Piper Arrow pre-buy inspection

A

aye29

Filing Flight Plan
Joined
Mar 14, 2010
Messages
6
Display Name
Display name:
aye29
I'm looking into buying an Arrow III or IV and wanted to get some advice on getting a good pre-buy inspection. I live in Texas around the San Antonio area but looking online I've been found decent aircraft around the country.

Would you guys recommend hiring an A&P who is physically closer to the plane to do the pre-buy or send a local mechanic off to do the inspection who would most likely be the one doing my annuals?
 
Assuming your guy is highly experienced and capable in maintaining the type you're buying, he's the guy you want on the pre-buy. The chain of accountability is much stronger when the inevitable down-stream issues arise and you want to be able to discuss them face-to-face with the guy who made the calls. It's also better if you tag along for the inspection as you will learn a lot in a short period.

aye29 said:
I'm looking into buying an Arrow III or IV and wanted to get some advice on getting a good pre-buy inspection. I live in Texas around the San Antonio area but looking online I've been found decent aircraft around the country.

Would you guys recommend hiring an A&P who is physically closer to the plane to do the pre-buy or send a local mechanic off to do the inspection who would most likely be the one doing my annuals?
Click to expand...
 
From what I've read it sounds like a pre-buy is less thorough than an annual inspection. Is there any downside to doing an annual and counting that as the pre-buy. I'd like to have as much information as possible about the airplane I'm buying as possible if it means I can same some money in the long run. I know there are things like records checks done on a pre-buy that aren't done on the annual and I figure I'll just ask for that in addition.
 
aye29 said:
From what I've read it sounds like a pre-buy is less thorough than an annual inspection. Is there any downside to doing an annual and counting that as the pre-buy. I'd like to have as much information as possible about the airplane I'm buying as possible if it means I can same some money in the long run. I know there are things like records checks done on a pre-buy that aren't done on the annual and I figure I'll just ask for that in addition.
Click to expand...

A pre-buy is whatever you want it to be. You're doing the inspection, you're paying for it.
 
I would use my mechanic if the aircraft is local.For long distance I use a reputable shop near the aircraft and have my mechanic run the per buy by phone.Did this when I purchased a twin in Texas and I was in Ma. Worked fine really enjoyed that twin.
 
I've talked to guys spending a great deal to do two or three prebuys before giving up or settling on something so I would be cautious about using prebuys too early in the purchase process. I wouldn't spend money on any prebuy unless the seller agreed to fix discrepancies found or willing to lower the price accordingly.

If you are a first time buyer I would recommend you spend $500 for the Savvy Aviators workshop which will make you a better buyer as you will have a much more realistic idea about aviation maintenance.

Then, I would first go see any airplane that I might purchase before hiring a mechanic to look at it for me. You can tell in a minute if a plane has been kept up or neglected so why pay for a prebuy if the first ten minutes tells you its the wrong plane.

If you rent a plane to fly to go see it yes that costs you time and money but it is also a fun part of the journey and it is flying so not a total lost cost in that you are building hours and building time cross country flying.

Even if you do not do this you should have the owner send you the logs on DVD so you can read every line and discover if you want to invest money in a prebuy.

Owners often do not know the true history of their airplanes you will only get this by reading every page of the logs. You can take those logs to a local mechanic and he can explain anything you do not understand which helps build your knowledge at the same time.

Once I have read and known an airplanes history (according to the logs) then I might inquire with a buddy from poa or AOPA forums that lives near by if they would get eyes on the plane for me. I think a lot of us would do this for other fellow forums posters and enjoy doing it. If you still get an All GO on it then I would consider a prebuy or visit in person.

If this sounds like it takes too much time on your part then you should consider a buyer broker representative to protect your interests.
 
Last edited:
aye29 said:
From what I've read it sounds like a pre-buy is less thorough than an annual inspection. Is there any downside to doing an annual and counting that as the pre-buy. I'd like to have as much information as possible about the airplane I'm buying as possible if it means I can same some money in the long run. I know there are things like records checks done on a pre-buy that aren't done on the annual and I figure I'll just ask for that in addition.
Click to expand...

Other than possibly spending more on the prebuy there isn't much downside. Personally I like to use the annual checklist, starting with the most expencive to fix items and working down. I can always stop if I find a deal breaker, but if I don't I can give you a fresh annual so you "get" something for your money
 
I agree that when you do find the right plane to buy, buy it with a fresh complete annual and IFR recert if applicable.

That will give you the most information possible about your plane.

I bought both my airplanes with fresh annual. In both cases the seller paid for the annual and the discrepancies.
 
Thanks for all the input, it sounds like getting an annual would be my best option for getting the most information about the aircraft. Speaking of which anyone know of a good A&P in the central texas/San Antonio area familiar with Piper Arrows?

On a side note I took a look at the Savvy Aviator website but there is no mention of any weekend seminars, the only information I could find are monthly web videos. Are the weekend seminars still offered?
 
The EAA website has quite a few videos by Mike Busch (the savy aviator ) and they are free
 
He was trying to do fewer of them the last time we spoke. The scheduling and logistics of the seminars are difficult compared to the other venues.

aye29 said:
Thanks for all the input, it sounds like getting an annual would be my best option for getting the most information about the aircraft. Speaking of which anyone know of a good A&P in the central texas/San Antonio area familiar with Piper Arrows?

On a side note I took a look at the Savvy Aviator website but there is no mention of any weekend seminars, the only information I could find are monthly web videos. Are the weekend seminars still offered?
Click to expand...
 
That's too bad, I learn a lot every time I tune in. I have a notebook full of notes from his seminars. He is a great person and recently spent about 30 Minutes going over the squawks and correction costs for my last annual.
 
wabower said:
He was trying to do fewer of them the last time we spoke. The scheduling and logistics of the seminars are difficult compared to the other venues.
Click to expand...

He's been doing some EAA Webinars as of late. They're using GoToMeeting as the tech, and it's a pretty good experience. Way better than sweating your butt off in an Oshkosh pavilion...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top