What Controller does

Controller is a digital and print aircraft marketplace operated by Sandhills Global, a privately held media and marketplace conglomerate headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska. The platform, Controller.com, connects buyers and sellers of new and pre-owned aircraft worldwide, covering jets, turboprop aircraft, piston aircraft, helicopters, experimental/homebuilt aircraft, light sport aircraft, military, agricultural, and amphibious categories, plus parts, components, ground support equipment, and aviation businesses. Listings are complemented by a free Want-to-Buy matching tool, an FBO directory of 2,765 operators, an aircraft dealer locator covering 585 dealers, and verification processes before listings go live.

The underlying technology combines an online marketplace with real-time inventory synchronization across Controller.com, Sandhills Cloud, and dealer-hosted websites. A proprietary Sandhills Equipment Value Index (EVI) tracks retail value and inventory trends across used aircraft markets, supporting market reports and the AircraftValuation portal. Hosted website solutions offer contract-free, SEO-optimized, mobile-first sites for dealers with integrated inventory. The company also deploys generative AI to auto-write aircraft listing descriptions and operates legacy print publications (weekly Controller for piston aircraft, monthly Executive Controller for corporate aviation) distributed globally.

Revenue is generated through a mix of listing and advertising fees, premium placement and Featured Listings, Dealer Program Advertising on multi-year contracts, recurring hosted website subscriptions, print and digital subscriptions, and free basic e-commerce shops. The platform serves aircraft dealers and brokers (primary), private aircraft owners (primary), Fixed-Base Operators, and charter operators. Geographic coverage extends across the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa, with offices in Lincoln (HQ), Hamilton, Australia, and Manchester, UK.

Name

Controller

Legal name

Sandhills Global, Inc.

Website

https://controller.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Controller.com is an online and print aircraft marketplace operated by Sandhills Global, connecting 4.1+ million registered buyers with aircraft dealers, brokers, private sellers, and FBOs worldwide. It offers listings across jets, turboprops, pistons, helicopters, parts, and aviation services, complemented by hosted websites, valuation data, and financing integrations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Campo Grande

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Listing Fees and Advertising: Fees from aircraft dealers and sellers for listings, premium placement, featured listings, and dealer program advertising on Controller.com and in print publications.
2. Hosted Website Services: Monthly website hosting fees for aircraft dealers and brokers with customizable HTML and WordPress options, integrated inventory, and no contracts.
3. E-commerce Solutions: Setup is free with no monthly fees for basic e-commerce shops, providing additional services for equipment, parts, and other items sales.
4. Print and Digital Subscriptions: Weekly Controller publication for piston aircraft market, monthly Executive Controller for corporate aviation market, distributed worldwide to aircraft owners, subscribers, and FBOs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Controller operates an online marketplace (Controller.com) and complementary print publications (Controller weekly, Executive Controller monthly) that connect buyers and sellers of new and pre-owned aircraft. Listings cover jets, turboprops, piston aircraft, helicopters, parts, components, avionics, and aviation ground support equipment, supplemented by hosted dealer websites, market reports, valuation data, financing integrations, and a free Want-to-Buy matching service.

Product overview

Controller is a multi-platform aircraft marketplace operated by Sandhills Global, combining a digital marketplace (Controller.com) with print publications (Controller and Executive Controller). The core offering is the online marketplace for buying and selling aircraft across all categories including jets, turboprop aircraft, piston aircraft, helicopters, and parts. The platform is augmented by complementary tools including Aircraft Cost Calculator for ownership analytics, CharterHub for flight booking, AircraftValuation for pricing data, Currency/GoCurrency for financing, and Sandhills Global Market Reports for market intelligence. Additional services include hosted websites for dealers, a Want-to-Buy posting service, FBO directory, and Aircraft dealer locator.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Controller: Weekly publication connecting buyers and sellers of new and used single- and twin-engine piston aircraft.
• Executive Controller

Products and services

• Controller.com Online Aircraft Marketplace Digital marketplace connecting buyers and sellers of new and pre-owned aircraft across jets, turboprops, piston aircraft, helicopters, parts, components, avionics, ground support equipment, and aviation businesses; used by dealers, brokers, and private sellers worldwide.
• Controller Weekly Print Publication Weekly print publication connecting buyers and sellers of new and used single- and twin-engine piston aircraft, distributed worldwide to aircraft owners, subscribers, and Fixed-Base Operators.
• Executive Controller Monthly Print Publication Monthly print publication serving the global corporate aviation market for jets and high-end aircraft, distributed worldwide to aircraft owners, subscribers, and FBOs.
• Controller Hosted Websites Customizable hosted websites for aircraft dealers and brokers with integrated real-time inventory, SEO-optimized detail pages, mobile-first design, and no long-term contracts; offered in HTML and WordPress options.
• Sandhills Global Market Reports Monthly delivered market reports covering retail value and inventory trends for used aircraft across Jets, Turboprops, Piston Single, and Piston Helicopter segments, powered by the Sandhills Equipment Value Index (EVI).
• Dealer Program Advertising Multi-year advertising program allowing aircraft dealers to list their entire inventory on Controller.com, receive Featured Listing status, and access premium placement to maximize visibility to global buyers.
• Controller E-commerce Shops Free e-commerce shop solution for aviation sellers to transact equipment, parts, and other items online with setup at no cost and no recurring monthly fees for basic tier.
• Want-to-Buy Posting Service Free posting service allowing individual buyers to publicize the aircraft they are seeking, with instant email alerts when matching aircraft are listed and a 30-day active period per posting.
• FBO Directory Online directory of Fixed-Base Operators offering fuel, services, and facilities at airports worldwide, searchable by name, airport identifier, fuel type, and location.
• Aircraft Dealer Locator Online directory of aircraft dealers and brokers with search by name, location, manufacturer, and aircraft category to help buyers locate sellers.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than USD $182 billion in annual transaction data
• +4 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Kiko AuctioneersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuction and Realty company partnered with Controller.com, Executive Controller, and Equipmentfacts to sell Cessna and Embraer business jets. Began working with Sandhills in 2025.
• Sandhills GlobalcoreOthersController.com is a product of Sandhills Global, headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska. Sandhills offers platforms serving construction, agriculture, transportation, and aviation industries worldwide through subsidiaries Sandhills East and Sandhills Pacific.
• Currency Air (gocurrency.com)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerEquipment financing solutions provider integrated with Controller.com listings. Offers aircraft financing for buyers browsing the platform.
• Aircraft Cost CalculatorminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOwnership and operating cost analytics tool linked from aircraft listings on Controller.com for buyer decision support.
• CharterHubminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCharter flight booking platform accessible from Controller.com for users seeking charter flights and empty-leg trips.
• Sandhills CloudcoreTechnology or IntegrationDealer portal and inventory management system integrated with Controller.com for real-time listing synchronization.
• Controller EMEA (controlleremea.co.uk)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional platform for aircraft for sale in Europe, operating as part of the Controller brand family.
• AviationTrader (aviationtrader.com.au)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional platform for aircraft for sale in Australia and New Zealand, operating as part of the Sandhills Pacific portfolio.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Zillow: Zillow operates the leading US residential real estate marketplace with listings, pricing data (Zestimate), and ancillary services. Its marketplace-plus-data business model closely parallels Controller.com's combination of aircraft listings and EVI-driven valuation intelligence.
• AutoTrader: AutoTrader is the largest automotive marketplace in the US, connecting car buyers and sellers through online listings and dealer advertising. While serving the automotive industry, it operates a similar marketplace and advertising-driven business model as Controller.com at much greater scale.
• CoStar Group: CoStar Group operates the leading commercial real estate marketplace (CoStar) along with Apartments.com and LoopNet. Like Controller.com, it operates a vertical marketplace with advertising and listing-based revenue, demonstrating the scalability of the marketplace model.
• CarGurus: CarGurus is an online automotive marketplace with listings for new and used cars, dealer reviews, and pricing analytics. Similar to Controller.com, it provides marketplace listings and data-driven pricing tools that help buyers and sellers transact.

Direct peers

• AvBuyer: AvBuyer is a global business jet marketplace connecting buyers and sellers of pre-owned aircraft, with listings spanning jets, turboprops, and helicopters. It directly competes with Controller.com for aircraft sales transactions and dealer advertising spend.
• Trade-A-Plane: Trade-A-Plane is a long-established aircraft marketplace connecting buyers and sellers of new and used aircraft, including jets, turboprops, pistons, and helicopters. It operates both print publications and an online platform, directly competing with Controller.com in the same product category.
• GlobalAir.com: GlobalAir.com is an online aircraft marketplace specializing in business jets, turboprops, and piston aircraft listings for sale. It offers similar search and listing functionality as Controller.com and serves aircraft dealers and individual buyers in the same segment.
• Barnstormers.com: Barnstormers.com is one of the oldest online aircraft classifieds platforms, listing new and used aircraft including homebuilt, experimental, and certified aircraft. It serves a similar marketplace function as Controller.com for individual buyers and sellers in the general aviation segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Controller
• Facebookfacebook.com/ControllerPub

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Controller