Warbirds, etc.
At Courtesy Aircraft, the focus is on vintage and GA aircraft
By John F. Infanger, Editorial director
October 2001
ROCKFORD, IL — Promotional literature for Courtesy Aircraft, Inc., touts, "We sell more T-28s than anyone!" They also sell quite a few P-51 Mustangs and an array of other Warbirds, along with the traditional lines of general aviation aircraft. In 2000, president Mark Clark says the company moved some 68 aircraft — half vintage, half GA — worth an estimated $25 million, much of it brokered.
Courtesy Aircraft, Inc., was founded in
1957 by Mark’s father, D.M. Clark, at the Greater Rockford Airport
as a new Cessna dealer. During the 1960s, it also served as a Piper and
Citabria (Champion) retail outlet. In 1983, Mark purchased the company
from his father and began to heighten the focus on vintage aircraft sales.
"I had an interest in the vintage aircraft
and the Warbirds, but we haven’t abandoned the other general aviation
aircraft," explains Clark.
"So many of our customers have multiple
aircraft. Oftentimes, we’ll do a deal where a customer will buy a
Warbird and then contract with us to sell his Baron or Cessna or whatever."
Courtesy Aircraft through the years has
sold some 1,700 aircraft and their specialization in vintage models has
gotten them involved on the seminar circuit at annual shows put on by
the Experimental Aircraft Association at Oshkosh and Sun ’n Fun in
Lakeland, FL. In fact, Courtesy has sold aircraft for both the EAA founder
Paul Poberezny and his son and current association president, Tom, explains
Clark.
"We have sold virtually every type
of general aviation aircraft, from 150s to J-3s to Citations to King Airs
to Spartan Executives," he explains. "There are very, very few
specific aircraft types we have not sold and flown out of this place."
Today, Clark, 50, and sales manager John
G. Kraman, 44, head up the Courtesy team. Both men are certified A&P technicians,
which they say helps in the consultative sales approach.
"If one of us takes an airplane out
for a pre-purchase inspection," says Clark, "the mechanic will
come up with a list of things that need to be rectified before the deal
is closed. Some of those are legitimate, some aren’t, and some are
open for interpretation. Well, we have some background knowledge to be
able to interpret that for our customers. Sometimes you have to bring
in an expert, and we’ve been around long enough to know who those
people are."
Clark also has a marketing degree from Bradley
University, and says he has FAA authorization to fly virtually any type
of high performance ex-military surplus aircraft. "That means I can
virtually get into any type of ex-military airplane and go flying,"
he says.
Selling History
Regarding the Warbirds, Kraman relates that
they are selling more than an airplane, often helping a customer locate
a vintage lifelong dream. "These airplanes are fun," he says,
"but tying into that is that they really are a rich part of our history,
not only military history. These airplanes are rich in it, and it’s
been passed from the World War II generation to another and now we’re
seeing a third generation. We’ve come to the conclusion that there
will be no graying of the Warbird market, like with old Model T cars or
other collectibles."
One of the challenges in selling Warbirds,
says Kraman, is that they typically do not have extensive, detailed logbooks
like customers are accustomed to having with general aviation aircraft.
"If somebody’s buying a Warbird and expecting to see the same
type of logbook integrity, they’re probably not going to find it,"
he explains.
Actual hands-on training can also be hard
to come by, says Kraman, which is one of the reasons Courtesy Aircraft
bought a T-28 ground school from Darton International in Carlsbad, CA,
earlier this year. Operated as Warbird Solutions, LLC, it offers the Trojan
Ground School, with Kraman as instructor, for $995. "We felt that
it was important to continue on the level of training that they provided.
It’s the only T-28 ground school of its kind," he says.
Midwest Location
Courtesy Aircraft has a strong customer
base in the Midwest, says Clark, though its customer base is global, helped
in today’s market via the Internet (www.courtesyaircraft.com).
It is located at the Greater Rockford Airport, which features a 10,000-foot
primary runway and Cat-3 ILS. Though it has had difficulty maintaining
commercial air carrier service, due to its location some 90 miles from
Chicago, the airport has a solid business base with a UPS hub and various
general aviation businesses.
"We’ve got good airspace here,
we’ve got good runways, an avionics shop next door, maintenance on
the other side of the field, and an accessory shop across the ramp,"
explains Kraman.
The company just entered its 20-year option
on its leasehold, and Clark retains ownership of the hangar/office facility.
The ground lease is 34 cents/ sq. ft., with a cost-of-living escalator,
while fuel flowage is 9 cents/gallon.
