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    3May, 2022
    From after burners to V1-Rotate your business!

    I’ve always been wingin’ it!

    Since the Fast Aviation days, most of you know me for my hard work ethic, strive for excellence, and my love for this business. I am a part of a group of women who are entrepreneurs, CEO’s, managers, and all the things I’ve been thus far called CEO School. I am striving for more in my aviation career with HangarSwap and a special person named Suneera is helping guide not just me, but SO many other women in business. 

    There were many things I needed to work on, that I have been learning about the past 3 years, but REALLY needed to dig deep. I found Suneera Madhani and she quickly became like a mentor to me – honestly, she was the breath of fresh air I needed! 

    She opened my eyes to what it truly means to be the CEO of my business, and my life. She gave me honesty, vulnerability, and, most importantly, she gave me the playbooks to scale: so I could remove myself from the every day of my business, and identified the true needle-movers that took me to the next level. 

    Because if you’re ready to scale, ready for that next level, you just don’t know how, Suneera is hosting a brand new online event to help you get there: the  CEO School Experience!   It’s happening May 16th-19th (and it’s completely free)

    She is hosting a FREE workshop series called The CEO Experience in a couple of weeks. I want to share it with my aviation family in the event they have a woman in their lives who wants to make extra strides towards their business, side gig, position in their company, etc. 

    Here are a few of the *invaluable* insights I learned from Suneera: 

    • What a CEO actually does. Like, every day. The habits to get you performing at your best, and what a billion-dollar day *actually* looks like. 
    • The systems you need to be able to scale your business (tbh I didn’t even know why I needed to scale so that, too!) 
    • The 6P process I then used to take stock of my business: power, pitch, product, profit, processes and people. 

    She’s also running a live coaching session with the opportunity to be coached directly by Suneera herself – and, well, let’s just say if you have a hot seat session with Suneera: you won’t forget it and neither will your business 

    I can never get too much of Suneera’s insights – so of course I’ll be there, just try and stop me!

    And I’d love for you to join me there too, you can do so here: 

    The CEO Experience

    This is going to be a game-changer – I can’t wait to see you there!

    15Jan, 2018
    TIME TO SCRAP HER! To BEECH or Not to BEECH – That is the BONANZA!

    Well, it came down to this inspection.

    Screen Shot 2018-01-14 at 11.11.12 PM

    We spent some extensive time looking her over, researching and reading logbooks, AD’s, etc. to *almost* making a decision.  We found 5 MAJOR issues with the Bonanza and these squawks will make or break the decision to part it out or rebuild it.

    Screen Shot 2018-01-14 at 11.16.51 PM

    What would YOU DO?

     

    Music featured: “Roam” B-52’s

    Special thanks for Propellerhead Aviation for providing their facility and expertise in this adventure.  If you need work done on your plane, there’s no better place to look than Winter Haven, Florida.  They are a full service maintenance facility that provides not just your typical work, but also specializes in fuel tank rebuild/resealing, pre-purchase inspections, ground up restorations, aircraft rental, AND flight training.  

    For more information, www.propellerheadaviation.com

    Looking for airplane parts? Got parts to sell?  www.hangarswap.com

    Afraid we’re going to part her out? Interested in this 1966 V35TC Bonanza? Contact Rachel at Rachel@hangarswap.com or contact Bill at Bill@propellerheadaviation.com

    5Jun, 2017
    June 5th 2017 Press Release: New Version of HangarSwap is LIVE!

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    JUNE 5, 2017

    ORLANDO, FL – The new version of HangarSwap is LIVE!  The past 9 months HangarSwap has been breaking ground in traffic with over 10,000 unique visitors each month. The timing is perfect for the endless growth on the newest online marketplace in the industry.  “We’re fully prepared to take on this corner of the market.” explains Rachel Lietzke Payne, creator of HangarSwap.com. For just little over two years that HangarSwap has been around, it has taught Payne what she needed to know to implement her ultimate goal: the launch of the new HangarSwap platform.

    HangarSwap debuted the new platform at Sun N Fun in Lakeland, FL back in April.  The team demonstrated how the site will perform after the migration.  With over 2,000 customers and reaching 300 sellers, Payne has learned a plethora of knowledge to add to her endless notebook of goals for HangarSwap.  Not only has HangarSwap took a major face lift, but this new systems gives the sellers and buyers exactly what they’ve been asking for.

    Mobility

    • HangarSwap is now completely mobile friendly.  You can buy, sell, and work on your inventory from your phone or tablet.

    Excel Doc Upload

    • Sellers can now upload their entire inventory from excel documents.  All parts stay “inactive” until the seller chooses to make them “active.” Potential buyers can still search the inactive items in the HangarSwap search and contact the seller through the Parts Radar System.  Once uploaded, you can edit your inventory from anywhere.

    Parts Radar System

    • The Parts Radar system allows the seller to sell their “inactive” items to anyone searching for that particular part on HangarSwap.  Potential buyers can also put in a parts request that will go to a database for all sellers who participate in the Parts Radar system.  This function establishes an easier search for schools, FBO’s, and other large industry leaders all in one place for a fraction of the cost compared to other parts locator systems.

    Services & Wanted Section

    • Utilizing a classifieds approach, HangarSwap has made it easy to advertise for your services or find someone in the industry for your specific task.
    • When a potential buyer can’t find what they need, they can post a wanted ad.

    Ebay Sync (Available mid summer)

    • The number one request from sellers was the ability to integrate their Ebay store.  Anyone who sells on Ebay can have their store synced to HangarSwap.  The system also ensures that you won’t sell a part on HangarSwap twice with their integrated system.

    Other Features

    • “Previously sold” research: Seller’s can research how much past items have sold for and determine the best price for their item. (available mid summer)
    • Communication between buyers and sellers has been improved with a whole new in-system mail and the ability to have comments on item listings.
    • Seller dashboard:  The dashboard shows more features to help aid the seller with orders, communication, shipping, statistics, and research.

    HangarSwap provides the industry with over 7,000 parts (and growing) from over 300 different sellers from around the world.  Sellers can list easily, communicate openly, and search in a clean environment.  At 5%, HangarSwap is half the commission cost of other online marketplaces, with a cap for larger priced items.  “It’s important to me that we provide a lower commission fee so that fellow aviator’s have extra cash to go flying,” says Payne.  HangarSwap is also free to list as many items as you want, never having a time limit.

    When HangarSwap was launched, not many people knew it existed.  But because of Payne’s relentless marketing and drive to make HangarSwap known, it has grown at an astronomical speed.  The online marketplace made its official debut at SUN ‘n FUN in 2016.  Since it’s debut, daily numbers have doubled and officially tripled in November of 2016, making it’s growth rate over 100% in less than a year.  The online marketplace projected to double it’s hits before Sun N Fun this year, but now has exceeded that expectation with reaching 1 million hits each month after the new year.  

    To learn more:

    www.hangarswap.com

    Rachel Lietzke Payne

    2775 Perch Rd.

    Geneva, FL 32732

    C: 407-496-7706

    O: 407-349-9790

    E: Rachel@hangarswap.com

    27Aug, 2016
    I Am The Product of Blood, Sweat, and 5606.

    When I was a little girl, my father brought me to the airport on a daily basis. I can’t recall a time that I wasn’t at the airport (other than ballet lessons.)  Before I was 12 or 13 I didn’t mind it much, in fact, I really enjoyed being at the airport.  But after I hit the teenage years, my interest faded because all my friends were going to the beach while I was performing annuals and 100 hours at the airport.  I never thought that I would choose aviation as my career path, so I didn’t seem too interested like I did as a child.  It was enjoyable to go flying and I was very good at wrenching but something was missing.  Was I burnt out?  Could a child get burned out on airplanes? 

    LittleRachel

    Let’s fast forward years later.  I was using my entrepreneurial spirit to make money in aviation at a young age.  I was selling airplane parts on the internet to pay for my truck/dirt bike fetish and saving money for college.  I then would hire a friend to help wash and wax airplanes at the airport.  [I’m not going to say the bikini’s didn’t have anything to do with our success!]  But, I was so familiar with airplanes and aviation that it was hard to stay away from it.  There was a point in my life that I moved to North Carolina and suddenly realized the impact that aviation had on my life.  I lasted 6 months and ran back to Florida.

    Now that I have an aviation business of my own, I never thought that my childhood of blood, sweat, and 5606 would come in handy.  I never realized the impact that my father, grandfather, and the friends at the airport had on my life.  My father always pushed me to be the best I could possibly be (and still does it to this day.)  As an adult, I see how important it is to have the young spirits of aviation around.  Yes, this younger generation is different.  Yes, they can come off as annoying or under foot because of their lack of experience.  You can’t expect them to know everything coming into the gate.  This youth is going to be the SOLE reason why aviation will stay alive for our grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

    My point is, you don’t have to be born into aviation like I was. In fact,

     as an aviator, it is our DUTY to nurture those who show interest.  

    Feed their interest and drag them to the airport.  Tell them it’s not as scary as it looks. Tell them it’s okay to get dirty.  They will achieve a sense of accomplishment.  This accomplishment is the same psychological feeling (the release of dopamine) they get when they find that Pokemon or win that next level on their video game.  The best part about all this?  They will be outside and involved in something bigger than they could ever imagine.  This is why I can’t tell a kid he can’t come hang out at Fast Aviation.  This is why my father dragged me to the airport instead of allowing me to go to the beach during spring break (which I can promise you I would be up to no good.)  I always wondered why the Cessna 182’s annual fell on this week.  This is why you should bring your friend’s kid out flying.  Grab your nephew or niece.  Show up to one of those early pancake breakfast’s that fly kids around on a Saturday.  You will be glad you did because there won’t be a need for all these mechanics, fbo’s, or airports if we don’t have people who want to fly airplanes.  

    4Nov, 2015
    Former Model Puts Aviation in a Spin with $1 Million in 6 months

    New Press Release for Hangar Swap!

    ORLANDO, FL – Hangarswap.com is building momentum at mach speeds. The online aviation marketplace recently reported almost three million hits and traffic is growing twofold monthly.  It’s a central location where anyone from average avgeeks to major salvage companies can sell their airplane parts. Now aircraft owners have a wide range of options and on average can save more than 50% off new prices.rachell

    The vision of hangarswap.com from day one is to create an aviator focused community where pilots, mechanics, and hobbyists come to find and discover anything you could imagine buying in general aviation.  Hangar Swap’s commitment to preserving aviation is showing by the numbers and the numbers keep rising to new flight levels.  “ I spent my entire childhood at the airport.” explains Rachel, founder of hangarswap.com, “I remember my father going over to a buddies hangar and they would have a swap meet where Dad would offer him money or trade for something sitting on a shelf.  It was easier and cheaper to do that than call all around, pay for it (aka: send a check and wait a week) then wait for the part to arrive.  All along, hoping they bought a good, serviceable part.  I based hangarswap.com off an old school notion of swapping parts at the hangar, with a modern platform.  We keep each other flying and keep the cost down low.”

    Hangarswap.com gives customers what they want – limitless selection, low prices, fast and reliable delivery, and a trusted and convenient online shopping experience. They are taking the major competitors like Barnstormers and Ebay by storm by offering what they can’t:

    • Visually Clean: The website isn’t clogged with hundreds of advertisements.
    • Trustworthy: No hidden costs or gimmicks.
    • Affordable: Low selling fee of 3% (On December 15th, it will go up to 5% and stay there)
    • User Friendly: You can see what you’re buying on the screen and know if it’s in stock immediately.  There is also a chat feature where you can talk to someone right then and there.  You talk to someone that is either a mechanic, knowledgeable aviator, or even Rachel herself!  “It is so important that you can communicate about the item you’re about to purchase,” explains Rachel.
    • Frustration Free: There isn’t a feedback system that shuts you down for an entire month or holds your money.
    • Efficient: Very easy to search and easy to navigate categories.
    • Open Communication: Two ways to communicate with the seller.  You can email/call them or ask the Hangar Swap Team to do it for you.
    • No Middle Man: Sellers aren’t “reselling” from the manufacturer like other large companies.
    • Platform Integration: You can upload your ebay items in 3 clicks

    When Rachel was trying to figure out how to make selling simple, she brought on the person she thought would have the most impact, her mom.  “My mother can get frustrated with technology sometimes and as an ebay seller, I knew she would be the perfect test pilot.”  Rachel wanted hangarswap.com to be simple to list items for anyone.  “We get calls from our sellers with questions such as shipping prices.  We give them honest suggestions because it’s important to me that we help our sellers become successful on hangarswap.com.  When you win, we all win!”

    The online marketplace fills a void that provides an effortless way for aviators to find and purchase aircraft related goods as well as sell unneeded parts.  Hangar Swap was built by aviators, for aviators.  Rachel, who is a certified private pilot and the aircraft salvage company, Fast Aviation owner wants to “help people do what they love – flying.”  She started selling airplane parts on the internet at 15 to help pay for her own truck and extracurricular activities such as flying and riding dirtbikes. She hopes that providing an aviation specific marketplace with no buyer’s premiums and super low selling fees, her team can do their part to keep general aviation more obtainable and affordable.  “The only way Hangar Swap will grow is through your support, and so we are here to listen and more importantly take action on your suggestions”.  The support they have on the Fast Aviation’s Facebook is remarkable with over 12,500 likes!  She loves the community feel of the supporters she’s built and instills that into hangarswap.com.