Author: Jeff Brewer

Jeff is the Founder of Connecting Aviators® and wikiWings®. He has more than 1,900 hours of flight time in modern chariots that fly, including 700 hours in the Cirrus SR22 Turbo Perspective. He has been a member of Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association since 1992, Cirrus Owners & Pilots Association and other aviation type clubs. The author’s home base is Houston, Texas.

Connecting Aviators Phase 2 design work has been completed

Connecting Aviators® Phase 2 UI/UX design work has been completed and turned over to the Development Team for programing. Phase 2 will add several significant new features to help pilots lower their flying costs.

For example, pilots will be able to find and post information about aircraft co-ownerships for free. Connecting Aviators® will organize co-ownership opportunities nationally by airport into three categories: 

Three Aircraft Co-Ownership Designations:

  1. Pilots seeking to Join a co-ownership
  2. Pilots starting a new co-ownership
  3. Pilots with an existing co-ownership that want add a pilot.

Participation in General Aviation can be expensive. But studies have shown the cost of airplane acquisition and flying can be reduced 50% to 75% through co-ownership which allows for the sharing of fixed expenses, such as, hangar, insurance, subscriptions, maintenance and capital acquisition costs. We’ve learned finding the right pilots to form a partnership can be time consuming and expensive. But it should not be that way.

Reserve your free listing today. Simply, join Connecting Aviators for free and let us know you’re interested in shared aircraft ownership. Connecting Aviators® is available for free to download on iPhone and iPad (only in U.S.A.).

Designed by pilots to connect with pilots™.   

© 2021 Connecting Aviators® LLC

Happy Independence Day 2021

Happy July 4th 1776!

As we celebrate our nation’s two hundred forty-five years of freedom we honor those dedicated to its preservation. With respect and gratitude we thank the men and women of our armed forces, law enforcement, Homeland security, fire and rescue and many others that give us the land of the free because they are brave.

We hope that you have an enjoyable and safe July 4th weekend. God bless The United States of America.

Connecting Aviators phase 2 design work has started.

Connecting Aviators® phase 2 design work has started, which will add several significant new features. For example, pilots will be able to find and post information about aircraft co-ownerships for free. Connecting Aviators® will organize co-ownership opportunities nationally by airport into three categories:

Three Aircraft Co-Ownership Designations:

  1. Pilots seeking to Join a co-ownership
  2. Pilots starting a new co-ownership
  3. Pilots with an existing co-ownership that want add a pilot.

Participation in General Aviation can be expensive. But studies have shown the cost of airplane acquisition and flying can be reduced 50% to 75% through co-ownership which allows for the sharing of fixed expenses, such as, hangar, insurance, subscriptions, maintenance and capital acquisition costs. We’ve learned finding the right pilots to form a partnership can be time consuming and expensive. But it should not be that way.

Reserve your free listing today. Simply, join Connecting Aviators for free and let us know you’re interested in shared aircraft ownership. Connecting Aviators® is available for free to download on iPhone and iPad (only in U.S.A.).

Designed by pilots to connect with pilots™.   

© 2021 Connecting Aviators® LLC

Connecting Aviators is in the App Store

Connecting Aviators® is now live in the App Store and available for free to download on iPhone and iPad (only in U.S.A.). Our mission is to help pilots find, connect, and share their passion for flying with fellow aviators.

Expand your horizons. Find and interact with fellow pilots revenant to your local area.  Map view organizes everything by airport: member pilots, flying clubs, aircraft co-ownerships and aviation events. 

Key features include, the ability to display your aviation accomplishments and view other pilots’ profiles and ratings. It easily organizes all your GA connections in one place.  And you are Pilot in Command (PIC) of your profile visibility. Main menu settings allow you to control who sees your profile.

iSorties™ makes it easy to find or schedule aviation activities, like fly-ins, educational seminars or soaring events. And receive real-time notifications on who will attend.  Join for free and focus on what you love.

Designed by pilots to connect with pilots™.   

© 2021 Connecting Aviators® LLC

Connecting Aviators beta review was successful!

Many thanks to those that participated in the beta TestFlight review of Connecting Aviators®. Your feedback is very much appreciated. We submitted our app to the Apple Dev Review Team and received approval. Connecting Aviators® is now available for free on iPhone and iPad from the App Store (only in USA).

Connecting Aviators® mission is to help pilot find, connect, and share their passion for flying with fellow aviators. We’re just getting started. Join for free and connect with pilots.

© 2021 Connecting Aviators® LLC

Memorial Day 2021

Memorial Day is one of America’s most cherished patriotic observances.  We extend our utmost gratitude to those men and women who gave their last full measure defending our nation.  We remember and honor those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.

We hope you have a blessed Memorial Day.

EAA AirVenture 2017, P51 Mustang and two pilots discussing flight tactics, photo credit wikiWings
EAA AirVenture 2017, P51 Mustang and two pilots discussing flight tactics, photo credit wikiWings

Top 5 High-End Piston Aircraft AOPA Financed in 2020

“It’s not surprising to see Cirrus aircraft at the top of this list. In 20 years, Cirrus Aircraft has come to dominate this market from their little manufacturing plant in Duluth, Minnesota . . . More importantly, Cirrus Aircraft has established dozens and dozens of Cirrus Service Centers around the globe, giving potential owners the confidence to know wherever they are, there’s a service center near them with the parts they need. And because Cirrus invested heavily in the quality of their R&D and manufacturing, there’s no question of the high-quality fit and finish of any undamaged SR22 on the market. It’s a well-know entity. It’s commoditized. It’s’ fast. And its got a parachute. The parachute is not a gimmick. It’s a real thing that, as of 2019, has been documented to have saved 401 lives. The only thing the SR22 lacks is pressurization.”

“The Bonanza is the top choice for pilots where elevation is not an issue but load carrying capacity is. Most Bonanzas will carry five passengers, and a good amount of luggage, 400-600 nm. The other advantages of a Bonanza include how economical it is to operate while still being a fast aircraft. Our experience has shown for people equally smitten with the Bonanza and the SR22, the choice often comes down to useful load.”

Top 5 High-End Piston Aircraft AOPA Financed 2020

  1. Cirrus SR22
  2. Piper Malibu Mirage
  3. Bonanza A/G36
  4. Cessna 206 Stationair
  5. Beechcraft G58 Baron

References:

Adam Meredith, President of AOPA Finance Company, “Top 5 High-End Piston Aircraft Purchased in 2020, AOPA Finance, March 19, 2021.

Pre-Owned Cirrus Aircraft May 2021

In January 2021, a total of 96 preowned Cirrus SR22 airplanes were listed for sale. In May, the available supply was down to 81. A balanced supply to demand ratio of pre-owned airplane listings is said to be 3% of the manufactured models that were shipped.

The pre-owned listings for Cirrus SR22 models are at one percent ( 81 pre-owned listings / 6,500 mfg. = 1.3%.). The pre-owned listings for Cirrus SR20 models are at one percent ( 21 pre-owned listings / 1525 mfg. = 1.4%).

Pre-Owned Cirrus Aircraft For Sale, May 2021
Pre-Owned Cirrus Aircraft For Sale, May 2021

© 2021 Connecting Aviators® Above and Beyond

Pre-Owned Bonanza Airplanes May 2021

In January 2021, a total of 85 preowned Bonanza airplanes were listed for sale. In May, the available supply was down to 58. A balanced supply to demand ratio of preowned listings is said to be 3% of the manufactured models that were shipped. The preowned listings for Bonanza models are below one percent (58 pre-owned listings / 18,000 mfg. = 0.0032).

Pre-Owned listings Bonanzas, May 2021

© 2021 Connecting Aviators® Above and Beyond

Beechcraft Bonanza Commemorative Interior

“The 75th Anniversary Edition Beechcraft Bonanza blends modern technology with retro styling. Its custom interior and paint scheme were inspired by Olive Ann Beech’s signature blue color. Textron says, the retro scheme is a nod to Mrs. Beech’s strength, vision, pioneering leadership and her well documented style. The interior color combination reflects classic trends from the 1950’s when Mrs. Beech assumed leadership of the company. She adopted the color on advice of fashion designer Oleg Cassini. The color became her brand and could be found on everything from her dress suits and office furnishings to her automobile paint and personal aircraft interiors.”

“The commemorative Bonanza G36 stylishly incorporates the color on the exterior paint scheme and the interior’s window panels, carpet and accents. The seat upholstery lines and sidewall and table contours add a sporty, modern interest to the retro color palette. Other details include a “Bubble B” logo registered in 1954 on the carpet entry and her signature used as a metal piece above the cabin table and as an exterior graphic below the pilot window.”

Refer to last week’s post for illustrative pictures of the 75th anniversary edition exterior and interior.