Providers/The Aircraft Lenders
Aircraft finance brokerCompany

The Aircraft Lenders

Montclair, New Jersey, United States

The Aircraft Lenders is a Montclair/New York Metro aircraft-finance brokerage operated by Susan and Craig Weeden. Official and association sources describe a 50+ bank/private-investor network, loans and leases, nationwide U.S. service, and support for Part 91, Part 135/charter, flight-school leaseback, light-sport/experimental, and older-aircraft scenarios. It is not a direct lender or insurance provider; applicants should expect lender-specific underwriting, financial documentation, and likely personal guarantees.

Best for

  • U.S. aircraft buyers comparing multiple lenders
  • first-time aircraft buyers
  • Part 91 personal/business aircraft purchases
  • Part 135 charter or supplemental charter financing
  • piston, turboprop, business jet, helicopter, light-sport, and experimental/kit aircraft buyers
  • borrowers needing help with ownership structure, tax/depreciation considerations, or closing coordination

Potential drawbacks

  • Broker compensation and fee schedule are not clearly published.
  • Not a direct lender; final rates, approvals, and conditions depend on third-party underwriting.
  • Cross-border support is not clearly documented on current The Aircraft Lenders official pages.
  • Borrowers with incomplete financials or no personal-guarantee appetite may not fit common lender requirements.

Coverage and fit

Aircraft segments

pistonturbopropbusiness jethelicopterlight sportexperimental kitnew aircraftpre owned aircraft

Coverage lines

Not listed.

Borrower segments

private individualsbusiness ownerscorporate business aviationcharter operatorscommercial operatorsflight school leaseback buyersfirst time aircraft buyers

Usage segments

part 91 private businesspart 135 chartersupplemental charterheavy charterflight school leasebackpersonal usebusiness usecommercial operator

Research signals

Reputation score

4.6

Signal strength

moderate

Sources

20

Available public signals are positive: Google/Birdeye reviews, BestProsInTown summaries, company-hosted testimonials, and an aviation valuation-industry LinkedIn mention praise responsiveness, knowledgeable guidance, lender access, and organized closings. Evidence is concentrated in Google-derived reviews and company-hosted testimonials; little independent forum or complaint-platform discussion specific to this firm was found.

Positive themes

  • responsive communication
  • knowledgeable aviation finance guidance
  • smooth and organized approval-to-closing process
  • support for first-time aircraft buyers
  • ability to navigate complex or unusual loan cases
  • reviewer mentions of competitive rate or term outcomes

Negative themes

  • Limited cross-platform review depth outside Google-derived reviews and company-hosted testimonials.
  • No public broker compensation or fee schedule was found.
  • Several third-party directory profiles show no reviews, limiting independent validation.

Forum themes

  • No specific Reddit, Beechtalk, Pilots of America, Mooneyspace, COPA, or similar forum discussion about The Aircraft Lenders was found in accessible searches. General aircraft-financing forum discussion emphasizes down payments, paperwork burden, lender specialization, and local-bank alternatives rather than this firm specifically.

Sources