McGraw-Hill Opens Internet Site to Speed Online Sales of Aircraft

Operators interested in buying or selling aircraft now have access to an extensive, new interactive Internet site-aircraftbuyer.com-introduced at the Las Vegas NBAA convention by McGraw-Hill's Aviation Week unit. The site was developed by Aviation Week's Business & Commercial Aviation magazine and A/C Flyer, an aircraft resale magazine.

"Aircraftbuyer.com has both aircraft and a market from the top exec down to the student," said Aviation Week Group Executive vice president Kenneth Gazzola.

"A business jet offered for sale by owners in Chicago might be just the thing for a company in the Pacific Rim," Gazzola said. "This dynamic makes the Internet the perfect meeting place for sellers and buyers of resale aircraft."

Aircraftbuyer.com, said Gazzola, offers "one-stop shopping from a world inventory of resale aircraft."

The Aviation Week Group is offering 30 days worth of free aircraftbuyer.com listings for the rest of 1998.

Aircraft listings, with full descriptions, specifications and even a sales pitch, can be posted on the site using a modular format, with photographs. Operators wanting to advertise aircraft for sale can use an automated online listing form or can fax their information to the site administrator. Pictures can be e-mailed, too, or prints sent via regular mail.

A seller must furnish complete contact information to the site administrator when placing and paying for the ad, but the ad itself can carry whatever contact data the seller wants-phone, fax or e-mail for example. Sellers are also be able to see exactly how their ad will look online before it is submitted. They can review their ad and make changes before committing themselves.

Payments for ads in aircraftbuyer.com can be made directly online by credit card through Cybercash. In addition, the McGraw-Hill site includes news and features articles concerning the used aircraft industry, updated monthly.

Visitors to aircraftbuyer.com have access to full aircraft performance charts, an annual product and services directory specifically tailored for operators and companies involved in the buying or selling of aircraft, and an annual dealer/broker directory.

Another unique element of the McGraw-Hill site is a program for dealers and brokers called Premium Club, whereby a select group of dealers and brokers will be given a user ID and password allowing them to have new or revised ads automatically billed-and placed online-in less than five minutes.

Effective through December 31, sellers can list aircraft and post photos at no charge for 30 days. Beginning January 1, 1999, 30-day rates for each aircraft ad are as follows:

• Classified up to 50 words: $10 piston, $20 turbine.

• Full specs: $15 piston, $30 turbine.

• Specs and up to three photos: $35 pistons, $50 turbine.

Additional photos can be added for $10 each. The site administrator will alert sellers five days in advance of each 30-day period to alert them that the ad is about to be dropped unless renewed with another payment.

Aircraftbuyer.com also contains links to all other Aviation Week Group publications and information sites, as well as a comprehensive list of other commercial and non-commercial sites. In addition, buyers and sellers can register for a prize each month, such as a handheld GPS receiver or VHF transceiver.

For more information, visit http://www.Aircraftbuyer.com.