Pirep Van Bortel

frfly172

frfly172

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Oct 22, 2008
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ron keating
Any pireps on dealing with Van Bortel aircraft in Texas?
 
Bout all I can tell you is they have several planes I really want!
 
They seem very expensive. Hope they're worth it.
 
The only thing I know about them is a couple of guys who bought through them, and they were satisfied with the process. Never dealt with them personally.
 
I bought a 172 from them in 2006. It was on '05 with 63 hours on it. I flew out to Texas and flew the plane home (pre-solo) with a CFII they hired. Trip of a lifetime.

The deal at the time is still the deal now..
http://www.vanbortel.com/aircraft-for-sale/aircraft-inventory/purchase-protection-plan

I dealt with Laura Howell and George Van Bortel. Laura is still there. As a first time buyer, it was a very straight forward transaction. The plane was pristine...I flew it for 300 hours and sold it for 5K less than I paid for it...so it really was not all that 'expensive'

I do not hesitate to say they are absolutely first class and 100% reputable.

Theboys said:
From my experience with them they are okay. You still need to do your due diligence.
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For sure. Their buyer protection program really is the best due diligence that can be found. Correct me if I am wrong. :D
 
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No personal experience with them, but the Maint VP of the flying club I used to belong to thought very highly of them and considered using them to replace our 182. They are very expensive, but my impression is you do get a "premium quality" airplane for your money.
 
Short version:

Good, fast, and cheap- pick two. Van Bortel is good and fast, but not cheap.

Long version:

They've got some great planes, good customer service and protection options, but you can expect to pay for the Cadillac treatment.

Otoh, if your time and piece of mind are worth more than wringing every last dollar out of a seller, they're a good choice.
 
When I bought the 172, they were the lowest price for a similar 172 that I got. I wanted something with the new smell but not new. Cessna new aircraft dealers have territory restrictions...The other two quotes I got for the same/similar make/model/time aircraft were both 10K higher. VB has the money back guarantee and the lowest price.

When I bought my 182, they were lower than the local dealer for a plane with a similar amount of hours except the dealer's plane was technically new, came with money towards an instrument rating, credit for hours on the tach, two annuals and 6 oils changes. Those were things that were impractical for VB to offer halfway across the country.

A further note on 'expensive' I sold the 172 with 4 days for asking price...keep in mind that this was 300 hours and 18 months after I bought it from Van Bortel. This is a data point for not being expensive but being spot on priced...4 days.

The thing I see many people lose sight of here on POA and other boards is that well taken care well priced aircraft sell. It is that simple. We read thread after thread about dogs that take forever to sell or forever to buy, the sellers have them overpriced...you don't read about well taken care of aircraft selling for the right price because there is no drama.

Long story shorter...Van Bortel offers zero drama transactions. Another fact hard to dispute is that owns this segment of the market. If you don't believe me...put an ad for a low time 2008 C182T on Controller and see if you get a call from VB within the first week with an offer...
 
Thanks for the replys,does anyone know how the buyback guarantee works if you have traded towards the new airplane.
 
Kelvin said:
Copy. Everyone there is top notch.

Hope the deal works out for you. :yes:
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Just got off the phone with George Van Bortel,seems like a very personable person,very professional,and knowledgeable. Looking forward with working with him.
 
frfly172 said:
Any pireps on dealing with Van Bortel aircraft in Texas?
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Van Bortel has a first right of refusal clause in their contracts that they didn't explain to me when I purchased a C-182 . Then they couldn't understand why I was ****ed 3 years later when I attempted to sell my aircraft and found out about it. In my opinion, Van Bortel has no right to do this without clearly explaining what it is and how it would impact your ability to sell YOUR aircraft.
 
Um, didn’t you read the contract?
You could have crossed it out and initial it.
I’m shure it would not have stopped the sale.
 
Interesting clause. I’m not sure why it’s that horrible though. I assume they have to meet the offer the other buyer agreed to, so worst case you have a bidding war. If they get to buy it at a price they set, then boy, you shoulda read the contract.
 
Six-year-old thread, so it would be interesting to hear whether anything has changed since 2015.
 
I’ve had great experiences with VB. They are responsive, and deliver excellent product.
 
first right of refusal? That's too jus primae noctis for my taste, but whatever floats y'alls boats. :D
 
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