Pity the private jet buyer who faces a multi-year wait for their ride. But waiting lists for the hottest private jet models might be primed to shrink, according to the Wall Street Journal’s Robert Frank. Frank reports on an interesting phenomenon in private aviation in his blog today. With the recent economic slump, and continued financial gloom on the horizon, an unlikely group of beneficiaries may emerge among private jet buyers. The recession might not be kind to your stock portfolio, but it’s likely to thin out the lengthy wait-lists for the hottest planes on the market, like Gulfstream’s G550.

Not having to wait as long for your jet isn’t the only reason that buying during a recession could be a smart play. According to Frank, jet prices are highly elastic with regard to the GDP. In fact, plane prices fall three times as much as declines in GDP, so a three percent dip in the GDP could translate into a nine percent markdown on a new jet. Of course this all assumes that those jet buyers haven’t taken a direct hit in the wallet themselves in the recent market downturn. Those buyers weathering the current fiscal turbulence, could well find that this year is the right time to go jet shopping.