AvCoach Helps Dispel the Myths and Realities

Been stuck in an airport recently or missed an important business meeting because you couldn't get a flight? Daydreamed about owning your own plane only to talk yourself out of it because "It's too expensive" or "I don't travel enough"?

Airplane ownership is actually more affordable and more accessible than many people understand, said Chris Carman, president of AvCoach, a coaching firm dedicated to helping people discover whether airplane ownership is possible for them.

"There are several factors that are important to understand when researching aircraft ownership," Carman said. "Affordability and usage are critical but they certainly don't have to be roadblocks."

Carman recommends using a cost vs. advantages model when looking at aircraft ownership.

"If you look strictly at dollars and cents, aircraft ownership appears to be very expensive," Carman said. "But if one of our clients starts to understand the advantages of reducing the wasted time of well-compensated executives, closing more deals, or even the opportunity to get away more often for weekend vacations, then it starts to make sense."

The following are some of the myths surrounding airplane ownership and the realities:

It's not affordable
There are several options available for ownership, including buying used or the increasingly popular fractional alternative. Federal tax incentives have made writing off aircraft-related expenses easier. "You do not have to be super rich to own an airplane," Carman said.

You can't fly into many areas
Of the 19,000 airports in the country, 14,000 are private. Business aircraft have access to nearly 5,300 airports compared with 558 for commercial airlines. "Getting in and out of the smaller airports is usually easier and there is no baggage check or long security lines to wait on," Carman said. "Smaller airports can often leave you closer to your final destination, as well."

Commercial flights are safer
According to the National Business Aviation Association, "traditionally, corporate/executive and business aircraft operators have compiled the best safety records of any segment of general aviation." Non-professionally flown business aviation compiled in 2003 its best record ever - 0.95 accidents per 100,000 flight hours. "The airline industry in general is incredibly safe and technology improvements in smaller aircraft have made them even safer in recent years," Carman said.

"At AvCoach, we're most interested in helping our clients discover the possibilities of aircraft ownership through a time-tested process that does not 'sell' them a specific plane," Carman said. "Think of us as a co-pilot on this flight, sitting next to them as they determine whether ownership is feasible."

FMI: www.avcoach.com