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Providers/Susan Weeden
Aircraft finance brokerPerson

Susan Weeden

Montclair, NJ, United States

Susan Weeden appears to be an active individual aircraft finance broker and President/Director of Aviation Finance at The Aircraft Lenders. Official and NAFA sources position the firm as an independent aircraft financing broker with a 50+ lender/private-investor network, products including aircraft loans and lease structures, and support for Part 91, Part 135, flight school leaseback, light sport, experimental/kit, piston, turboprop, jet, and helicopter transactions. Public pages give meaningful process detail on financial packages, down payments, older-aircraft financing, timing, and closing coordination, but do not publish a complete fee/compensation schedule.

Contact

Get quote

Websitetheaircraftlenders.com

Email[email protected]

Phone(973) 577-4226

Contact formtheaircraftlenders.com

Quote requesttheaircraftlenders.com

LinkedInlinkedin.com

Best for

  • First-time aircraft buyers needing guidance
  • Owner-flown piston and high-performance single buyers
  • Turboprop, jet, and helicopter buyers seeking lender-market access
  • Part 91 personal/business use
  • Part 135 charter or supplemental charter use
  • Flight school leaseback financing
  • Older, light sport, experimental, and kit aircraft where lender selection matters

Potential drawbacks

  • Not a direct lender, so final terms depend on third-party lender underwriting.
  • Public materials do not disclose a complete broker fee or compensation schedule.
  • Borrowers should expect full financial documentation and likely personal guarantees.
  • Current site focuses on US-based buyers, so cross-border support should be confirmed directly.
  • Independent reputation evidence outside Google/review aggregators and sparse Reddit mentions is limited.

Coverage and fit

Aircraft segments

pistonturbopropbusiness jethelicopterlight sportexperimentalkit builtnew aircraftpre owned aircraft

Coverage lines

Not listed.

Borrower segments

private individualsfirst-time aircraft buyersowner-flown buyersbusiness ownerscorporate/business aviationcommercial operatorscharter operatorsflight schools

Usage segments

Part 91 private usePart 91 business usePart 135 chartersupplemental charterflight school leasebackspecialty missions

Research signals

Reputation score

4.8

Signal strength

moderate

Sources

19

Public reputation is strongly positive but not broad across many forum communities. The clearest independent signal is Google review aggregation via Birdeye, showing 31 reviews at 5.0, with repeated praise for responsiveness, knowledge, smooth process, and Susan's guidance. Official testimonials are numerous and consistent with those themes. Reddit/forum mentions are sparse but positive, with borrowers mentioning competitive rates and successful use of Craig/The Aircraft Lenders. No recurring public criticism was found, though aircraft financing itself is described by users as documentation-heavy and less simple than some local credit-union routes.

Positive themes

  • responsive communication
  • knowledgeable aviation finance guidance
  • helpful for first-time buyers
  • smooth or efficient process
  • competitive loan options or rates in borrower anecdotes
  • support through complex aircraft purchase issues

Negative themes

  • No recurring direct public criticism found.
  • Public fee and compensation structure is not fully disclosed online.
  • Aircraft finance process can require extensive documentation and personal/business financial review.
  • Some borrowers may prefer a local credit union if it can offer a simpler process and acceptable aircraft-loan terms.

Forum themes

  • A Reddit aircraft-buying thread names Craig Weeden with The Aircraft Lenders as the lender contact used, followed by a borrower comment that a local credit union was less familiar with aircraft loans and that Craig offered a better rate.
  • A Reddit aircraft-loan-rate thread includes an anecdotal report that The Aircraft Lenders helped and offered 6.49% with 15% down and a 20-year term, with the poster noting terms vary by borrower.
  • Forum evidence is limited and should be treated as anecdotal rather than representative.

Sources