![]()
Private aviation membership clubs are subscription-based services that give members access to private jets without the cost and hassle of buying or managing them. The tradeoff is usually a set allotment of flight hours rather than unlimited access. The model runs entirely on trust: members pay in advance and rely on the company to deliver the experience it promised. When that trust breaks, the whole arrangement falls apart. Sometimes it breaks at the very top. That is what happened with AeroVanti founder Patrick Britton-Harr, who was convicted of six counts of wire fraud in connection with his private-jet service scheme on June 3. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison per count. A federal district court judge will determine sentencing after weighing the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing is scheduled for August 26, 2026. The Medicare scheme that allegedly funded AeroVanti During the pandemic, Britton-Harr offered COVID-19 screening tests to nursing home patients through his company, Provista Health. He then billed Medicare for expensive respiratory pathogen panel (RPP) tests, according to federal prosecutors. The tests were medically unnecessary, were never ordered by a treating physician as required, and in many cases were never performed at all, including tests billed for patients who had already died. Provista Health submitted more than $15 million in fraudulent claims, and Medicare paid out more than $5 million. Prosecutors allege Britton-Harr used proceeds tied to that scheme to lease or purchase aircraft and to found AeroVanti. What members were promised, and what they got AeroVanti pitched a limited-time opportunity to its "Top Gun" members, inviting them to pay $150,000 upfront to help the company buy aircraft in exchange for a block of discounted flight hours. Members were told their money would fund a fleet of Piaggio P.180 Avantis, with each member holding a secured interest in the aircraft, and that Britton-Harr would protect their money by placing the aircraft titles in escrow. Roughly 100 Top Gun members collectively paid about $15 million to purchase five aircraft. The planes were never bought. According to the District of Maryland, Britton-Harr misappropriated members' money to buy yachts and jewelry, cover his living expenses, and rent a $10,000-per-month home near Tampa, Florida. He then tried to conceal the fraud by taking out a $1.5 million loan to buy one of the aircraft he had already claimed to have purchased with Top Gun funds, withholding material information from the lender to secure it. Britton-Harr's conviction A federal jury found Britton-Harr guilty on all six wire fraud counts on June 3. Separately, he was indicted in May 2025 on five counts of health care fraud and one count of money laundering tied to the Medicare scheme. That trial is scheduled for October 2026. "Consumers who invest in aviation services deserve honesty and transparency, not deception. Patrick Britton-Harr abused his customers' trust by misrepresenting how their money would be used and then enriching himself at their expense," said Greg Thompson, Special Agent in Charge at the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General. "This verdict reflects the commitment of DOT-OIG and our law enforcement partners to holding accountable those who engage in fraud and threaten the integrity of the transportation industry." Two more CEOs, two more sets of charges Britton-Harr is not the only AeroVanti executive to face criminal charges. Scott Hopes, who joined as CEO in 2023, was later charged in Florida with grand theft and fraudulent use of public records tied to his earlier tenure as Manatee County administrator. Patrick's brother, Todd Britton-Harr, ran the company for only a few days before Patrick took back control. He carried a prior Florida mortgage fraud conviction and a four-year prison sentence. What this means for membership club buyers Subscription aviation can be a genuinely valuable service, and the best operators deliver real luxury from aircraft they own and disclose up front. The AeroVanti collapse is a reminder to read the structure carefully. Be wary of any club that asks members to fund capital purchases the business should finance itself, and be especially wary of outsized promises, like a dedicated Piaggio for every buyer. If a membership does not give you the control or certainty you want, owning your own aircraft may be the better path.