What is the most annoying part about purchasing your own aircraft?

KeithASanford said:
I've been looking for my first plane for a while and I would say the most annoying part is burning money and time flying or driving all over the country to see an advertized "Prince" and finding yet another frog. I've burned a significant amount of money striking out. Consider a broker.
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^^ Yeah, that too. ^^

Drove from TX to MI once to look at a 'stellar example'. It was so stellar neither the owner nor his mechanic would actually get in it and commit aviation. BAH!
 
KeithASanford said:
I've been looking for my first plane for a while and I would say the most annoying part is burning money and time flying or driving all over the country to see an advertized "Prince" and finding yet another frog. I've burned a significant amount of money striking out. Consider a broker.
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If you don't know exactly what you're looking at, hiring help will typically save you more than it costs.
 
The hardest part for me was on the Malibu. There was still a lien on the airplane from the company that sold him the plane. Small, but still there. This could be an issue when I sold some day. The owner had no idea. Also this company was gone and the guy was dead. It took a while but the seller got it cleaned up for me. My 172 was very easy and I bought it from the original owner too. In both cases I still did a pre-buy. I had worked on the My Malibu since 1990 for the original owner. You never know if there can be any damage.
 
Do brokers help find ferry pilots to deliver the plane?
 
calberto said:
Do brokers help find ferry pilots to deliver the plane?
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Yes, have them on speed dial.

The question you didn't ask - 'will they stand behind the pilot to take care of your new purchase'. Answer - no.
 
calberto said:
Do brokers help find ferry pilots to deliver the plane?
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Yep, but you have to be cautious selecting the broker you work with. I would avoid a broker who works on a commission of the deal as a buyer. To assure they represent only your best interest, the best way is with a fee structured compensation.

As for a ferry pilot, that is no issue unless you are buying something rare.
 
Thanks guys! You are providing a lot of insight!
 
Worst part? Finding what seemed to be the close enough to perfect AA1x, riding 3 hours to look at it, only to find my legs have somehow gotten longer since 1989 and the last time I flew one. I don't fit anymore. I don't remember the yoke hitting me in knees before. At least the owner had a sense of humor about it. (and I got a good motorcycle ride in)
 
Bill Jennings said:
Most annoying for me were owners who represented (and priced) their planes as NDH and were anything but. We kissed several frogs.

On inspection of candidate #2 we found skinned up belly stringers and a repaired/replaced wing rib once the inspection panels were off. The owner still kept saying the aircraft had never had an accident, wouldn't budge on price, and insisted we pay his flight expenses getting the aircraft to our mechanic. We told him not as represented, pound sand. He said he'd take us to court, we said bring it on. Never heard from the chump again.
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Maybe as far as he knew it was never damaged. You wasted the guys time bringing you the airplane and you didn't even pay his gas??? You suck.
 
pigpenracing said:
Maybe as far as he knew it was never damaged. You wasted the guys time bringing you the airplane and you didn't even pay his gas??? You suck.
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If you show someone the damage and they still deny it, they don't deserve the gas money.
 
RotorAndWing said:
Going on aviation forums and listening to the sciolist pontificate about your aircraft without actually knowing anything about it and regurgitating internet myths and OWT's. :rolleyes:
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I had to look that one up -- nice, a new one for the toolbag. :)

(glad you sorted out the typecasting too ;) )
 
I'm currently using Savvy for my pre buy. The plane is on the opposite side of the US. Savvy found a test pilot, inspected the logs and now sent it to a shop that has not touched the aircraft before.

They use a two phase process. If the first phase fails - thats it, they dont do phase two - unless you arrange some sort of deal with seller.

My second year with Savvy and second pre buy with them. Quite happy with the service so far.

Most annoying part?? Waiting on the shop to start!!!
 
JimNtexas said:
I've heard good reports about using Mike Busch for prebuys.
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As posted above, I used Mike Busch and team at Savvy Aviation also. Paid for itself over and over. Don't skimp on pre-buy.

Also, learn what your target plane should cost. I purchased subscription to VREF (Google it). I later found out it comes free with an AOPA membership.

Buyer beware when buying a plane! Mistakes are beyond costly.
 
pigpenracing said:
Maybe as far as he knew it was never damaged. You wasted the guys time bringing you the airplane and you didn't even pay his gas??? You suck.
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The guy claimed no damage history. We examined copies of the logs and searched the FAA data base and found no history of damage, so we invited the guy to bring the plane.

Upon examination we found damage, and I didn't mention, this plane had hail damage to the control surfaces, the guy never mentioned that when asking about damage. When the damage was found, we talked with him about entertaining a reduction in price due to the damage. He copped an attitude, said the plane had no damage, and would not reduce the price.

So, somebody is lying here. The plane obviously had belly and wing damage that was repaired but not logged. What the hell else is not on the level with this guy and his plane? OK, maybe he got taken for a ride when he bought the plane, but it isn't my job to make him whole again.

I did a little research later and found out the guy was also a used car dealer. My synopsis: this guy bought a damaged plane on the cheap and is trying to sell it off to the unsuspecting at full price.

F him, and if that makes me suck, well then slurp effin' slurp. :mad:
 
I digress.

The most annoying thing about purchasing an aircraft is in one word... "approval."

Convincing certain people that your intent is to buy a flying machine for a lot of money. Then watching them freak out. :lol:
 
As in approval from your significant other? lol. That's hilarious
 
calberto said:
As in approval from your significant other? lol. That's hilarious
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Oh yeah, in most households if you want to spend $100k or even $10k, you best have spousal approval at minimum, or it will significantly increase the cost of purchase... To half of everything you own.:rofl:

If you want to enjoy GA, you buy the plane your spouse likes best.
 
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Getting the wife's approval is certainly an prerequisite that should not be overlooked.

I once knew a guy who bought a Baron without checking with the wife and soon after was asking me to sell it for him because the wife said it goes or she goes. In this case the ole ask for forgiveness rather than permission thing didn't work out.
 
My old flight instructor bought the airstrip he currently lives on without telling his wife. That was thirty years ago. I am not sure how she puts up with his antics without murdering him.
 
Henning said:
Oh yeah, in most households if you want to spend $100k or even $10k, you best have spousal approval at minimum, or it will significantly increase the cost of purchase... To half of everything you own.:rofl:

If you want to enjoy GA, you buy the plane your spouse likes best.
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Wow really????
Maybe I have a awesome wife. I have a 172, a Cub and a Pitts Model 12 now. She does not have any interest at all. Sometimes I can get her in the Cub. She has her money and I have mine. She buys what she wants and so do I. We never argue about money and she never asks me for any. As long as I have a roof over her head and food on the table she is happy. I picked a awesome woman or maybe I just have her trained right :-)
The only toy I have that she actually likes is the boat. We have a great time at the lake. Otherwise I am at the airport and she does her thing.
Nobody can figure this out. LOL!
Everyone I know lets their wife spend all the cash and they don't get crap. I call them DUMB ASSES!
 
byrdman said:
Getting the wife's approval is certainly an prerequisite that should not be overlooked.

I once knew a guy who bought a Baron without checking with the wife and soon after was asking me to sell it for him because the wife said it goes or she goes. In this case the ole ask for forgiveness rather than permission thing didn't work out.
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Having a wife who is also a pilot is great, but even then we must compromise sometimes.

Example: When I fell in love with RV-8s, and convinced her that we should move into the experimental aircraft world, she suggested (okay, insisted) that if we were going to buy a tandem plane, it damned well better be an RV-8A -- the tricycle version of the -8.

I took a deep breath, let out a sigh, and agreed. It doesn't look as cool, but it flies the same and insurance is way cheaper. :wink2:
 
byrdman said:
Getting the wife's approval is certainly an prerequisite that should not be overlooked.

I once knew a guy who bought a Baron without checking with the wife and soon after was asking me to sell it for him because the wife said it goes or she goes. In this case the ole ask for forgiveness rather than permission thing didn't work out.
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Similarly, if you want the best deal on an ocean sailing yacht, Tahiti is place. After 2 months out of LA, she hits the dock with her bags, "It or me":rofl: Always cheaper to sell the boat (usually they aren't arguing anyway, reality is a *****..:lol:)
 
BTW: I would heartily second the motion on hiring an expert to help you find an aircraft -- ESPECIALLY an already-built experimental aircraft.

I had purchased three planes by myself prior to buying our current ride, so I wasn't a babe in the woods when it came to buying aircraft, but when it came to buying a homebuilt RV-8, I balked. I had NO experience with building airplanes, and I knew I couldn't count on them all being built well, or even the same.

So, I hired an RV expert to help me find my plane. I could not be happier with the experience, and we are still in love with our RV every time we fly.
:)

If you are ever interested in buying an RV, let me know and I will forward his contact info to you.
 
pigpenracing said:
Wow really????
Maybe I have a awesome wife. I have a 172, a Cub and a Pitts Model 12 now. She does not have any interest at all. Sometimes I can get her in the Cub. She has her money and I have mine. She buys what she wants and so do I. We never argue about money and she never asks me for any. As long as I have a roof over her head and food on the table she is happy. I picked a awesome woman or maybe I just have her trained right :-)
The only toy I have that she actually likes is the boat. We have a great time at the lake. Otherwise I am at the airport and she does her thing.
Nobody can figure this out. LOL!
Everyone I know lets their wife spend all the cash and they don't get crap. I call them DUMB ASSES!
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Yep, you have an awesome wife.;) Mine never begrudged mine, but I was an owner when we met, and her dad was a pilot. She HATED flying. As long as I kept it between the trees and climbing for fences, it was fine, just don't start climbing.:dunno: Meh, I'm fine with that. She only flew with me a couple of times.:(
 
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My wife couldn't care less about flying. She rode in the Swift once...in 1988 before we were even engaged. She's flown in a Cub with me 2-3 times in the 25 years we've been married. She rode in my Starduster Too once...around the pattern. She still hasn't flown in the RV. She will come out to the airport if there is some event going on, but rarely any other time. She still hasn't flown in our Cub since I got it flying three years ago.


Jim R
Collierville, TN

N7155H--1946 Piper J-3 Cub
N3368K--1946 Globe GC-1B Swift
N4WJ--1994 Van's RV-4
 
reading all the advise given on these pages, then finding that none of it works.
 
.momma didn't love the plane ...

Approval doesn't just mean the wife. It can mean your Mom, Dad, friends, relatives, bozo's, and people you just met.

When I bought the skywagon, my late Mother about had a Conniption fit. She was afraid of flying and hated it. She would often refer to it as "that damned plane.' She was frugal too. She didn't like the $$$$ part of it either. :nonod:

I bought it anyway, then I landed and taxi'd it right up to her house on the farm with her standing on the back porch staring me down every time. :rofl::lol:
 
My dad was a pilot 1942-2000. Few a Great Lakes a week before he died. He tught me to fly. Certainly no need to gain his approval. In fact, we were partners on first plane I owned.

My mom learned to fly, from my dad, while she was pregnant with me. She went on to earn her CFI. She owned her own Cessna 170 and S1C Pitts. In fact mom and dad had a matched set of Pitts. Didn't need to win her over to airplane ownership either.

The older of my two older sisters married a USCG pilot and they owned a Bonanza. My other sister married the grandson of the man who sold my dad his first Stearman to convert to a duster.

My brother is a pilot and has owned more planes than me. He currently owns the Cub in which dad taught us both to fly. He also owns an S1S Pitts he lets me fly.

Most my friends are either military aviators, former military aviators or airline pilots.

The only approval they seek from me or me from them is getting to fly one another's airplane. :)


Jim R
Collierville, TN

N7155H--1946 Piper J-3 Cub
N3368K--1946 Globe GC-1B Swift
N4WJ--1994 Van's RV-4
 
calberto said:
The only problem with barnstormers for mechanics and ferry pilots I have is that I can't find past flight history.



I've heard the horror stories of getting bad ferry pilots. Lot of beautiful planes destroyed, cuz the guy hadn't flown anything like it before.



Any solutions?
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Ask for references.
 
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