The Corporate Jet Investor Podcast

In our latest episode we welcome James Chitty, CEO and partner at Talon Air. 
Chitty has been in the aviation business for nearly two decades. He founded PlaneClear in 2008 and led it through to 2016 before partnering with Apollo Jets and then taking on the role of CEO at Talon Air following its acquisition in 2018. Three years later, Vista acquired a minority stake in Talon before Chitty, and his chief operating officer Nicholas Piazza led a buyout which officially closed on Jan 2nd this year. 
Chitty discusses his time in business aviation, what is new now the company is independent, his leadership style and what he requires of his team, challenges faced by the industry and much more besides.

Mike Mikolay, founder of Mikolay Jets, has been selling aircraft for almost 30 years. He started as an intern at Beechcraft, helped launch Guardian Jet and then started his own advisory firm two-and-a-half years ago.
Mike shares the highs and lows of going independent, why saying no to the wrong clients early on was critical, and how a long-time client's candid nudge gave him the push to finally do it. He also discusses the current seller's market, where near-new inventory remains scarce and demand shows no signs of cooling.
Mike talks about building a personal board of directors, creating an in-house internship programme for his own kids, a cycling accident that forced him to reassess risk, and why patience is the most underrated skill in aircraft acquisition.

Emily Deaton, jetAVIVA, is CEO of one of the world’s largest aircraft brokers. But rather than getting involved in individual transactions, she leads of team of aircraft-type specialists. In this podcast, she explains why jetAVIVA uses this approach, how it makes hiring the right person harder and why customers benefit from it.
She also discusses how jetAVIVA launched and why they want to grow slowly.

In our latest episode we are joined by Florent Venturini, co-founder and managing partner of Ellipse Aviation.
Venturini explains how he and his partner Pierre-Emmanuel de Tailly’s combined experience at Dassault, Textron and Gulfstream led them to create a brokerage focused on long-term ownership care, not just one-off transactions. 
Launched in December 2025, Venturini details Ellipse’s three differentiators: deep technical expertise, and innovation – including a free AI-powered valuation tool and EllipseShield, a buyer-side AOG charter protection programme. 
Venturini discusses today’s fragmented pre-owned market, where ultra-long-range jets remain scarce while other segments have softened. He also advises first-time buyers to avoid overbuying and to prioritise mission fit and operating economics. Plus much more besides.

Johnny Foster returns for a second appearance to discuss a major milestone for OGARAJETS: the transition to an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). 
After exploring private equity and other exit routes, Jonny chose the ESOP model to preserve the culture and legacy he and his father have built over 46 years. Some 30% of the company has now been transferred into a trust for employees, with more shares to follow over time.
 He also shares the team's emotional — and ultimately celebratory — reaction to the surprise announcement.
On the wider market, Johnny is bullish on late-model aircraft through 2030, while flagging older legacy platforms as the segment carrying the most risk. He also hints at future growth through acquisitions, made more attractive by the significant tax advantages the ESOP structure provides.
Thanks for coming back on again Johnny!