NAFA member Bill de Decker, Co-Founder of Conklin & de Decker, shares his thoughts on business aviation.
Nobody could deny Business Aviation has come a long way in the last 35 years. Looking back to 1984, NetJets was only a vision of Richard Santulli who had just purchased Executive Jet Aviation.
The most popular business jet model was the Learjet 35A and Cessna was in the lead with the most combined deliveries of its Citation line of Light and Mid-size Jets. In the Long-Range category, the Falcon 50 was the leader for Dassault and the Gulfstream GIII was having a strong year.
Meanwhile, Bombardier’s Challenger was the first entry in the new Super Mid-size Jet class. What’s more, we were all looking forward to the all-new GIV, which was nearing its first flight. Impressively, many of these aircraft are still flying today, which is a testament to the quality of manufacturing, technology and years of proper maintenance.
But away from the manufacturing side, the launch of several entrepreneurial Business Aviation start-ups also took place at that time, including a company called Conklin & de Decker.
Al Conklin and I met while working at Falcon Jet in the early 1970s and we went on to publish the first Aircraft Cost Evaluator in 1972. Our combined experience spanned the military, aircraft sales, engineering and c ost analysis, and we had a passion for business jets. We recognized a demand for accurate, trustworthy, directly comparable aircraft cost and performance data that could help businesses and individuals make more informed decisions when buying an aircraft.
Since then, Conklin & de Decker has become a leader in that field and also consults on a wide range of subjects, including fleet planning, acquisitions and taxes. A little
over a year ago, we announced that Jet Support Services, Inc. (JSSI) had acquired our company. As JSSI added programs, expanded into parts and leasing, and introduced advisory services such as overhaul management, inspections and appraisals, it was a logical step to acquire our data, tax and consulting business in 2018.
The result is that JSSI and Conklin & de Decker are positioned for the future and no longer just provide hourly
maintenance programs or databases but support the entire life cycle of owning and operating an aircraft. Our two companies have many things in common but the most important, in my opinion, is our dedication to our customers.
What’s Changed in BizAv?
One of the great things about Business Aviation is the constant pursuit of innovation. In 1984, the push was for more range, more speed, better performance, lower fuel consumption, less noise, lower maintenance costs and better avionics. And that has not changed one bit today!
So what has changed? It’s the sheer amount of information that’s available to consumers. People consume vastly more data today and depend on it to make decisions. This was a big motivation for the creation of the Conklin & de Decker Report, ba sed on our flagship Aircraft Cost Evaluator that is now easily accessed via the web or mobile app.
Another change has been the globalization of Business Aviation with its Ultra-Long-Range Jets and worldwide operations. To address this, we’re expanding our research to accurately depict regional variations in operating costs, starting with the Asia-Pacific and European regions.
Meanwhile, the one area that hasn’t changed since 1984 is the importance of great customer service. Even with increased automation and digital access to our products I don’t foresee the personal level of our service we believe in going out of style.
And on to the Next Generation in BizAv...
As we look to the next generation of Business Aviation, we see supersonic transportation (SST) making a comeback; not the 1980s SST version but with new, efficient engines that will burn the latest sustainable alternative jet fuel blend and with no perceptible sonic boom. We see futuristic eVTOL designs and talk of autonomous aircraft.
However, one vital element to our industry’s longevity is its ability to attract and retain young talent—pilots, maintainers, design engineers, software developers and sales reps who share the same passion for aviation that led many of us to devote our entire careers to this industry.
With them we will continue the legacy of business aviation for many years into the future. More information from www.conklindd.com.
Bill de Decker is the Co-Founder of Conklin & de Decker, where he is responsible for consulting studies and developing new programs. His areas of expertise include financial management, business and fleet planning, certification issues, life cycle cost and operations. Prior to founding Conklin & de Decker, Bill managed the Falcon and Bell Learning Centers, as well as the Communications Systems Division for FlightSafety International.
This article was originally published in AvBuyer Magazine, Volume 23, Issue 6, 2019, p. 4.
