Pay's Aviation

What Pay's Aviation does

Pay's Aviation (operating as Pay's Air Service) is a family-owned Australian aviation company founded by Colin Pay in 1959 in Scone, NSW, providing a diversified portfolio of aviation services including aerial firefighting, charter, warbird flight experiences, aircraft maintenance, and vintage fighter restoration. The company operates a fleet of nine Air Tractor AT-802 aircraft (six FireBoss amphibious AT-802Fs and three land-based AT-802s) deployed across domestic Australian fire services (NSW Rural Fire Service, Victoria Country Fire Authority) and internationally with the Hellenic Fire Service in Greece since 2021, with additional operations in Italy and Portugal.

The company's core technology includes a proprietary Fire Suppression System with STC certification under both CASA and FAA for the AT-802 platform, enabling onboard mixing of fire suppressant concentrate with water during transit to fire incidents (180Lts capacity, loads in 8 minutes, mixes in 2 minutes, supporting up to 30 loads per sortie). Maintenance operations are conducted from a CASA-approved facility in Scone employing approximately 20 staff with Part 66 B1.1 and B1.2 licence coverage, supported by an in-house paint shop and an inventory of approximately 5000 spare components. The Vintage Fighter Restorations (VFR) subsidiary restores WWII-era aircraft including Spitfires, P-51 Mustangs, P-40 Kittyhawks, and Hurricanes.

Revenue is generated across multiple streams: managed-services contracts with government fire agencies (primary), professional services for charter and MRO, one-time experience sales for warbird flights (Harvard at $695 AUD, Stearman at $400 AUD per 30-minute flight), and specialized restoration projects. The company holds ISO 9001, AS4801, and ISO 14001 certifications, and maintains operations from two Australian locations (Scone headquarters and Albury). Current Managing Director Ross Pay, son of the founder, leads the business following Col Pay's death in 2007.

Name

Pay's Aviation

Legal name

Pay's Air Service

Website

https://paysairservice.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1959

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Family-owned Australian aviation company founded in 1959 providing aerial firefighting with a nine-aircraft AT-802 fleet, charter services, CASA-approved aircraft maintenance, warbird flight experiences, and WWII-era vintage fighter restoration for government, corporate, and consumer clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Scone

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Warbird Flight Experiences: Revenue from selling flight experiences in vintage WWII aircraft including Harvard and Stearman. Customers pay per flight for 30-minute joy rides with optional aerobatics.
2. Charter Services: Private charter services for businesses, mining industry, horse racing industry, and government agencies across Australia. Includes passenger transport, freight, and specialized aerial work.
3. Aerial Firefighting Contracts: Contract revenue from government agencies for aerial firefighting services. Domestic contracts in Victoria, Tasmania, Queensland, and NSW. International contracts including multi-year contract with Hellenic Fire Service in Greece since 2021.
4. Maintenance and Engineering Services: Revenue from aircraft maintenance, repair, overhaul services, and custom modifications. CASA-approved facility with B1.1 and B1.2 licence coverage.
5. Vintage Fighter Restoration: Revenue from restoration and maintenance services for classic and vintage aircraft, particularly WW2 era fighters including Spitfires, Mustangs, P-40 Kittyhawks.
6. Flight Training: Training services including agricultural ratings, night agricultural ratings, aircraft endorsements, aeroplane flight reviews, and aeroplane firebombing endorsements. Provided by Ross Pay and Harley Mckillop.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Pay's Aviation is an Australian family-owned aviation company providing aerial firefighting services to government agencies (domestically and internationally), private charter flights for corporate clients, warbird flight experiences and scenic flights for individual consumers, aircraft maintenance and overhaul services, flight training, and restoration of vintage WWII-era fighter aircraft. The company operates a fleet of nine Air Tractor AT-802 aircraft including amphibious FireBoss units, a CASA-approved maintenance facility with approximately 20 staff, and an in-house paint shop.

Product overview

Pay's Air Service operates as a diversified aviation services company offering a portfolio of interconnected services centered around aviation operations, aircraft maintenance, and vintage warbird experiences. The core offerings include: Warbird flight experiences (Stearman and Harvard flights) providing customers with WWII aircraft flight experiences; aerial firefighting services using Air Tractor AT-802 aircraft including the amphibious FireBoss; private charter services; vintage fighter restorations under the Vintage Fighter Restorations (VFR) brand; aircraft maintenance and paint shop services; and flight training programs. The company maintains operations from two locations in Scone NSW and Albury NSW.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Stearman Flight Experience A 30-minute flight experience in a Boeing Stearman Model B75N1, a 1930s US-designed military primary training aircraft used during WWII. Priced at $400 AUD with optional aerobatic maneuvers. Targeted at individual aviation enthusiasts.
• Harvard Flight Experience A 30-minute flight experience in the North American T-6 Harvard, a WWII military trainer aircraft. Priced at $695 AUD with optional aerobatic maneuvers. Passenger weight limit 110kg, minimum age 14 years. Targeted at individual aviation enthusiasts.
• Pay's Air Charter Premium private charter service offering flights anywhere within Australia. Operates Beechcraft Super Kingair 200, Cessna C208B Grand Caravan, and single-engine piston aircraft for passenger and freight transport. Serves mining, horse racing, government, and medical transport sectors.
• Aerial Fire Fighting Fixed-wing aerial firefighting support using a fleet of nine Air Tractor AT-802 aircraft, including six FireBoss amphibious AT-802Fs and three land-based AT-802s. Operates domestically across NSW, Victoria, Tasmania, and Queensland, and internationally in Greece, Italy, and Portugal.
• Vintage Fighter Restorations (VFR) Specialist restoration and maintenance of classic and vintage WWII-era fighter aircraft including Spitfires, P-51 Mustangs, P-40 Kittyhawks, Hurricanes, Harvards, and other warbirds. Wholly-owned subsidiary of Pay's Aviation.
• Maintenance Services Fully licensed maintenance, repair and overhaul facility employing around 20 staff with part 66 licence coverage of B1.1 and B1.2. Capable of maintaining piston engine aircraft and PT6 series turbine engines. Maintains spares inventory of approximately 5,000 components.
• Paint Shop In-house paint shop specializing in vintage warbird and normal aircraft painting, using a large 12x5m heated spray booth for oven-baked finishes.
• Flight Training Fixed-wing aerial application training including agricultural ratings, night agricultural ratings, aircraft endorsements, aeroplane flight reviews, and aeroplane firebombing endorsements.
• Scenic Flights Scenic flights over the Upper Hunter Valley and Albury wine regions, tailored to provide the best experience for individual passengers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Fire Suppression System loads tanks in 8 minutes and mixes in hopper in 2 minutes
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Other Australian OperatorsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTo meet operational demand, Pay's has partnered with other Australian operators to deliver a coordinated and scalable aerial firefighting response during domestic operations.
• Luskintyre Aircraft RestorationminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCollaboration with Luskintyre Aircraft Restoration for fuselage woodwork refurbishment and fabric work on vintage aircraft like the Hawker Hurricane restoration.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Toll Aviation: Toll Aviation is the Australian charter and aviation services arm of Toll Holdings, serving government, resources, and commercial clients. Comparable to Pay's Air Charter given its charter and government services focus, but at significantly larger scale and with broader corporate backing.
• Network Aviation: Network Aviation is an established Australian charter and FIFO operator serving mining and government clients. Comparable to Pay's Air Charter given its charter and government services focus, but with broader scale and a primarily passenger-focused operation.

Others

• Air Tractor Inc. Air Tractor is the US-based manufacturer of the AT-802 firefighting and agricultural aircraft used by Pay's Aviation. Relevant as the OEM supplier for the company's primary firefighting fleet rather than a direct competitor, but a critical ecosystem participant.

Direct peers

• Conair Group: Conair Group is a Canadian aerial firefighting and aerial application operator with decades of experience supporting government wildfire contracts. Comparable to Pay's Aviation in core fixed-wing firefighting operations, fleet size, and government contract profile.
• Coulson Aviation: Coulson Aviation is a global aerial firefighting operator with large fixed-wing and rotorcraft fleets, including Air Tractor AT-802 operations, and contracts in North America, Australia, and other regions. Directly comparable to Pay's Aviation given its fixed-wing firefighting focus, international footprint, and AT-802 fleet composition.

Emerging players

• Pioneer Aero: Pioneer Aero is a New Zealand-based warbird restoration and historic aircraft operator. Comparable to Pay's Vintage Fighter Restorations given its warbird restoration focus and similar operating model centred on WWII-era types, though geographically focused on the New Zealand market.
• Temora Aviation Museum: Temora Aviation Museum is an Australian warbird and aviation heritage organization that operates and restores historic aircraft including WWII types. Comparable to Pay's Vintage Fighter Restorations subsidiary given its warbird focus, restoration capability, and experiential aviation offerings.

Regional players

• Kestrel Aviation: Kestrel Aviation is an Australian aerial work operator providing charter, aerial agriculture, and specialty fixed-wing services. Comparable to Pay's Aviation given its Australian base and overlapping charter and aerial work offerings to corporate and government clients.
• Bison Aircraft: Bison Aircraft is an Australian aerial work operator providing charter, freight, and specialty flight services to remote and regional clients. Comparable to Pay's Aviation given its fixed-wing charter and aerial work profile in the Australian market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/paysaviation
• Xx.com/paysairservice

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Pay's Aviation