John Keeble, Chairman

Twinjet's Chairman John Keeble is a seasoned veteran when it comes to buying, selling and managing aircraft.

Having started his career as a design student with the prestigious DeHavilland Apprentice Training School, Keeble worked in all of the major development and flight test departments before joining technical sales and beginning an international sales career in South America, Western and Southern Africa and the Middle East.

Head hunted by the McAlpine Group as General Sales Manager, Keeble advanced to become CEO designate, having quadrupled sales and developed a large wet leasing capability.  In addition, he increased the fleet size to twenty six aircraft under management.

A will to prove himself lead to the formation of Twinjet Aircraft in 1982, and the dream became reality with success in both corporate jet sales and third party charter placement.  Over the past twenty five years the Company developed worldwide contacts leading to inexcess of one hundred plus jet sales, ranging from Boeing 747's to Cessna Citation's, a very healthy commercial charter business and an outstanding third party charter operation headquartered in West London.

Most amusing professional moment

"During our second year we supplied a Hawker 125 to a Nigerian purchaser who notwithstanding the fact that he weighed in at in excess of 300lbs, insisted that a six seat aircraft was perfect for his use. Plainly this was not the case. He complained of continuing engine failure. This fact was unreported by Captain Desmond Penrose (ex Empire Test Pilot School) who advised that the engines appeared to run normally all of the time."

"The Chief decided that he wished to sell the aircraft back to us and we agreed. The machine was quickly sold to a new owner. But as we hadn't at that moment purchased it from the Chief, a flurry of phone calls confirmed that he would be available at 10am on Tuesday at his London home in Sussex Gardens. I dutifully appeared at 10 minutes to 10 to be informed by his butler that the Chief was at that moment, departing from Luton Airport - from where I'd just come - on a chartered Gulfstream II. From a pay phone, I instructed my personal assistant to place her body in front of the Gulfstream's nose wheel to prevent its departure. I travelled from Sussex Gardens to Luton Airport in 32 minutes and confronted the seller with the purchase contract which he signed and said 'Weren't we supposed to meet in London?'."