“A lot of selling is about getting ready to sell,” the Masterclass host Jay Mesinger, CEO and president of the company told attendees. It was timely advice for many new owners. “In the past pandemic years, we had so many buyers come in, that there’s bound to be a whole host of people who were first-time buyers but are now becoming first-time sellers. And first-time sellers are going to need the programming of how to do a sale correctly”

A good starting point is planning the sale and recruiting the right quality and type of advisers to conclude the sale successfully. In addition to selecting a broker, sellers needed to choose a specialist aviation lawyer, maintenance facility to complete a pre-purchase inspection (PPI) and specialist financial help. Plus allow enough time to conduct due diligence.

‘Not as excited about the idea of selling’

Fully engaging first-time sellers in the sale of their jet is the primary mission of Sue Carriere, partner with business aviation law firm Carriere, Little & Leach. “One of the things I find with sellers – especially first-time sellers – is that they are not as excited about the idea of selling as they are about the idea of buying. So, getting them engaged to provide the information I need is my first goal,” said Carriere.

Focusing only on aviation law, Carriere works with clients’ advisers to ensure liability protection, tax mitigation, and FAA compliance. “Tax planning is as important on the selling side as well as the buying side,” she said. “They may have fully depreciated the plane by taking advantage of bonus depreciation or, in rare cases, keeping them for a long time. Now they need to engage an aviation savvy tax planner because it’s a very specific area of taxes.”

Sellers need to ask: is there recapture of the depreciation? “A lot of people never hear those words until it’s too late,” said Carriere. So, It’s important to plan the tax ramifications for the sale of the old plane, as they are planning a replacement strategy for the new plane.  Also sellers needed to engage specialist help weeks if not months before closing the deal.

Mesinger highlighted the need to seek specialist advice and for buyers to keep their advisers “in their own swim lane”. He told delegates: “To think your broker is going to be your tax consultant … is wrong and not a fair position for what should be a winning team.”

‘Eleventh-hour hold up’

Another plea for early action by first-time sellers came from Luci Johnson, operations, documentation and servicing manager with PNC Aviation Finance. “A lot of times when selling an aircraft, the lender is the last party that is brough to the table,” said Johnson. “But, in reality, we should be one of the first as soon as the seller is marketing the aircraft. Reach out to your lender with regard to what the pay off may be. There may be a shortfall that arises and we don’t want there to be an eleventh-hour hold up for the closing.”

As a regulated bank, PNC Aviation Finance has laws and regulations which it must adher to and protocols in place to ensure compliance. Providng PNC with the information it needs sooner rather than later is an important means of concluding a successful sale as soon as possible, said Johnson. “Do not reach out to your lender two days before closing. We need plenty of time,” she said. “We can respond very quickly but we want that to be the exception and not the norm.”

For Todd Duncan, chairman, Duncan Aviation, it is all about closing the deal and mitigating risks by bringing together a team of experts. That is particularly important with the recent shift in the balance of power in transactions. “This has gone from a sellers’ market to a much more balanced market in terms of aircraft sales,” said Duncan. “That’s why it’s especially important to talk about the team you [sellers] need and what their duties are.”

With specialist advice, sellers can gain true insight into the value of their assets and eliminate surprises within the pre-purchase inspection. PPIs are a critical part of aircraft transactions and one that has been overlooked in recent years, he said.

‘Difficult to schedule PPIs’

While finding slots had proved challenging, Duncan said availability had improved for some categories of aircraft. “For the past year, it’s been difficult to schedule PPIs,” he said. “We, and others, have tried to carve time out of our schedules. Within a two-to-four-week period we can take in small to medium-sized projects, depending on the scope of that pre-buy.” Larger aircraft are more difficult to get in and can take a month or two months.

His final advice to sellers, like his fellow speakers, was about the importance of planning. “The more they plan before hand, the better off they will be.”

Meanwhile, Mesinger, from Mesinger Jet Sales explained the need for the new Masterclass series like this: “What is usual and customary in aviation is always changing. What was usual and customary during the pandemic is not necessarily so today. So, we thought we would capture the new usual and customary in this new Masterclass series.”

The next free, one-hour CJI Masterclass – How to have the perfect ownership experience – takes place on May 22nd, 2024. You can listen to the first Masterclass here.

The more sellers plan their transactions, the more successful they will be, according to panelists.

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Spraying glycol on to aircraft wings is not fun. Charter customers hate the extra fee – which can vary between $1,000 to $10,000 in Europe. Operators have to manage delays and it causes extra stress for pilots. 

De-icing may not seem that exciting if you are based in a warm climate (or have a heated hangar), but it is not just an issue at Christmas. Some US buyers actively avoid European aircraft because they believe that the continent’s de-icing products cause corrosion – particularly to landing gear.

“There has never been a definite study proving that de-icing fluid causes corrosion but that does not matter as there is the perception that it does,” says one European broker. “There is a theory that de-icing corrosion is more prevalent in Europe and so aircraft are checked. Those same levels of due diligence are not done as commonly on US-based aircraft, despite it having an equally cold climate in many areas. I suspect if all planes were inspected similarly we’d find equivalent levels of corrosion in US and EU ones.”

De-icing is not a simple issue. The mix of chemicals used and the blend can vary. But operators can help protect aircraft. “If you are an owner who thinks cleaning aircraft is purely cosmetic, you are wrong,” says Colin Brickman, CEO of C4J Aviation, a consulting and airworthiness management company. “It depends on utilisation but if you are often flying from Zurich to Iceland washing aircraft regularly will make a big difference to fighting corrosion.”

Landing gear corrosion is sometimes blamed on the products used to clear snow or ice from runways as well as de-icing products sprayed on aircraft. “US buyers are particularly concerned about aircraft that have been operated in eastern Europe and Russia where airports may still use urea,” says another broker. But there is no hard research to prove this.

De-Ice, a Boston start-up spun out of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), may also have a solution to cut the use of sprays. It basically turns aircraft wings into induction hobs. Aircraft operators attach thin tape strips containing gallium nitride, a semiconductor. When turned on, these generate a high-frequency current. This makes the electrons on the surface of the wing move, which generates heat and melts ice.

The launch customer for De-Ice is Air Canada but the company says it will be looking at other aviation markets. Duncan Aviation has been advising them on business aviation.

Manufacturers have also reduced corrosion issues by using newer alloys that do not react with de-icing chemicals. But pre-owned aircraft sellers can still curse Crosby when their aircraft go into pre-buy inspections.

“Aircraft are made of aluminium, steel and other metals, these dissimilar materials that corrode and cross-corrode in aircraft and engine structures when they are mixed – particularly when you spray corrosive fluids like de-icer on them. So quite frankly, what do people expect to happen? We fly aircraft from -40F to +40F in the same day, fly over polluted areas, fly through sandstorms and different environments. It is all part of the jigsaw you need to look at,” says Brickman. 

He adds: “If you can’t accept some corrosion on your aircraft or are needing to replace landing gear, you are not ready to be an aircraft buyer. You should buy an S-Class Mercedes instead. You will just get to your meeting later.”

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Etie comes to Duncan Aviation with 35 years of experience in engine maintenance, customer service, and regional sales.

“Pat is an experienced engine professional well-known in the aviation community,” said Troy Nail, Airframe and Engine Service Sales manager. “With his hands-on knowledge of all Honeywell HTF7000, TFE731, and APU models, and a genuine desire to provide top-notch customer service, he will quickly gain the trust and respect of aircraft operators in his territory. Patrick joins Duncan Aviation regional managers, several Engine Rapid Response launch teams and local satellite facilities in providing comprehensive service and support to our customers.”

Commenting on this new role, Etie said: “Throughout my entire business aviation career, I always considered Duncan Aviation a top-shelf company. The company has a near endless list of capabilities and some of the smartest customers who demand the highest-quality service. I look forward to the challenge.” 

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Crystal Osmera and Jack Smith have joined the Component Services team as business development coordinators to research and collaborate on new business opportunities for Duncan Aviation’s Parts & Rotables Sales and Components Repair & Overhaul. 

As the new business development coordinator for Parts & Rotables Sales, Osmera will be responsive to opportunities with OEM and industry partners to promote and build the available parts inventory to support in-house customers and parts sales. 

Osmera joined Duncan Aviation in 2016 as a customer account representative providing support to customer requests for quotes and project information. For the past five years, she has served as the customer account rep supervisor.  

Smith is the new business development coordinator for Components Repair & Overhaul. As the aviation industry continues to grow, develop, and diversify, he will collaborate with OEMs and industry vendors to identify opportunities for new in-house repair and overhaul capabilities.

In 2012, Smith joined Duncan Aviation as a parts runner, transporting parts, materials, and mail between buildings. He then transitioned to the Fuel Team, working on fuel systems for every make/model aircraft serviced at Duncan Aviation. After five years, Jack joined Parts & Rotables Sales as a part sales rep, where he established contacts worldwide locating parts needed by customers. His leadership skills were recognised, and he became the Part Sales Supervisor in 2020.

Osmera and Smith join business devlopment managers Chris Gress and Tim Fidler. Together this team will target and follow up on new opportunities and customers while strengthening relationships with existing contracts and authorisations.

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This upgrade will enable passengers and crew aboard Hawker aircraft equipped with the AVANCE L3 system to retain in-flight connectivity once Gogo’s newer Long-Term Evolution (LTE) network is available. The LTE network is replacing the existing Gogo Biz network.

“We were pleased to accommodate our customer’s Wi-Fi needs by installing the AVANCE L3 in his Hawker 800XP,” said Ed Reeve, manager, Duncan Aviation’s Satellites in St. Louis, Missouri, and Nashville, Tennessee. “Now that we have this STC, we are able to provide a reliable in-flight system to our Hawker customers. As long as you’re upgrading from one of the Gogo legacy ATG systems originally installed with a Duncan Aviation STC, we can prepare the aircraft and install the AVANCE L3.” 

Downtime for the upgrade is said to be minimal: five business days in most cases. The upgrade entails removing the existing ATG line replaceable unit (LRU) and replacing it with the newer AVANCE L3 LRU. The antennas installed with the legacy system won’t need to be replaced and will provide access to the Gogo LTE network.

Gogo’s legacy ATG systems (ATG 8000, 5000, 4000, 2000, and 1000) won’t be able to connect to the LTE network. Without an AVANCE upgrade, aircraft with Gogo’s legacy ATG equipment will no longer have in-flight connectivity. To help make the upgrade more affordable, Gogo is offering incentives for customers to upgrade to an AVANCE system: These are: $50,000 rebate for AVANCE L5 upon service activation and $25,000 rebate for AVANCE L3 (MAX and PLUS only) upon service activation.

In addition to the extensive library of STCs developed by Duncan Aviation for Gogo equipment, STC development is  underway for existing classic ATG-equipped Falcon 2000/2000EX aircraft to AVANCE L3 coming later this year.  

Duncan Aviation is considering additional models for STC development to assist operators with the transition from Gogo’s legacy ATG systems to its AVANCE platform. The work can be performed at one of Duncan Aviation’s three full-service facilities and more than 25 satellite facilities.

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“Being in the United Kingdom allows for easily covering a wide span of time zones,” said Alexander. “I can attest that from Chicago, days that begin early with a conference call to India and end late with calls to Hong Kong can grow very long, very quickly.”

Ryan Huss, vice president, Sales and Marketing, Duncan Aviation said Alexander’s relocation will enhance the team’s ability to cover the opportunities in the EMEA region.

“Leah has been working with Tim Barber over the past several years and the timing for her to return back to England could not have been better,” said Huss. “They have formed a strong duo and naturally complement each other’s strengths.”

Huss added: “She does a great job of understanding the market from both the buyer and seller’s sides. Leah is detail-oriented and articulate in both her understanding of the available aircraft as well as in the brokerage agreements she takes part in. We are looking forward to seeing Leah get settled and grow into one of the leading brokers in the region.”

Barber said over the past few years the number of aircraft acquisitions, sales and inventory opportunities that the Duncan Aviation team has been involved with has grown significantly, especially in Europe and the Middle East.

“We noted that it would be a strategic advantage for us to have an additional aircraft broker on the other side of the Atlantic in order for us to best facilitate these opportunities,” said Barber. “The growth in our aircraft sales activity overseas coincides with our planned growth in other areas of the company.”

Alexander is also leading the Education Committee for IADA (International Aircraft Dealers Association) to assist with developing resources and content for the association to ensure certified brokers have a global perspective and understanding. “I’m looking forward to forming relationships and facilitating the expanding activity of our client base in Europe and the Middle East,” said Alexander. “I am excited for this opportunity.”

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In the past year, Justin Weber, crew lead, Satellite Avionics has completed several two-year pito-static certifications, transponder certifications, resolved unscheduled squawks, performed minor equipment installations and repaired wires for various customers on the ramp.

“We’re getting more and more business, and we’ve expanded our capabilities to Securaplane power supplies. We’re providing a service that previously hasn’t been available to customers at the Aurora airport,” said Jonathan Almeida, manager, Portland, Satellite site . “Even if you don’t have an inspection coming up, if you need a check of the emergency power, we can provide that service.” 

Turn-around times are estimated at between two to three days. “If customers have to ship the battery off to have it bench-tested for its recurring maintenance tests, the shipping alone will take two to three days,” said Almeida. “We’re getting it tested, serviced, charged, and returned in that amount of time.” Also, Weber can loan replacement batteries, if the originals must be shipped away.

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When the aircraft arrived at Duncan Aviation’s facility in Battle Creek, Michigan, the interior material colour pallet had a lot of deep browns with solid textures making the interior feel heavy and dark. The owner’s vision was to lighten up the interior and update it with a contemporary look highlighted with unique design elements.

“To achieve the owner’s vision of a modern interior, we gave the cabinets a new look that can only be achieved through hydrographics,” said Pridemore. “This process is becoming very desirable and was executed by the team at the Battle Creek facility with great detail and precision, creating a stunning natural wood look.”

Duncan Aviation Completions & Modifications Sales Rep Tiffany Buschini provided the owner with a hands-on demonstration of the hydrographic application as part of the design specification process so he would fully appreciate the detail and quality of the finished product.

“He became 100% on board,” said Buschini. “Battle Creek is using a mechanized arm that makes it possible to dip large monuments. The owner was ecstatic with the result.”

To create a personal, one-of-a-kind feeling for the owner, the Duncan Aviation team added unique elements throughout the aircraft, giving it that “special touch.” The lower sidewalls feature a full depth, hand-tipped leather, and luxury vinyl flooring was installed in the entry and lavatory, balancing a high-end look with ease of maintenance.

During the facility tour, the owner was so impressed and inspired by the capabilities of the new CNC stitching machine and the talents of Upholstery Master Specialist Todd Bartholomew, he gave the Duncan Aviation team the reins, which resulted in a custom quilting design with contrasting piping accents.

The carpet added the finishing touch to the interior by incorporating a mixture of greys in an organic pattern running the length of the cabin. This provided a light, flowing movement while adding visual length to the aircraft.

Simple, yet elegant describes the exterior paint scheme the Duncan Aviation paint team applied to the aircraft, with wisps of blue and silver stripes accentuating the aircraft’s length.

Pridemore credits the amazing results to talented and supportive teams.

“Together, we create new and inspiring designs,” said Pridemore. “This Falcon 2000 turned out beautifully, with so many subtle details, creating a unique masterpiece.”

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Facing obsolescence issues with multiple avionics systems, the new owner opted for safety, upgrading certain systems and installing new for others. In addition to the new avionics systems, Vik Saini, president, Air Partners, who manages the CL-604 for the new owner, contacted Duncan Aviation Completions and Modifications Sales representative Tiffany Buschini and lead designer Heather Pridemore, both of whom he’d worked with previously. He sought their expertise on the exterior paint scheme and the nearly completely new interior.

“Over the years, we’ve come to trust Duncan Aviation with our most important maintenance or refurbishment projects and our experience with this aircraft further built upon that trust and confidence,” Saini said. “Although this particular workscope was our most complex and largest undertaking to date, it didn’t feel as such. This is in large part because of the team and expertise Duncan Aviation was able to provide. In particular, the initial quote and workscope was well developed by Tiffany Buschini and Justin Vena, the design vision of our client was well executed by Heather Pridemore, and the entire project was well managed by Branden Hunt — all of which made for a fun and exciting project that was completed on time and with few surprises.”

Flight Deck Upgrades
The flight deck received Collins Aerospace Pro Line Fusion, featuring full-colour touchscreen displays in place of the old, CRTs. Retrofitting the cockpit with Synthetic Vision System (SVS), pilots can now see uneven terrain on approaches at night, and with Wide-Area Augmentation System-Localiser Performance with Vertical guidance (WAAS LPV), the pilots will benefit from enhanced GPS signals during the entire flight, including to within 200 feet of the ground during landing.

The owner also upgraded to Future Air Navigation Systems (FANS), a datalink technology that allows pilots and Air Traffic Controllers to more easily communicate with one another using a common language. Although currently mandated only in certain North Atlantic Tracks where radar doesn’t reach and radio coverage can be erratic, the CL-604 is now ready for any future mandates.

A new Gogo Aviation AVANCE L5 will give a dramatic boost to in-flight connectivity for pilots and passengers alike.

Cabin Upgrades

Working with Senior Avionics Sales representative Justin Vena, the cabin was outfitted with a new Collins Venue Cabin Management System (CMS) to replace the obsolete system. The upgrade included a 10.6in Galley monitor, and in the cabin, there are now 10 TC 6000 touchscreen controls, installed at most switch locations; two 24-inch LCD screens installed on the bulkheads; the new HD Airshow, featuring Moving Maps; two High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) ports; and a channel of Bluetooth audio streaming. Audio in the cabin was also enhanced with the installation of new Alto Aviation speakers, perfect for airborne audiophiles.

“We reached out to Collins Aerospace on behalf of the customer and we were able to take advantage of a combined incentive programme and get a discount on the Venue and Fusion systems,” said Vena. “Owners dealing with obsolete systems throughout their aircraft may feel the pinch of the upgrade, but here at Duncan Aviation, we work with our vendors to get the best prices possible.”

Despite having a Maintenance, Repair, Overhaul (MRO) facility of their own that handles light maintenance, the customer has brought many of their aircraft to Duncan Aviation over the past couple of years for avionics upgrades and interior modifications.

“We’ve painted and completed interiors on three of their aircraft in the past, and we’ll work on a Learjet 45 for them next year. I value the trust they have in me and in Duncan Aviation, and it was especially motivating that the new owner was open to trying so many new looks and techniques,” says Pridemore.

The PSUs are covered with a black carbon fiber-print ultraleather, with contrasting gunmetal gray plating..

Among the many unique details are gloss-finished, Black Ebony veneer, a woven vinyl flooring in the entry, galley, and lav. The galley veneer was installed horizontally, with the grain running parallel to the stripes in the vinyl flooring. The galley doors are refinished in a metallic vinyl wrap, with the customer’s logo airbrushed on one of the upper doors by the Cabinet Team.

“The owner wanted his CL-604 to make a bold statement. His company’s logo is gray and black; he wanted those colors featured in the paint scheme, which is black on the belly and tail with a splash of gray across the sides. We also carried those colors throughout the interior,” said Pridemore. “There are so many unique details we incorporated throughout the interior, and the logo added an additional, personal touch.”

Pridemore’s design for the CL-604’s upholstery lends visual interest and variety to the cabin while preserving an overall theme. Two-tone club seats are contrasted with a charcoal gray divan, both of which incorporated quilted panels and are trimmed with metallic leather piping. To further customise the bespoke interior, Pridemore had throw blankets embroidered with the owner’s logo.

“The new carpet in the cabin is the feature I’m most excited about,” said Pridemore. “It was a joint effort between the owner and me, and it was so much fun coming up with the design. He picked the pattern, and I put together a combination of colors and patterns to fit the style he was looking for. We worked through many design ideas together — seat designs, for instance — but he absolutely loved the carpet.”

When the aircraft delivered, the team was on-hand to witness the customer’s reaction. There’s always a little nervous excitement mingled with pride as the team looks on. They needn’t have worried. The customer was said to be “ecstatic”.

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From the initial conversation with Ross, Jeff Beaudette, senior Completions and Modifications sales representative, Mary Lee, senior lead designer, Hannah Caulkins, associate designer knew this aircraft would be all about ramp presence.

“He wanted a very unique, personalised design that makes a statement,” said Lee. “He wanted to incorporate his name on the plane and requested to use another color aside from white for the overall base.”

From there, Caulkins and Lee researched Ross to ensure they had a clear understanding of his brand. “Purchasing this aircraft was a huge accomplishment for him and we recognised that,” said Lee. “We wanted to make sure the paint scheme was reflective of this accomplishment. Throughout the entire process, he was super excited and easy to work with, all while being very complimentary of our work.”

Caulkins said she enjoyed the opportunity to create such a specialised scheme. Also, knowing how thrilled he was with their final design concept was truly rewarding, she said.

The gloss black and pearl gold two-tone base became the backdrop for ‘Rick Ross’ lettering that was strategically placed along the fuselage. The design team worked with the paint shop to create a custom, high-reflective gold for the lettering to achieve the desired high-impact effect.

Beaudette suggested taking advantage of the view from the tail camera and adding ‘Biggest Boss’ to the backside of the engines.

Brian Woolsey, leader, Paint Team, Duncan Aviation said no one knows the additional lettering is there until you see it displayed on the monitors from inside the aircraft. “It adds a unique element to the paint scheme,” he said.

Adam Barry, Duncan Aviation Paint Detail Team leader Adam Barry said he is proud of the hard work and extra time his team put into this project, as it was not a typical paint application. “We strive to make sure every aircraft that comes through Duncan Aviation exceeds our quality standards,” said Barry. “This was no exception.”

Duncan Aviation project manager Mason Minchow said Rick Ross was elated when he saw his aircraft for the first time. He spent a great deal of time in front of the aircraft documenting the experience to his social media platforms. “You could tell by his expressions how excited he was and how much this meant to him,” said Minchow.

On his Instagram page (@richforever), Ross said, “This is my first jet I ever bought, so I said if I’m gonna do it, I’m gonna do it right! Duncan Aviation I appreciate the love.”

He went on to say, “When you want to do it big, come to Duncan Aviation!”

Watch the video of Rick Ross as he reacts to seeing the aircraft for the first time: www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjwOB_a8AJs

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