Bower Backs Buyers in New Helicopter Business Venture

A firm dedicated to helping buyers rather than sellers of helicopters has been established by Ron Bower, a noted flyer who holds a pair of around-the-world helicopter speed records.
The new Bower Helicopter, Inc., is based in Austin, TX.

Bower co-founded Austin Jet International in 1982 and for 16 years there was responsible for helicopter sales, maintenance, refurbishment and charters. He was involved in the purchase or sale of over 325 helicopters worldwide, including over 50 new Bell helicopters.

"In the early days, I made several costly mistakes learning how to buy helicopters," Bower said. "I didn't know where to look for the best buys, didn't have the technical knowledge to do a good pre-purchase inspection, didn't know the market values, wasn't a skilled helicopter negotiator, and then I under-estimated fix-up costs. Those were expensive lessons."

Bower, who notched 15 years with IBM prior to starting Austin Jet, developed a database to track helicopter owners, histories, and market transactions and conditions. He's been amassing information since 1983.

"My database is an invaluable tool," he said. "Normally, I know more about a used helicopter than the current owner does. Since most used helicopters are sold in an `as iswhere is' condition, knowing the background can be crucial."

"Our mission is to represent the vested interest of the buyer, and only him," Bower said.