Thoughts of this archer

NealRomeoGolf said:
Make sure you understand when the overhaul was done, not just how many hours.

Find out how many hours on the mags.

Find out when your AI and DG were last overhauled.

Know how old your vacuum pump is.

Ask if they've done oil analysis. I got lucky and my sellers had been doing it for 15 years at Blackstone so I have a long term baseline.

See if they will admit to any quirks with systems. I think my sellers knew about my quirks on my radios but didn't say anything.

Don't be afraid to ask lots of questions and take time to just sit and stare at it for a while.

Or maybe you never have regrets. In that case, hand over the cash and carpe diem.
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I'll keep these things in mind. I want to make sure everything is going to run smooth when I get it.

Hopefully we can fly it several times and make sure everything works in the air.
 
Rebel Lord said:
I'll keep these things in mind. I want to make sure everything is going to run smooth when I get it.

Hopefully we can fly it several times and make sure everything works in the air.
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I was in your shoes a year ago buying my first plane, an Archer. Had no clue what I was doing. Luckily got a great plane in spite of my lack of knowledge. Probably overpaid, but live and learn.
 
NealRomeoGolf said:
I was in your shoes a year ago buying my first plane, an Archer. Had no clue what I was doing. Luckily got a great plane in spite of my lack of knowledge. Probably overpaid, but live and learn.
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Any good lessons you can pass on?
 
Rebel Lord said:
Probably not, what can they do I can't do myself?
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Oh... pretty much evaluate the airplane and the logbooks (if seller is willing to scan them) to identify anomalies, deferred maintenance, and potential red flags, coordinate a prebuy with an impartial third party, counsel you on considerable investments you'll need to make with the airplane, help you arrange good financing and insurance,

Frankly I see no point in doing that when you can roll the dice and buy it.

The days of guys taking 80-85% of asking are over.... unless you can prove value.

Rule #1 about aircraft purchasing: never get one certain aircraft . A plane is just an N-number with a whole bunch of rotting parts under it waiting to cost you money.


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Oh and if you do buy it, take a butt load of pictures of every surface, nook and cranny as a baseline. One day you'll be going through preflight and find a dent or something and it will freak you out that you never caught it and your A&P didn't catch it on prebuy. Go back to the pics and there it was all along. That first moment freaked me out.
 
Rebel Lord said:
I'll keep these things in mind. I want to make sure everything is going to run smooth when I get it.

Hopefully we can fly it several times and make sure everything works in the air.
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Have a reputable shop (not the owner's A&P) do a prebuy. You want to find out something doesn't work on the ground, not in the air.
 
Take a 44 magnum on your hip.
Chew on a cigar, and mumble in a growling voice something about how much you hate liars.
 
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Rebel Lord said:
Can someone give me a rundown on what I should say/do when I meet the owner? Any secret protocol I should follow when dealing with a seller as a buyer?
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You got to set the tone for negotiations early, something like this.

 
Skyrys62 said:
I have no experience, but this is something I would definitely check for.
If not, it may be something you are writing a check for.
probably a big one too...

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I didn't check for that. Knowing my luck with this airplane, it is going to need new wings. I think I remember hearing 20k.

So I just won't have it done and I'll never know. Lol
 
Skyrys62 said:
I have no experience, but this is something I would definitely check for.
If not, it may be something you are writing a check for.
probably a big one too...

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Oohh ok this is a good one. I have an idea. Before I shell out the money for deep prebuy inspection I'm going to bring a inspection camera that I can get from Home Depot and stick it up the inspection plates myself and check for this kind of stuff.

I always wanted one of these
IMG_9680.JPG
 
Probably a good idea.
Don't let the TSA see those! They look uncomfortable...

You might be able to check the logs and see if SB1006 was mentioned/dealt with.
 
WannFly said:
I hired a buyers agent. He took all these guesswork out of the picture for a first time buyer, will do the heavy lifting for you and will get the job done. Worth every penny I spent. His name is Keith Hansen from virtualairplanebrockers.com . They don't advertise buyers service in their website. Call the number and asked for Keith. Very knowledgeable and gem of a person

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Bad URL. Is this it? https://virtualairplanebroker.com/
 
Just a few thoughts from my experience, which I know is a lot less than some others on here:

1. Don't get attached to any plane just yet, i know it's hard as you get excited about it.
2. Do as much type club research as you can before you go visit, some have a list of things you should look for, and check on first look and then in the pre-buy inspection.
3. Spend time looking over the plane, try to look past cosmetics (those can distract in a positive and negative way), but do pay attention to the paint job and any potential corrosion that might be sitting below. Filiform corrosion looks like small bubbled areas of paint, easier to see if you shine a flashlight across the surface.
4. Spend time reading the logbooks, away from the plane. The logbook in the listing only goes to 2007 (unless I'm missing something). Ask questions on those things that don't make sense.
5. Take a lot of photos. Good quality camera, many angles. You'll be surprised how useful those can come in later.
6. Don't substitute a pre-buy for an annual. Their focus is different. One is looking to assess airworthiness today, the other is looking to find items that could cost you money (or airworthiness) in the future.
 
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