Customer Testimonial Details: Howard
This is one of those stories that we have all participated in. You start with a particular goal, a set of expectations along the way, and a desired outcome at the end. Then, nothing goes as planned, you question "what the hell was I thinking", and finally you still arrive at the desired outcome. That is exactly what transpired in the story I am about to share.
While being neither intellectually gifted nor severely special needs, I presume that I can research, acquire, operate and sell most things that the average person touches (houses, cars, boats, motorcycles, etc.), but when it came time to look at my first aircraft purchase I felt like the nervous kid asking the pretty girl to the prom. So, I did the thing that has made me successful my whole life, I plunged ahead in blissful ignorance.
While visions of just about anything with wings (and some feathers) danced about in my head, the research codified around the venerable Cessna Cardinal. With a platform in mind, where could one go and find out just about anything one would ever need to know about a Cardinal?
Yes, CFO was the top search in Google, and on a late night "what the heck" moment I purchased a membership. I poked around a few weeks and realized that with so many amazing quirks (features) I should really enlist the help of a pro. This is what motivated me to contact Keith Peterson to represent me as a buyer.
Now I have talked to a few aircraft brokers, and they inspired me as much as my occasional brush with the local used car salesman at the end-of-the-month you-can't-miss awesome deal. I realized quickly though that Keith is nothing like that. Unflappable, personally interested in both parties and the aircraft, and a stone-cold ninja when it comes to Cardinals.
He walked me patiently (and he needed a lot) through all the data, spreadsheets and what to expect from the experience. We did email, phone calls, video calls, more emails and some text messaging. The point is, he is really accessible and willing to field even the most minutia of questions.
To shorten this up a bit, I will just skip closer to the happy ending. If you desire more details, please feel free to reach out directly.
It was not even two weeks from the day I contacted Keith when a pretty lady in Conway, Arkansas started singing that siren song to me. Keith warned me not to get too attached and I pretended to acquiesce. This crazy COVID thing precluded an in-person for Keith so he signed me up for his virtual pre-buy. So, I hopped on a plane in Denver and made my way to Conway.
The day of the inspection was a blur. The sellers graciously allowed me to do most of the work; crawling all over everything and generally putting my hands all over their Cardinal while juggling a video call in one hand and a flashlight in the other.
Keith proceeded to spend hours with questions about logbook entries, demanding unusual contortions to get a picture of some obscure bolt that has not seen daylight since 1972, asking questions about wires, washers, springs and things I was sure did not qualify as the English language.
The two owners were summarily impressed with the depth of Keith's knowledge and frequently told me they were a bit envious that I was using Keith (though I do not think his services are a secret).
What really sealed it was when the A&P showed up to borescope the cylinders (as if he thought that was the only thing Keith was going to have him do with that scope). We looked at bolts hidden around the stabilator, dark recesses of other areas and most importantly the rod end that still had the original 1972 zerk fitting on the main landing gear (yes, it is getting replaced).
When complete, the A&P expressed his surprise at how much Keith knew and how efficient the virtual pre-buy inspection went.
As I write this today, we are closing via escrow just 5 days after the pre-buy. After a few current-owner repairs are completed 1852Q will begin writing the next chapter of both her, and our family's, life.
With Keith you are not just getting someone who can rationalize VREF with real-world market conditions. You also get someone who understands the value from an actual and perceived basis. When he does find a squawk (and I'm sure that number has never been zero), he also knows who you should see, what order you should do the work in, and can even hook you up with a ferry pilot if needed.
I entered this experience as a former renter-of-aircraft and as a pilot/driver looking for his next ride. I left the experience with a lens of what it means to be an aircraft owner and a steward for the platform that chose me.
I have been a member of a lot of forums where you show off your "thing", everyone tells everyone they are wrong, and then you never log in again. CFO is something special and more like a family that truly cares about the Cardinal and each other. I hope to contribute, in whatever small way, to the community as I grow with 1852Q.
Thank you, Keith, and thank you CFO community.
Howard Cribbs