Purchasing a Plane

teamcoltra

teamcoltra

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Rev. Travis
I was contemplating buying an airplane and when I asked my flight instructor about it, he told me that currently he just rents his planes but that the mechanic of the airport is actually selling his plane which is roughly the same model that I have been training in (the wing on the mechanics plane is straight along the front edge while my training plane has a bit of a arc to it).

I figure if I am going to spend $5K at $140 an hour renting an airplane I might as well just buy my own for $25K and know my plane and be able to take it on weekend trips and whatnot. Though this thread wasn't really to discuss if I should buy a plane or not.

The question is: If he is a trusted mechanic (and the mechanic for the airport) -- should I still prebuy the plane and pay another mechanic to come look at it?
 
teamcoltra said:
I was contemplating buying an airplane and when I asked my flight instructor about it, he told me that currently he just rents his planes but that the mechanic of the airport is actually selling his plane which is roughly the same model that I have been training in (the wing on the mechanics plane is straight along the front edge while my training plane has a bit of a arc to it).

I figure if I am going to spend $5K at $140 an hour renting an airplane I might as well just buy my own for $25K and know my plane and be able to take it on weekend trips and whatnot. Though this thread wasn't really to discuss if I should buy a plane or not.

The question is: If he is a trusted mechanic (and the mechanic for the airport) -- should I still prebuy the plane and pay another mechanic to come look at it?
Click to expand...

I'd ask him for a list of things he's been putting off fixing, see what he says.
 
I would get a pre-buy. It's always good to have an independent party take a look.
 
I've bought a few planes from mechanics, all of which have been inspected by the guy that would be responsible for post-purchase MX. I've never been sorry for having a different set of eyes take a look at them.
 
teamcoltra said:
the mechanic of the airport is actually selling his plane...

should I still prebuy the plane and pay another mechanic to come look at it?
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:yes:

Unless he's someone that you or a trusted family/friend has vetted over the years, definitely have someone else look at it. Too much potential conflict of interest unless you can implicitly trust both his work & word.
 
warthog1984 said:
:yes:

Unless he's someone that you or a trusted family/friend has vetted over the years, definitely have someone else look at it. Too much potential conflict of interest unless you can implicitly trust both his work & word.
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Why not do your home work and figure out what a good model aircraft looks like and find one your self.
This ain't brain surgery.
 
Tom-D said:
Why not do your home work and figure out what a good model aircraft looks like and find one your self.
This ain't brain surgery.
Click to expand...

That works if:

1) you are mechanically inclined
2) there's not too many special quirks for that model
3) You don't want to open the plane up
4) You are experienced enough to determine what's surface stuff and what's deeper

For something I'm trusting to carry me in midair and want to avoid buying a money-pit, I'll pay the extra for either an independent A&P/AI or at least an experienced owner to come along with.
 
I would get an independent pre buy .The mechanic could be excellent or not.also a new set of eyes is always good.even though you purchase fom a mechanic you have no recourse if the plane isn't as represented.
 
If you are going to make a significant investment you better pre-buy to protect yourself and your investment. If you think 25k isn't much of an investment then you are free to take the risk...however I think any amount of money toward a plane that I'd have to maintain or fly is significant. :)
 
teamcoltra said:
I was contemplating buying an airplane and when I asked my flight instructor about it, he told me that currently he just rents his planes but that the mechanic of the airport is actually selling his plane which is roughly the same model that I have been training in (the wing on the mechanics plane is straight along the front edge while my training plane has a bit of a arc to it).

I figure if I am going to spend $5K at $140 an hour renting an airplane I might as well just buy my own for $25K and know my plane and be able to take it on weekend trips and whatnot. Though this thread wasn't really to discuss if I should buy a plane or not.

The question is: If he is a trusted mechanic (and the mechanic for the airport) -- should I still prebuy the plane and pay another mechanic to come look at it?
Click to expand...

Yup. I would get an independent pre buy. You may want to talk to the shop doing the pre buy and enter into a contract where if the purchase goes through you can get a fresh annual. Also from my research, there are avionics shops that will do a pre buy on avionics quite reasonably. You may want to consider that as well. For me, the best surprise is no surprise.
 
teamcoltra said:
The question is: If he is a trusted mechanic (and the mechanic for the airport) -- should I still prebuy the plane and pay another mechanic to come look at it?
Click to expand...

Yes. Absolutely get a different mechanic to do a pre-buy. For sure. Don't skip it. I was glad I got one when I bought mine, and many people I knwo who skipped it paid dearly later on. It's not just a matter of honestly, it's also a matter of fresh eyes and non-emotional perspective.

Is the plane's annual due soon? If so, might be worth doing the pre-buy and if that looks good and you decide then to purchase, go ahead and finish off a full annual inspection.
 
teamcoltra said:
The question is: If he is a trusted mechanic (and the mechanic for the airport) -- should I still prebuy the plane and pay another mechanic to come look at it?
Click to expand...

Yes.
1 - The Cobbler's kids have bad shoes. Because he's a mechanic does NOT mean he spent all his free time keeping the plane in perfect mechanical condition.

2 - Every A&P looks at the plane from different perspectives, and have different blind spots. See here:
http://www.pilotsofamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1088521#post1088521

3 - This is a big purchase, with potential to cost many, many thousands of dollars in repairs. If you are leery to spend the money for a pre-buy at the level of an annual, then reconsider buying a plane.

4 - Make sure the person doing your pre-buy is the person who will be doing your annual. See item #2, above.
 
Yes it's a big purchase but its not that big. Get some help but that doesn't mean take it to a Cessna service center for an annual and a wings off service bulletin. It might be as simple as having a trusted and knowledgable friend pull a few covers and look at the AD list.
 
Always check other paperwork as well. The heartburn from bad STC's, 337's and other screwed-up aftermarket installations can be extremely painful.

PilotAlan said:
Yes.
1 - The Cobbler's kids have bad shoes. Because he's a mechanic does NOT mean he spent all his free time keeping the plane in perfect mechanical condition.

2 - Every A&P looks at the plane from different perspectives, and have different blind spots. See here:
http://www.pilotsofamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1088521#post1088521

3 - This is a big purchase, with potential to cost many, many thousands of dollars in repairs. If you are leery to spend the money for a pre-buy at the level of an annual, then reconsider buying a plane.

4 - Make sure the person doing your pre-buy is the person who will be doing your annual. See item #2, above.
Click to expand...
 
Tom-D said:
Why not do your home work and figure out what a good model aircraft looks like and find one your self.
This ain't brain surgery.
Click to expand...

From someone who is a mechanic and has dealt with many people whom are just not mechanically inclined, this is horrible advice.

Unless the OP is an A&P mechanic, and I bet he's not:wink2:
 
frfly172 said:
I would get an independent pre buy .The mechanic could be excellent or not.also a new set of eyes is always good.even though you purchase fom a mechanic you have no recourse if the plane isn't as represented.
Click to expand...


Does the term "Plumbers wife" mean anything to you?
 
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