I just read on the RWF that Air Command said yesterday that there has been no buyer as of yet.

Darren, somewhere on this forum you clearly said you were buying Air Command. I can't find the post.

Stan,
I did not say I was committed to buying A/C .....but that i had talked to both Red and Doug on multiple occasions and was seriously interested in acquiring the business but not the name.

Unfortunately after a great deal of research and poking around at the numbers the valuation is not there
for it to be worth trying to bring it from where it is now.

I am still interested if the price of 250K comes down drastically. Also it will require a partner who
is willing to help run the new company. I am not 20 yrs old and my energy levels are off level as well.

I just HATE watching a good (could be) American company going south (as in close down) or being bought
and shipped off shore. Plus I really want to be more involved with this sport in a more intimate way.

Want to be a gyro company owner/operator Stan?? U would be a prime pick!!!

Darren- Ok....I thought you had stated buying it. It needs someone like you to breath life into it. They quit showing up at Bensen Days and Mentone.

My involvement in having any other business besides my stairway business and now having farms to be overseeing, just won't allow any interest or time. I would never invest money in an aviation company unless I could give it my all.

A couple of people I know talked to the principles about purchasing Air Command. Both decided that the cost did not match the value, and neither were particularly interested in the name. Apparently, the name is perceived by the seller as a valuable and integral part of the package.

In addition to the thread herein that promoted an inclination for several of our number to get involved in manufacture or parts distribution, I have heard from other non-forum contributors with the same inclination. I suspect that one or more new US gyroplane manufacturers will emerge from all this cogitation within the next year or so. I also think Air Command will fade away. It is unlikely anyone will buy it as it is currently presented.

Guys and Gals......

I was really disappointed I could not get Red to see my vision.

I started and ran a successful independent motorcycle shop for many years (Cycle-Logical Enterprises, Inc.) and it is that kind of work that keeps me out of real trouble and it is a joy to help ppl in a sport or hobby I love being a part of.

I do wish it was a different financial environment and I was 35 again. OK that's B.S.....!!!!

I like being 50+ cuz I am so much dumber now then I was then and still have a chance to turn it around!!! HAHAHAHa!!

Never say never..........sometimes something has to die for a rebirth or in the case of Air Command
a major resurrection with a new name!!!

Truth be told i kind of want to stick it to Dickweed Fuckwad after he made my list of jerks for shitting on my
Wolverine theme name and CLT redo of his precious creation!!!!

Just to show him how his failure could be turned into a real success from a person he decided to tread on who was just a newbie with enthusiasm and zeal for everything gyro.

Not so much anymore but it would still be interesting if just like the MH-1 from crap to jewel and then the gyro aspect being rebuilt and a new image from his ashes... (Not to denigrate Red or Doug....They seem to be decent ppl and have been very gracious with sharing their business internals with me as a prospective buyer.)

OK got to go take my new happy pills.....cheers!!!

Darren- I love that "Cycle Logical" name

Not only AirCommand ... but Butterfly ( which truth be told .... borrows much design format from AC (& also Dominator)) ... are going to go the way of the dinos ... unless the current owners - estate/ inheritors swallow a LARGE REALITY PILL & price the assets to SELL... be GREAT if some young entrepreneur with passion & energy to service & grow the US gyro-design/ homebuilders components & kits market could team up with some older investor with the grub stake $$$'s.... & carry these two brands into the future!!

All us 50-60+ crowd ... seem too burned out to do the hard work of energizing the project!

Gotta find a 30 something ... with drive & good business head! HMMMMM

Well there is a short and a long story to that.........

Short version:

I am a life long motorcyclist & trekkie......It just seemed to fit my interests and it was catchy
to the ear.

The Aircommand is a dated design, it needs to be updated, the best example I can think of is Gary Weavers,
Also the only design of LN's that I like is the Monarch, just because of the simplicity.

That is just my opinion, your mileage may vary.

I doubt that it will sell at all to be honest. I doubt also that LN's will sell as a business either... When someone buys an established business, a lot of the money goes to buying a reputable name and reputation of past successes, then there is the stock on hand and machinery etc and then to have some assistance to pick up and run by the seller.... Well, no one buying A/C wants to learn how to kill people from festers..... and LN cant give any information or takeover assistance.... so whoever was to buy, is on their own....

Obviously Air Command has a shockingly bad reputation and the name has been dragged and kicked around in the mud since I can remember.... the design is outdated and hardly worth a mention.... so going forward, any machine offered for sale would have to be re designed anyway.... So what would someone get for $250K?..... nothing.... whatever stock is on hand and any machinery would be its value...... I personally think it would be better to pay $25.00 to not to have to anything to do with air command

Same for LN's business.... What is of value? Any machines or components, machinery or stock..... that is about it. The reputation of the 'brand' has been dragged equally thru the mud, it was just a copy of the air command basically and has the same thrustline and issues, and as for the suspension or the credit for its invention, well, considering that Quentin Campbell was using that in Canberra in 1990 and I copied it from QC on my machine, unless Larry had 'invented' it prior to 1990 then I guess LN just borrowed the design..... just as we all borrow designs off each other and everything else like we all do and have done.... I mean, everything I have built I have just copied off everyone else.... that would be the same for most gyro people.... I mean look at the Euro clones.... about 6 different companies selling almost identical gyros.... I bet all claiming to be unique in some way?

If a business selling gyros had a great reputation, machines ordered and progressing to completion, some proprietary design or components that everyone wanted and there were many machines flying successfully wit high praise from all/most owners.... then this company would be worth looking at buying, if not, well, better off just starting new IMO

When buying an unsuccessful or dubious company, one always has to be sure that they aren't purchasing the companies past 'debts' even years old debt, so buying a company like A/C would be extremely risky in my opinion, it would be especially disturbing when people would always ask "Is that the company that denise festers started?"

How embarrassing would that be?

I was actually thinking of re branding and redesigning the brand to kind of a spin off from my Motorcycle,Watercraft concept.

An independent motorsports and aviation dealership.

Where not only motorcycles,watercraft and GYRO's could be bought and sold selling various models
to entry level kits built by the dealer so as to control quality assurance.

I may be to old now to recreate a viable biz in this economy.

But even on a small proof of concept scale it would be a fun challenge for me.

I had a lot of successes in my entrepreneurial days and never regretted a moment.

Having run one's own business's ruins a person in the 9 to 5 world.

And it makes me basically UN-employable unless I am making the decisions.
(not all of them...I'm not a control freak like Gabor!! )

I guess I am just a dreamer.!!!

That sounds good, but you can do that without paying big bux for a defunct company name with a horrendous reputation and would have to re design and test new stuff anyway?

Gabs isn't a control freak.... he just wants everything done NOW! and PROPERLY!

or else!

If having things go the way I want them to go and making things go the way I want them to go is being a control freak than I guess that's what I am.
I don't do well with drifting. The go with the flow is not my thing.
I prefer to steer my life rather and will learn from mistakes and harvest the fruits if.....
But I definitely like to be in control. I can blame only one that way. Me!

I am not much of a dreamer I prefer doing things.
Dreaming is good but wastes a lot of valuable time

Its good for us too, we can all blame you for everything as well

And if you run out of blaming you can still go to RWF and drum up some more sympathy ROFLMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

U know I am just razzing you buddy.....

U r one of the most get r done guys I know.

As far as the Biz end of things go don't misunderstand me....I don't want the Air Command name or history for any price let alone the one given.

If the price was right the inventory and equipment is what has any valve and ppl still fly them so a small
inventory would be nice to have for those who need them.

And to me any how it seems some of those parts are too expensive for what they are even after being produced.

Also u got to dream before you build so I don't see the waste of time unless it never turns into reality!

Of coarse there is Ernie Boyette/RFD here in Florida already......Silverlight Aviation with Fara.....then I know Gabor has aspirations and then there are talents like Jake and Chuck Beaty here also..........seems a hotbed of gyro activity!!!

Might be interesting to see what I can bring to the game.

I can always dream either way.

Dreaming is good I am accused of doing it all the time

But I always say, if you haven't any dreams, what do you have? (for me, usually night mares)

Interesting discussion.... Fully agree: the names and business are the prize... the inventory and shop equipment are just a commodity.

Was thinking of what we do in the heating and AC business; The name and the customer base is everything, anyone can get a van and some tools and start passing out business cards. It is the list of customers that matters.

I have watched folks sell HVAC businesses over the years... the seller always has a seriously inflated idea of what it is worth, and the buyer wants a deal. Somewhere in the middle is reality.

IMO in the case of A/C and LN's co.... there is little to no value in the name and business... so it is only inventory and shop equipment... which is only a commodity.

Be interesting to watch how this works out... I suspect both may die without a buyer.

That's right GG, and like I said, I have seen it happen before where someone buys a business cheap.... didn't read the contract properly and purchased the company, it chattels and DEBTS (in the fine print) ended up there was a few hundred thousand$ in debts that the new buyer purchased

The pictured Monarch 203 FD ... shows a build date of 2003 ... an early version!
registered to Larry Neal ... deregistered ... as SOLD to Indonesia ... 5 /2014 !!!