Meet Spencer Bain: The Aircraft Broker Guiding Clients Through the Next Level of Aviation
In our latest Faces of Flight spotlight, we sit down with Spencer Bain, one of our aircraft brokers who specializes in jet sales. Known for his sharp wit and deep knowledge of the industry, Spencer brings humor and precision to every deal. His journey in aviation, however, is much more than that – it’s a mix of passion, excitement, and adventure.
Personal Background
Q: Tell us a bit about yourself. What’s your background, and how did you get into aviation?
SB: I grew up in a middle-class household where everyone on my mother’s side took pride in their lawn, but they were also,
mostly aviators; multiple uncles who are captains at either United or American; my grandfather flew Corsairs off the deck of a carrier in World War II; and my uncle was Jack Pryor of Pryor aviation, the only FBO in Buffalo New York.
I suppose people who find they are inclined to equations and solving problems decide they’ll become an engineer; skillset = subset of job = pigeon-holed career. I’ve found that most people in aviation have a romantic story as to how they found it and I’m no different. I was returning from a funeral at 10 years old, sitting right seat in my uncle’s King Air in heavy IMC. We broke out at decision height and I saw the runway picture and just thought “WOW”! That was the moment for me.
Q: What’s a fun fact or hobby people might not know about you?
SB: I am exceptionally good at being mediocre in a wide variety of things. Seriously. I’ve dabbled in everything from SCUBA diving to ukulele playing, from driving race cars to growing my own wine grapes. I even learned professional video editing to create the AV for my wedding. Am I world-class at any of these things? Absolutely not. But I’m a firm believer in the power of trying new things, even if it means being proudly average.
This business provides me a very unique opportunity in that I’m very fortunate to have a massive amount of exposure to incredibly accomplished individuals where aviation is their latest passion. I’m working with a client who purchased his fifth aircraft in a year and a half, moving from a single engine up to a twin turbine Phenom 300 in that span of time and now has over 600 hours. That takes a ton of interest and focus! As I said, aviation is his latest passion but he and many other business leaders that are owner/pilots have other passions preceding flying.
I find that my interests feed off of theirs where I’ll take up their passion for a period of time; usually a pair of hobbies adopted with great fervor then dropped several months later at any given moment and for no real reason. I have an eclectic and eccentric knowledge of a handful of skills that have no particular marketable value. You could say I’m a master of none, but an enthusiast of many!
Professional Experience
Q: What is your role at Lone Mountain, and what does a typical day look like for you?
SB: I consider myself the “what’s next guy.” You know that point in a rollercoaster when you’re just about to crest the top, and you’re both excited and terrified of the drop? That’s where I come in. When clients are ready to take their flying experience to the next level, I’m the one who helps them navigate the leap from piston aircraft to jets. We’ve worked with over 2,200 Cirrus owners and every year, a few of them are ready to fly higher, faster, and farther. My role is to facilitate that transition, whether it’s a Vision Jet, a Phenom, or a Citation.
My pedigree is with Embraer, Bombardier and Flexjet before I joined Lone Mountain Aircraft, which are aircraft and products that I have exceptionally deep knowledge of. There are handful of my other teammates who were similarly salespeople for Daher, Beechcraft, Citation, Socata and Piper. Between us, we have a near-encyclopedic knowledge of probably better than 95% of the owner-flown space and there’s usually someone who has either flown or is rated in those options too. Not to mention that we can typically turn a favor or two from our former factory friends. Half of my time and sales are developing relationships with those Lone Mountain Aircraft folks looking to move up, the other half is spent continuing my relationships forged before my time here.
Q: How does your role contribute to enhancing the customer experience?
SB: Think about a day at Six Flags with your kid. You’ve got your map, your game plan, and a fast pass in hand. The goal is to maximize the fun while avoiding the lines and the nausea. My clients are often first-time jet buyers, and they don’t know how to navigate the complexities of the process, which can feel like waiting in line for hours for a two-minute thrill ride.
I’m the one that gets to guide them to make the best out of this experience. I first need to know about them; what kind of ride they want, what is the timing that will achieve the best result, when is it worth the money for the “fast pass”. With a game plan and their ideal purchase in mind, we have our adventure.
Can the buyer purchase a plane on their own? Yes, I guess, but if you’ve never been here before or it it’s not something you do often, you can have the same result as a bad day at Six Flags; easily overpaying for things you don’t really need or want; wait an inexorably long time for a lackluster result, or the whole experience can simply make you nauseated.
Very few of our clients buy their homes without a realtor. Such is brokerage.
Memorable Moments
Q: Can you recall a particularly memorable or rewarding experience with a client?
SB: The most memorable purchases were the ones that were the hardest; when you thought there was a possibility that you’d lose the plane or the client through no fault of your own, but you defied the odds, preserved the deal, saved the proverbial princess from the dragon and the audience … your client … witnessed you do it. I love the days I look over my shoulder and see a cape flapping in the breeze.
One that really stands out is when I helped a client buy a plane from Australia. It was like conducting a symphony—coordinating an inspection halfway across the globe, working with an overseas seller, a required life raft not where it was supposed to be for pickup on the multi day flight home over multiple oceans, and handling all the export/import logistics. To top it off, we had to make sure the buyer completed his dual instruction in time for insurance purposes, which meant shrinking a two-week timeline down to just a few days, in order for him to fly his plane back himself to the U.S. Imports are always the hardest to manage when trying to maintain a timetable as you are consistently at the mercy of government agencies.
The best and most rewarding part of this sale, though, didn’t happen for me until several months later when the buyer shared with me the film he had made of his adventure. He had so much footage that he had the movie professionally compiled and edited. Seeing my passion for aviation reflected in the spirit of my clients and friends makes this job, not a job, rather a subsidized hobby.
The Passion
Q: What aspect of aviation are you most passionate about, and how does that influence your work?
SB: Aviation is the Wild West of possibilities, and I’m all about helping people wrangle those opportunities. But I’ll be real with you—it’s not just about the planes or the flying, it’s about the people. I love being around passionate individuals who are excited about their next aircraft. It’s not just the money (there’s money to be made!); it’s more about the thrill of guiding someone through what might be the most exciting purchase of their life.
As a pilot, selling fractional ownership was always marginally disappointing as the buyers would walk up the stairs and turn right with zero appreciation for what was up the stairs and to the left. When selling for the manufacturer, the disappointing parts were the quantity of people involved in the decision with various agendas that were separate from the merits of the aircraft; selling to a corporate operator who is largely dispassionate about appreciating the unique attributes of the plane I was selling; not spending their own money where a more critical evaluation put my skills to work; and they are likely to just buy what they did before because it is like pressing the “easy button”.
The Lone Mountain family of salespeople and clientele is, generally, full of people with a passion for aviation. Our aircraft buyers often want a critical evaluation of their next plane and appreciate that aircraft’s unique qualities making it the best choice for their company and/or family. I love living in this world, sharing my expertise when the clients are ready to make that next step. This strips the chaff from my previous professional roles. I feed off the excitement and direction of my clients.
When you take away the spreadsheets and paperwork, at the core of it, we’re all just people who love to fly. And I get to be the guy who helps them take that next step.
Q: Any personal aviation experiences that left a lasting impact?
SB: Definitely. One of the most impactful experiences was flying with my Uncle Jack in his King Air. We were heading back from a family funeral, and this was my first flight in a private aircraft. Jack allowed me to sit right and it was a beautiful, picturesque day on the departure, but a bit more harrowing on the return flight in heavy IFR.
I saw Uncle Jack spinning dials, and nobs; talking to ATC in a language that I couldn’t understand but desperately wanted to, meanwhile the only thing I could see during the night flight home was the reflection of the nav lights in the clouds. I knew enough to keep quiet as Jack was clearly concentrating but I could tell we were descending and slowing but there was no runway in sight. I heard the beep of the outer marker and didn’t know what that meant. I finally voiced my concern to Uncle Jack “How are we going to land if we can’t see?” “Just wait” he said in a calm and soothing voice, responding to the anxiety in mine. The dot-duuu, dot-duuu, dot-duuu, dot-duuu, dot-duuu, dot-duuu, of the middle marker of the ILS grew in volume and intensity then, BOOM, we broke out of the clouds and I saw the brilliance of the runway picture, breaking protocol and silence, involuntarily cooing “cooooool!” as Jack kicked in a little rudder and we landed gently.
I see that runway picture in my dreams to this day. That phase of flight puts a smile on my face every time.
Favorite Aircraft
Q: Do you have a favorite type of aircraft among those you’ve sold or financed?
SB: I was with Bombardier when the Lear 45 was the hottest Super-Light jet ever built and also when the Challenger 300, previously the Continental, was on the drawing board.
I was later with Embraer when the famed Phenom 300 became the best-selling aircraft for nearly a decade running, then when the Legacy series, now Praetor, was under development and delivered four years later. I know this doesn’t narrow the field nor answer the question directly, other than to say that I appreciate those aircraft the most as I feel I was a part of their success and their history.
Q: Any advice for first-time aircraft buyers?
SB: Yeah, if you’re having to justify chartering the plane or splitting ownership to make it work, don’t buy it. Aircraft ownership is a big deal, and while the financials are important, you should be excited about the experience, not just crunching numbers.
There is a reason that a small plane that may only have a 2-state range and a 3-cabin zone aircraft that can go around the world in one stop both cost $5 million. You need to understand why or you will make a huge mistake.
You may not need me in the future, but, if it’s your first purchase, you need me now.
You can meet up with Spencer at this year’s NBAA-BACE in Las Vegas, Nevada. The convention takes place October 22 – 24, 2024. To connect with Spencer, you can email him at sbain@lmajets.com.
