The Mesinger Blog

Date: Wednesday, May 6, 2026
Location: Webinar

Listen to the complete Webinar

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

CJI Town Hall #73: Continuing the Value Added to the Transaction Process

Sponsored by Mesinger Jet Sales  |  May 6, 2026  |  Runtime: 1:01:04

OVERVIEW

This CJI Town Hall Masterclass — the second in a 2026 series sponsored by Mesinger Jet Sales — focused on three pillars of the aircraft acquisition process: legal counsel, aircraft management, and aviation insurance. Moderated by Jay Mesinger, CEO of Mesinger Jet Sales, the session brought together three industry veterans to guide both first-time buyers and experienced operators through best practices and common pitfalls. The consistent theme: assemble your full professional team early — quality and the right counsel are remembered long after cost is forgotten.

PANELISTS & KEY INSIGHTS

Jay Mesinger  |  CEO & Founder, Mesinger Jet Sales — Moderator

Mesinger drew on 50+ years of brokerage experience to frame the session around one central conviction: every professional on a buyer’s team — attorney, lender, management company, and insurance broker — must be engaged in parallel on day one. With pre-owned inventory tightening, he urged buyers eyeing Q4 2026 bonus depreciation to begin immediately.

“This industry is probably one of the most unsophisticated, sophisticated industries there is. You can get involved with somebody that is less sophisticated and less concerned about your interests — and it could go awry.”

David Mayer  |  Aviation Attorney, Shackelford Law

Mayer stressed that aviation counsel must be involved before any LOI is signed — not after. He introduced his ‘Three C’s’ framework for purchase agreements: a Clean Machine, Clear Title, and Coordination of Liability. He also cautioned that LLCs are frequently misused without proper FAR operational control compliance, and that bonus depreciation qualification must be analyzed upfront.

“You shouldn’t think of it as spending money with your attorney. You should think of it as saving and building a solid transaction.”

Shawn McAteer  |  Director of Business Development, Jet Aviation

McAteer reframed management company selection away from cost comparisons toward safety culture, infrastructure depth, and mission fit. He recommended engaging a management company at the beginning of the process to maximize their value during conformity and onboarding — and highlighted Jet Aviation’s philosophy of hiring the person, not the type rating.

“It’s truly about making an effortless, seamless experience — and how we as a management company are leveraging our expertise to provide the client with a simple, seamless experience at the end of the day.”

Lance Toland  |  Founder, Lance Toland Associates Ltd.

Toland, a founding member of the Aviation Insurance Association with 40 years in the field, argued that liability coverage is the most critical and least understood element of the transaction. He warned against shopping multiple brokers simultaneously — with finite markets at jet-level values, conflicting representations create legal vulnerabilities. Tenure and referral-based selection are paramount.

“The insurance component is, to me, the single greatest avenue for protection in the whole process. When you buy an aircraft, you expose your family office, your corporation, yourself individually to the possibility of the biggest catastrophic loss that you could conceive of.”

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Engage your full team — attorney, management company, insurance broker, and lender — simultaneously from day one, not sequentially.
• Treat the LOI as a legal document, not a formality; involve aviation counsel before signing.
• LLC structures must comply with FAR operational control requirements or risk FAA enforcement.
• Bonus depreciation is permanent but not universal — verify qualification before closing.
• Quality pre-owned inventory is tight; buyers targeting Q4 2026 delivery should act now.

Moderated By: Jay Mesinger, CEO and Founder of Mesinger Jet Sales; Speakers include: opening remarks by Ed Bolen, President and CEO of NBAA; Sheila Kahyaoglu, Managing Director of Jeffries, LLC; Steve Varsano, Founder and President of The Jet Business; and Rolland Vincent, President of Rolland Vincent Associates, LLC.

For years, aircraft owners treated uncertainty as a reason to wait. Delay the purchase. Pause the sale. Hope for clarity.

That mindset no longer reflects today’s business aviation market.

Despite economic shifts and geopolitical noise, transactions continue and fleets evolve. Uncertainty has not vanished, it has become the operating condition.

This NBAA Thought Leadership webinar examines how aircraft owners and operators assess risk, make capital decisions, and maintain momentum when clarity is elusive. Expect a candid discussion on leadership mindset, strategy under pressure, and why decisive action is replacing fence-sitting.

Sponsored by NBAA Leadership Council member Mesinger Jet Sales.

Watch the Webinar

Date: February 3, 2026
Moderator: Jay Mesinger, Mesinger Jet Sales; Speakers: Ted Farid of JETHQ and George Galanopoulos of Luxaviation

Is this business aviation still cyclical?
How can you tell when a market is turning?
How can you keep selling in a downturn?
Old School or does experience keep you relevant?
Why things were better in the old days.

Watch the Webinar

Date: January 8, 2026
Moderated By: Jay Mesinger of Mesinger Jet Sales; Speakers include: Chad Anderson, CEO, Jetcraft; Mike Dwyer, Owner, Guardian Jet; and Mike Minchow, President, Duncan Aviation

2026 will bring to light a series of new series of Town Halls and broadcast on the CJI Town Hall Network, focusing on the fallacy of Price vs. Value/Cost.

“Quality is remembered long after price is forgotten” – Charles Rolls the aviation and automotive pioneer.

This series of Town Halls will focus on how business aviation companies can make sure that their customers understand why the cheapest option is often the worst option.

The first one will focus on transactions with others looking at other areas like operating, insuring, maintaining and supporting aircraft.

Sponsored by Mesinger Jet Sales

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Originally published as a News story for Corporate Jet Investor on 8/15/25

I always measure summer in the same fast-forward way. Memorial Day hits and summer officially kicks off, writes Jay Mesinger, CEO and founder of Mesinger Jet Sales. Then you blink and it’s the 4th of July. Before you know it, Labor Day arrives, signaling the end of the summer celebration. Ugh.

But what comes next? The fourth quarter – and with it, one of the biggest business opportunities of the year: the Bonus Depreciation Frenzy.

We’ve seen this movie before. The last time the frenzy hit, it was fueled by two major forces: bonus depreciation and a wave of first-time buyers driven to private aviation by the pandemic and their desire to avoid commercial airports and mass transit. While the initial rush of new buyers may have tapered off, the allure of bonus depreciation remains and it’s powerful. Year-end deal momentum is real and if history is any guide, it’s coming.

So, what can you do now to prepare?

Start internally. Have your research team update market data. Know where the opportunities are. Understand current pricing and inventory availability. Be ready to guide buyers with confidence and accuracy.

Next, think logistically. What can you do to secure a pre-buy inspection and line up a path to closing before year-end? Start calling maintenance facilities to check availability. Find open slots. We’re quickly approaching the point where every day matters.

Remember, you cannot make year-end closing a contingency in your purchase agreement. If you want bonus depreciation, you must close, fly, and have the aircraft in service by December 31st. There are no extensions, no exceptions.

The best way to ensure that happens? Start now. Begin the search. Negotiate. Contract. Inspect. Fix discrepancies. Close. Every transaction takes longer than expected, and no two are alike. Delays happen, and you can’t plan for all of them. But you can plan ahead.

Need financing? All the more reason to get moving.

I’ve said it before, and it’s worth repeating: the best path to success is building a team that understands your goals, the seller’s needs, and the dynamics of the market. That team includes your tax adviser, aviation counsel, acquisition consultant or broker, financing partners and, if you’re new to ownership, a management company.

These people are essential to getting the transaction done right.

And let’s be clear, this isn’t just a ‘tax play’. It’s an aircraft acquisition strategy with a meaningful tax advantage if the structure, timing, and intent are right. Bonus depreciation isn’t for everyone. Not every buyer qualifies. Not every operation meets the use requirements. And not everyone should buy an aircraft.

But with the right plan, the right advisers and the right timing, many of you can put together a winning strategy that aligns your aviation needs with a strong tax outcome.

So, find your team. Ask the hard questions. Know what you’re getting into.

See you on the field.

Originally published as a News story for Corporate Jet Investor on 6/20/25

Everyone always says there is nothing more damaging to market conditions than uncertainty, writes Jay Mesinger, CEO, Mesinger Jet Sales. I am beginning to question the impactfulness of that logic in our current environment. Like you all, I keep watching and reading economic forecasts and then observing the behaviour of buyers and sellers in our industry.

I was just in New York for the NBAA Regional Forum in White Plains. Largest crowd ever, over 3,300 attendees. Lots of smiles and optimism. Then I spent three nights in the city and the streets and restaurants were packed with tourists. Honestly, there were no signs of economic slowdown. At Mesinger Jet Sales, we are not finding any slowdown in demand either. In fact, phone activity is up and prospects are moving ahead on projects.

There has also not been a frenzy of calls about 100% bonus depreciation. However, I am sure as more clarity forms around that tax benefit, we will start to hear that at year-end.

So, what are the key factors we should be cautious about? Today, I am seeing an absolute focus on price. Gone are the days of throwing a dart at the wall as a seller and setting an asking price with no connection to the reality of comparable sales. We are seeing bigger price reductions driven by unguided or unbelieving sellers realizing that the dart is old school. Sellers must listen to their trusted selling partners and take action on correct pricing sooner than later.

With higher numbers of inventory in almost all categories of planes, buyers have many choices, negotiating room in price, and the ability to demand the correct due diligence needed for buying such sophisticated assets as an aircraft. No longer is this a sellers’ market. This market is well balanced and settling into that for what looks like the long haul. Even the potential opportunity for the 100% bonus depreciation should not absorb big amounts of supply, leaving our market a healthy one.

So, as you have the chance to discuss the market with your prospects, it is of course important to guide those considering coming in to watch uncertainty, measure the implications against common sense, and be well guided in the market space.

Those buyers who believe they can accomplish this process with no professional guidance are only going to create uncertainty in their potential transaction. That is a bad recipe for success. Grab a partner and don’t be afraid of the added professional cost associated with that help. Instead, be more afraid of the cost of mistakes. See you on the field.