The Fine Print

Behind aircraft ownership is a host of costs and rules to ensure safety. The chief of an aviation company breaks it down.

- Ian De Cotta

The itch to fly started when he was a boy, as he entertained thoughts of becoming an aviator. As Ng Yeow Meng grew up, the travelling bug hit and his mind wandered to exploring places off the beaten track.

The combination of the two was a powerful potion but, after university, he dived immediately into information technology instead. Then, he landed a position with GE Aircraft Engines and was subsequently posted to Cincinnati, Ohio.

In the cornfield belt of the United States, there was little to do outside of work and, with time on his hands, he took up flying lessons.

When he returned to Singapore in 1998, he was the proud owner of a United States’ pilot licence and, subsequently, also acquired a Malaysian one.

“What grew from the regular trips up north was a desire to fly my own plane,” the 43-year-old says. “Around 2006, I discovered a Piper Warrior II was up for sale in Australia for A$60,000 and thought the price was reasonable. I met the seller in Bankstown, Sydney, to complete the sale and flew it back to Singapore.”

Once he had his hands on the Piper, the intrepid aviator began living his boyhood ambitions, flying to remote parts of Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia and Indonesia. He went on to co-own a Robin2160 aerobatic aircraft, a Diamond DA40 and, most recently, a share in an Eclipse EA500 light jet. But, like all types of vehicles, there are fixed and variable costs attached to owning an aircraft.