Pilot and Airport Chairman Upgrades Aircraft with Fast, Friendly AOPA Financing

Jim Farris, chairman of the Board of Directors of the Pennsylvania’s Lawrence County Airport Authority (KUCP), has been a pilot for close to 30 years. He is currently an 800-hour, instrument-rated private pilot.

Jim recently purchased a 1978 Piper Turbo Lance II. This is Jim’s third airplane. He’s had a couple of Piper Cherokee 140s in the past, and, in fact, just sold one right before he bought the Turbo Lance. “I just wanted something a little faster, carry more weight, travel a little bit easier, you know, carrying bags, golf clubs, that type of thing, friends, family. So just wanted to step up to something a little bigger.”

Jim paid cash for his first two airplanes, but due to the comparative expense of the Turbo Lance II over the PA 28’s, he thought it wiser to finance the purchase.

“I actually reached out to AOPA just to get an idea of what terms and rates would be like. They suggested I start a pre-approval.” So his initial application was for a pre-approval to find out what price range lenders would offer for his loan. Serendipitously, within two days of getting the pre-approval, Jim made a deal on his Lance.

“AOPA handed me over to the aircraft lender.” According to Jim, if it hadn’t been for a little thing called AirVenture, he would have closed on his aircraft within the next week. “The lender had their staff at Oshkosh. But it still closed within two weeks. It was fast!”

“The people at all ends were just wonderful to deal with, always happy, always pleasant. No such thing as a dumb question. They just treated me like I was the most valuable client in the world.”

Great advice. Great rates. Helpful and responsive reps you can trust. Three good reasons to turn to AOPA Aviation Finance when you are buying or refinancing an airplane. If you need a dependable source of financing with people who are on your side, just call 800.62.PLANE (800.627.5263), or click here to request a quote.