Things are looking strong going into the end of the year. That’s the message from Twin Commander brokers as they hustle to meet customer requests prior to year-end tax incentives.
“The first half of the year was soft and maybe a little slower than we like,” said Byerly Aviation’s Bruce Byerly. “But now it’s picked up.” Byerly said he has delivered four or five airplanes over the last six weeks, and he has a host of customers waiting for proposals and airframes. “There’s always trouble finding the airplanes you really want,” he said.
Part of the challenge is that, by some estimates, nearly half the Twin Commander airframes are overseas. For buyers who are anxious to get an airplane now that can mean the need for a bit of patience. Byerly said having an international reach is essential. They have been to Indonesia, South America, and Europe to evaluate potential airframes. “There’s no part of the world we won’t travel to or communicate with,” he said. It’s one of the many benefits of working with a Twin Commander Authorized Service Center. Their experience and wide customer base means they usually have a good idea of the entirety of the market, even to the point of having personally flown most of the airplanes.
RJ Gomez, the owner of Legacy Aviation, thinks the wide reach is part of what makes his business successful. Being centrally located just outside Oklahoma City, they draw customers from Canada, both coasts, and Central and South America. With a large parts supply and unique capabilities with hydraulic components, the shop sees a large swath of the fleet, which gives Gomez direct knowledge of airframes when it comes time to help a customer move into a new Twin Commander.
If the robust market continues, the lack of supply will continue to keep prices strong. And despite some whispers in the economic press of important recession indicators, Byerly thinks the Twin Commander market is somewhat insulated. “You can’t go farther on a pound of jet fuel,” he said. “They’re depreciated and economical. We don’t see any indication of slowing.”
