Any news on the glasair prebuy?
Hard to believe three months has almost elapsed.
So, the quick summary is... deal is done... well, almost done.
Pre-buy:
Found some squawks that were addressed. Biggest issues were 1) the nose gear needed to be torqued down more tightly (WOAH!) and 2) fiberglass around rear landing gear needed to be epoxied to catch a small area of possible delamination. Other than that, ping tests came out great. Was no reason that I shouldn't buy it -- said that it was a great looking plane, the engine compartment was particularly orderly and top notch, and overall was a good job. The plane is a "GO!"
New to buying, this has been a bit of an ordeal trying to finalize, little of which had to do with the plane itself. I have also been on an excessive travel schedule since the beginning of the new year. Anyway, I am on the home stretch. The plan is to have the plane in its new home week after next.
Some interesting considerations through this process --
Insurance:
Very much a luck of the draw kind of deal, it seems like. I did secure coverage even though I don't have my PPL yet and 0 hours MM. I read through experiences on the web and boards and it seems everyones situation is a bit unique, and what is reported in as flight time or experience requirements does vary quite a bit by underwriter. Some insurance companies simply refused to even quote. With the policy I now have, I will need to have a CFI accompany me on flights (CFI acting as PIC) till such time as I have both my PPL and 10 hours make and model time and been endorsed by said CFI. That was not an issue for me, and in fact, I actually thought their requirements were rather "underwhelming."
Property tax in Texas:
ZERO! NONE! CPA says not to worry, no property tax on private sale for non-commercial use in Texas. SWEET!
Checkout:
An interesting problem that I came across and one that I never even considered till I was knee deep.... was trying to figure out how to get thoroughly checked out in the plane and also get sufficient transition training done. Not so big of a problem if you are flying a more "available plane" like a C172. A bit harder to find someone who has any experience in these Glasair planes. Further, if i wanted to continue to pursue my IFR rating, I would really need to find someone who was an IFR instructor. How many Glasair CFIs around Dallas are there?
Fortunately, I met a really great pilot through the grapevine, who is also an instructor, Glasair builder, and one of these guys who has been there and done that...in his own Glasair (of exact make and model) who is also a CFII. He is also full time available to take me through transition, checkout, and IFR training. BINGO.
Hangar:
Chose KRBD. Tower closure due to sequestration potentially as an overhang, but I don't really have many other choices. I am split evenly in terms of a drive to KADS or KRBD. And, the idea of paying the excessive fuel prices at KADS makes me throw up a little in my mouth. Plus, two runways at KRBD.
First flight:
Really an amazing plane. You sit fairly flat in the plane and it kind of wraps around you. Enough shoulder room to hold two average, mid-size 190lb guys comfortably. Seeing over the panel was a bit different though from what I was used to in the Cheetah...panel is either higher or I am seated lower. The trainer I fly has 150hp on tap, whereas this plane holds 30hp more to 180hp -- it is quite a bit of difference. The plane really does move through the air. And, climbs in a big hurry. I wasn't sure what to think about the stick vs yoke before the flight. I found the plane is very sensitive to stick movement but also the stick does provide quite a bit of pressure that an accidental bump wouldn't unnecessarily upset stability. After a few minutes in movement, the stick felt natural and really emphasized just how capable the plane is. Landing is a new experience in this plane mostly because the sight picture and control positions are different for me. We did a few of them. The plane approaches at 80kts, very similar to the Cheetah. It does have extended wing tips and slotted flaps so Vso @ 55kts, Vs1 @ 67kts. Unlike the Cheetah though which drops great without flaps, this plane glides well though so flaps and a bunch of thinking ahead to slow down help quite a bit. But more than that, flaps also help to put more of the runway in the window.
Plane will be home in a couple weeks. I am thrilled.
