VREF | The Truth About the Aviation Market

Podcast: The Truth About the Market Host: Jason Zilberbrand, President & CTO, VREF

Episode Overview

In this episode, Jason takes you deep into one of the most consequential — and least understood — shifts happening in aviation right now: the privacy war brewing between the FAA, public flight-tracking, ADS-B technology, corporate secrecy, celebrity security, and a century-old registry system built on transparency.

For the first time in U.S. aviation history, aircraft owners can legally hide their names and addresses from the public Aircraft Registry. At the same time, anyone with a $50 receiver and a Wi-Fi conn...

Podcast: The Truth About the Market

Host: Jason Zilberbrand, President & CTO, VREF

Episode Overview

In this eye-opening episode, Jason reveals one of the least discussed — yet most influential — forces in every aircraft transaction: the broker.

Not the airplane. Not the market. Not the valuation model.

The broker.

Using a fictional—but extremely realistic—2012 Citation CJ3, Jason demonstrates how six different broker archetypes can turn the same airplane into six completely different stories.

The asset never changes. But the narrative does. And the person telling the story of...

Episode Overview

In this episode, Jason breaks down one of the strangest dynamics to hit aviation in more than a decade — a market that’s slowing down and speeding up at the exact same time. Total transactions are falling… yet the best aircraft are selling faster than they have in years.

If you want to understand the real state of the aviation market going into 2026 — not the noise, not the headline spin — this is the episode to hear.

This is the truth behind the bifurcation: a clean split between good airplanes and everything else, disc...

Podcast: The Truth About the Market Host: Jason Zilberbrand, President & CTO, VREF

Episode Overview

In this Thanksgiving special, Jason steps away from depreciation curves, absorption rates, and market chaos to talk about something aviation doesn’t celebrate nearly enough: gratitude.

But don’t worry — this isn’t some soft, sentimental detour.

This is an episode about the real aviation world we all live in: the chaos, the beauty, the people who keep airplanes flying, the market that refuses to die, and the stories that could only ever happen in this industry.

Inc...

Host: Jason Zilberbrand, President of VREF, ASA appraiser, expert witness, 30+ years in aviation.

Episode Overview

In this episode, Jason pulls back the curtain on one of the most common (and expensive) patterns in aviation: the first airplane someone wants to buy is almost always more airplane than they actually need.

From turbocharged SR22s to pressurized pistons with FIKI, Jason unpacks how identity, ego, and fantasy missions push first-time buyers into aircraft that outpace their experience, budget, and real-world flying habits.

Instead of shaming the mistake, he explains why it happens...

Podcast: The Truth About the Market Host: Jason Zilberbrand, President & CTO, VREF Length: ~35 minutes Theme: Why aircraft aren’t selling — and what fair market, orderly liquidation, and forced liquidation values really mean when the market slows down

Episode Overview

In this episode, Jason Zilberbrand takes a hard look at what happens when aircraft stop moving — not just in the air, but in the resale market. From piston singles and turboprops to light jets, days-on-market have tripled since 2022, and many owners are still pricing aircraft like it’s 2021. Jason breaks down how to interpret real market data, wh...

Podcast: The Truth About the Market Host: Jason Zilberbrand, President & CTO, VREF Length: ~45 minutes Theme: The global engine crisis—what caused it, how it’s reshaping aircraft values, and what every operator needs to do next

Episode Overview

In this episode, Jason Zilberbrand breaks down one of the biggest challenges facing aviation today: the engine shortage. From skyrocketing overhaul lead times to the myth of “guaranteed coverage,” he exposes how years of labor attrition, supply chain collapse, and OEM monopolization have created the perfect storm.

If you’ve struggled to schedule an overhaul, find a loa...

Host: Jason Zilberbrand, President & CTO of VREF

Length: ~28 minutes

Episode Overview

In this episode, Jason Zilberbrand takes a hard, unfiltered look at the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) convention — the industry’s flagship event that once defined dealmaking, advocacy, and innovation in business aviation.

But in an era of digital transactions, sustainability mandates, and shifting buyer demographics, is NBAA still relevant? Or has it become a nostalgic echo of what business aviation used to be?

Drawing on more than three decades of insider experience — from OEM partnerships to appraisals, advoca...

Host: Jason Zilberbrand, President of VREF, ASA appraiser, expert witness, 30+ years in aviation.

Topic: The messy middle between accepted offer and title transfer—what’s supposed to happen, what actually happens, how deals go off the rails, and how to protect yourself.

Episode Summary

Jason pulls the curtain back on the transaction phase: LOIs, deposits, pre-buys, escrow, title and liens, and closing mechanics. You’ll learn why “time kills deals,” the most common failure points, and how psychology, paperwork, and poor preparation can turn a routine purchase into a costly, month-long fight. Jason also walks...

Host: Jason Zilberbrand, President of VREF Aircraft Value Reference & Appraisal Services

Summary

In one of the most revealing episodes yet, Jason pulls back the curtain on three of the aviation industry’s most misunderstood—and often misused—practices: off-market aircraft, back-to-back transactions, and the broker’s role in 2025. He explains why these deals tempt buyers and sellers alike with promises of speed, exclusivity, and discretion—and why, more often than not, they lead straight into confusion, inflated prices, and even fraud.

Drawing on decades of hands-on experience as a dealer, appraiser, and expert witness, J...

Host: Jason Zilberbrand, President of VREF Aircraft Value Reference & Appraisal Services

Summary

In one of the most revealing episodes yet, Jason pulls back the curtain on three of the aviation industry’s most misunderstood—and often misused—practices: off-market aircraft, back-to-back transactions, and the broker’s role in 2025. He explains why these deals tempt buyers and sellers alike with promises of speed, exclusivity, and discretion—and why, more often than not, they lead straight into confusion, inflated prices, and even fraud.

Drawing on decades of hands-on experience as a dealer, appraiser, and expert witness, J...

Host: Jason Zilberbrand, President of VREF Aircraft Value Reference & Appraisal Services

Overview

In this episode of The Truth About the Market, Jason turns the spotlight on the aviation community itself. Drawing from the latest VREF Market Sentiment Survey, which gathered responses from over 1,000 buyers, sellers, brokers, lenders, and operators, he breaks down what people across the industry are seeing, feeling, and planning for as 2025 comes to a close.

From shifting inventory trends and rising operating costs to tightening loan conditions and the widening gap between buyer optimism and seller expectations, Jason walks through...

Host: Jason Zilberbrand, President of VREF Aircraft Value Reference & Appraisal Services

Introduction

“Can I afford that airplane?” Jason tackles the question he hears every week—moving past listing prices to the real math behind financing structures, down payments, LTV, amortization, liquidity and net-worth requirements, fixed vs. variable operating costs, and practical rules of thumb. With real aircraft examples and monthly/annual budget breakdowns, this episode shows how to evaluate affordability without getting blindsided.

Topics Covered

1) Myth-Busting: Asking Price ≠ Affordability

Introduction

A single dent can erase seven figures from a jet’s value. In this episode, Jason unpacks one of aviation’s most misunderstood—and expensive—topics: damage. Drawing on decades of appraising, federal litigation experience, and a personal war story (a Lear 45 tail strike in a hangar), he explains why damage isn’t a checkbox or a one-size deduction. It’s a nuanced blend of market psychology, documentation, repair quality, and timing—and getting it wrong can cost millions.

Topics Covered

1) Why Damage Matters (and What It Isn’t)

Host: Jason Zilberbrand, President of VREF Aircraft Value Reference & Appraisal Services

Introduction

Jason pulls back the curtain on aircraft valuation—what it is, what it isn’t, and how bad inputs (or bad actors) can warp the number you’re relying on. Building on Episode 2 (bonus depreciation myths and popularity traps), this episode shows exactly how to value an aircraft and how the new VREF software makes the process transparent, defensible, and repeatable for buyers, sellers, brokers, lenders, and insurers.

Topics Covered

1) Why Aircraft Valuation Is Harder Than Cars, RVs, or Boats<...

Host: Jason Zilberbrand, President of VREF Aircraft Value Reference & Appraisal Services

Introduction

In this episode of The Truth About the Market, VREF CEO Jason Zilberbrand pulls apart two of the biggest myths driving poor aircraft buying decisions: the illusion of “free jets” through bonus depreciation, and the herd mentality of chasing the most popular aircraft rather than the one that fits your mission and budget.

Jason brings over three decades of valuation expertise and market cycle experience to expose the hard truths behind aircraft ownership—and why Instagram hype, LinkedIn posts, and sales pitche...

Host: Jason Zilberbrand, President of VREF Aircraft Value Reference & Appraisal Services

Introduction

Hi everyone, and welcome to the very first episode of The Truth About the Market.

I'm your host, Jason Zilberbrand—President of VREF, long-time aviation appraiser, and someone who's spent over three decades deep in this industry. I've worked with everyone from individual owners to Fortune 50 operators. I've testified as an expert witness in major litigation. I've seen more cycles than I can count.

This podcast is about cutting through the BS—no fluff, no marketing spin, no sponsors. Just...