Stephen Hofer Presents
“Buyer’s Guide to Aircraft Transactions”

The Aerlex name was on prominent display at the record-breaking National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Regional Forum held June 9th at the Van Nuys Airport.

Aerlex Law Group and Aerlex Tax Services exhibited at the regional trade show which welcomed more than 2,000 attendees and offered 145 indoor exhibits, record-setting numbers in both categories for this key industry event. In addition to the Aerlex exhibition booth, Aerlex Law Group President Stephen Hofer was one of the speakers at the Forum and, to top it off, a crew of nimble-footed valet parking attendants, all dressed in matching Aerlex polo shirts, parked and retrieved attendees’ automobiles throughout the day at the Landmark Aviation hangar located on the north end of the airport.

As always, the educational sessions were a big draw at the Regional Forum, and Stephen Hofer’s presentation “Buyer’s Guide to a Successful Aircraft Transaction,” attracted a packed house. Hofer offered the standing-room-only audience advice on how to build a team of aircraft acquisition experts and bring structure to the transaction process. Hofer said afterward, “I was very gratified, both by the numbers of interesting questions that audience members posed at the end of my remarks and also by the many people who stopped by our Aerlex booth later to tell me how useful they felt the presentation was.”

Summing up his talk, Hofer continued, “A corporate aircraft buyer is far more likely to be pleased with the long-term results of the purchase if a team of knowledgeable advisors has helped the buyer identify the aircraft that bests meets the owner’s business travel and personal flight needs, while at the same time, developing an ownership structure that maximizes favorable tax treatment and minimizes risk from legal liability or regulatory infractions.”

Prior to Hofer’s presentation, NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen conducted the opening session, updating attendees on the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization debate now underway in Congress. The current statutory authorization funding the FAA expires on July 15, 2016, and Congress must take action by that time. A bill currently pending in the House of Representatives, H.R. 4441, proposes the creation of a new, privatized air traffic control (ATC) system that Bolen said would favor the airlines over general aviation. The bill awaits consideration by the full House after being reviewed in committee. By contrast, a bill to reauthorize the FAA without a privatized ATC system passed the Senate in March and the two houses of Congress will have to reach agreement soon on how to fund the FAA and manage the nation’s air traffic system. Bolen stressed the importance of reauthorization under the existing structure in order to protect the priorities of general aviation and prevent the establishment of excessive fees and he urged NBAA members to get involved in the debate by contacting their congressional delegation to make their views known.

In addition to the educational sessions and exhibitor booths, the static display on the ramp outside the Landmark hangar allowed visitors to view 21 aircraft currently offered for sale.

The Powerpoint slides that accompanied Hofer’s presentation, prepared by Aerlex’s senior transactional counsel, Amanda Applegate, can be viewed here.