Sad airplane thread

M

Mtns2Skies

Final Approach
Joined
Jul 12, 2008
Messages
5,631
Display Name
Display name:
Mtns2Skies
I die a little every time I see a plane I'd love to own slowly rotting away.

I rescued mine from this fate... but if I had more money I'd be rescuing more...

PXL_20201203_191716843.jpg
 
Last edited:
At OKH there is a Cessna 180- that has not moved since the 1980 +-
His son says they'll restore it when his Dad dies, but his Dad won't allow him to touch it.

and there are no less than 10 delict aircraft hiding in hangars at Harvey Field.
 
People have a tendency to hold onto things longer than they should. I'm sure this tendency has killed many airplanes.
 
Sad. I have seen many. Usually needed more work than the plane was worth on a good day. Even at todays prices, its a loosing proposition. Has to be a labor of love. I have helped with a couple. (no charge) Their love for what they were doing. I couldn't charge for some time I put in. Besides they were doing better work than i was capable of. To restore an older plane takes a real commitment. Like building your own plane. Most never get finished. You restore/build because you want to build something, not because you want to own a plane. I can't make that kind of commitment. I'm envious of those who can. But at my age ,I just want to play with it, not work on it. I've done the work on it thing. Don't want that anymore. Time remaining won't permit another big project, not if you want to do anything else in your life.
 
Tom-D said:
At OKH there is a Cessna 180- that has not moved since the 1980 +-
His son says they'll restore it when his Dad dies, but his Dad won't allow him to touch it.

and there are no less than 10 delict aircraft hiding in hangars at Harvey Field.
Click to expand...

PaulS said:
People have a tendency to hold onto things longer than they should. I'm sure this tendency has killed many airplanes.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure what it is about airplanes that seems to amplify this.

It took me a while to figure this out, but by the time i came around to shopping for my twin I learned the first thing a buyer should do is qualify the seller...even when the plane is being represented by a broker.

"Sellers" that don't want to sell are a scourge on the market. Total time and money wasters. I had a standing short list of things I asked right at the outset. If any came back negative from a private seller it was game over immediately. If it was a broker they got a chance to earn their potential commission by trying to persuade the seller to reconsider. One chance.

But the folks that aren't flying their planes and still won't consider selling as they rot away, mystify me. Presumably they are still paying storage costs?

This Bo at Boise is one of the worst I've seen. I had my plane close by overnight on the way to Reno in '17 and the FBO said the family keeps paying the tie-down fee so they can't remove it.

IMG_0298.JPG
 
  • Like
Reactions: YKA
GRG55 said:
I'm not sure what it is about airplanes that seems to amplify this.
This Bo at Boise is one of the worst I've seen. I had my plane close by overnight on the way to Reno in '17 and the FBO said the family keeps paying the tie-down fee so they can't remove it.

View attachment 92577
Click to expand...
we have one like that one at BVS, the story I've been told was that the beech formed a crack, it was repaired but the guy is scared to fly it.. so it sat 25 years
 
Sad airplane threads make me sad.
 
That breaks my heart. But again, it would cost more to put it back in the air than it's worth. The "Honeymoon" is part of it. At first you fly it a lot, but over time, you fly it less and less. Then the fees, AD's etc start to become a pain. then it sits, the pilot becomes not only non-current, but ridiculously dangerous. And there it sits, rotting away. but its a status symbol at partys ans such, and you have visions of grandeur. You will put the time and effort to get current again, after that next ski trip, or golf game, or what ever. Vacation homes are the same. Nothing about vacation and home should be used in the same paragraph, let lone the same sentence. It's not a vacation to work on your home. When you start to realize that every time you go there, all you do is work on things. Pretty soon, you don't go there anymore. The place falls into disrepair, and then ultimately sold, often during down markets.
 
Is this the time to suggest how much it would cost to restore this beech?
 
Tom-D said:
Is this the time to suggest how much it would cost to restore this beech?
Click to expand...

Is it even restoreable with the actual v-tail in such bad shape and the magnesium so hard to come by?
 
Things that would make me throw in the towel.
no current registration
no N number
lack of facilities.
I even know if you can get the sheet material (mag sheet)
 
Same thing happens with old cars rotting in barns and garages. I am a classic car enthusiast and the cars rotting in barns or yards are almost impossible to buy - they are always going to be "fixed up" or owned by a parent or brother or even a dead family member.
 
Stephen Shore said:
Same thing happens with old cars rotting in barns and garages. I am a classic car enthusiast and the cars rotting in barns or yards are almost impossible to buy - they are always going to be "fixed up" or owned by a parent or brother or even a dead family member.
Click to expand...

I can't remember if it was an episode of 'Pickers' or what, but some guy found an old timer with several barns just full of old classics. A small fortune in old cars. I mean all the old muscle cars, etc. Just about anything you could want. And the guy wasn't really interested in selling any I don't think, but he wasn't maintaining them either. Just letting them sit there.
 
GRG55 said:
I'm not sure what it is about airplanes that seems to amplify this.

It took me a while to figure this out, but by the time i came around to shopping for my twin I learned the first thing a buyer should do is qualify the seller...even when the plane is being represented by a broker.

"Sellers" that don't want to sell are a scourge on the market. Total time and money wasters. I had a standing short list of things I asked right at the outset. If any came back negative from a private seller it was game over immediately. If it was a broker they got a chance to earn their potential commission by trying to persuade the seller to reconsider. One chance.

But the folks that aren't flying their planes and still won't consider selling as they rot away, mystify me. Presumably they are still paying storage costs?

This Bo at Boise is one of the worst I've seen. I had my plane close by overnight on the way to Reno in '17 and the FBO said the family keeps paying the tie-down fee so they can't remove it.

View attachment 92577
Click to expand...
As someone that's been looking...care to share what a few of those questions are that would disqualify a plane? These planes that have sat are viewed like a car that's sat, unfortunately it's not just drain the tank and throw a battery in like a car. There's two types of owners of those planes. The guy that lost his medical long ago and the family of someone that passed away. Neither are understanding of the realistic cost to bring something to an airworthy status.

Was recently a Cherokee with 20 hours since major for sale. Major was done in 97. Shortly after the owner lost his medical and it was being stored in a barn since. Asking 12k. Time to sell was in 1998.
 
BrianNC said:
I can't remember if it was an episode of 'Pickers' or what, but some guy found an old timer with several barns just full of old classics. A small fortune in old cars. I mean all the old muscle cars, etc. Just about anything you could want. And the guy wasn't really interested in selling any I don't think, but he wasn't maintaining them either. Just letting them sit there.
Click to expand...
I believe that's called hoarding.
 
Tom-D said:
Is this the time to suggest how much it would cost to restore this beech?
Click to expand...

BrianNC said:
Is it even restoreable with the actual v-tail in such bad shape and the magnesium so hard to come by?
Click to expand...

If it was a Piper, or a Cessna taildragger it would be well worth it. ;)
But it's just another Bo, nothin' special. Meh. :D
 
Last edited:
Racerx said:
As someone that's been looking...care to share what a few of those questions are that would disqualify a plane? These planes that have sat are viewed like a car that's sat, unfortunately it's not just drain the tank and throw a battery in like a car. There's two types of owners of those planes. The guy that lost his medical long ago and the family of someone that passed away. Neither are understanding of the realistic cost to bring something to an airworthy status.

Was recently a Cherokee with 20 hours since major for sale. Major was done in 97. Shortly after the owner lost his medical and it was being stored in a barn since. Asking 12k. Time to sell was in 1998.
Click to expand...

What you describe is so depressingly common.

My questions are not intended to disqualify the airplane. They're intended to disqualify the "seller" that isn't really a seller. I don't like having my time wasted.
  • Please send me scans of the airframe logs - last three annuals and everything between them, any damage repairs ever. (Surprising how often "complete logs" are suddenly not so complete).
  • "If I'm interested I intend to make a conditional offer with a refundable (less agreed costs) deposit in escrow, subject to a pre-purchase inspection."
  • "The pre-purchase will be done by XXX at YYY airport. If the airplane is as represented the deal will close immediately after the pre-purchase inspection."
  • "Do you prefer that I pay your costs to fly the plane there, or arrange for a qualified ferry pilot to do that? Whatever we agree will be written in the conditional offer."
imo, if you're spending many tens or hundreds of thousands of $ on an airplane, none of these are unreasonable.
 
GRG55 said:
I'm not sure what it is about airplanes that seems to amplify this.
Click to expand...

$75 a shop hour and Ford alternators from NAPA that cost four times as much, I’d guess as a starting point.

Lindberg said:
At least he put the gust lock on the rudder before leaving it to rot.:(
Click to expand...

Saves the control cables while you wait to see which tie down rope rots away first.

Ted said:
Due north 9.6 miles.
Click to expand...

When they’re that close you should make sure everything is always in Condition 1, probably. LOL.

My closest is 12 miles and over a big ridge with only one road, so we can see them coming.

You can also make some traps that are baited with burnt coffee and sugar to slow them down if they get too thick.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ted
denverpilot said:
$75 a shop hour and Ford alternators from NAPA that cost four times as much, I’d guess as a starting point...
Click to expand...

Not a logical explanation for the behavior.

Are these people thinking labor costs will decline and parts will go on sale in the future, if they hang on long enough? That's why they keep their planes and let them rot, instead of selling while there's still some value?
 
GRG55 said:
Not a logical explanation for the behavior.

Are these people thinking labor costs will decline and parts will go on sale in the future, if they hang on long enough? That's why they keep their planes and let them rot, instead of selling while there's still some value?
Click to expand...
I would be willing to bet they're completely oblivious to what the actual monetary costs and overall effort it's going to take to make it airworthy.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top