Van's Aircraft Update - May 11, 2024

[@cramersclassics]

Refreshing to see Vans doing such a professional job with their reorganization. As a Vans aircraft owner I find this integrity reinforces my faith in my aircraft and the company.

[@muhammadsteinberg]

The aviation community needs VANS and other experimental companies to exist. I'm happy to hear how things are going forward and appear to be getting back on track. I look forward to receiving the updated parts for my RV-10 build.

[@garysanchez5744]

yes, over communicate, its the best way, dont leave any questions out there. thank you!

[@justanotheraviator2357]

Im glad to see Vans on the path to recovery!

[@jimydoolittle3129]

It is good to see you back in action 💪✈️🇺🇸

[@shanecoffey1914]

Great update! Thanks for the continued communications. You guys really have stepped up to the plate in a big way!

[@didja691]

Again, great update Greg. Thank you! Finally received my engine build update. Thank you for the work and thank the van’s team for their hard work and effort to come out of ch. 11.

[@bertschb]

Thanks for the update Greg! It's always great hearing from you. I'm REALLY enjoying my -14A build.

[@FlyVansAircraft]

Glad you're enjoying it - Just wait until you fly it!! :)

[@unclefreddy2009]

Thanks Greg, this is the exact engine order into we were waiting for.

[@FlyVansAircraft]

We will update you with any new info whenever it becomes available.

[@LThomasAviation]

Yeh everything is great and no one got ripped off.

[@ericthomas8147]

Still waiting on LCPs. It's been a year now. Got the email and responded, and I'm really looking forward to building again. Here's hoping!

[@FixItKris]

This is great news. Look forward to receiving my parts soon 🤞 Until then I have lots of parts to rub down for alodining.

[@JMAv8Tor]

RV-15! RV-15!! RV-15!!! UPDATES!🇺🇸🛫😎

[@BergdisNorth]

No mention of the elephant in the background, the RV-15. But my gosh does it looks good. One day I gotta sell a few dozen kidneys for one.

[@FlyVansAircraft]

The project is ongoing.

[@prussiaaero1802]

⁠your kidneys are safe. For now.

[@ericsimpson1176]

Oh ya cant wait to live in portland

[@mesillahills]

I recently started monitoring Flightradar24 here in Las Cruces, NM. Starting 2 days ago three of your airplanes started buzzing the area. I live out near the airport and I hear them right now. They are 4, 6. and 8.

[@Captndarty]

Over two years lead for a 80-year-old boat anchor is criminal. How can Rotax create an engine with more components in a fraction of the time?

[@derekradcliffe3313]

Haha. Cause rotax is a significantly larger company with deep pockets. Lycoming I imagine is very profitable - if you can’t be profitable with a several year waitlist…. Partial takeback. Textron appears to own lycoming. And they are bigger than Bombadier. I’d guess BRP makes more engines annually in total (not sure what percent are aviation engines)….

[@rickwiggins283]

125+ year old boat anchor. Thank you Karl Benz!

[@DarrylZubot]

Love the rotax engine. I only look at new aircraft that have rotax option.

[@Irjdunn1]

Is there a production path to ordering kits from 100% in-stock inventory, or do you expect manufacturing to remain as just-in-time manufacturing of orders from backlog?

[@FlyVansAircraft]

Actually, we've never manufactured just in time, in the literal sense. The large backlog of production work has been a challenge for a few years and we are catching up, which means shorter lead times. Our production batches are intended to help ensure we can have kits ready to go for customers without building up a large inventory that sits. Mostly it's about ensuring the inventory is properly balanced and therefore ready to be packed and shipped. Good progress on that front.

[@mikentx57]

I am just curious about what was in your hand the whole time.

[@Milkmans_Son]

Very strange hand held device with buttons on it. Can't figure it out...

[@Jackhammer909]

Probably a remote so he can control a PowerPoint presentation that he's reading a script from

[@FlyVansAircraft]

@@Jackhammer909 Yup. Speed up and slow down the speed of the text prompts.

[@JoelHaley-z8w]

So glad we are out of bankruptcy

[@YUN-v4q]

I have assembled an RV-9A in China. It is a very good kit aircraft, but my English is very poor. Can I understand this sentence?

[@wallywally8282]

Good to see that Vans might have a future yet. BUT let’s not forget how they destroyed their own trustworthiness, ruined many a customers long life dream, bare that in mind when you outlay a fortune! There’s a saying…..I forgive but I’ll never forget!

[@chipscholl5293]

To emerge as a profitable company allows you to pay your creditors in full. Not 55%. Without making creditors whole leaves your name tarnished. I will have paid $15,750 for which I received nothing. Not to mention the time building a tail that’s now worthless. This is not great news for me, so spare me your exuberant enthusiasm. You must know this feeling is prevalent since you left the comment turned off on the restructure approval video.

[@backcountyrpilot]

I’ve had a 7A, a 7, an 8, and now a 14A. Where’s my RV-15! 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@rooster56100]

Waffle, waffle, waffle......zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[@oldschool1993]

Oh Boy- I want to work on airplanes- but Portland, no thanks.

[@johnwalters878]

Vans has screwed their vendors. Shame on you!

[@sblack48]

They ran out of money. Every company that goes into chapter 11 short changes creditors for a time. Hopefully things will go back to normal and vendors will be back to getting paid in full. Would you have preferred that they paid off more to their vendors (but certainly not all) and went bankrupt and then their vendors would have lost all future business? Or are you just angry that the money fairies didn’t descend from heaven and pay everyone with magic dust?

[@johnwalters878]

They can still recover from bankruptcy without not paying their vendors. Those vendors worked hard making parts in good faith. How you you like it if you got paid half for months of work already produced. They will not receive full payment on services rendered. It’s not the vendor’s fault of Van’s poor management.

[@sblack48]

@@johnwalters878 no I wouldn't like it and yes they delivered in good faith and no it's not their fault it is Vans' bad management and some poor engineering decisions. But vendors getting temporarily stiffed is the lessor of 2 evils. If they don't manage their finances and get back on a stable footing and continue on a very disciplined path they will fail - this has already been proven . It's only by cutting staff and getting a lifeline from Van himself and chapter 11 protection that they survived. It's ugly, no doubt. But the important thing is that they survive and this is in the vendor's interest too. I'm not sure why you think they can pay everyone off if they just came within a hair of failing. Usually when companies file for chapter 11 it is the end, so we should be glad that they are continuing and will hopefully be able to put this behind them as will the vendors, who will be able to continue doing business. I suspect without Vans some these vendors would shut down permanently as well.