Buyers/sellers remorse

Ken Ibold

Ken Ibold

Final Approach
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Ken Ibold
I was talking with a couple of pilot/owners the other day and the subject came around to airplanes we've sold and now miss, and airplanes we've bought and then regretted.

Personally, I really miss my Pitts. On an intellectual level, I knew it had to go. But on an emotional one, well, suffice it to say I still have dreams about that honey.

But in a broader sense, I get the feeling seller's remorse has more to do with the fact that no one airplane can do EVERYTHING, regardless of how much we wish it could. (Even an aerobatic King Air that burned 12 gph would have something to criticize.) I've not had buyer's regret, although my first two airplanes I really got lucky on, because I didn't do the kind of pre-purchase due diligence I now do.

So tell your tales.
 
Only had two airplanes - the 180 HP 172 and the current R182.

The 172 was my first, got my instrument rating in it, babies it and just got to the point where it was a nice a 172 as you could find. The offer that came in for it was too good to turn down and included brokering the deal on the R182 with a low time engine and great avionics.

Sold that 172 to the flight school at my home airport and still wince every time I see a student botch a landing with it. :eek:
 
I wish I could sell my 150 so I'd have a chance at seller's remorse. :(

I'm VERY glad I bought a share in the Cherokee 180. Great airplane, much more capable. Less expensive.
 
Ken Ibold said:
(Even an aerobatic King Air that burned 12 gph would have something to criticize.)
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Yeah, can't fit the durn thing into my hangar!

I haven't been seriously afflicted with either buyer's or seller's remorse. I could always use more payload or more speed, but my Saratoga is already dancing along the edge of that envelope for piston singles. Shrug. I empathize with you about the Pitts. PA32's, while they're great planes, don't exactly have a personality that makes one passionate about them.

Regards,
Joe
 
Joe B said:
PA32's, while they're great planes, don't exactly have a personality that makes one passionate about them.
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Yup. That's why I sold my first Lance. But when it comes to the ability to haul loads at reasonable speeds with low purchase and operating costs, you really can't beat a PA-32, which is why I bought my second Lance.

Intellect vs emotion once again.
 
Ken Ibold said:
Yup. That's why I sold my first Lance. But when it comes to the ability to haul loads at reasonable speeds with low purchase and operating costs, you really can't beat a PA-32, which is why I bought my second Lance.

Intellect vs emotion once again.
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Too bad you can't find three other guys and put together a partnership for an aerobatic plane.
 
Ken, it's like a pickup truck. It doesn't have a name. It doesn't have a personality. It's my truck.

However, can you say, "Mooney"?
 
i suspect I will cry the day I am forced to sell my glider.
 
My first was a C-150 to build time in, I miss it because it was the first, like the first car you had. If the 172 goes, I will miss it because it was the first airplane I could take friends along in and I bought it at a really good price. If I had the money, the next plane would be a Yak 18, load up four of your closest friends and go do aerobatics all day long.:goofy:
 
Dean said:
My first was a C-150 to build time in, I miss it because it was the first, like the first car you had. If the 172 goes, I will miss it because it was the first airplane I could take friends along in and I bought it at a really good price. If I had the money, the next plane would be a Yak 18, load up four of your closest friends and go do aerobatics all day long.:goofy:
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five people doing aerobatics in an airplane where no one's sitting on the centerline? Yak indeed!!! :vomit:
 
gprellwitz said:
My remorse is that we haven't yet BOUGHT a plane! :(
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Me too Grant, but have folks looking at the 81 corvette this week! Time to swap one toy for another!!

Hmmm.....what about sellers remorse for my vette....I know I missed my 90 when I sold it. I'll miss it but Mary and I will have many more fun hours flying then driving.
 
My first airplane was a '69 AA1 that was in excellent condition; the only serious work it ever needed was grinding the valves. It was sweet, simple, and fun.

My second one was a '68 Aero Commander Lark. Piece of junk from day one. Hated the thing, but it was mine and I flew it a lot. I couldn't sell it, and the nose strut got expensive, and other things went bad (try finding parts for one), so I parted it out. I spent more on maintenance and restoration of the Lark than the whole purchase price of the Yankee.
 
GMascelli said:
....what about sellers remorse for my vette....I know I missed my 90 when I sold it. I'll miss it but Mary and I will have many more fun hours flying then driving.
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I sold two bikes when I started flying, one paid for PP, the other for IR. I told my wife about that little known law: "The law of conservation of toys: Toys can neither be created nor destroyed, just transformed in form"

Yeah, or something like that :rofl:

Don't miss the bikes, love the flying!
 
I remember somebody telling me years ago: "the two happiest moments in a pilot's life are the day he buys his plane and the day he sells it".
 
RotaryWingBob said:
I remember somebody telling me years ago: "the two happiest moments in a pilot's life are the day he buys his plane and the day he sells it".
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Not true here. Didn't feel that way about my boat either.
 
bbchien said:
Ken, it's like a pickup truck. It doesn't have a name. It doesn't have a personality. It's my truck.

However, can you say, "Mooney"?
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Doc, sorry but I had to report your post for offensive language. :eek:



:goofy:


I'm still dreaming of a homebuilt OneDesign DR-7.
 
I'm coming up on year two of owning my Mooney 252. Overall, I'm pretty happy about the whole evolution although I am happier about some things than others. I'm a bit disappointed that my utilization of the airplane has dropped (self induced due to moving to OKC) but I'm pretty much committed to keeping her.
 
Who has flown an airplane they absolutely loved, knowing it is way more than they could ever afford? Now that is a special sort of pain.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
Who has flown an airplane they absolutely loved, knowing it is way more than they could ever afford? Now that is a special sort of pain.
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...a sweet sort of sorrow, that, the Conquest of your soul...

...right?
 
I wish I had my 170-B back. but I liked the money.
 
FlyNE said:
Quote:
Originally Posted by tonycondon
i suspect I will cry the day I am forced to sell my glider.

Unless it is because you just got a new one with all the whiz-bang stuff. Unless it is because you just got a new one with all the whiz-bang stuff. :)
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That doesn't necessarily help. My eyes got pretty misty watching my trusty Bonanza (owned for 10 years) taking off on it's flight home to the new owner. And that was a couple weeks after acquiring the Baron that replaced it.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
Who has flown an airplane they absolutely loved, knowing it is way more than they could ever afford? Now that is a special sort of pain.
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Just under 10 minutes flying right seat in a Pilatus PC-12; I think it had all of 160 hours on the tach. I pause a little longer now when I see one, dream a bit, then move on....
 
My problem is that I can't figure out what to do... Put down a deposit on a nice new cross-country bird, or buy a third of a Super Cub that's on floats in the summer and wheels in the winter... :dunno:

I wish I could afford both! :(
 
flyingcheesehead said:
My problem is that I can't figure out what to do... Put down a deposit on a nice new cross-country bird, or buy a third of a Super Cub that's on floats in the summer and wheels in the winter... :dunno:

I wish I could afford both! :(
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That's what a certain guy named Ken needed to do.

Like me. I have the Mustang convertible, the sedan and the mini-van. Right tool for the job.

If I really was rich, one of those would be less than 10 years old.
 
flyingcheesehead said:
My problem is that I can't figure out what to do... Put down a deposit on a nice new cross-country bird, or buy a third of a Super Cub that's on floats in the summer and wheels in the winter... :dunno:

I wish I could afford both! :(
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I noticed a twinkie for sale at my home base. I don't know wha't on the panel or what the price is though.
 
lancefisher said:
I noticed a twinkie for sale at my home base. I don't know wha't on the panel or what the price is though.
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Here I was, replying to Grant's thread and telling myself that I wanted a new bird, like a DA40 or something... And for some reason, Twinkies everywhere started calling my name.

If I buy one, I'll do one of two things:

1) Find one that's in decent shape with decent avionics, buy it, fly it. Something like one of these:

http://www.aso.com/i.aso3/aircraft_...up=truexxxxxsearchid=11446051xxxxxregionid=-1 (Wow, de-ice! But King, not Garmin)
http://www.aso.com/i.aso3/aircraft_...up=truexxxxxsearchid=11446051xxxxxregionid=-1 (There's the Garmin. :))

2) Find one with an airframe and engines in decent mechanical shape and a really crappy panel for cheap. Then, put in 530W/430W and G600. Poor man's TwinStar. :yes:

Alas, I must get my next business rolling first. :(
 
Even though the rational thing for me to do would have been to sell a year ago, I've held on for fear of remorse.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
Who has flown an airplane they absolutely loved, knowing it is way more than they could ever afford? Now that is a special sort of pain.
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It happens in every airplane that I fly :rolleyes:.

But especially in that Piper Amphib (at least I can rent that one occasionally) and that 2006 Beech G36 with the G1000....oh man.
 
When you buy more airplane than you could possibly need in the first place, you can't find a reason to move up.

No remorse. I DID have post-purchase dissonance. It didn't last long.
 
flyingcheesehead said:
Here I was, replying to Grant's thread and telling myself that I wanted a new bird, like a DA40 or something... And for some reason, Twinkies everywhere started calling my name.

If I buy one, I'll do one of two things:

1) Find one that's in decent shape with decent avionics, buy it, fly it. Something like one of these:

http://www.aso.com/i.aso3/aircraft_...up=truexxxxxsearchid=11446051xxxxxregionid=-1 (Wow, de-ice! But King, not Garmin)
http://www.aso.com/i.aso3/aircraft_...up=truexxxxxsearchid=11446051xxxxxregionid=-1 (There's the Garmin. :))

2) Find one with an airframe and engines in decent mechanical shape and a really crappy panel for cheap. Then, put in 530W/430W and G600. Poor man's TwinStar. :yes:

Alas, I must get my next business rolling first. :(
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Kent, check out the one at www.owensaviation.com

I hear he (seller) is itching for an offer. Plane looks OK up close, airworthy with decent time engines... sorta rugged inside.
 
SCCutler said:
Kent, check out the one at www.owensaviation.com

I hear he (seller) is itching for an offer. Plane looks OK up close, airworthy with decent time engines... sorta rugged inside.
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Ooooh. Bad Spike. Bad. Thou shalt not make me any more eager to part with my life savings. :rofl:

That plane has been for sale FOR EVER. I wonder if that's 'cuz it's an ugly duckling, or 'cuz there's something else wrong with it... I did notice that they took down the interior and panel pics. Do you know if it has a six-pack or shotgun panel?

Hmmm. Maybe if he'll take $55K for the bird, and I can spend $15K on P&I... Well, heck, that only leaves $30K for avionics before I'd be right up there with the ones that are already in the shape I want.

I wonder if he'd take 40...
 
flyingcheesehead said:
Ooooh. Bad Spike. Bad. Thou shalt not make me any more eager to part with my life savings. :rofl:

That plane has been for sale FOR EVER. I wonder if that's 'cuz it's an ugly duckling, or 'cuz there's something else wrong with it... I did notice that they took down the interior and panel pics. Do you know if it has a six-pack or shotgun panel?

Hmmm. Maybe if he'll take $55K for the bird, and I can spend $15K on P&I... Well, heck, that only leaves $30K for avionics before I'd be right up there with the ones that are already in the shape I want.

I wonder if he'd take 40...
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If you can live with crummy paint for a few years, you could put most of that $15k towards the panel by doing a partial refurb of the interior. I got all six seats plus the side panels in my plane redone for about $2k. The result isn't a show winner, but it's not too shabby either.
 
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