Don't leave your twin laying around here!

This is a very interesting case. Five years is a long time. In most cases, this length of time can be used to prove abandonment and the salvage rights don't necessarily have to be assigned by the owner. Had the owner kept current on all payments of fees for the aircraft? Ins, parking, etc. Does the aprt have a lien against the Seneca?

If he can prove the Seneca was abandoned all the perp could be charged with is trespassing.
 
I don't know how many times I've seen planes at the airport(s) that just sat, and sat, I can think of a Cutlass RG right now that I know has'nt been TOUCHED in over 7 1/2 years. I often wonder why.
It has become worthless to anyone but a salvage operator (and a desperate one at that) or someone who can get it for nearly free and is willing to put WAY more money into it than they could get fo rtit when finished. But just go to the registered owner, suddenly it is a treasured member of the family, worth whatever vRef sez.
At PCM (Plant City Fl) a woman walked into the FBO demanding to know why she was getting hangar bills for a plane her late husband had gotten rid of over 8 years earlier after a massive heart attack (he was a doctor). The service director/chief mechanic, who I was helping to build a Glasair then took her down to the T hangar in which sat a very nice (you guessed it) V-Tail Bonanza. Unflown for almost 9 years. Of course she wanted HUGE money for the plane. It needed a laundry list a mile long, including getting rid of those 360 channel radios.
I think it went for ~~ $25,000, to a salvage guy.
 
Keith Lane said:
I don't know how many times I've seen planes at the airport(s) that just sat, and sat, I can think of a Cutlass RG right now that I know has'nt been TOUCHED in over 7 1/2 years. I often wonder why.
It has become worthless to anyone but a salvage operator (and a desperate one at that) or someone who can get it for nearly free and is willing to put WAY more money into it than they could get fo rtit when finished. But just go to the registered owner, suddenly it is a treasured member of the family, worth whatever vRef sez.
At PCM (Plant City Fl) a woman walked into the FBO demanding to know why she was getting hangar bills for a plane her late husband had gotten rid of over 8 years earlier after a massive heart attack (he was a doctor). The service director/chief mechanic, who I was helping to build a Glasair then took her down to the T hangar in which sat a very nice (you guessed it) V-Tail Bonanza. Unflown for almost 9 years. Of course she wanted HUGE money for the plane. It needed a laundry list a mile long, including getting rid of those 360 channel radios.
I think it went for ~~ $25,000, to a salvage guy.
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OTOH:
Our club got 2 fantastic late 70s SkyHawks (~1100 TT !!!) that sat each for ten years. One aquired just last summer and one five years ago, which the members have been beating the hell out of ever since both IFR and VFR.

One old owner apparently had beginning Altziemers and the hardest part was he would just forget any previous negotiations and start from the beginning. He thought he hadn't flown for "a year or two" but sadly, it was closer to 10 years. He just didn't know it anymore.
 
There are several planes here at UUV that have'nt been out of the hanger in years. ( A model Mooney, Erocoupe?, Pawnee and a 172 RG). All owners live out of state and have probably paid more in hanger rent than what they are worth. It would be nice if they would junk them so someone with a nice airplane could have their hanger spot.
 
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wow! this is completely new to me...although I have seen a few planes at the field that I know haven't moved an inch on their own for over 4 years!!! I wonder how much it would take to get these planes back into the air? and if its worth looking into for a first time AC buyer.

What do you think?
 
mpartovi said:
wow! this is completely new to me...although I have seen a few planes at the field that I know haven't moved an inch on their own for over 4 years!!! I wonder how much it would take to get these planes back into the air? and if its worth looking into for a first time AC buyer.

What do you think?
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You'd have to take this on a case by case basis. And be very diligent in working up the numbers in each instance. Most, sad but true, you should pass. Like Keith (i before e except after K) mentioned, all of a sudden those ramp queens become valuable again. A PA-28-160 I inquired after had been sitting on the back ramp for 5 years. I contacted the owner and they wanted full price, firm. No negotiations. The aprt had a lien on the a/c for 5 years of ramp fees plus a fuel bill.

A C-177 I spied sat for 3 years. The owner would negotiate but he wanted to start from a bit more than $77K. Wing corrosion, gear motor problems, multiple ADs not complied with, and the owner was to keep the avionics upgrades. Seems he was content on letting his investment reduce itself to a pile of junk. The aprt finally declared it a hazard several years later.

A Grumman Cheetah, sat for 4 years, good engine time, all ADs, mice had gotten into the interior, aprt lien, sun bleached paint, crazed glass, partial cowling missing. Owner wouldn't sell for less than $45K.

A pristine 182 I saw the owner haul to his barn a short distance from the aprt. Owner's father--original owner--had a stroke, owner meant to learn how to fly but never did. That was almost 20 years ago and the bird is now a playhouse for the squirrels. About 8 years ago I made another offer on the a/c and the owner just wouldn't here it.

What is with these guys? If it aint flying it aint keeping it's value.
 
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As a first timer, do yourself, your wallet, and your sanity a favor, and don't try a "fixer upper". You can find yourself out a WHOLE lot more $ (and a LOT of time) than if you had just taken the time to find a good used (flying!) plane in the first place. They are machines that -really- don't like to sit.


mpartovi said:
wow! this is completely new to me...although I have seen a few planes at the field that I know haven't moved an inch on their own for over 4 years!!! I wonder how much it would take to get these planes back into the air? and if its worth looking into for a first time AC buyer.

What do you think?
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mgkdrgn said:
As a first timer, do yourself, your wallet, and your sanity a favor, and don't try a "fixer upper". You can find yourself out a WHOLE lot more $ (and a LOT of time) than if you had just taken the time to find a good used (flying!) plane in the first place. They are machines that -really- don't like to sit.
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Sad thing is that if I were to run across one that I could get dirt cheap (keeping in mind those "owners" who won't give it up for less than "market value), I'd do it just to learn about the machanics of how it all works when it's flying. Kinda like the idea I've had of a kit plane. Build it up in the back of a hangar and eventually fly it.

I know. I'm strange. :D
 
TDKendall said:
Sad thing is that if I were to run across one that I could get dirt cheap (keeping in mind those "owners" who won't give it up for less than "market value), I'd do it just to learn about the machanics of how it all works when it's flying. Kinda like the idea I've had of a kit plane. Build it up in the back of a hangar and eventually fly it.

I know. I'm strange. :D
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Not strange. What's strange is too many folks not knowing torque from a turnbuckle or what determines the correct fastener for the job or which attenna is hooked up to what. You know how many times I've heard people say they wish they had mechanical ability? Lots! and I wonder what's holding them back.

Kits planes are okay but they don't have the ponies up front. If you're looking to learn by doing go find yourself something worthwhile. I know a '62 Mooney that needs some TLC, it's owner is looking for some strange.:D
 
if you really want to see something sad, go to alaska, just about any airport and check out the abandoned airplanes. some of them really nice, but they will never fly again, what kind of sick mind allows this to happen.

some airports even have areas set aside to park the orphans.
 
mpartovi said:
wow! this is completely new to me...although I have seen a few planes at the field that I know haven't moved an inch on their own for over 4 years!!! I wonder how much it would take to get these planes back into the air? and if its worth looking into for a first time AC buyer.

What do you think?
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Unless you are very astute in the business and happen to be or are very good friends with an A&P, it's probably not a good idea.
 
I actually understand the "don't want to part with it" thing. Wanna see my 1982 Osborne 1? I'm going to finally build my screamer 386 server, too. I'll connect my industrial quality 1200bps serial dot matrix printer to it.

We had Cherokee 140 tied down outside long enough that the paint faded and birds FILLED the wings with nesting material. One day The Reverend mentioned that he'd like to buy that plane, but Duffy, a retired cop, owned it. The guy he was talking to said, "I'm Duffy,"

The Rev bought it and they hauled it into the hangar. I saw the wings opened up, It was AMAZING how packed full of grass the wings were. He had the interior redone, the engine pulled and rebuilt with Tannis heaters and new Mellelium cylinders, and new paint.

It's a nice looking happy airplane whihc he has flown down to Florida at 8500 feet, getting 120 knots at 8 gph.

He says it was way too much money, but I think The Rev was in a saving mood.
 
wesleyj said:
if you really want to see something sad, go to alaska, just about any airport and check out the abandoned airplanes. some of them really nice, but they will never fly again, what kind of sick mind allows this to happen.

some airports even have areas set aside to park the orphans.
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The Boeing Model 80A Trimotor which was the impetus for the founding of the Museum of Flight located at Seattle's Boeing Field was rescued from the city dump in Anchorage after a newspaperman recognized it as the probable last survivor of the biplane transports used in WWII.

Only after Pentagon approval to use a C-124A Globemaster to airlift the pile of junk back to Boeing was restoration finally able to commence.

BTW: It's not a sick mind but economics which allows this to happen. The costs to ferry down to the lower 48 for sale can make it hardly worthwhile to undertake the project.
 
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Its amazing how expensive salvage aircraft are. I was looking to build a unique RV (camper) and thought an old airplane shell would be great. I went to a midwest aircraft salvage yard and priced a few shells. The cheapest was an old Lear jet at 8K, so much for the unique camper.
 
My home field. I haven't been out there since this was in the paper, so I don't have any more details.

It sits near a taxiway, and you go past it on the way out to Rwy 36. Never knew this story behind it. The owner used to run the FBO at Mason City, which is 53 nm away. Is well know to all the operators around here. I'm sure that the locals knew where he was and how to get in touch with him, so I don't think it would be abandonment.

What is most amazing is that someone could do this given where the plane sat. Basically in full view of everyone.
 
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