“There are lots of helicopters to choose from, Abby. I’m just saying that you’ll still need to consider hanger fees, fuel, insurance, and maintenance. It’s a big hassle and I don’t see you having the time to do it. You seem to be stretched thin as it is. I have two other solutions for you to consider.”
Howie was finally getting to the part I was interested in. He was like that sometimes, when he’s worked hard on something and wanted me to appreciate all the careful thought and planning he’d done.
“I’m all ears, oh great and powerful Howie. Lay them on me.”
“I like that. It’s about time someone started to appreciate my brilliance. First solution, you lease the helicopter. Costs much less than buying, you can decide to change the model if it doesn’t suit your needs, and someone else takes care of it. You just need to bring it in.”
“You can lease helicopters? Seriously? That’s awesome. Wait, you never lead with your best option. What’s the downside?”
“You. You’re eighteen and a not even a fully certified pilot yet. Insurance is going to be a problem for a lease.”
“What’s option two?”
“You make another investment and become a part owner in helicopter charter service and flight school. As a part owner, you’ll fall under their company’s liability insurance plan. You’ll have access to all of their aircraft and you might make some money while doing it.”
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“If they need another investor, then it’s either a failing business or they need to expand. Which is it?”
“Neither. The owner, a military veteran and his wife, opened the place after getting back from Iraq. They were both helicopter pilots. She was shot down and survived. A bullet hit her at an awkward angle and ended up near her heart. They managed to save her, but left the bullet inside because it was too risky to remove it. She’s been having medical issues for the past few years related to the lead toxicity of the bullet. Those are in addition to the other issues with having a bullet so close to her heart. The VA and her health insurance can only do so much and they won’t cover all of the experimental treatments that they’ve tried. Even a lot of their regular claims get rejected. In a nutshell, the medical bills have been slowly bleeding them dry. He’s taking money out of the company to make ends meet. Soon he’ll have to close down because he won’t be able to pay his bills.”
“Where are they located?”
“They’re based out of Concord-Padgett Regional. It’s called A&M Heliservices. That’s just on the other side of Charlotte from you. You can get there in no time.”
Damn right I could. That was where I was taking my private lessons! I’d never met the owner. He was away on business when I signed up and after that I’d always just flashed my student ID to get in and gone straight to see my instructor. The place was perfectly suited to my needs. Howie’s story also gave me some insight into the two helicopters that I’d seen in the maintenance hanger. They hadn’t moved the entire time I’d been there. I was guessing that he couldn’t afford to get the parts. Helicopter maintenance could be very expensive.
Howie and I discussed the investment for awhile and he set up a meeting for me to meet with the owner, Terrance Hillier and his wife, Julie, the following Saturday. I had enough in the bank to cover the investment, but it would mean having to cure another wealthy donor if I wanted to be able to continue funding VR Health Services into next year.