On this episode of the Iron Bird Podcast, Dan Harris sits down with Jean De Looz, COO of MySky, for a deep, practical conversation on aircraft finances, scalability, and why process matters more than tools in business aviation.

Jean shares how MySky evolved from a Swiss-based cost auditing firm into a full aviation spend, quoting, and financial intelligence platform, and why most operators struggle not because of lack of effort, but because finance and operations data live in silos.

This episode goes far beyond surface-level tech talk. It breaks down where money actually leaks in aircraft operations, why traditional accounting systems fall short in aviation, and how accurate cost data unlocks better quoting, stronger margins, and faster decision-making.

✈️ What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• How MySky started as a secondary audit platform for aircraft owners who had no financial KPIs for their aircraft
• Why aviation accounting does not scale with “people power” and where it breaks down
• The real cost of manual processes, including why one aircraft can generate 120–180 documents per month
• Why most operators need one accounting FTE for every 4–5 aircraft without automation
• How finance data and operational data being siloed creates errors, delays, and missed revenue
• Why many aviation software tools fail due to low willingness to pay and lack of aviation-specific design
• How MySky bridges ERPs and aviation ops using purpose-built spend management and validation
• The role of benchmarking, why it must be index-based and formulaic, and how it protects anonymity
• Where operators consistently underestimate costs, including fuel, handling, maintenance, and agent fees
• Why traditional hourly-rate quoting is outdated and how cost-based quoting changes margins
• How automated quoting reduces sales busywork and lets teams focus on relationships instead of buttons
• What successful software implementation really requires: a champion, openness to change, and time
• Why aviation technology is a long-term investment, not a quick fix
• Practical AI use cases in aviation and why consistency matters more than flashy outputs
• Where MySky is headed next, including demand-informed pricing, contract verification, and blended trip P&Ls

🧠 Key Insight from the Episode

Technology alone does not fix aviation operations.

Process is king.

Without clean data, aligned incentives, and consistent workflows, even the best software will fail.

🎯 Who This Episode Is For

• Aircraft owners seeking transparency into operating costs
• Part 91 and Part 135 operators trying to scale without adding headcount
• Charter sales teams overwhelmed by quoting volume
• Finance and accounting teams buried in manual reconciliation
• Aviation leaders evaluating real-world tech investments, not hype

🎧 Sponsors

This episode of the Iron Bird Podcast is brought to you by:

• Charter Flight Support – Coverage that protects you when an aircraft mechanical issue stops your flight, including financial support and fast replacement aircraft sourcing. Learn more at CharterFlightSupport.com and subscribe to The Fix newsletter.
• Video Valet – Premium onboard entertainment with up to 1.2 million movies, shows, magazines, and newspapers, delivered via fully customized iPads without expensive Wi-Fi or hardware.