Neofly pro-tip: all the save data is kept in an SQLite database, by default in C:\Program Data\NeoFly\common.db, IIRC. If you’re familiar with SQL you can use an SQLite client like DB Browser to tweak things to your personal satisfaction. (I mostly use it to replace my starting plane when I want to play with something different, but it can be fun to poke around with in general.)
I created a small tool to do some useful things with it, though most of what it does has been superseded by features since added to the game itself, or through a much more ambitious autohotkey-based tool. I definitely suggest checking that out – it can automatically prime the database with the jobs, prices, and airplanes at all the airports within a given radius of you, then let you search that to find where a given plane can be bought, or where the best place to go with a load of trade goods is.
I also like building up from a scrappy start, so I usually don’t bother with a loan at first, and just build from whatever my starting plane is, but what I like most about NeoFly is how unrestricted it is; everyone can find their own kind of fun. Honestly, my most recent save I’ve started in sandbox mode, I have 3 or 4 different bases in various parts of the world and buy or sell planes as the itch strikes me. I call it my “ADD Millionaire” career. :D
Do get insurance, though.