The other day, a gentleman selling Cessna 172 called our office. It seems that the first time he placed the aircraft on our site, he got several inquiries from potential buyers. A couple of them even made offers. However, he held out for better offers since it was getting a lot of action. Maybe that was the right decision, maybe not. Regardless, after a couple of months the inquiries started to slow, and ultimately stop.

He wanted some advice on getting the response he was receiving initially. I figured that if he wanted these tips, several sellers out there could use this advice. I sat down and compared 25 aircraft that have received the most inquiries – not just views – to see what they have in common with each other. Here are a few of the things I found.

Photos, Photos, Photos!

Take a look at this Cessna 182. As you can see, there isn’t a lot of detail included – but there ten photos of the outside, the interior and the panel in the Image Gallery. "A picture is worth a thousand words" is an old adage for a reason – short of seeing the aircraft in person, nothing comes as close to putting potential buyers in cockpit like a series of clean, clear and bright photos. More photos also tells buyers that you have nothing to hide from them!

Summarize Thoroughly

Highlights

Speaking more towards the fast-paced society that we experience, sometimes you only have a few words to get out before that potential buyer moves on. The shiniest object in the room gets noticed first. This is where the Highlight tag (also known as Teaser Text) comes in handy.

When you drill down to a specific aircraft type, next to the photo on GlobalAir are a few words highlighted in red. Imagine this time that you only have two seconds to define the aircraft you have for sale. This should be a statement of value, such as "Only 130 hours SMOH" or "Price Reduced". Also effective are things that make your aircraft a rare find, such as "Totally Rebuilt" or "Millennium Edition". Even something as simple as "One Owner" or "Always Hangered" speaks to someone. The biggest crime here is leaving it blank, as you’ll be surrounded by aircraft that "speak louder" than yours.

Vote Early, Vote Often

While everything I’ve listed so far speaks to creating the most effective ad for your money, this tip speaks more to your continued involvement. The worst mistake you can do is believe your aircraft will "sell itself". It doesn’t matter if you have the most pristine, low-time and/or cheapest aircraft on the market – if you’re not actively pushing it, it will take longer to sell.

So how can you be more active in getting your plane in front of the passive buyers (the ones that wait for the right deal to present itself instead of going out to find it themselves)?

One of the easiest is with your social media pages. At the top of every page on GlobalAir.com you will see quick links to Facebook, Twitter and Google+ - log into your social media account, click on the link, and post your ad to your personal page, and encourage your friends to share it. You already do this when playing games or sharing funny cat photos – may as well use your friend network to spread the word!

Feeling aggressive? Another option is a broadcast GlobalAir sends twice a month called Plane Mail. Imagine your aircraft e-mailed to over 50,000 aviation professionals and enthusiasts at once! Even if they aren’t buying currently, they probably know someone that is. And it’s an astonishingly inexpensive approach!

So what is the ultimate takeaway from this list? It boils down to 1. Set your ad up right, and 2. Stay involved in promoting it. If you think that’s too much to do, be prepared to have that aircraft for a while the go-getters snag all your potential buyers.

As 2014 rolls into the Northeast with a big snow storm, this is as good a time as any to look ahead while waiting for the snow plow. A big part of looking ahead is your aircraft's annual operating budget.

If you operate on a calendar budget, you should have already completed your aircraft operating budget for the year. If this is the last time you look at your budget until the end of the year, you are not taking advantage of the work you have done.

A budget is a best estimate looking forward at what you think expenses will be. As such, you made a number of assumptions regarding things like utilization, fuel costs, etc that factor into those costs. As you advance through the year, you will learn how accurate those assumptions were. Is your budget capped? If you were planning on fuel prices remaining stable, what happens if they increase? Where does the money come from if you exceed your allotted budget amounts?

Maintenance costs will depend on the utilization. What if, having planned on 360 annual hours, which puts the next major inspection into 2015, you end up flying 400? If a major maintenance bill comes due earlier than expected, will you be ready for this? You should be plotting major, know expenses, forward at least two to three years. Things like engine overhauls, paint & interior, major checks, hangar rents, even training and insurance costs are coming on a predictable schedule. 

Your budget should be reviewed and updated as the year progresses. Planned versus actual should be a standard metric. If you have a tight budget with little room for overages, you'd better know early if there will be unforeseen issues. As you start seeing variances in your budget, have the explanation ready as to why. No one really knows what the price of fuel will be next month, let alone at the end of the year. When that cost of fuel changes from what you anticipated, note it and any possible explanations if you know of them.

The key thing is to track and report your costs in detail. Then when there are small variances in the budget actuals, you can see them (hopefully) before they become a major event. Save for a significant unscheduled maintenance event, this is doable. Then  you need to communicate to those with the money what is going on, and what actions that you recommend. If at 360 hours, the major inspection would be due in January 2015, but flying jumps to 400 annual hours: (1) major expenses in outlying years should already be noted and (2) the inspection costs need to be planned for well in advance. Tracking, reporting and understanding your costs are necessary to avoid financial surprises.

Budgets should be a financial tool that you use to manage the fiscal resources of your operation. It should not be a once and done exercise. Used appropriately, a budget should provide you with operating cost metrics that you can use to measure and manage your aircraft throughout the year.

A little planning upfront can save you a lot of time and money

Jay Scarff
Elliott Aviation Cabinet Technician Team Lead
www.elliottaviation.com

When you think of technology changes affecting your aircraft, your cabinets and woodwork may be the last thing on your mind. However, many modifications you are considering could benefit from upfront planning with the cabinet shop you are working with. Not only do new upgrades in laminates and veneers involve the cabinet technicians, but items such as audio visual mods (including wide screen monitors, DVD or BluRay players, sound systems and cabin management systems) all have direct involvement with your cabinet shop.

For example, we have many requests to either install or modify cabin monitors to accommodate high-definition, wide-screen displays. Depending on what type of aircraft you have and whether you currently have monitors installed, modifying your cabinets to accommodate wider screens may cause you to lose structure in your cabinets. If this is a potential issue, your cabinet technicians will need to determine how much structure will be left and whether it will pass inspection. If there is an issue, you could potentially still make the modification with some reengineering to the structure.

Another thing you may not take into account when installing monitors is seat height. Monitors placed directly over a seat will often get blocked by head rests and, if someone is sitting in that seat, they can completely block the screen. If you do not have room to place your monitor in a proper location, you can solve the issue by installing pull out monitors. .

In addition to monitors, when you install a DVD or BluRay player, subwoofer, or a cabin entertainment system close outs have to be fabricated in your cabinets to allow for access to easily serviceable components. When you are installing these accessories, you always have to keep in mind that you have to utilize every square inch of space while keeping everything looking nice.

In addition to the more technical components, more traditional changes to your woodwork or cabinets may have also evolved since you last made changes. Many older laminates have been discontinued. Since laminate cannot be repaired, the only option you have is to re-laminate. If your current laminate pattern is not available, you will either have mismatched laminate or will have to redo all of your cabinets. That is why for a longer-term solution I usually recommend veneer. Veneer typically lasts about 30% longer, has a stronger finish, allows you to repair scratches and offers you endless options as far as species. Laminate only really offer you a handful of colors.

Jay Scarff has been fabricating and installing cabinets since 1990. His vast experience includes custom fabrication for aircraft, commercial and residential construction and disaster restoration. Jay joined Elliott Aviation in 2006.

Elliott Aviation is a second-generation, family-owned business aviation company offering a complete menu of high quality products and services including aircraft sales, avionics service & installations, aircraft maintenance, accessory repair & overhaul, paint and interior, charter and aircraft management. Serving the business aviation industry nationally and internationally, they have facilities in Moline, IL, Des Moines, IA, and Minneapolis, MN. The company is a member of the Pinnacle Air Network, National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), National Air Transportation Association (NATA), and National Aircraft Resale Association (NARA) .