Northrop Grumman American aeronautical engineer, test pilot, and industrialist Leroy Grumman established the Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation on December 6, 1929. As a child, Leroy became interested in aviation, even proclaiming that the airplane would be one of the "greatest triumphs" of mankind in his salutatorian speech. Leroy moved on from high school and earned his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University in 1916. He completed advanced flight training and eventually became a flight instructor. [...]

A trending question in aviation lately is…when will used aircraft prices go back down? After all, what goes up must come down, or does it? After an astounding 2021, post-Covid aircraft values skyrocketed, and the used aircraft market is being compared to the housing market. The demand is high, inventory is low, and there doesn't seem to be much let up from the consumer's appetite to fly privately. Aircraft sales and the volume of transactions are correlated to [...]

Beechcraft's 36 Bonanza is an aircraft for the books. At the height of its popularity, Beechcraft went about producing about 100 a year. In total, more than 4,000 Bonanza 36s were built. With over 55 years in production, the 36 is one of the few aircraft worth far more today than they were even at its peak. As a top 5 VREF-appraised aircraft, your 36 Bonanza appraisal needs are our specialty. Reach out today. Bonanza A36: The Plane [...]

Cessna By Textron Aviation Before creating his own initial aircraft, Cessna’s founder Clyde V. Cessna made his first appearance at an airshow in 1911. It was there that he quickly became interested in designing and producing aircraft. With experience as a mechanic and auto salesman, Clyde put together his aircraft with a kit from Queens Airplane Company in the Bronx. Over time, Clyde became a fairly good pilot. In 1916, Clyde got the opportunity to use a space [...]

Piper Aircraft Originally Taylor Brothers Aircraft in 1927, Piper was established by Clarence and Gordon Taylor. After a year, Gordon Taylor died – initializing a name change to Taylor Brothers Aircraft Corporation. When the Great Depression hit, Taylor Brothers Aircraft Corporation went out of business. This caused Clarence to retreat from his aviation career. After its closure, investor William Piper stepped in to buy company assets for $761 in 1930 – equivalent to $12,335 in the 21st century. [...]

Do you know how long maintenance records for an aircraft need to be kept? What about ensuring they're safely stored? And if you ever lose or destroy a record, can it be replaced with a copy? When it comes to keeping records organized and on hand, you cannot think of it in the same way you would think of a car. Losing or tossing the last receipt you have for completed auto work like an oil change, tire [...]

If you've ever purchased a home, you're already familiar with the escrow process for real estate. The whole point of escrow is to have an independent, trusted third party oversee your transaction. Escrow in aircraft sales works similarly to real estate transitions. As an aircraft buyer, it's highly recommended that you hire someone to handle escrow for you because it is a full-time job. This way, you don't need to worry too much about the paperwork, state and [...]

Cirrus Aircraft Beginning in 1984 with founders Alan and Dale Klapmeier, Cirrus Aircraft is one of the major players in aviation. Cirrus introduced its VK-30 at the 1987 EAA Convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Alan and Dale continued with the production of its sleek design and low-drag VK-30, in addition to making aircraft kits until 1993. After the VK's exit, Cirrus created the ST-50 with a turboprop instead of a 300-horsepower Continental engine. There is no series production that [...]

Cessna By Textron Aviation Before creating his own initial aircraft, Cessna's founder Clyde V. Cessna made his first appearance at an airshow in 1911. It was there that he quickly became interested in designing and producing aircraft. With experience as a mechanic and auto salesman, Clyde put together his aircraft with a kit from Queens Airplane Company in the Bronx. Over time, Clyde became a fairly good pilot. In 1916, Clyde got the opportunity to use a space [...]

The past few years have been a whirlwind for aviation, but private aviation predictions are still trending up despite the economic jitters and higher interest rates. There are still issues, such as the nationwide labor shortage and manufacturing and supply chain delays. But, buyers worldwide continue to show interest in pursuing aircraft acquisitions, and more importantly, they seem to be shrugging off issues other asset classes are starting to face. The general public may not think much about [...]