First class high flyers: Qld’s private jet owners revealed
They’re the tech entrepreneurs, business tycoons, winery owners and .... even dentists ... who are ditching business class and instead splashing up to $100m on private jets. See the Qld plane owners and where they flew.
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Queensland jet owners might not all be famous but they certainly are rich and while their multimillion-dollar planes aren’t exactly like the Bond movies, these glamorous Queenslanders fly in such excessive style they could feature on a Fergie video clip.
Non-existent airport queues and VIP cabin crews are just some of the many private jet perks, but it’s the flat screen TVs, marble finish kitchenettes, fully furnished ensuite bathrooms and five star catering with round-the-clock bottle service that set the rich a part from the super rich.
Despite there being more than 700 jet owners registered with the Australian Civil Aircraft Register (CASA), only a small group of Sunshine State residents can afford the larger, elite private business jets.
Coming in at the top of Queensland’s jetsetter richlist is mining heavyweight Clive Palmer who didn’t just stop at one, but bought two Bombardier Global Express jets valued at $78 million each - that’s one more than Kylie Jenner.
Not far behind him is vintner Terry Peabody, who splashed out on a $68 million Falcon 7X.
The jet was used to transport the late Shane Warne back to Australia last year.
With his renowned Craggy Range winery located in New Zealand, it is no surprise Mr Peabody took almost 20 trips to or around the land of the Kiwi during 2022, with flight data also showing Turks and Caicos as his most recent preferred holiday destination.
Queensland dentists and cattle tycoons also seem to be raking in the cash and are flying about in various multimillion-dollar Cessna Citations, while a tech entrepreneur splashed out an estimated $13 million for an aircraft that’s no longer in production.
From cushy business jets to high-end luxury models, these are the 15 Queenslanders who skipped first class for private charter.
Clive Palmer
Jet: Bombardier Global Express Jet 700 x 2
Estimated cost: $73 million USD each - equivalent to $AUD 103 million each
Mining magnate and politician Clive Palmer owns not one, but two Global Express jets which he bought brand new in 2017 at an estimated $73 million USD each.
While Mr Palmer looks to use his jet for a lot of domestic travel and New Zealand trips, flight tracking logs show the jet frequented tropical places like the Maldives and Tahiti and was found flitting around Europe, taking multiple trips to Nice, Bulgaria, London, Geneva and Paris.
The other Bombardier jet destinations remained a mystery, with Mr Palmer paying to have them removed from online public databases.
Terrance Peabody
Jet: Dassault Falcon 7X
Estimate cost: $58 million USD
Terry Peabody has made his fortune as the owner of waste management firm Transpacific Industries and Craggy Range winery in New Zealand.
The Brisbane born rich lister is estimated to have a net worth of more than $1 billion.
His Falcon 7X, registered under the company Brenzil, was used to charter Shane Warne’s body back from Thailand last year and recently flew to in Turks and Caicos from West Palm, but not before lay overs in Nice and Geneva.
The Dassault also frequented American destinations last year including Miami, Austin, Napa, Vancouver, Seattle, Cleveland, Louisville and Fort Lauderdale.
The Bahamas was a popular destination, with many trips also taken around the Asia pacific’s Manilla, Tonga, Cook Islands, New Zealand, Tokyo, Seoul, Fiji, Hong Kong, Bora Bora, Papeete (French Polynesian Islands) and of course, the lovely Hamilton Island.
Trevor and Kerri Lee
Jet: Cessna Citation Latitude 680A
Estimated cost: $17 million
The Lees own the Australian Country Choice cattle farm and processor in Cannon Hill - a third-generation company that’s been supplying beef to Queenslanders and Australia since 1960.
The cattle tycoons manage more than 1.75 million hectares of land throughout Queensland which can house more than 300,000 head.
The pair bought a brand new Cessna Citation Latitude jet in 2022 worth a whopping $17 million USD, which is registered to Australian Country Choice with a Morningside PO Box address.
Geoff Relton
Jet: Cessna Citation 501
Estimated cost: $800,000 USD
According to his LinkedIn profile, Geoff Relton is the founder of Family Law Centres Pty Ltd and the Rocklea-based Australian Transport Industries Pty Ltd.
The wealthy businessman also founded and owns the Australian Capital Corporation, which is what his 2017 Cessna Citation is registered under.
In 2015, Relton put up his sprawling Brookfield home for sale, and advertised his willingness to accept a CBD penthouse or $32 million boat as part payment.
The mansion boasted five bathrooms, 18.5 foot ceilings, a media room, two fireplaces, a four-car garage, five paddocks, six stables and dressage arena, but became too big for Relton when his daughter moved out to attend Bond University.
Robert Nioa
Jet: Embraer EMB-500
Estimated cost: $20 million
Robert Nioa is - quite obviously- the founder and chief executive of NIOA - Australia’s major firearms and ammunition supplier.
The defence contractor headquartered in Brisbane, recently scored a landmark US military deal to acquire Tennessee-based Barrett Firearms, elevating it to global manufacturer and supplier status.
Naturally, a private company of this size and standard requires a private jet and Nioa’s greatest weapon is his 2020 Legacy 500.
The sleek, mid-size aircraft requires two pilots and can easily travel long distances with 12 passengers on board.
Nioa bought his brand new, forking out at least $20 million USD.
There are just 84 Legacy 500 jets worldwide, including one owned by Jackie Chan, with Nioa registering his under the not-so-elusive name Nioa Aviation Pty Ltd.
But none are available for leasing, making it an extremely exclusive flight should you ever have the opportunity.
Dr Brian Finn
Jet: Cessna Citation Mustang 510
Estimated cost: $2.5 million USD
Associate Professor Dr Finn is a popular dental surgeon in Cairns who also specialises in treatment of the mouth, face and jaw, so it comes as no surprise that he both owns and operates Cairns Oral Surgery.
Servicing most of Far North Queensland, the Cairns Oral Surgery website states that Dr Finn has handled more than 10,000 cases of major facial trauma, and removed more than 50,000 wisdom teeth during his career.
After all of that hard work, he’s now flossing in a fancy 2016 Mustang 510, registered to a Cairns address.
Deborah Menegazzo
Jet: Cessna Citation 680 Sovereign
Estimated cost: $4 million
Daughter of cattle baron Peter Menegazzo, who was killed in a plane crash alongside his wife Angela in 2005, Deborah is heir to a $400 million fortune.
With her father’s wealthy Stanbroke Group asset list, it makes sense that she is the registered owner of 2009 Cessna Sovereign worth a cool $4 million today.
The jet is registered to Gulf Aircraft Pty Ltd, which Ms Menegazzo is the key principal of. The Gulf Aircraft Brisbane business address is the same as Menegazzo owned company PwC Australia.
The Stanbroke Group is a powerhouse cattle breeding, processing and distribution business based in Brisbane with ownership over 1.6 million hectares of prime beef real estate throughout Queensland.
Leon Dobrinski
Jet: Cessna Citation 525
Estimated cost: $2 million
Leon Lebronski made his millions by handicrafting dentures.
He is the successful owner of the MyDenture Clinic business which operates throughout regional NSW and the Gold Coast.
According to the My Dentures Facebook page, Mr Dobrinski loves “flying every week from Sydney to regional NSW to care for my patients.”
Like Andrew Vann (detailed below), he also owns a Cessna Citation 525 model, but a slightly newer 1999 make.
His plane is registered to the MyDentures Surfers Paradise address.
Bevan Slattery
Jet: Bombardier Learjet 60
Estimated cost: $13 million
Bevan Slattery is a major technology entrepreneur, mainly known for founding the Cloudscene data centre company based in Brisbane.
The telecommunication king is also founder of Soda, HyperOne, SUBCO, Biopixel, and Oceans Foundation.
He bought a 2001 Learjet 60 in 2021 with production of the jets ceasing in 2003, registering it to his Brisbane inner-city Cloudscene company address.
The Learjet is known for its takeoff power but 34 are currently on the market with an average sale price of just $1.4 million.
John McDermott
Jets: Cessna Citation 525 x3
Estimated cost: $2 million each
John McDermott owns three Cessna Citations valued at $2 million each, but he doesn’t fly for pleasure.
He founded Australia’s largest privately owned Aviation Company, Machjet International which services Australia, Papua New Guinea and the South Pacific and specialises in medevac, aerial fire fighting, and emergency assistance.
Unlike other Queensland jetsetters, McDermott’s airtime is spent racing to those in need, with the Citations used to complete countless life saving missions in Australia and Asia.
Andrew Vann
Jet: Cessna Citation 525
Estimated cost: $2.5 million
Andrew Vann is part of the six generation Vanguard blinds family business which has been operational in Australia for more than 100 years.
He first registered his Cessna jet in November 2016 and although the modest four-seater business plane was made in 1996, Van could still make a mint off its resale value today.
The jet is currently registered to Vann’s Vanguard Aviation Pty Ltd company.
James Stroud
Jet: Cessna Citation 510 Mustang
Estimated cost: $1.2 million
If the name Stroud sounds familiar, you may be a homeowner.
Like the name suggests, James Stroud is the proud founder of Stroud Homes.
A carpenter by trade, Stroud launched the business in 2011, building a successful franchise by 2013.
He recently treated himself to a 2009 Mustang 510 valued around $1.2 million, but the price of one made during the last two years of production (2016/17) can climb to over $3 million USD.
It’s registered under the Stroud Aviation and Transportation Pty Ltd company at Boonah.
Benjamin Hennock
Jet: Cessna Citation 650
Estimated cost: $1.3 million
First, he created a widely successful mobile truck washing business under the name Hennock & Sons in 2002, capitalising perfectly on Australia’s massive trucking industry and the dirty roads travelled on to keep the country moving.
Then, ultimate truck washer Ben Hennock expanded his genius idea to prime mover washing, trailer washing, rigids washing, dog washing, bus washing, container washing, forklift washing and motor home washing under the flagship Wash It Australia.
A true blue Aussie with a truly good idea then bought himself a 1988 Citation III, registering it to a Southport address on the Gold Coast, under the company name BHMM Aviation Ptd Ltd.
The jet is currently up for sale for $1.3 million AUD, which according to similar online sale listings, is a bit of a steal.
Clifford Teys
Jet: Cessna Citation 525A
Estimated cost: $2.2 million
Most Aussies would have tasted some Teys grown beef on their lips at one point in their life. The Teys’ Brothers opened their first butcher shop in 1946 in Woolloongabba, Brisbane before buying a cattle yard in Beenleigh which is still used to process meet today.
Teys Australia became a worldwide beef exporter serving up more than $1.5 billion beefy meals globally every year.
Clifford Teys transports himself around the cattle empire in a classy six-seater Citation CJ2 worth at least $2.2 million.
The cherry on top - the plane tail identification (registration) number is TEY.
David and Danielle Statham
Jet: Cessna Citation Latitude 680
Estimated cost: $20 million USD
Sustainable agriculture innovators David and Danielle Statham own a swath of cattle properties inherited from an initial investment made by the Statham family 55 years ago.
In 2018, what’s now known as the Sundown Pastoral Co business moved away from traditional cattle farming towards cropping, cotton production and cotton supply.
The business eventually made the world’s first carbon positive cotton and using new agriculture technology and techniques began growing water efficient crops.
The Statham couple turned ag-tech pioneers splashed out in 2022, buying themselves an elite 2022 Cessna Latitude 680 worth up to $20 million USD.
The new age mid sized jet registered under the Sundown Pastoral Co company can fly an impressive 2,700 nautical mile range and seats up to 9 passengers.
Tim Fairfax
Jet: Pilatus PC-24
Estimated cost: $13 million USD
While he’s not exactly based in Queensland, Tim Fairfax registers his fancy PC-24 jet at Archerfield Airport.
He sold his shares of the Fairfax media group to brother John in 2008 and still has a net worth of more than $1 billion, making his $13 million Pilatus a mere drop in an ocean of wealth.
Described as a penthouse on the 5000th floor, the Pilatus - which was only released in 2018 - operates like an off-road Rolls-Royce Cullinan in the sky.
It seats 11 passengers but only requires one pilot and is the latest rival to the Phenom 300. The Fairfax jet is currently registered to an aircharter company called Poolhurst Pty Ltd of which Tim Fairfax is the key principal.
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