“Can you state your name for the court?”

“Yes, I can.”

Would you have answered that way? FBO Partners is a rare business aviation consultancy fluent in legal concepts, and the nuances of the courts. Don’t believe us? Just ask the opposing counsel who’s attempted -and failed- to stump us in cross examination.

An Expert Witness versus a Fact Witness

In both bench and jury trials, the need for witnesses comes in two forms: Fact Witnesses and Expert Witnesses.

Fact witnesses, as the name implies, state the facts of an event they observed with their own eyes. They may not be experts at what they witnessed, and in many cases, they may simply be the innocent bystanders who observed an accident, or a crime. For example: The witness who saw the gunman pull the trigger is a fact witness; whereas the ballistics expert who could identify the gun it was fired from based on the markings on the bullet, is an Expert Witness.

An Expert Witness is one who has specific education, training and or experience in a particular subject that helps judges and juries understand complex matters. In his book “Outliers,” author Malcom Gladwell popularized the concept of the 10,000-hour rule. That is, one who has 10,000 hours, or 10 years of deliberate practice in an area is generally considered to be an expert. In complex aviation litigation, however, 10,000 hours or 10 years simply isn’t enough.

About our Expert Witness

That’s why our lead Expert Witness, President Douglas Wilson, has 31 years in business and general aviation and counting. His first flight lesson was at age 10, he soloed at 16, obtained his Pilot’s License at 17, and has 31 years of continuous years of employment in Fixed Based Operations (FBOs). From his work at a small, privately-owned public use airport, to his various roles at the largest FBO chain in the world, to his years’ operating one of the most awarded independent FBOs in the country, he’s seen a few things. Since a customer’s perspective is crucial, he’s also an aircraft owner, and rated to fly airplanes, seaplanes, helicopters, and gliders. Even his vacations are aviation-centric: From EAA’s AirVenture to the Reno Air Races, he’s there.

Call it a passion or a lifestyle, our services are the carefully cultivated result of unequaled aviation experience.