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Dallas Jet International

  • Tracey Cheek posted an article
    Entrepreneur Extraordinaire - Brad Harris see more

    NAFA member, Brad Harris, Founder and CEO of Dallas Jet International, shares how he got started in the aviation industry in an interview with Business Aviation Magazine.

    AH: Brad, how did you get into the aviation industry? 

    BH: I dedicated my first three and a half years of college to me becoming an architect. However, I discovered that architecture did not motivate me and I had a passion for flying aircraft so, I changed my major and gained a Bachelor of Science degree in Professional Aviation and Airway Science.  From there, I earned a Masters Degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology, which I believe has contributed quite well to the overall success of Dallas Jet International.  After graduating, I started my career as a corporate pilot with International Paper. I started flying a Citation II and then moved into a Falcon 50. Throughout my career, I have accumulated ten different aircraft type ratings ranging from the Gulfstream G550 down to a Beechjet King Air 300, including the Hawker, Challenger, Citation, Falcon and the prestigious Lockheed Jet Star II.

    AH: So, what career choices drove you to become Founder of Dallas Jet International? 

    BH: I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit. After resigning from International Paper, I started and ran an aircraft leasing and management company. In addition, I was building custom spec homes, subdivisions and I owned 50% of a barbeque restaurant. I really enjoyed entrepreneurial ventures. I got into these things just for the fun of it. Then, I realized I couldn't really do six things at once and do everything well, so I went back and focused on aviation, aircraft sales, management and leasing. In 2002, I moved to Dallas, bringing with me some ten years of entrepreneurial experience in buying, selling and  leasing  aircraft.  In the  same  year, I formed Dallas Jet International to buy, sell and broker aircraft full-time.

    AH: What was your very  first aircraft inventory deal?

    BH: The first aircraft I purchased for inventory was in 1997. I was 28 years old and the bank loaned me the money to buy and sell a Cheyenne II.  I bought it for $550,000 and sold it four months later for $665,000. In my entire career, I have never had an investor; it has either been my own money or bank financing. I worked very hard from the age of 22 to 25 to generate enough net worth that the bank would loan me money and that is how I got things off the ground. Today, I will buy up to six aircraft a year as a dealer. In 2017, I owned five aircraft at one time, which was pretty nerve-wracking, and there were many nights when I did not sleep! Thankfully, all five aircraft have sold and I was fortunate to be able to turn a good profit as a dealer. 

    AH: What type of clients does Dallas Jet International represent?

    BH: Dallas Jet International serves a multitude of clients, ranging from high net worth individuals to Fortune 500 Corporations, families and small-to-mid size corporations. Last year my firm conducted 34 aircraft transactions with a true mix between high net worth individuals and corporate clients. If I had to guess at the split, I would say probably 40% are HNW individuals/corporations and 30% are small capital and mid-size capital companies. We do probably 60% of our deals in large cabin aircraft, 30% of our deals in mid-cabin aircraft and 10% of our deals in light jets/turboprops. What is unique about Dallas Jet International is that we do not specialize in one aircraft type; we cover the field. We will help a client buy a Gulfstream G650 or a King Air, and everything in-between. When I started Dallas Jet International, I wanted to be an operational broker  not  a  book  broker. I made it a point  to keep a current pilot’s license in a variety of aircraft. For the last 13 years, I have not been actively flying, but prior to that I would fly a couple times a month to keep my pilots license current. It paid off. When a client calls to inquire about the operational costs of a G450 and a Falcon 2000, because I have managed and flown both, I know the operating costs and the operational and maintenance issues that are associated with that aircraft type. I can tell you what the flight characteristics are and what they cost without having to look it up. This knowledge is specifically part of the value that Dallas Jet International brings while conducting aircraft transactions for our customers. Our firm’s producers and brokers are pilots who have lived and breathed aircraft from a young age. 

    AH: Is there anything that sets you apart from other brokers in the industry?

    BH: What most people do not know about me is that I have an extensive background in commercial property and casualty  insurance. At one  time, over a three-year period I was President of a property and casualty third-party claims administration company, which managed $275 million in annual premiums and had 412 employees over 18 states. I grew the company 90% the first year. Ultimately, the company sold in 2008 but I continue to hold a current insurance license and Dallas Jet International maintains a substantial aviation insurance book of business. Since I have this insurance experience, I am able to guide our clients in their aviation insurance needs.

    To read the full article, click here.

    This article was originally published in Business Aviation Magazine, Spring 2018, p. 8.

     November 12, 2018