I’ve talked to one guy on the internet about the flying qualities of his but I’d like another opinion. All the contacts I’ve found online or ones for sale are halfway across the country. Would like to see one in person to make sure I fit in it and that it would fit in the hangar with the Venture.
I’ve purchased 2 airplanes that were never listed for sale. A lot of people don’t want to deal with the hassle of selling an airplane even if they are willing to sell. Even more so when you consider a lot of airplanes are owned by older people who may not be internet savvy.
Just for another data point. If you sent me a letter I'd throw it out. If you were serious, you'd have called. That's just me. I think the idea is to make it easy for the other person to sell it. Making them call you doesn't do that.
Well again my primary intent isn’t to ask them to sell right away. I mostly just want to see one in person. If they wanted to sell I would be in the market.
Again, with the idea of making it easy on them to accommodate you, having them call you is more work for them. Granted it's at their option and convenience, but I think most people are going to ignore it. Maybe that's good, the person that doesn't is likely to be very receptive. Up to you.
With a name and address you can usually get a phone number especially if it’s a landline. No different than printed phone books back in the day.
What kind of plane?
Starduster SA100
Was the one left to rot located at Shilo airport in North Carolina? Same story I got from the owner of one there. It’s truly past saving.
Same story here. Guy has a Viking and Kolb in an open thangar. Said he would let the plane rot to the point it wasn’t worth a dime before splitting it with his ex. Last time I was there it was covered in bird droppings and full of nest both bird and rat. Wings completely rotted.
In my neck of the woods the sale would have been forced. At gunpoint, if necessary.
For comparison, I've been the person cold contacting owners on their aircraft on behalf of others. The method that got the best response was a handwritten letter that explained the correspondence along with various reply methods. This left the ball in their park whether they wanted to reply or not but usually received some sort of reply none the less. I think the handwritten part was the key vs a call or email.
What I find interesting is that I found it easier in the pre-cellphone/internet age to find/contact unknown aircraft owners, etc. People tended to be more open/assist to that type of inquiry which usually ended up finding the owner by word of mouth and discussing his aircraft, with the potential buyer, over a cup of coffee around the FBO coffee pot.
