Airplane changing hands frequently

mnewb1

Pre-takeoff checklist
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M Newberry
I noticed a 1971 Cessna 150 very near my house popped up on Barnstormers. While this is not my dream aircraft, it would be a good step back into aviation, is close and has a hanger already…as I am looking at it, I see it has changed hands almost yearly in the past 3-4 years.

is this understandable in a “training” airplane, or is this a red flag.
 
Could go either way. Would probably make me look a little closer
 
There are quite a few people buying and selling cheap to own/operate airplanes such as a 150 right now as a method to build time for a career. I wouldn’t do any more or less due diligence on an airplane that has changed hands frequently than I would with any other aircraft transaction.
 
Aircraft which have changed hands frequently tend to have more deferred maintenance or less than optimum repairs/fixes/upgrades. Think about it for a moment, a guy who buys the plane and intends to sell it within a year has a different attitude than the guy who "owns it forever". Yes, there are contrary examples.

Just speaking from planes I've seen, maintenance is deferred until something breaks mandating repair. This often works as it's the next guy or 2 guys later who have to deal with it.

The little stuff adds up like wheel bearings which should be replaced but just re-greased, 30 year old strut or brake fluid.

All hoses.

Proper oil/grease/lubricant on internals like pulleys. Everything too often has is just hosed down with LPS 2 at a lazy annual.

Hangar neighbor bought a plane like this for this purpose and first day he owned it, he went to brake at his home field after touchdown and the rubber hydraulic line from cylinder to peddle ruptured. Guess he had to change it "On condition" like everything else that was deferred. Cleaning up that old black sludgy fluid from under floor was almost as much fun careening off the edge of the runway with suddenly only one side braking!

NOT saying it's a bad plane or categorically saying planes like this are not good opportunities, just probably realize high-owner/short duration planes need a little more consideration.
 
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Aircraft which have changed hands frequently tend to have more deferred maintenance or less than optimum repairs/fixes/upgrades.

I could argue the other side that says a plane changing hands a lot has been through several prebuy inspections and must be kept in current annual in order to do flight tests for the prospective buyer and then be flown to its new location. In that scenario its condition should be well known.

Not saying that is true in this, or any case, but it leads back to the point of the only way to know what you're buying is to use whatever means needed to satisfy yourself that the plane is worth owning.
 
FWIW: In my experience, it's not the sale history that determines an aircraft's condition; rather it's the owner's history of how they maintain their aircraft regardless of if they own it for 1 year or 60 years.
 
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