At jetAVIVA, deep product knowledge and personal passion are at the heart of every customer relationship. Few people embody that better than Jade Hofeldt, jetAVIVA’s Citation Mustang Market Specialist. With over a decade of sales success and a career steeped in aviation, Jade has become one of the industry’s most trusted voices in the owner-operator light jet segment.

Jade’s path to becoming jetAVIVA’s go-to expert on the Citation Mustang was paved by years of hands-on experience and a passion for helping owner-operators.

“Having previously worked for one of the largest Cessna dealers in the world, I joined jetAVIVA with a lot of contacts within Textron as well as the private aviation industry,” she shares. “Heading up Mustang sales, which focuses heavily on the owner-operator, was a natural fit.”

Since joining jetAVIVA, Jade has led more than 80 Mustang transactions.  While her focus has been primarily on the Mustang, she also has deep experience with other models like the CJ3—her first type rating and an aircraft she still loves to fly today.

Jade’s admiration for the Mustang goes beyond the sales floor. In 2019, she set a “Speed Over a Recognized Course“ record on a flight from Wichita, KS to Keflavik, Iceland. But for her, the most rewarding part was delivering the aircraft and personally handing the keys to her client upon arrival.

“It was a career highlight for me,” she says. “Getting to share that experience with the client in such a unique way was truly special.”

The Citation Mustang has carved out a unique position in the light jet segment—and Jade has been tracking its movement closely for more than a decade. On average, 5–6 Mustangs trade hands every month, and owners tend to hold on to them for 3–5 years before stepping up to something larger—often with Jade’s guidance.

Jade points to the Mustang’s strong performance-to-cost ratio as a key driver of its ongoing appeal.

“When you consider that you can get FL410 capabilities, 340 knots, a 1,000 nm range, and carry over 800 pounds of payload with full fuel—all for a budget in the low $2 millions—it’s hard to beat,” she says.

With only 472 Mustangs built, and the line out of production since 2017, inventory remains tight. Jade notes that post-COVID levels have hovered well below 10%, making good aircraft highly competitive.

“The biggest challenge today is simply finding good options. They move quickly,” she explains. “Buyers who try to go it alone often miss out, which is why they turn to jetAVIVA for help navigating the process.”

For Jade, the real joy of her work lies in the success of her clients.

“Many of my customers came from pistons or turboprops. They tell me again and again that their only regret is not making the move sooner,” she says. “Being able to fly above weather and icing conditions safely and efficiently has transformed their operations—and their businesses.”

She’s even guided clients from the Mustang into larger jets like the M2 and CJ3+, continuing to support them throughout their aviation journey.

What many clients don’t realize at first is that Jade is also a highly accomplished pilot. She holds an ATP certificate, CFI/CFII/MEI, and is a Cirrus CSIP. She’s typed in the Citation 525 series and has flown over 50 different aircraft models. A proud graduate of Purdue University’s Professional Flight Program, Jade brings technical depth and flying experience to every transaction.

Outside of work, Jade lives the aviation lifestyle with her family on an 82-acre farm with a 1,600-foot grass strip just south of Madison, Wisconsin. She and her husband, Matt (VP of Brand at Aviat), fly Huskys off their private strip with their two kids: Jet Alan (7) and Afton Sky (4).

With unmatched knowledge, personal experience, and a passion for helping owner-operators succeed, Jade Hofeldt is the definitive expert in the Citation Mustang market—and the kind of trusted partner every jet buyer hopes to find.

Connect with Jade Hofeldt to learn more about Cessna Citation Mustang opportunities at [email protected].