Aircraft Acquisition Specialist.
Specializing in Falcon Aircraft and Sikorsky Helicopters.
Why You Need Ethical and Knowledgeable Representation When Purchasing an Aircraft
Unlike real estate, there is no legal requirement to disclose anything during the purchasing of an aircraft.
Even though Aviation is a highly regulated industry, buying and selling of aircraft is not.
Even though Aviation is a highly regulated industry, buying and selling of aircraft is not.
THERE IS NO LEGAL REQUIREMENT OF AN ENTITY SELLING AN AIRCRAFT TO DISCLOSE MATERIAL FACTS!
Real World Example
This picture is an after-body fairing that houses the exhaust and hot section of a jet engine on a Falcon 50 aircraft. The red circles and arrows annotate corrosion damage to the component that existed prior to the purchase of this aircraft. This issue was not discovered during the purchasing event because the client buying the aircraft did not use an Acquisition Specialist. The corrosion could not be repaired and required full replacement. Unfortunately, at the time of this incident, there were only two after-body fairings available in the entire country that were in serviceable condition and each of them cost $25,000. The Falcon 50 aircraft has three engines and two of the after-body fairings were corroded, so the client had to spend $50,000 for new fairings, not including repainting and install. This issue, among many others were discovered within 6 months after the client purchased this aircraft. This is one example of how an Acquisition Specialist can save an incredible amount of aggravation and money for the client by catching these issues before the purchase is made.
A $568,000 MISTAKE…… A corporate pilot of a small flight department befriended a high-net-worth individual that was friends of the pilot’s principal. The individual approached the pilot with questions and also hoped the pilot would assist him in overseeing the purchase. The pilot, who was an expert at piloting the aircraft, did not have any acquisition experience but agreed to assist his boss’s friend. The pilot was aware that if he brought a buyer to an aircraft broker, he could receive a generous finder’s fee. Remember, there is almost ZERO requirement for the listing broker of an aircraft to disclose ANY issue with the aircraft during the sale. We deal with terrific brokers who we keep as a part of our team, however there are a few bad apples in the industry. The pilot that said he would oversee the sale asked the broker for a finder’s fee of $30,000, which he did receive after the airplane was closed. The pilot did not direct the buyer to attain a prebuy inspection, logbook review, or any other due diligence measure to protect the individual that made the purchase. It’s unclear as to why this pilot did this, but it’s our experience that most aviation professionals do not have knowledge or a solid process in performing due diligence on the many aspects involved in acquiring an aircraft. Four months after the sale, the aircraft was undergoing a routine inspection and it was discovered that the aircraft had massive corrosion problems among other maintenance issues that were not brought to the buyer’s attention before they purchased the aircraft. The buyer had to pay $386,000 in corrosion repair and another $182,000 for inspections that he did not know the aircraft needed. These issues grounded the aircraft for almost 7 months. But here is the stunning thing about this real-world example: neither the selling broker or the pilot did anything illegal. The pilot saw an opportunity to make a quick buck and the selling broker just wanted to make a fast sale. Here at Athos Aviation, we focus solely on ensuring that our clients NEVER experience this.
When You Hire Athos Aviation to Represent You to Acquire Your Next Private Jet or Helicopter, You Pay One Fee and Get a Level of Service That is Unmatched.
About Us
Jonathan Johnson,
Aircraft Acquisition Specialist
- Former Apache Helicopter Pilot from the U.S. Army
- Corporation Aviation Manager
- Business Degree with a Concentration in Project Management
- Qualified in 13 different types of Helicopters
- Qualified in 5 different types of Jets
- Specializing in aircraft acquisitions
- Obsessed with Aviation and Business
Personal Note: I know firsthand how difficult it is to build a successful business. I know how hard you had to work and sacrifice over many years to build what you have. I have seen people in the corporate aviation industry take advantage of successful business owners in the name of making a quick buck.
When you hire us to acquire your private jet or helicopter, you get a service that will review every part of the aircraft and it’s logs since it was spawned out of production. You also get a service that immediately discloses every aspect of the acquisition. Our pre-purchase process has kept our clients from having to spend hundreds of thousands in future repair bills. Aviation is our business and our obsession.