Frac article from AIN

[Answerguy]

Interesting article!

http://www.ainonline.com/issues/10_02/10_02_manyshockpg1.html

 

[Lrjet55]

Good article. There is a certain truth to an article such as this one although some of it must be taken with a grain of salt. There are several factors to look at. First, the guy who wrote the article was not happy with the Frac industry so he leaves, waits a while, and the write an article not necessarily in favor of the industry, hmmm.
Also, as the article did point out, you must look at the types of airplanes being offered by a particular company, whether they are new or not, and finally the current state of the industry. A new airplane is obviously going to retain more of it value than would a used airplane. An aircraft from NetJets, Flex Jet or the, sad to see dissapear, Travel Air will obviously retain more because they were purchased new and are kept under strict maintenance. An aircraft from Flight Options was not new to begin with and does not receive the best maintenance will, ofcourse, fetch a less than stellar resale value. The last aspect in my opinion is that we simple people, who only fly the aircraft, do not realize that those out there that buy into these Fractional providers are smart enough to realize that their aircaft resale values are certainly going to depend on the current state of the economy.
I dont imagine the "owners" are as unhappy as AIN and other publications make them out to be. There will always be the individual who signs up for something without actually doing his/her research. I am sure these folks are not the majority.

 

[flexlrpilot357]

I agree, most fractional owners understand marketplace dynamics, they shouldn't be too suprised by fluctuating aircraft values.

Another fine piece of "journalism" from AIN.