Partners in Aviation (PIA), US developers of a managed co-ownership programme that joins two owners to one aircraft to operate at half the cost, has added aircraft finance, sales and operations veteran Perry D. Bridges as its new VP of operations.

“My aviation career started with a 20-year run at Cessna Aircraft Company, which included 11 years with Cessna Finance Corporation,” he says. “My experience in contract administration, sales and aircraft lending gives me unique and pertinent insight into aircraft purchasing and financing. My new role with Partners in Aviation brings that involvement full circle, pivoting my inside knowledge to bear to support customers on the acquisition side. I'm thrilled to be a part of the team.”

Bridges also recently served as VP of aviation for Bank OZK, based in Chicago, where he led turbine-lending efforts for a 13-state region of the US midwest. As regional sales director for Textron Aviation in Chicago, Bridges tallied $202 million in new Cessna Citation and Beechcraft King Air sales for his region.

“Perry just brings a wonderful and singular skill mix and attitude to Partners in Aviation at this important time in our story,” comments PIA founder and president Mark Molloy. “His experience and expertise will add volumes of benefit for our aircraft co-owners as we continue our market growth and PIA managed co-ownership becomes a more and more popular aircraft solution.”

Bridges concludes: “Flying privately as an aircraft co-owner for a lower cost not only allows business owners to grow faster and more efficiently, it delivers a way to better enjoy the successes of life. Managed co-ownership gives you all the access at half the cost. Partners in Aviation provides the formula for all of this to occur. I've been a big believer in the success of this programme ever since Mark Molloy first told me about his plan to bring a fully realised co-ownership product to the market. It's brilliant.”