What First-Time Private Aircraft Buyers Need to Know

With statistics showing the number of first-time aircraft buyers to be at perhaps an all-time high, David Mayer, a Partner at the Shackelford, Bowen, McKinley & Norton law firm, discusses what first-time private aircraft buyers need to know. 

This conversation touched on numerous topics, including:

• The types of entities seeking to acquire an aircraft for the first time, and what is motivating their acquisition.
• The private flying familiarity shared by first-time buyers, and their level of knowledge about buying an aircraft.
• How far a first-time buyer’s aircraft search is likely to have progressed before they turn to an aviation attorney for assistance.
• The top three topics first-time buyers most want to discuss.
• Guiding a first-time buyer through the acquisition process.
• The top three issues aircraft owners are likely to face once their purchase has closed.
• Services an aviation attorney can provide to first-time buyers that they need to consider.

About David G. Mayer

David Mayer has decades of experience in guiding clients through domestic and international transactions, disputes, and other matters. Currently, most of his work relates to Business Aviation and aircraft finance.

He likes to describe when he can first help clients: “When they say airplane, I’m in”. In this regard, David advises his clients at all stages of their experiences in buying, selling, structuring, leasing, financing, maintaining, and upgrading private aircraft. His tasks range from simple to complex.

David helps clients evaluate and, when feasible, minimize local, state, and federal taxes, particularly bonus depreciation, associated with purchases and sales of business aircraft, turboprops, and other private aircraft, comply with federal aviation regulations, and manage liability risk that they worry an aircraft may cause.

He represents, among others, high wealth individuals, large private and public companies, private jet owners and lessees, Part 135 and Part 91 operators, flight departments, charter operators, brokers, consultants, and management companies. By representing various lessors, lessees, lenders, and borrowers, David knows both sides of the transaction, enabling him to expedite and achieve favorable results for his clients in a wide array of legal matters.

David has experience as a corporate counsel in addition to his longer experience as a partner in law firms. Adapting to the client’s interest, David provides insightful, thoughtful, and common-sense advice honed in part by calling on his extensive industry contacts in business aviation to enhance the quality and value of the client experience.

He writes blogs for Aviation International Network, in the industry’s AINsight series, which, in part, positions David at the leading edge of legal and business developments in Business Aviation.

Shackelford, Bowen, McKinley & Norton, LLP

Shackelford, Bowen, McKinley & Norton, LLP represents clients in matters involving business, commercial and entertainment law based on years of experience in courtroom trials and negotiations across the U.S. We assist large corporations as well as individuals in a variety of industries, including aviation, energy, entertainment, financial institutions, health care, hospitality, real estate, and retail automobile sales.

To read a transcript of this podcast, click here