Playbook #069: Airplanes and Airplane Leases (Moonshot Edition)
Moonshot: an ambitious, exploratory and ground-breaking project undertaken without any expectation of near-term profitability or benefit, with the potential for extremely exciting gains, and also, perhaps, in a speculative arena with equal possibility of big losses. |
🖼️ The Big Picture
Welcome to your newest “Moonshot” edition of CAPITALIZE, where we feature an exciting new investment opportunity. These can be outrageously expensive, exclusive, lucrative, high risk or just plain fun.
If you were a shark on Shark Tank, these would be your “fliers.” They could 100x in value… or go to zero. They might be inaccessible to you today, but a dream to shoot for tomorrow.
We like to say that once you reach Economic Independence, you have the freedom to swing for the fences, because your day-to-day needs are taken care of and your future is secure. These “moonshot” editions are a tribute to that spirit.
What Is It?
“I feel the need… the need for speed!” - Maverick (Top Gun)
If you’ve got a little Maverick in you and love airplanes and flying, then this moonshot issue on airplane leasing has some exciting opportunities for you.
On one end of the spectrum, there are massive leasing companies that our wealthiest readers could look at (you’ll need hundreds of millions along with some serious connections to play)...
And on the other end, especially for the pilots in the group (current or aspiring), you could buy a small Cessna for as little as a couple hundred thousand dollars and lease it out through a flying school at your local airport. Some do this to lower the costs of their own fly-time. Others just like to have their own plane, which depending on where you live and how much you fly could be more cost-effective than renting.
Some classic planes have gone up in value over time and have a surprisingly long life, with proper maintenance of course. So, for the average investor, one could look at buying their own plane as similar to buying a Ferrari or Rolex. It’s something you get to use, enjoy, and depreciate as a tax write-off over time that could maintain some level of resale value… or with inflation, even go up (like we saw with the used car market over the past couple of years).
Like other moonshots, it’s best to get involved because you have a passion for planes and flying. It’s risky, and in many cases won’t earn a return on your money (unless you count the value of flying business associates and family around… which could build substantial Relationship Capital and potentially pay for your plane many times over).
If you’ve ever dreamed of flying and having your own plane, keep reading, because it might be more accessible than you think.