Cessna By Textron Aviation Website Cessna’s founder Clyde V. Cessna first visited an airshow in 1911, sparking his interest in making 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. Using this aircraft, he practiced as a pilot and became quite good. In 1916, Clyde had a unique chance to manufacture aircraft rent-free on one condition – including “Jones-Six” painted underneath the [...]

The landscape for aircraft appraisal has changed over the last 10 years. In the past, you’d be able to find listings for aircraft that are no longer available in newspapers or at your FBO. In fact, you would find that those aircraft listings were 60+ days old. Now, the resources for buyers and sellers are simply different and more readily available. So it’s time to realize that there are other resources available to not only help you find [...]

Is there any one reason why missing logbooks impact an aircraft's value? The short answer is that without logbooks intact, it’s impossible to know how well and how frequently an aircraft is being maintained and cared for. Logbooks record a number of items relevant to the aircraft itself. So when they go missing, it can be a problem for both the seller and insurance companies being asked to provide coverage. In aviation, it’s seen often enough to be [...]

There seems to be an aircraft for every type of buyer when you’re looking at Piper Aircraft productions. Whether you’re looking for a completely private flight experience, a business jet for your professional travels, or a trainer aircraft for effective learning, Piper is a trusted name in the aviation industry. Piper is truly well-known for several standout differentiators including its use of Native American names for its products and its vintage Hershey bar wing design.  But for Piper [...]

Maintaining pilot and aircraft logbooks is a practice that dates back over a century. The way pilots maintain logbooks hasn’t changed much over the years. But with increasing technological advances, digital logbooks may end up being the only future there is in aviation record keeping. Need an aircraft appraisal? Contact us today to get started. The Digital Revolution of Maintaining & Storing Logbooks Are we close to saying goodbye forever when it comes to keeping physical logbooks for [...]

Piper Aircraft Website Taylor Brothers Aircraft was established in 1927 by two brothers – Clarence and Gordon Taylor. About a year later, Gordon Taylor passed away, initializing a name change to Taylor Brothers Aircraft Corporation. However, the start of the Great Depression caused Taylor Brothers Aircraft Corporation to go out of business. Clarence then retreated from his career in aviation. After its closure, investor William Piper stepped in to buy company assets for $761 in 1930 – [...]

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. [...]