Breaking into Commercial Aviation Leasing/Finance
I'm looking for some honest advice from people currently working in aviation finance, aircraft leasing, asset management, or related fields.
I am currently a corporate pilot and teach people how to fly out in Texas.
Lately, I've become increasingly interested in the financial side, specifically aircraft leasing, asset management, aircraft valuation, structured finance, and aircraft acquisitions.
The biggest issue is my undergraduate degree. I studied Aviation Management B.S. at a small private Baptist school in Texas, which lacked Finance-related content. Also, my GPA was a 3.1, due to my flying program mixing into my GPA. I am considering getting another BBA w/ Finance at a state school to get finance experience and get a better shot in increasing my GPA.
I'm also considering an MS in Finance rather than getting another bachelor's degree, but I would have to knock out some prerequisites.
For those actually working in aviation finance:
- Is an MSF the right path for someone with my background?
- What entry-level positions should I realistically target?
- Would aviation experience/pilot experience actually be valuable to a lessor or aviation finance firm?
- What technical skills should I develop before applying — Excel, financial modeling, accounting, aircraft valuation, etc.?
- Are there particular firms or types of firms I should be networking with?
- Would you recommend another bachelor's, MSF, MBA, or simply getting relevant work experience?
I'd appreciate hearing from people who have actually worked in aircraft leasing/aviation finance and can tell me what they would do if they were in my position.
