Tips for Starting a Successful Business

Find The Right Aircraft For Your Company With These 2 Tips

12 October 2016 by Brianna Cole

Purchasing an aircraft is a major investment for a company. It's a large financial investment, and a business will likely use the plane it buys for many years to come. If your company is looking at corporate aircrafts for sale with the intention of buying one, here are two tips to help you find the right plane for your business.

Buy a Plane That Will Meet Most of Your Company's Needs

It's tempting to narrow your search down to aircraft that will meet your company's needs all the time. Purchasing a plane that will meet every need your business will have can significantly increase both the upfront purchase price and ongoing operating expenses of the plane, though.

For example, if your company primarily needs a plane to transport 8 passengers, but twice a year has a party of 12 to fly, you may want a plane that seats 12. However, a plane that seats 12 is likely going to cost more and use more fuel than one that seats 8.

Instead of buying a plane that will meet all of your company's needs, look for one that will meet its needs 90 percent of the time. Your business will save a lot of money, which you can put towards renting an aircraft on the 10 percent of occasions that you need a different aircraft. When you take into account the difference in purchase price, interest paid (if you're financing the plane), and fuel consumption, it will likely be less expensive to rent a plane once or twice a year.

Watch the Fuel Gauge on the Test Flight

The test flight has one main purpose. It's meant to show you an aircraft's best features, which often involves pushing the plane to its limits.

On a test flight, the test pilot will likely show you just how steep the plane can climb and its fastest speeds. During these demonstrations, don't just watch the speedometer and altimeter. Pay close attention to the fuel gauge, as well.

Watching the fuel gauge will show you just how much this level of performance will cost in fuel consumption. By knowing how much fuel the plane uses when it's being pushed as hard and fast as it will go, you can have a high estimate of how much fuel it will need when your company is running it. Likely, your company's pilots won't push the plane as hard, and it will consume less fuel as a result.

For more information on purchasing a corporate aircraft, contact a company like ICT Aviation.

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