Speaker 1: 0:00

Welcome to the Jet Life Podcast. My name's Tom Lelio. I'm your ultimate jet guy. Today we're pulling back the curtain on private aviation with Jackson here of Limitless Aviation. Jackson, thanks so much for being here. Man Appreciate it. Thanks for having me. So tell us a little about yourself. What's your background? How'd you get into aviation Like the rundown? Sure, sure.

Speaker 2: 0:18

So I grew up in an aviation household. Mother was our, yeah, mother was a flight attendant, father was a pilot, same, my grandfather. It's kind of just been in our blood. Um, growing up in south florida as well, it's, you know, we're in a hot spot, obviously, so there's plenty of it here. And uh, yeah, I kind of just moved my way. As I got older I found that I, you know, had a real passion for it, and so from there I wanted to become a pilot still do, I'm working on it, you know, getting my hours, stuff like that and I found myself just really interested in the business side of things and I kind of just found my way into charter brokerages.

Speaker 1: 0:51

Okay.

Speaker 2: 0:52

I started becoming a charter broker about a year and a half, two years ago, and, you know, in the very beginning I didn't really know where to go. I had some mentors in my life that were kind of pointing me in the right direction within the industry and I kind of just learned, as you know, day by day, sure, and it was that hot spot of 2020 where you know, everyone's flying private, the prices are outrageous, but everyone's all of a sudden a broker. It was kind of that situation for me, and time went on. I kind of just started to move into the acquisition and sales side. I had a lot of people close to me that were more interested in that than they were charters, and from there I kind of just ended up where I am now. I mainly focus on that a lot of off-market deals. I partner with other brokerages around here, some heavy hitters around the country stuff like that usually they use guys like me and a couple others that are truly good at finding off-market aircraft for them and, yeah, it's where I'm at right now.

Speaker 1: 1:50

Gotcha. So what's interesting is you have your own brokerage Limitless but you're partnering. So what does that look like? Do you call other brokers to say I'll find something for you? Are they finding you somehow? What does that look like if somebody wanted to get in the acquisition side of things?

Speaker 2: 2:04

Right, right, I mean my biggest advice. I mean, luckily for me, being in proximity of South Florida, there was a lot of people within the industry, even though that I didn't know at the time they'd be in the industry. I grew up with them, so they contact you. It's a little bit vice versa. I really didn't know much about acquisition sales coming from a charter broker's perspective. It's kind of night and day. A lot of people think it's very similar, but it's not, and as you move forward, though, I think it's best just to meet as many people as you can. I think social media is, as you know. I think it's a great tool for people that are trying to get started, to really get their name out there and try to introduce yourself, even if it's over online. I did that a lot. A lot of brokers I met here today that I hadn't met in real life yet. It's just kind of how the game goes.

Speaker 1: 2:52

And so how do you find yourself finding clients, how do you find a buyer, or how do you find a seller Right.

Speaker 2: 2:57

So I mean at this point it was kind of easy for a lot of my clients. I was able to transfer at least some of the good ones from the charter broker side. Gotcha Right. Okay, if they're flying more than, let's say, 150, 200 hours.

Speaker 2: 3:08

So you were around people that were buying and selling services of aviation, yep, so you could just slide into it, okay, and then you kind of use that and then for me it was a big thing was I was just utilizing the people around me, sure, that aviation industry that were at big brokerages. Yeah, what do you need exactly?

Speaker 2: 3:23

right and it was vice versa, because then it's, you know, oh, it's almost like a rolodex, right. Yeah, now let's say they can't find what they're looking for, they're going to go to guys like me, yeah, or whoever that you know might have a shot that, oh, this, they know, they know another brokerage has it that might not be in glott, or whatever the case is. Yeah, you know, it's kind of that like off-market sense is where it kind of pulls from. So now it's kind of just a 360, I'm all over the place. You know, I have people reaching out to me vice versa on the buying and the acquisition side. So Very cool yeah.

Speaker 1: 3:52

So you're in it for a year, year and a half, two years. What's something that you wish you knew when you first started out? That you know now based on your experience.

Speaker 2: 4:02

Honestly, I think it's just networking is your biggest thing, right? Everyone in this industry, as big as it is, it's also super small. Most people know of each other and just try to add value. I think adding value for basically nothing, working for free. Almost someone else that might say okay, then this kid's a good guy.

Speaker 1: 4:23

What would be an example of you adding value? When you were first starting out, you didn't have any listings. You didn't necessarily know any owners. What was an example of you?

Speaker 2: 4:31

adding value. I think adding value can mean a lot of things, obviously, but for me at the time it was kind of tracking down. Let's say, a brokerage, a big, big time brokerage, comes to you and they say, hey, we need a, a Gulfstream five that within these hours and these you know specifications if you know, regardless, even if the deal goes through and it's, it's, it's, you know something you've already seen, you're already, you know, picking up the phone, you're ready to go, you're looking, you're ready at their disposal to kind of go.

Speaker 1: 5:00

this is something that we can maybe use in the future. Yeah, that makes sense. Um, all right. Great, let's get into some rapid fire questions, my friends. All right, so I'm going to give you. I'm going to give you one or two, I'm going to give you two options. You, just off the top of your head, which one do you prefer? Okay, all right. Pizza or steak steak, how do you like it? Cooked, medium rare, nice. All right. Iphone or Android, iphone, delta or Southwest Delta, absolutely. Uber or Lyft, lyft, nice, okay. Okay, jetnet or Amstead, amstead, okay, why, I'm just curious.

Speaker 2: 5:31

I just, you know, it's what I kind of just came accustomed to. I didn't really have too much access to JetNet at the time, okay, and so now it's just kind of the back end of it, I understand. I can find my way around pretty well.

Speaker 1: 5:42

Would you rather have $100,000 now or $1,000 a month for the rest of your life? $100,000 now. Falcon or Gulfstream, I'm going Falcon Nice Part 91 or Part 135? 91. Jet or turboprop Jet. Own a jet or own an?

Speaker 2: 6:10

fbo I'm going jet.

Speaker 1: 6:11

Okay, um, you're learning how to fly. Do you prefer the cessna 172 high wing or the piper low wing? I like the piper low wing. All right, and last but not least, would you rather own a jet and be the pilot up front or own the jet and be the guy in the backseat? I think backseat. I think backseat. Cool, cool man. Well Jackson, thanks so much for coming on the podcast. I appreciate it. Have a good one.