Finally, Private Partnerships Made Easy

In what sounds more like an on-line dating service than an aviation program, the Aircraft Partnershp Association (APA) is creating a new niche in the aircraft ownership spectrum, promising to match pilots who want to find partners in the ownership of their aircraft based on their posted profiles. APA...

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In what sounds more like an on-line dating service than an aviation program, the Aircraft Partnershp Association (APA) is creating a new niche in the aircraft ownership spectrum, promising to match pilots who want to find partners in the ownership of their aircraft based on their posted profiles. APA launched it new on-line program last week, saying that most efforts to own aircraft fail the cost test when partnerships are unable to be found. The functionality required to locate partners is operational today and is the first step in Creating Partnerships that Fly™, according to the company.
“Our program helps more pilots achieve their dream of aircraft ownership by using technology to facilitate forming private partnerships,” said APA, adding that it is a private association founded by pilots for pilots who want to realize the dream of aircraft ownership on their own terms. “The concept of forming a partnership to share expenses is not new. However the problem has always been that trying to form a private partnership on an ad hoc basis rarely seems to get off the ground and before too long, the dream of ownership fades.”
For a $29 annual fee for pilots and $199 for suppliers, the Aircraft Partnership Association uses web-based programs to help identify and match potential partners based on member profiles that include the type of aircraft desired, location, flying experience and more. The entire matching/selection process occurs on-line before potential partners ever meet. APA allows members to post their partnership profile on a searchable database where other APA members can also search for like-minded aviators.
“Trying to find suitable aircraft partners by posting a flyer at your local airport or on isolated websites is tremendously ineffective,” stated David A. Kruger, president. “This is exactly why there aren’t more successful private partnerships. Take Tulsa, Oklahoma for example. There may not be a professionally managed fractional ownership opportunity for piston aircraft in that market yet there may be many pilots based at a variety of local airports who all share a common interest — a new light sport aircraft, a Mooney Acclaim, or a pre-owned Cherokee Six. Through APA, members can find each other and review each other’s flying experience, aircraft desires on-line, before making contact.”
The Aircraft Partnership Association is more than a partnership “match-making” program, said Kruger. The initial tools include a partner search based on location, type of aircraft, and cost; Email alerts when new partners in a pilot’s area join APA; and a supplier portal through which members can post private Request for Quotes (RFQ’s) for goods and services that are visible only to APA suppliers.
“We believe that the there are two keys to success,” said Kruger. “First is to quickly build the membership database; every new member increases the odds of finding partners. Consequently, we’re offering a launch promotion of $10 off of our regular $29 annual membership; that’s a year membership for less than four gallons of fuel – for every pilot interested in exploring how to share the total cost of ownership on any aircraft in any market. The second key is to create an inexpensive on-line forum to create and then manage the partnership.”
Later this year APA will launch new services geared toward aircraft flight scheduling, maintenance record keeping, and bookkeeping. Kruger noted that professionally managed fractional ownership programs are only available in select markets and all are based on aircraft that cost hundreds of thousand of dollars. APA provides the tools to make the goal of aircraft ownership possible because it can work for any new, pre-owned or currently owned aircraft, in any market with any number of pilots.
In the fourth quarter, APA plans to launch the APA Pilot Logbook, which includes on-line storage of data and documents and supports mass import of previous logbook data as well as export for further analysis & charting. It will offer FAA 8710-compatible reports and currency alerts. It will cost $29.
Also scheduled for the fourth quarter is APA Partnership Services, at $99 annually, which includes flight and maintenance schedule, aircraft logbook, a supplier work order system, partnership bookkeeping, online data/document storage.