Mooney Website Albert Mooney and his brother Arthur founded the Mooney International Corporation in 1929. Together, they established the company in Wichita, Kansas. However, they faced the perils of a crashing economy. When the Great Depression struck in 1930, Mooney went bankrupt. While the brothers worked other jobs, Albert fed into Mooney Aircraft Incorporated – eventually bringing in financial bankers Charles Yankey and W. L. McMahon. Mooney's first aircraft was the Mooney Mite M-18, a single-seater aircraft [...]

At VREF, we often hear this question being asked… What's the difference between the diminution of value and the cost to repair an aircraft? Unlike other vehicles, repairing an aircraft can be a far more expensive and extensive process than many people are prepared to deal with. Nevertheless, both must be considered to determine the true value of an aircraft. Contact VREF for your professional aircraft appraisal. Main Differences Between Diminution Of Value And Cost To Repair There’s [...]

Do you still believe that damage to an aircraft has about the same effect on its value as a car? Think again. There are numerous complexities involved with aircraft damage that are outside the scope of determining a car’s value to truly compare. This has the potential to mean that in the event of an accident, your insurance may not be willing to cut you a quick check. Explore one of the many answers to the question, “what's [...]

If you’re banking on the economy to improve fuel prices for your aircraft, now is not the time to hold your breath. Not to add too much fuel to the fire, the following points touch on several worldwide issues that affect our 2023 predictions for jet and other alternative fuels. Ongoing Issues With U.S. Banks In early 2022, many individuals expressed uncertainty about banks offering larger loans to startup companies while also using cryptocurrency in their regular operations. [...]

Cessna By Textron Aviation Cessna’s founder Clyde V. Cessna first visited an airshow in 1911, which sparked his interest in designing and producing aircraft. With experience as a mechanic and auto salesman, Clyde made an aircraft with a kit from Queens Airplane Company in the New York area. Clyde practiced flying and, over time, became a fairly good pilot. 1916 presented Clyde with the chance to manufacture aircraft rent-free on one condition. That condition included painting “Jones-Six” underneath [...]

Photo Credit: Alan Lebeda Embraer Embraer continues to hold the favor of making the world’s best-selling light jet for 11 years running. However, Embraer began long before in August of 1969. Initially known as the Brazilian government’s "Empresa Brasileira de Aeronáutica," Embraer worked at producing military aircraft for its country. Embraer’s headquarters are located in São José dos Campos, São Paulo. Since the 1940s, the Brazilian government has led both its Ministry of Aeronautics and the Technological Institute [...]

Wondering how to market your vintage aircraft? There are a few reasons why someone may want to sell their vintage plane. Sometimes, we hold on to items that connect us to family members who have passed on, places where we have fond memories, and keepsakes full of nostalgia. But when it’s time to pass those items on, you might be surprised to find that people close to you either don’t have room for them in their lives or [...]

Dedicated collectors in aviation know that owning a vintage aircraft is no easy mission to both accomplish and maintain. Unlike other collectors out there, owning a vintage aircraft takes much more time, work, and money – far beyond what’s expected, even for vintage cars. However, if you have the resources, owning vintage aircraft as a collector can be an exciting hobby that also takes part in preserving parts of history. Those who are already in the vintage plane-buying [...]