Aircraft Expo

A plethora of planes were gathered in a small regional airport. There were all types of aircraft; Fighter jets, Business jets, Experimental planes, and even Helicopters. This was Oshkosh; an annual gathering of aircraft enthusiasts from all over the world. There were all types of enthusiasts here too; amateurs who built planes from their garage to the biggest manufacturers in the world.

A young man in jeans and a green hoodie was seen walking around while observing the different aircraft. This was the first time Michael had seen this many planes in one place and there was a lot to see. Even with his enhanced vision, he could not see an end to the sea of planes. He was mostly here to buy some planes. However, he wanted to get a good look before talking to sales reps.

Michael did not know exactly what he wanted; in reality, he would have preferred using his own flying skill but that was not something he could use frequently. Therefore, he had to pick some aircraft to use in normal situations. Michael figured it was best to go for versatility, his personal policy was to be prepared for any situation. That's why he has a supermarket full of goods in his inventory. He wanted to do the same thing with planes.

After making sure that he got a good idea of the different types of aircraft, he headed towards the area with all the sales rep. First, he walked towards the Cessna stall.

Kendrick Thomas noticed a young man walking towards his booth. The man was wearing casual clothes. As the senior sales rep for Cessna aviation, Kendrick had seen a lot of "dreamers" approach his stall and waste his time. He hated kids like that; they always gawked at the demo plane like cavemen seeing a phone for the first time. It was a hassle to clean the jet every time one these destitute admirers drooled all over it.

" Hello, Can you tell me more about Cessna Jets? How are they better than the other brands?" Michael asked. On the surface, all the jets looked the same to him. He was hoping the salesman could enlighten him.

"Kid, Don't waste my time. You look like you won't be able to afford even the cheapest model. If you want to fly then your best bet is to jump off a building with a parachute." The salesman reprimanded Michael.

The other salesman nearby heard the joke and started laughing. Michael looked around and realized that he wasn't going to get any help from them. " Fuck you assholes. One day I will buy the company you work for; Lets see you laugh then." He muttered under his breath.

" Hello, are you looking to purchase any aircraft sir?" a young blonde lady in a black dress approached Michael. She had seen him getting ridiculed by other salesmen and decided to take a shot herself.

" Yes I am; Are you a sales rep?" Michael asked. He was surprised to find someone acting polite with him.

" Oh no, My name is Jamie Bellamy; I am an independent agent that helps buyers find the planes they are looking for." The lady extended her hand.

Michael shook her hand and smiled. It looks like he was finally making some progress. " So what type of services do you provide Jamie? I didn't know that I needed a third-party agent to purchase aircraft."

" Well, I mostly help buyers in the second-hand market. I do background research on the aircraft to make sure it is in good condition and verify all its logs and paperwork. You can say I protect buyers from scams. I also help with purchasing new aircraft too. The salesman you see here represent their manufacturer and will try to upsell you their most expensive model. On the contrary, an agent like me will try to find the best plane for you." Jamie went on to explain. She had nearly a decade of experience selling planes and could almost instantly find the perfect plane for the client.

Michael listened to her explanation and felt satisfied. Basically, she would keep his interests in heart and try to find the best aircraft for him. He negotiated terms with her and reached a mutually beneficial arrangement.

" So what sort of aircraft are you looking for sir?" Jamie asked.

" Well, I am actually looking to make some big purchases. I want to get multiple aircraft. I know for sure that I want to get a business jet, a turboprop for rough runways, and a helicopter." Michael listed of his main requirements. He wanted the ability to fly anywhere in the world.

Jamie took in a deep breath. "It seemed like I reeled in a whale" She thought to herself. Most people bought one plane at a time and then replaced it when necessary. Clients like Michael were known as whales who bought planes like they were nothing.

" Do you have the financing all sorted out sir?" This was the nice way of asking if he could afford it in the first place.

Michael smiled at Jamie's polite questions. " Yes, I can pay for everything with cash."

Jamie smiled at Michael's confirmation; That was all she needed. She started showing him the aircraft that he wanted.

They spent the whole day looking at the aircraft and managed to narrow it down to several choices. Jamie met up with Michael the next morning ready to close some deals with this extravagant spender.

The first plane Michael bought was a Beechcraft King Air 350. It was a turboprop plane that was meant to operate in remote parts of the world. It could operate in grass/gravel and even dirt runways. There were models operating in over 105 countries in the world. The model Michael purchased was only two years old and was in meticulous condition. At 6 million dollars it was quite a bargain for the condition it was in.

Next, Michael ended up purchasing two helicopters; a Robinson R66 and an AgustaWestland A109. The total costs for both came to a whopping 8 million dollars. The R66 was an economy helicopter meant for small distances; The A109 was a luxury helicopter that was designed for billionaires to travel far in style. Then Michael decided to get a seaplane. He had no idea why he would ever want to land a plane in the ocean but for five million dollars, now he can.

As he walked around the expo, he gaped at the military jets that were on sale. There was a row of P-51 mustangs from World War Two; Mig 29s from Russia, and even a Harrier Jump jet that was used on aircraft carriers. It was actually legal to buy and fly military jets in the United States, if that wasn't freedom then he did not know what was. However, Michael turned the fighter jets down; you might be free to buy them but that did not mean you weren't gonna end up on a watch list, and that is the last thing Michael needed right now.

The last plane on the list was a business jet; Michael and Jamie walked to the area of corporate jets. Jamie could personally place an order with the manufacturer and skip the sales rep so Michael did not have to interact with the morons.

" Hey look who is back! What's the matter you couldn't afford any of the planes on that side. Well, I got news for you. If you can't afford those. Then don't even think about coming over here." Kendrick replied.

" No, Michael has already spent nearly 20 million dollars on that side. He is here to place an order for a new business jet."

Kendrick's jaw nearly crashed into the floor. Twenty million dollars was more than enough to get a new medium-sized jet. He did not expect this poor teenager to spend that much on planes. Not to mention, Michael wasn't done yet. He was going to order another jet; a brand new one this time.

" Well, we have a remarkable line of jets at Cessna. A different model for every requirement." Kendrick started his usual routine.

" That's alright, I am no longer interested in Cessna jets. Jamie will show me the other options, so I don't need your help." Michael immediately turned him down.

Kendrick could only watch as they walked past his booth. He wished he took Michael seriously the first time; unfortunately, there is nothing he could do but feel regret.

Michael and Jamie discussed all the available options. Michael finally settled on a Gulfstream G650; It was one the top business jets in production. With a range of 12,000 km and a max speed of 0.90 Mach; it was the cream of the crop. Michael ordered a model without too much luxury options but the bill still came to a whopping 70 million dollars. He did not want to spend so much, but there really was no other plane that had this much range or speed.

Michael paid the deposit and wrote down the address of the hanger he bought in Austin. He would have to arrange for a third party to maintain all the aircraft. The G650 itself had an estimated yearly maintenance cost of 5 million dollars. The whole aircraft deal would set him back nearly 100 million dollars. But Michael was not complaining; after all, he could make that in less than a month.

The G650 was scheduled to be delivered in a month. Michael decided to fly the King Air 350 home while arranging all his other aircraft to be delivered to Austin Municipal Airport. Hopefully, they will all fit in the hanger.