See. He's prosperous. You can be prosperous, too. The first step to your prosperity is a nice big check made out to Copeland's ministry.

Religion pays big rewards. It's a growth industry.

Which I wholeheartedly agree with.

Fools and their money ya know.

Conman for Christ!

Copeland has his "private" airport next to that home, complete with crosswind runways which are hard to come by around these parts.

Copeland was forced to list his airport as public access, in order to protect his "private" instrument approaches. Otherwise anyone could build a cell phone tower off one of the approach ends of his runways and decertify the approach. The FAA won't protect against this unless the airport is listed as public access.

As soon as this happened, I got up before dawn and flew practice landings at his airport. The downwind for runway 35 takes you right over the top of this god mansion and it's perfectly positioned where you're at the lowest point on that leg (I usually go about 500' above the ground). Suddenly right over the mansion I realize I'm a bit too low, so I push in the throttle which drives the propeller RPM to 2600 and the tips of the blades to supersonic (translation, the prop gets loud as hell). While doing this I peak over to the east and see the sun just start to appear over the horizon and laugh myself silly.

I realize I'm going straight to hell for this, but it's worth it.

If I had money I would send donations to you so you could do that more often!

They added a line to the chart supplement which states:

Arpt clsd to transient acft except 3 hrs PPR

Translated this means transient aircraft (me) can't land there without getting permission 3 hours prior. I'm pretty sure I'm the primary reason they added this, but it's possible other people were pulling the same gag. I've thought about calling in the middle of the night to get permission, and if they don't answer the phone or deny it, I'll file a complaint with the FAA.

For now I just get a chuckle every time I realize Copeland had to pay an aviation attorney to figure out a way they could keep me from waking him up at the crack of dawn.

Do more and if you need donations for gas, I'll contribute.

Does it have seats in it? Or do the engines work?

I know it's used and it's a generation removed from their current planes, but $3million is pretty cheap.

There are used G5's out there the age of this plane or older, that have asking prices in 8 digits.

The general consensus is it's a piece of shit. Not sure about the G V, but if it's anything like the predecessor there's a good chance whoever he bought it from was glad to get rid of it.

8 digits will get you one with low time engines and updated avionics, which is required by 2020 to fly in much of the airspace in the US and parts of the rest of the world.

If he got it for $3million it's a safe bet it will need millions in upgrades, unless it's part of some money laundering/tax scheme which wouldn't at be at all surprising in this case.

On a car basis, that thing is a 2005 Fusion with 500,000 miles on it.

Also, nice catch on the tax dodge thought.

Airplanes, and especially jets, are going to get several retrofits throughout their life cycle. The engines are required to be rebuilt at specified intervals. The interiors of 7 figure planes will be replaced every few years. Much of the airframe and avionics will typically remain true to the original, but maintenance and operation costs can easily eclipse the original purchase price over the course of a few years, particularly in the case of a used plane. A new plane will still require expensive maintenance as some things will inevitably start to fail not long after it leaves the assembly line.

That's still either a fake price and he spent way more or that plane needs a massive amount of upgrade.

Given ministry already pays little in taxes, wouldn't be cheaper to lease? The savings on depreciation wouldn't matter if taxes were zero, as would be all operating costs and leasing fees. (And btw, you just know that this plane is owned by the ministry so there are no taxes on it at all.)

He's actually a commercial pilot himself who learned the trade from the master flock fleecer Oral Roberts, who employed him to fly his airplane. So for him there's no doubt a particular attraction to owning his own vessels, and he has more than one of them.

Whether it's cheaper to lease really depends on how many hours per year you are traveling and how many planes you are operating. There's other operations like fractional ownership and other arrangements which cater to on demand service. In Copeland's case he is no doubt writing off the entire cost of his aviation operations to his "ministry" as a completely tax free endeavor, so it may make even more sense for him to own. He frequently flies to the Caribbean and other popular rich people's vacation spots where he probably gives an inspirational sermon (for a hefty fee), and spends the rest of the time in a beech front bungalow.

"Kenneth and his wife Gloria, pose onboard the new plane, before it is refurbished to suit the ministry's needs"

For $3 million, that thing is going to need engines, brakes, hydraulic rebuild, tires, ground brakes, . . .

I saw one on line with a listed price. 2003 G5. $12.5 million.

Plus this thing ain't no $3 million.

Used, more like $6 million to $10, million !

Any chance of Space-X sticking him in the Tesla car they're going to use to test their heavy lift rocket? I'd pay a dollar for that!

Just a closer walk ya know..

Don't blame Jesus, he spoke against them and drove them out of the Temple.

thing, they were often misguided and too obsessed with the law.

Evangelicals are just plain corrupt criminals.

Jesus told his followers to obey the Pharisees, because their teaching was correct. He called them hypocrites because they didn't practice what they preached, not because their ideas were bad. Whatever criticism you may have of Kenneth Copeland, he certainly does practice what he preaches.

Matthew 23 : 1-3 - Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.

Unless you think the teaching of Jesus was all about fleecing the flock, which may well be true.

A few of his former employees have publicly told stories about how his entire operation is nothing but one big scam, which really shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone.

like this flimflam man, without also criticizing the idiots who fell for his spiel and willingly handed over their pennies to this crook. Its like a sick ponzi scheme. Copeland robs his victims, and they in turn steal from their families and their own future to make him wealthier.

And thank's to Trump, Copeland get a tasty tax cut to keep more of his loot, and he also get to deduct the costs of his fancy new toy, too. And no body can stop it.

him their money. Doesn't anything click for them? If you are that much of an idiot then you deserve to be taken advantage of.

just curious.- wouldn't it be rude to turn down a gift from Jesus?

Last edited Fri Jan 19, 2018, 04:26 PM - Edit history (1)

My sister in law prays to Jesus for all kinds of things. My aunts prayed for dresses to go on sale and for empty parking places to appear. They all believe(d) he heard them and obliged.

Anyone remember Oral Roberts? My mother was taken in by him. I was too young to try to talk her out of sending him money that the family badly needed, but plenty of other people did, including my dad. But she wanted to show how much she "loved god." Every time I hear about one of these religious grifters, I'm angry all over again.

It's not the main reason I'm an atheist, but it definitely contributed to it.

Even as a kid growing up in Texas, we made fun of Fort Worth.

Not surprised they fell for this grifter and his pleas for money...

He is probably rolling in his grave right now at what Americans are doing in his name.

🥇🎉🥂🍺🍹

do remember watching telepreacher on my first satellite dish. Had his own transponder. One of his lines when asking for $ was "Whether or not you send me money is between you and god. What I do with it is between Me and god!" He had champagne taste just like Copeland. Used to hear Rev Ike on AM when driving at night; "You can't lose with the stuff I use!"

It was actually quite entertaining.

Pay for a weekend community health clinic. Supply a food bank. Fund a homeless shelter. You know, do things a follower of Jesus should do.

The article says Copeland’s organization bought the plane from the obnoxiously-religious Tyler Perry. I get the impression it’s coming up on engine overhaul time, so there’s a roughy $1 million bill hanging off each side of it. He could have probably gotten $12 million for it with fresh engines, so $10 million actual value minus $3 million from Copeland equals $7 million off his 2018 tax bill.