Post #866993

GM all. We can't say we slept well last night. Despite us doing different things, the news of a fellow small-scale aero business shutting down hit really close to home, probably because at the end of the day, we're not all that much different. Maybe we would have had a similar fate in store for us but for the non-aero- the marine, motorsport & energy projects we do on occasion to keep the lights on, a roof over our heads and some food on the table for our families. We know our business mission, products, services, client base & operating models are very different from that of Sonex, but it just sucks to see these fellow hard-working White folks, who are very popular in the kit-built aircraft community having poured their hearts & souls into it, in over their heads in debt and left with no choice but to throw in the towel. It's a big reality check, but to be fair, we are seeing a big shift in the industry, as new regulations will soon allow for groups who were once relegated to manufacturing kits to be able to market their aircraft fully assembled, ready to fly. It is understood that customers would rather pay more and fly today instead of taking the risk of buying a kit and not finishing it. Indeed, of all the aircraft kits that are sold, less than 30% ever make it to completion, to say nothing of getting airborne. That's why we are going the ready to fly route, despite the administrative burdens & financial risks that come with it. A good commentary on the plight of the kit-built market: https://avbrief.com/the-realities-of-the-kit-industry/ In the meantime, all we can do is to help the families involved in any way we can (we're taking up some collections through the Church & community to send their way) but importantly, to hopefully fully understand what went wrong for them and avoid repetition on our part.