Page 35 - Twin and Turbine June 2017

J
3
J
7
u
u
n
n
e
2
e
2
0
0
1
1
7
•
Muncie Aviation rst opened its doors in 1932, starting as a Waco dealer, but soon adding Beechcraft and Piper.
Ingram stands in front of a Cessna 150 in 1982, the beginning of his sales career.
4. In your career, what have been some of the biggest shifts in the industry?
The most dramatic change I’ve witnessed is the price of what we sell. It’s unbelievable. When I started out, I could sell a brand- new airplane for $55,000 – seemed like all the money in the world. A similar airplane today will run more than $400,000. The pool of prospects is shrinking and OEM’s are just not selling as many aircraft as they used to. Along with that, the costs associated with flight training have also significantly jumped.
5. In reference to technological changes in aircraft over the years, what do you think has had the biggest impact on safety?
I think anybody would say the advancements in avionics and situational awareness have hugely improved safety over the years. The amount of information at your dispos•al in the modern cockpit is incredible – traffic awareness, terrain alerts, synthetic vision, audible warnings, etc. It’s without a doubt the biggest difference in flying compared to when I started. Back then, the guy in his La-Z-Boy at home knew more about the weather than you did when you took off. T&T
The Muncie Aviation sales team (from left to right): Kris Layson, Steve Thompson, Brittainy Raef and Martin Ingram.
Aircraft
Quarter Pg
Spruce
4/C
Ad
www.aircraftspruce.com
Jacobs is a private pilot and general aviation enthusiast. In 2012 she earned her business degree in marketing from Oklahoma State University. Since then, she has specialized in aviation- specific marketing, working first for Piper Aircraft, and then as an aviation marketing specialist at Sullivan Higdon & Sink. Jacobs is now serving as the Director of Communications at the consulting firm Groom Aviation. You can contact Rebecca at rebecca@groomaviation.com
T
TW
W
I
I
N
N&
&T
TU
U
R
R
B
BI
IN
N
E
E•
3
33