The Importance of Professional Management for your Business Aircraft

In the legal field there’s an adage that “a lawyer who represents himself has a fool for a client.”  In the same manner, the operation and management of your business aircraft warrants using a professional firm to help you make it safe and efficient.  In business aviation, an FAA Air Carrier Certificate is the only licensing requirement that is an indicator of a firm that can professionally manage your plane.  Even if you don’t intend to let charter clients aboard your plane, the FAA certificate indicates a minimum standard of organization that translates into effective management.  A pilot or maintenance certificate issued by the FAA indicates a technical skill, but has little to do with a person’s ability to manage an aviation operation.  It is not uncommon that pilots or maintenance technicians will hold themselves out as being able to “manage” an airplane, when in reality they don’t know what they’re doing.  DON’T BE SUCKED IN!  Unfortunately for many aircraft owners, they find out only too late, that their “manager” isn’t really managing at all, they’re just collecting the extra management salary.  That realization is usually accompanied by an FAA fine, a safety incident or accident, or possibly all three.

We always recommend employing the services of a professional management firm to aircraft owners at least until they have enough experience to set up their own flight department.  Your life and millions of dollars are literally on the line, so it’s important to get it right.  When you’re trying to figure out which management company to use, there are certain characteristics that are common to all good management companies.

SAFETY and COMPLIANCE

Your management company needs to have an immaculate safety record.  Some companies have accidents or FAA violations in their past.  However, the vast majority do not, so why would you take a risk with a company that has a history of wrecks?  A solid management company should be adhering to FAA regulations and IS-BAO protocols, and should have a record of routine, third party audits of their safety program.  Safety and Compliance should be a common topic of conversation with them, and they should be the ones bringing it up, not you.  You should immediately disqualify any companies or managers with a history of accidents or regulatory violations that you have to ask for or dig to find.

PERSONAL SERVICE

There are some really big companies out there managing airplanes and to them, you’re simply a number.  You’ll be far better off, and get a much better solution if you’re getting personal attention from your management firm.  You should never have to wrangle with a customer service department to discuss issues or to find out information about YOUR airplane.  You should have a direct line to decision makers that you can call whenever you need to.

BUSINESS EXPERIENCE

Managing an airplane is very similar to running a small business.  All of the same factors and considerations are present, from the need for good leadership, to the understanding of a very complex and ever changing regulatory landscape.   Your manager should either be a business or have extensive experience working in a leadership position in one.  “15 years of corporate flying experience” does not equate to an understanding of the complex problem of managing the business considerations, tax consequences, and the team dynamics necessary to safely and efficiently keep your airplane flying.

TRANSPARENCY and INTEGRITY

We think integrity should be a given.  However, time and again, we see self-professed managers and aviation firms hide information from owners before, during and after their business together.  It’s important that you know you can trust the people you’re entrusting with your wealth and your life.  It’s worth asking the firms other clients what they think of the firm you’re considering.

Whether you’re thinking about buying a plane or already have one, it’s important to enlist the help of people that know how to manage planes.  That’s why we started Moser Aviation and that’s exactly what we offer to the very exclusive business aircraft owning community.  Moser Aviation is here to help, so call us today so we can get to work helping you make your plane a safe, efficient, and valuable member of your team!