Flexible Fractional Aircraft Ownership Program Offers
Greater Access & Opportunities for IMA Financial Group

Longtime believers in the ability of business aircraft to efficiently transport its people, IMA Financial Group owned and operated its own Beechcraft King Air 200 aircraft for many years before becoming an Executive AirShare fractional owner in 2004.

“We flew our airplane about 350 hours per year, and believe that having our own aircraft enabled us to accomplish our business goals while reducing the wear-and-tear on our people,” said Watson.  “An airplane is a very valuable business tool.”

But owning an airplane and maintaining a flight department did have its downside, he said.  The expense and downtime associated with aircraft maintenance, and the sometimes-complicated issue of pilot scheduling and availability were a concern for the company.  With an aging aircraft, management knew they were facing a big decision regarding their future travel needs.

IMA’s executives agreed that fractional aircraft ownership might be a better option, and Watson said they reviewed many companies and programs, before selecting Executive AirShare’s unique regional fractional ownership program.

Unlike the national fractional aircraft ownership programs such as NetJets and FlexJet, Executive AirShare’s aircraft serve clients exclusively in the Kansas City and Wichita markets, and are available to owners for a set number of business days — as opposed to flight hours — each year for the owners to use as they see fit.  For example, a quarter-share owner in the Executive AirShare program receives use of an aircraft for 72 days per year.  On those 72 days, the aircraft is available only for that owner, and the aircraft and flight crews fly on the owner’s schedule.  “Having that flexibility is very important to us,” said Watson.  “It gives our team a peace of mind knowing that we won’t be left stranded if a meeting ends early, or if we want to change our flight plans during the day.

“Being an owner through Executive AirShare’s fractional aircraft ownership program allows us the flexibility we need in order to transport our people to key meetings with clients,” said Watson.  “Not only are we able to use the right aircraft for a particular trip, but there have even been occasions where we’ve been able to send two sets of people to two different locations using two different aircraft.”

Watson notes that even though the company owns a share in a Beechcraft King Air 350, they have the ability to use any of the aircraft in the Executive AirShare fleet — including the smaller Beechcraft Baron 58 or the longer-range Beechjet 400A — to meet their specific travel requirements.

“Our King Air 350 is a real workhorse,” he said.  “We can fly nine people to Denver for an all-day meeting and still be home by dinnertime. But there are times when we may be making multiple stops in a day, maybe going to places like Hays or Garden City or Kansas City and back to Wichita, where the Baron is the right aircraft for the job,” he said.  Watson said that the company doesn’t use the Beechjet very often, “but it’s nice to know that if we need to get to the coasts quickly, we can use the jet to get there.   Another great thing about the Executive AirShare program is that we actually get to know the flight crews and the aircraft,” said Watson.  “On the days we fly, those are our pilots and it is our airplane.  The Executive AirShare crews are outstanding and always deliver the highest level of service.  That’s important not only for us, but for our clients or other guests that we have on board.  We know they’re going to have a great experience.”

Kurt Watson
President & Chief Operating Officer
IMA Financial Group