Sonex reports response to financial SOS

Schaible's emotional announcement of the company's abrupt closure amid financial distress posted on March 27 left little room for hope, citing a "severe drop-off in sales and our bank's unwillingness to carry-forward our debts given some unprofitable years… please know that we have fought tooth-and-nail to make Sonex successful."

In a March 31 email, Schaible reported receiving in response "a pretty overwhelming number of inquiries about the entire range of possibilities from investment to save the current operation, to sale of the business, to manufacturing rights, to grass-roots efforts to support the fleet even at the most minimal level. We have a lot to sift through with our founder, John Monnett, and our attorneys and advisors to follow-up on every inquiry and find the best mutual fit."

The company, known for inexpensive single-seat and two-place aircraft kits and automotive engine conversions, put aircraft ownership in reach of hundreds of pilots since Monnett founded the company in 1998. Nearly 700 Sonex aircraft have been completed to date, according to the company's online builder database, where owners can voluntarily report their progress; another 1,398 kits are listed as under construction. The company reported a similar number of completed aircraft when Schaible purchased it in 2022, and Schaible cited "competition from our own aircraft in the used market" among the factors that led to the decision to shut down, along with increasing costs and slow sales.

Schaible said in the March 27 announcement that he and his wife planned to file for personal bankruptcy, in addition to the company's pending bankruptcy, barring a financial rescue.

"While I know such an [eleventh]-hour miracle is unlikely, both John Monnett and myself are very interested in finding someone willing to step up and support the worldwide Sonex fleet in some capacity. That includes completion of the work required to ship Sonex Highwing kits. We are speaking with key vendors and other contacts about how that can possibly work, but again, it will take someone other than John or myself to make it happen. If you are watching or reading this announcement and have the interest and resources to take-on that role, please get in touch. I am unlikely to benefit financially from such an arrangement, but please know that I will support the efforts of anyone willing to step-up in good faith, to the best of my ability."