Car dealers do it and now, so does Mooney Aviation: a certified used-airplane program with a promise of a perfectly working airplane and a guarantee to back it up. At the moment, only Premier Aircraft Sales in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has actually brought four older aircraft back up to factory standards, but four factory service centers will participate.
The four certified used aircraft for sale at Premier range in price from $260,000 to $450,000. The certified pre-owned aircraft program was announced to dealers and owners in early October. Only 2004 to 2014 Mooneys equipped with the Garmin G1000 avionics suite are eligible for the program.
Premier Aircraft Sales Vice President Jeff Owen said the program was developed in conjunction with the factory. The company developed a list of things that should be checked or overhauled, and the factory added to the list, which includes 27 items. The aircraft are covered by a fly-away guarantee providing free repair or replacement of inoperative equipment for the first 30 days or 10 hours after taking delivery of the aircraft.
Owen called it a “no excuses” upgrade. “If the prop is more than six years old, it is overhauled. If the engine is more than 12 years old, it is overhauled,” he said. The program is aimed at removing the “variables” affecting the quality of used aircraft.
“A used Mooney has always represented an industry leading top value, so we developed this program in partnership with Premier Aircraft Sales to address a significant demand in the marketplace,” said Jerry Chen, CEO of Mooney. Mooney officials claim 7,800 customers in the United States and 1,000 more overseas.
