It's now hard to imagine a world without planes. In 2018, the world hit a peak of over 200,000 commercial flights in a single day. And that's to say nothing of private flights. Aviation technology has changed the world, and we have the humble piston to thank for most of its history. Below, we're taking a look at how the piston plane engine changed the skies forever. The Rise of the Piston The first piston engines came into [...]

The gorgeous Gulfstream G650 is, put simply, not a small-fry jet. Even pre-owned G650s regularly sell for northwards of $50 million, whilst a new one will set you back $60 million at least. Gulfstream jets are icons are luxury living and the G650 is one of the most stylish and fine-tuned products on offer. The initial 3-year waiting list that accompanied the launch of this gulf-stream jet a few years back has died down somewhat, but demand is [...]

A twin engine plane can be the biggest investment of a person's life. And most twin engine jets soar well over $3 million apiece. In addition to the price tag, an extra engine comes with added responsibilities. But there's no need to panic. We've locked in the most important things to consider when buying a twin engine plane. Before hitting the skies, make sure to run through this twin engine airplane checklist. Why Pilots Pick a Twin Engine [...]

Proposed AD for all Piper PA-28 Series aircraft and the PA-32 (AD 2018-CE-049-AD) which either: 1. Has accumulated 5,000 or more hours; 2. Has had either main wing spar replaced with a serviceable part (used with time already on the part); or 3. Has missing and/or incomplete maintenance records. The FAA estimates that this AD will affect 19,696 aircraft on the U.S. Register. VREF and our Partner AOPA has spent significant time researching this AD. This AD is [...]

Airplane Buyers Guide: Top 20 Tips For Beginners In this airplane buyers guide, you will learn the top 20 tips that you need to know before you purchase your first plane. Buying an airplane for the first time? Not a lot of people can say that, so congratulations. Before you get the keys and take off, you're going to need to make sure you know what to look for. Many of the pitfalls of buying an airplane can [...]

Three of the Best Private Jets According to Resale Value Resale value matters whether you're buying or looking at aftermarket refurbs. Here are three of the best private jets that perform on the resale market. In the year 2017, 62 percent of private jet planes departed from the United States were privately owned. That's versus the 11 percent that were fractionally owned, and the 27 percent that were charter flights. Needless to say, private jets are a big deal. [...]

Review the Year of 2018 with These Aviation Stories Last year was a whirlwind and a game-changer for the aviation industry. Here's a round up of our favorite stories from last year. Now that we've crash-landed into 2019 we can reflect on the year that's come and gone. The aviation industry is a constantly evolving entity, moving in waves with the ever-increasing need for people to travel to every inch of the world. No stone is uncovered. 2018 [...]