: I basked in it from an early age. My father was a private pilot aside from his filmmaking career, and transmitted his passion to me. He had a biplane “Stampe” he’d do aerobatics with until he crashed, without injuries. Despite the accident, he kept the propeller at home as an art piece.
Later on, I used to visit the Aviation Museum in Paris and collect antique documents about the history of aircraft. Books, magazines, blueprints and all sorts or rare documents and original pictures about the beginning of aviation.
After graduating in philosophy, I went on to study design at l’École Nationale des Arts Appliqués et des Métiers d’Art in Paris.

YP: I began my career in Rome, working with an interior design company on several luxury residential international projects: palaces, hotels, private mansions, yachts as well, before teaming up with Alberto Pinto in Paris, that I worked almost exclusively with until recently.
Among the most prestigious projects, I have been involved in as a project manager and later as a designer with Pinto, are La Mamounia hotel in Marrakesh, a moroccan residence for a Middle Eastern ambassador in Washington, the parisian home of a well-known prima ballerina, the interior of the M/S Paul Gauguin, based in Papeete, Tahiti, the two cruise ships for Club Med, various and huge corporate buildings…

Then, one of our customers asked us to design a Boeing Business Jet (BBJ1) in 1998. That led us to non-stop orders to design and refurbish aircraft for American and Chinese tycoons, to Greek billionaires, and the CEO of France’s first company for luxury goods, etc.

YP: I had the opportunity to work on a Boeing 747-8. It was a 420 square-meter flying family house. Very elegant and chic, not “fancy”. There exist less than six of these massive aircraft completed for private or Head of State owners worldwide. It belongs to aircraft history as it is not manufactured anymore. Truly, the end of an era.

It is always a pleasure to complete new projects. The first step is to clearly understand what needs to be done, to which extent we have carte blanche, then define what was successful in the past, and select the suppliers. Firstly comes the floorplan. We select materials of the highest available quality, and once that is achieved, we review the design with the Completion Manager before handing everything over to the selected completion center to give us their strong inputs.
In most cases, customers do not want to be too fancy because they eventually want to resell the jet.
YP: However, I like to make a subtle nod to the owner. Once, a gentleman who loves exclusive sports cars asked us for seats in carbon fibre.
Another one wanted us to include a big yellow circle on top of his bed casting graphic lights, in reference to China’s symbol of luck, and matching the colour of his favourite leather jacket.
Clients come to us because they appreciate a modern and discreet style, with light touches and accents…
We do not do production work. The level of detail we provide, the very unique concepts, the respect of customers and our obsession and passion for this craft are also explained by the price per square-foot onboard. We explore and design every cubic inch on the aircraft. No corner is left behind!
Pinto luckily, never had to refuse a project we’d consider too kitsch, exaggerated, or outrageously luxurious. People who want to build golden thrones and diamond lamps in their jets naturally align with other types of designers. To me, real luxury lies in a perfect floorplan, an original and accurate design, and the selection of the best materials.

YP: Our job is, indeed, not only to design. There is a psychological aspect in the relationship with the client front-end that is key, and what I do would be nothing without the help of a professional Completion Manager, such as Tom Chatfield and his team.
We invest time getting to know them, having them articulate who they are and what they are seeking. We speak as much as we draw. We show what could be and why that would be better.
They rely a lot on the designer for taste. But we also have to surprise them. We are not paid to do exactly what they have in mind. As an expert, it is crucial to direct and guide.

YP: The first step is always the layout. We can suggest up to 10 or more variations depending on how many people will generally be on board, how long the flights will be, etc. Once the floorplan is frozen, we make sketches. Sample schemes, colour schemes, define the milestone planning. It takes 6 to 8 weeks to release the first images in 3D rendering.

Next step, we create a design book of 100/150 pages that describes in detail all the pieces of furniture, tables, cabinets, handles, vanities… and most importantly the seats. Bespoke carpets, fabrics are generally weaved especially for our projects, so are wood patterns. Our designs never come out of a catalogue except for maybe spotlights, touch screen controls or TV monitors. One important detail to note is that 90% of the cabin components are attached. Hence why each item is chosen carefully. The collection of loose items is composed of sheets, decorative cushions, flatware, crystalware and such.

When a corporate aircraft is also used privately, nothing should remind of work. Brand owners may select brands they own; but no ostentatious logos. In a nutshell, we create soothing and balanced designs that aren’t “in your face”. Fancy enough for customers, reasonable and comfortable to fly. And easy to sell. And put simply, we can do anything they want, once they have the money to pay for it. I haven’t worked with a rock star yet, but I know the Rolling Stones had built a fireplace with a fake fire in their jet…  One could even technically get a steam room, a movie theatre… A princess once asked for a glass ceiling to see the sky, but that is obviously and unfortunately not feasible But all in all, as a private jet owner, you must keep in mind that you are generally not flying longer than 12 hours in a row. In those hours you may sleep, rest, eat, have time to watch one or two movies and go straight to your home or hotel.

YP: Innovation in the industry takes time, but I can see that in less than 20 years, we will be flying with clean fuel. There is lots of research being done on the different ways to be sustainable. It is a hot topic.… There is ongoing progress regarding recyclability, weight, new fabrics…
We have to consider the topic, and we receive strong inputs from the completion centres.

With regards to space, I would love to design a spaceship someday. Elon Musk, if you read these lines ;).