Daniel Cheung, Owner & CPA, Aviation Tax Consultants

How long have you been at your current organization?

My business partner and I started Aviation Tax Consultants in the fall of 2003.

What are your responsibilities within your organization?

Working with my colleagues at ATC, I am ultimately responsible for all of our clients’ tax compliance matters, handling IRS and state sales tax audits. In addition, I am the traveling / marketing face of the firm, attending numerous industry functions and speaking at aviation conferences.

Describe a typical day or week in your role.

Whether I am in the office or on the road, I spend most of my time on the phone speaking or corresponding on emails with clients, CPA’s, prospects and aircraft salespersons. I spend a significant amount of time traveling and networking with business aviation professionals around the country.

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Product Overview

The Phenom 100 is a very light twin-engine jet that is produced by Embraer. It was developed from scratch as Embraer’s first Light jet. Embraer’s larger aircraft models have automated and simplified systems, rugged construction, and the ability to fix failures quickly when they do occur. These features are designed into the Phenom as well. The Phenom 100 is approved for single pilot flight.

As of April 2017, 44% of Phenom 100 aircraft in operation were purchased pre-owned by their current owners, the other 56% new. 12.1% are for sale with the majority of those (78%) under an exclusive broker agreement. When for sale, the average time on the market is 229 days.

Brief History

In 2005 Embraer announced that it would begin development of Light Jets and at the NBAA annual convention in November 2005 Embraer announced that the light jet would be called the Phenom 100. The Phenom 100 first flew on July 26, 2007. It was awarded a type certificate from Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Authority on December 9, 2008 and the first aircraft was delivered days later on December 24, 2008. A total of 355 Phenom 100 aircraft have been manufactured with 338 in operation today.

Worldwide Appeal

There are 338 Phenom 100 aircraft in operation today. Most of these are wholly owned (316) with 7 in shared and 15 in fractional ownership. 6.5% of the 316 are currently leased. North America has the largest percentage of Phenom 100 aircraft (54%), followed by South America (29%) and Europe (12%).

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Selling an aircraft does not have to be an overwhelming endeavor. Keeping in mind the proper pre-sale procedures and knowing what pitfalls to avoid can make the selling process simple and eliminate unnecessary hurdles. Here is our advice on the most common mistakes sellers make and how to avoid them.

Setting an Accurate Valuation – A common mistake made by sellers is not knowing the true market value of their aircraft, ending up with unrealistic price expectations. Sellers should not base pricing solely on upgrades, Bluebook / VREF values, cosmetic changes, and listings that seem similar to their own. Sellers should carefully consider real-time market trends and changes. It is critical to use specific data about the subject aircraft – its condition, maintenance and usage history – to set an accurate figure. Valuations are also critical prior to performing any upgrades or cosmetic changes to best understand what features will help aid in the sale of the aircraft.

Set a Realistic Timeline – One of the most common issues where sellers misstep is establishing a realistic timeline to closing. Many think the process from the signing of the Letter of Intent (LOI) to closing should take only a few weeks, when in reality it could be longer. To avoid extra stresses and pressure, work with a transaction specialist and plan ahead to ensure that a realistic timeline is set, especially if there is an upcoming event like the end of a lease or new aircraft delivery. Also, try not to deter a buyer by pushing too hard for a closing, and be open to a compromise so that both parties can feel good about the transaction.

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Industry Veteran Danie Joubert to Represent Jetcraft in Africa; New Agreement Strategically Positions Jetcraft to Serve African Market and Global Clientele

Jetcraft, the global leader in business aircraft sales and acquisitions, today announced another milestone in its continued global expansion through the appointment of Danie Joubert as Vice President, Sales. Based in Johannesburg, Joubert will represent Jetcraft in Africa and be responsible for all sales activities in the region.

“We continue to see steady business aviation activity coming out of Africa. Our agreement with Danie will allow us to better serve not only our clients across the continent, but also strengthen our global presence and provide unprecedented access to an expanded inventory for our customers worldwide,” said Jetcraft’s President Chad Anderson.

Danie comes to Jetcraft from Absolute Aviation Group where he served as Chief Operating Officer since 2012. Prior to that, he held executive roles at Adonai Aviation Ltd and ExecuJet Aviation Group. He has extensive experience in business aviation that includes aircraft sales, acquisitions and trades, contracting, and deal management. Having previously served in the South African Public Service, Danie is also uniquely versed in government systems, processes and requirements.

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Aoife O’Sullivan, Partner, The Air Law Firm

How long have you been at your current organization?

We set up the firm in November 2015 as a boutique aviation law firm mainly to focus only on aviation and be more flexible in terms of client needs such as fixed fees. Clients we had been working with for many years agreed to support us and we haven’t looked back since.

What are your responsibilities within your organization?

Pretty much everything! I run the business with my partners and we do everything from ordering the stationary to advising clients on aircraft ownership, finance and trading structures. I guess my main role is to keep the business coming in and make sure we are doing everything we can to help clients and give a fast and professional service.

Describe a typical day or week in your role.

There is absolutely nothing typical about this role or the work we do. I split my time working from home or at the office in Mayfair. There seems to have been a swing back to face to face meetings so the work involves a lot of travel, literally to anywhere I am directed to go! Many of our clients are based in or pass through London and our Mayfair office is very central so I tend to walk to meetings where possible. Our client base is very varied and on any given day, I may spend the morning with a HNWI advising on their aircraft purchase, lunch with a financier to agree a financing structure, the afternoon drafting documents and answering emails and then dinner with some industry friends or new clients. The ability to respond to emails and calls on the go is a necessity in this line of work as people tend to expect a quick turnaround. We are lucky to be very busy so delegation is a skill I have had to become very good at without affecting our partner led personal service to the clients.

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Product Overview

The Challenger 600 is a twin turbofan large-cabin wide-body business jet best recognized for its very wide cabin (only Falcon 900 is wider; by 1 inch). It was one of the first business jets designed with a supercritical wing. The Challenger 600 has four backup power systems, thrust reversers and APU. It is known to be a spacious, comfortable cabin with low noise and vibration levels.

As of April 2017, 100% of the Challenger 600 aircraft were purchased pre-owned by their current owners. Currently, 24.6% are for sale with a fraction of those (25%) under an exclusive broker agreement. When for sale, the average time on the market is 679 days

Brief History

The Challenger 600 was originally developed in the mid-1970s to be the Learstar 600 in collaboration between Canadair and Bill Lear of Learjet. In 1976 Canadair purchased the Learstar rights and redesigned it to be the Challenger. It was then certified in 1980. A total of 85 Challenger 600 aircraft have been manufactured with 65 in operation today.

Worldwide Appeal

There are 65 Challenger 600 aircraft in operation today. 64 of these are wholly owned with 1 in shared ownership. 1 of the 65 is currently leased. North America has the largest percentage of Challenger 600 aircraft (75%), followed by Asia (14%).

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This is an exciting time for business aviation in Europe, as echoed this month at EBACE 2017. Europe has quality aircraft priced correctly and good market conditions that are attracting the western buyer—great news for the European seller. Last year, the best fiscal year in our company’s 55-year history, Europe accounted for approximately 20% of our annual transactions.

The recent election of a new president in France is beginning to chip away at some of the uncertainty surrounding the European business aviation sector’s longevity. In addition, the recent German, French and United Kingdom high stock markets results are also paving the way for transactions. These conditions, along with the euro increasing while the U.S. dollar continues to fall, has flushed Europe with motivated sellers. What this means is Europe has plenty of sellers with aircraft that are attractive to buyers in the region and in North America, and sellers that can benefit from the current currency situation....

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Product Overview

The Legacy 650 is an upgraded Legacy 600, which was initially based on the platform of regional commercial airliner passenger jet ERJ-145. Embraer improved upon the Legacy 600 by adding extra power and range, and enhanced avionics. An enhanced version of the Legacy 650 (Legacy 650E) was announced at the 2016 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) and is scheduled for introduction in 2017. It will include a synthetic vision system, auto throttle, and a restyled three-zone interior.

As of February 2017, 16% of the Legacy 650 aircraft were purchased pre-owned by their current owners, the other 84% new. Currently, 16.1% are for sale with the majority of those (67%) under an exclusive broker agreement. When for sale, the average time on the market is 294 days.

Brief History

Announced at NBAA-BACE in 2009 and certified in 2011, the Legacy 650 is a longer-range version of the Legacy 600. A total of 96 Legacy 650 aircraft have been manufactured with 93 in operation and three with the manufacturer.

Worldwide Appeal

There are 93 Legacy 650 aircraft in operation today. All of these are wholly owned with 0 in shared or fractional ownership. 3 of the 93 are currently leased. Asia has the largest percentage of Legacy 650 aircraft (46%), followed by Europe (29%) and North America (13%).

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Yvonne Kwok, Accounting/Administrative Officer, Jetcraft Asia
Location: Hong Kong

How long have you been at Jetcraft?

I have been working in the Jetcraft Asia office for one year and two months.

What are your responsibilities within the global Jetcraft team?

I am the Accounting/Administrative Officer for the Jetcraft Asia office. My responsibilities within Jetcraft are to provide accounting and administration support to the Asia team. I also assist with coordinating travel plans for anyone on the asia sales team.

Describe a typical day or week in your role.

I spend my typical day preparing accounting reports, payroll, and tax filing to Inland Revenue Department. I work closely with the accounting team in our Headquarters in Raleigh, NC, USA. I also assist with the air-tickets and hotel arrangements for the members of the Asia team since they travel often.

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