Frequently Asked Questions

There are many reasons to buy an aircraft. Those looking to do so for business use often focus on flexibility, functionality, and productivity. They have come to see that the world of private aviation can open countless doors for their businesses. With their own aircraft, their teams can skip all the lines and luggage hassles and go straight to their plane to depart on their schedule. They can also easily access thousands of additional airports with direct flights every time to land closer to their final destination, all while gaining the ability to work privately and in complete comfort while en route. Private aviation also allows businesspeople to meet with customers in person, potentially in multiple cities in a single day, while still making it home at night. Our owners have found that the hours saved by flying privately can be used to move their businesses forward or toward personal concentrations and rejuvenation.

New tax legislation that allows you to benefit from an aircraft investment before you take off are yielding new benefits for customers and factoring into some decision making. Consult your tax advisor.

Those who purchase an aircraft for personal use often focus on ease, efficiency, and peace of mind. With the unparalleled flexibility private aviation provides, they can finally travel on their own terms and in complete comfort.

Privacy, productivity, comfort, luxury, and convenience are some of the major differences between flying private and flying commercial. When you own an aircraft, the only schedule that matters is yours, and aircraft owners have come to appreciate the freedom, flexibility, and peace of mind they provide. 

Private aviation isn’t just for celebrities and Fortune 500 companies. Every year, thousands of people and businesses join the ranks of private aviation across the globe, and our customers include individuals, families, and businesses.  

With Fortune 500 companies flying just three percent of U.S. business aircraft, a large majority are flown by other organizations, including large, medium, and small governments; universities; charitable organizations; and small and mid-size companies. In fact, 85 percent of organizations that use private aviation are small and mid-sized companies; 59 percent have fewer than 500 employees; and 70 percent fly non-executive passengers, including customers, technicians, sales personnel, and managers. 

No single aircraft model meets all needs and that’s why Textron Aviation offers a wide variety of aircraft, from the world’s trainer of choice – the CESSNA SKYHAWK– to the venerable and versatile BEECHCRAFT KING AIR – to industry leading CITATION jets. From first flight through multiengine turboprops or intercontinental jets, Textron Aviation has an aircraft to meet your needs.

Which one is right for you will depend on the nature of your mission and your expected utilization. Specific considerations related to your travel patterns and needs include:

• The number of people who will be traveling and what they’ll be bringing.
• The frequency with which you and/or your employees will fly.
• The importance of efficiency and the value you place on it.
• The ways in which your usage may change with travel suddenly simplified.

These are among the many factors to consider when purchasing an aircraft, and we can certainly help you find the perfect fit.

Textron Aviation’s pedigree has introduced new people to private aviation for more than 90 years. With the globe’s broadest selection of new and pre-owned aircraft and celebrated CESSNA and BEECHCRAFT planes, Textron Aviation offers a wide range of travel solutions.

We inspire the journey of flight. For more than 90 years, Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. company, has empowered our collective talent across the Beechcraft, Cessna and Hawker brands to design and deliver the best aviation experience for our customers. With a range that includes everything from business jets, turboprops, and high-performance pistons, to special mission, military trainer and defense products, Textron Aviation has the most versatile and comprehensive aviation product portfolio in the world and a workforce that has produced more than half of all general aviation aircraft worldwide. Customers in more than 170 countries rely on our legendary performance, reliability and versatility, along with our trusted global customer service network, for affordable, productive and flexible flight.

At Textron Aviation, you can simplify your ownership experience so taking to the skies is more convenient than ever. Our ProOwnership^SM aircraft management portfolio features services that encompass trip planning, maintenance oversight, personal pilots, and so much more. Best of all, these services are tailored to your unique operational needs. By letting Textron Aviation take care of the details, you can focus on the best parts of aircraft ownership.​

Many costs factor into the economics of aircraft ownership, including upfront capital and ongoing operating costs. Many of our owners have found the time optimization and business expansion facilitated by private aviation to be well worth the investment, and the benefits possible to aircraft owners by new tax legislation have only added to the appeal. Consult with your tax advisor to see how you might benefit.

We would be happy to provide additional details about these considerations as you continue to contemplate aircraft ownership.

As aviation enthusiasts, we believe it’s always a good time to buy an aircraft, but the current environment is particularly compelling. The challenges associated with commercial flight, coupled with new tax legislation that may allow you to benefit from an aircraft investment before you take off, make this an ideal time to pursue private aviation.

Pre-owned aircraft can sometimes be the most direct route to ownership. It’s an option worth considering and one we can help with to provide you with confidence, simplicity, and peace of mind.

No one delivers more pre-owned aircraft than Textron Aviation, and no one knows the aircraft better than the people who made it. Doing business with Textron Aviation’s Pre-Owned means you will have the added assurance that all aspects of your purchase and ownership process are being handled by industry leaders and knowledge experts. We also provide the advantage of having a single point of contact on all aspects of purchase and ownership, providing an easy, worry-free experience.

Yes. For more than 60 years, Textron Financial Corporation has been providing innovative financing solutions for Textron customers throughout the world. Its single mission is to support those customers by providing financing options specific to the needs of each individual transaction. The team has developed financing solutions for customers in more than 80 countries, with its local professionals working directly with private, public, and government clients to customize either structured or direct financing packages to meet their needs.

The company has guided more than 183,000 customers through the purchase of an aircraft. With a wide array of financing solutions, combined with a strong capital market network, it stands ready to analyze your specific needs and develop a customized solution to meet them.

There are a variety of arrangements when it comes to private aviation, with charter and ownership among the most popular.

When you charter an aircraft, you essentially rent the aircraft for a specified amount of time. While you retain many of the benefits of private aviation, you do have less control over the operation and availability of the aircraft. However, it doesn’t involve upfront capital, fixed costs, or an ongoing commitment.

When you purchase an aircraft, you are in control, have a fully customized experience, and a lower lifecycle cost if the aircraft is used often.

There are many factors to consider when determining which option is right for you and we would be happy to help you work through the process.

There are a number of insurance providers that specialize in private and corporate aviation insurance.

These insurers will take a variety of a factors into account when underwriting your policy, including the type and size of your aircraft, the pilot’s training and flying history, the number of passengers your aircraft accommodates, and more.

We can connect you with aviation insurance experts who can help you determine which policy is most appropriate for you.

No, you do not have to be a pilot to own an aircraft. Textron Aviation helps provide solutions for aircraft owners wanting to hire pilots for their aircraft with our ProOwnership program. ProOwnership is a customized solution that makes owning and operating your aircraft enjoyable and simple. Services of ProOwnership^SM can include flight crews, pilot mentoring, trip planning, maintenance scheduling assistance, and more.

However, many of our owners do become pilots themselves. If you are interested in becoming a pilot, we can connect you with a Cessna Pilot Center in your area so you can learn more about the process and find out how you can become a licensed private pilot after just 40 hours of flight training.

Our Cessna® Skyhawk® is the most popular single-engine aircraft ever built and we are proud that it has become a flight training favorite.  

In order to receive a private pilot’s certificate, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires you to be 17 years old and to have passed both written and practical (flight) tests following the accumulation of appropriate flight experience, including 40 hours of flight instruction and solo flight time. 

If you would like to learn more, we would be happy to connect you to your local Cessna® Pilot Center.

Flight familiarization or training is included with your aircraft purchase.

For our smaller model aircraft, familiarization courses are offered in-house. Our familiarization courses are designed with owner-operators in mind with sessions focused on the features of your aircraft and its operations. These courses are typically three to four days in length.

For our turbine aircraft, training is completed externally through FlightSafety Textron Aviation Training, which provides best-in-class pilot and maintenance training programs at 16 locations around the world using a fleet of 89 simulators.

Your sales representative will be able to provide additional details about the familiarization/training options for your aircraft.

Absolutely. All of our aircraft interiors reflect customer feedback, but there are additional opportunities for customization and exclusive resources available to help you make your aircraft your own. From custom carpets to specially engineered seats and handcrafted cabinetry, our interior designers and craftsmen work side by side with you to achieve your unique style. We understand that details matter, so if you bring your inspiration to us, we’ll bring it to life. 

At Textron Aviation, we work to keep your world moving, and superior aircraft maintenance is a key component of our commitment to you. With industry leading support programs and a global customer service network, our experts stand ready to provide assistance for maintenance, inspections, parts, repairs, avionics upgrades, equipment installations, paint services and more.

From the day your aircraft is delivered, you have a specific Field Service Representative (FSR) based near your location ready to provide on-site support and diagnostic assistance as needed.

We also offer worldwide parts availability and service programs designed to lower predictable maintenance costs. This includes guaranteed maximums on labor and material fees, predictable pricing, a dependable parts inventory and no surprises. 

Private aircraft come with a variety of cabin air filtrations systems to ensure you’re confident in the air you and your team breathes. Determining which system is best comes down to personal preference. No system is proven to be more effective than another. The most common systems involve the utilization of fresh air from outside heated by the engines to kill pathogens and then cooled for cabin usage. Some also include a HEPA filter if any air is recirculated or an ionization system to cluster around germs and eliminate them.

When you arrive at a Fixed Base Operation (FBO) you simply park your car, walk into the lobby and let the front desk know you have arrived, and wait for your pilots to let you know your aircraft is ready for flight. We normally recommend you arrive about 15 minutes before your scheduled departure, or you can have the aircraft ready to go and walk right through and be in-and-out within minutes.

This truly depends on your specific mission and what it would take to find you the best tool. While we offer a wide range of aircraft options that fit many budgets, we encourage you to focus first on your mission and what solutions you are seeking. That way you are fully equipped to assess costs as well as the value provided by increasing efficiency, productivity, comfort and piece of mind.

Our customers often tell us the aircraft’s worth goes far beyond the initial investment in how it allows them to grow their business or open up possibilities in leisure.

We’re here for you every step of the way. Give us a call at 1.844.44.TXTAV or 1.316.517.8270 to get started.