Did you know that failing to avoid the wrong airplanes for sale can cost you thousands upon thousands of dollars? It can mean the difference between enjoying your purchase and regretting the purchase. I want you to ask the right questions when speaking to an aircraft seller and I want to give you the ability to have a professional in your corner when it comes to purchasing an aircraft. I am going to give you the knowledge necessary to make a sound decision whether or not to pursue an airplane for sale.
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Locating Airplanes for Sale
Although it would seem as though with today's technology the days of going to your local airport and looking at the bulletin board are obsolete they actually are not. Some of the best “deals” on the market can still be found on those bulletin boards. The reason for this is that there is a generation of aircraft owners that still do not use technology and they purchased those aircrafts when they were much more affordable and they can often be a great source for a good “deal”. So make that drive and ask where the bulletin boards are hung. You just may find your next great buy.
The next great place to look is more obvious. It is online, of course. There are some top of the line websites that specialize in Airplanes for Sale. Check out some of these links!
- www.trade-a-plane.com
- www.controller.com
- www.barnstormers.com
- www.avbuyer.com
- www.aerotrader.com
- www.globalair.com
What abbreviations to know when shopping for Airplanes for Sale
While you are looking at ads on bulletin boards or ads online, there are some key abbreviations many people selling an aircraft assume that you will already know and many people are unaware of what they stand for in the ad. You will see some abbreviations like TT for total time in hours on the airframe, NDH for no damage history, SMOH for since major overhaul (which is in reference to the engine being entirely overhauled), STOH for since top overhaul (meaning the amount of time since just the cylinders have been overhauled or relaced with new), and SPOH – since propellor overhaul. TBO stands for time before overhaul.
10 Devastating Things to Avoid when dealing with Airplanes for Sale
#1 Damage History – Damage history is an extremely big deal with regards to aircraft. Resale on an aircraft with damage history can be extremely difficult because many people are unable to verify the integrity of the aircraft. It has been estimated that aircraft with damage history bring a price tag of 30% lower than its nondamaged competition.
#2 Missing Logs – Every bit of work completed on an aircraft since it came from the manufacturer is recorded in the maintenance log books. Missing log books or pages are crucial in proving that there is no damage history to the aircraft and that all required maintenance has been performed during its life.
#3 Out of Annual Inspection – Aircraft are required to have an Annual Inspection every twelve months. If an aircraft has been sitting and is not within its current annual inspection period, you could be looking at a very large expense once you purchase it. Some annuals when an aircraft has been sitting can easily run in the tens of thousands of dollars.
#4 “Field Overhauled Engines” – The TBO for a piston aircraft engine can range from 1400 hours to 2200 hours. A “Field Overhaul” is an overhaul of the engine that was done outside of an engine overhaul company and usually performed by a mechanic in a hangar at the airport otherwise known as “The Field”. Field overhauls are usually completed on a budget and not to the quality of overhaul companies.
#5 Corrosion – The easy way to describe it is…well…rust. Corrosion is basically cancer to aircraft. It eats away the aluminum. It can be so severe in some aircraft that it can be deemed non-airworthy and now all that money spent was for a large paperweight. If you look into the logbooks to see where that aircraft has been based throughout the years, that will tell you a lot. You want to see that the aircraft has been based in dry, low humidity locations. Humidity and salty ocean air are a recipe for a disaster in regards to corrosion.
#6 Hail Damage – Storms can bring devistating size hail. Aircraft can fall victim to this hail easily when they are kept outside in the elements because most aircraft are built out of the aluminum. The way you can tell if an aircraft has hail damage is to look at the top side of the wings closely for little dimples or sometimes big dimples, depending on the size of the hail. Purchasing an aircraft with major hail damage can cost tens of thousands of dollars because the skins would need to be completely replaced.
#7 Non-Hangared – Airplanes for sale that have not been in a hangar have been subject to rodents that can get to the wiring and other components. Also the brutal elements of sun, rain, snow and storms are rough on aircraft. In many cases, not all, an owner that does not choose to spend the money to hangar their aircraft will not spend the necessary money to maintain that aircraft.
#8 Training Aircraft – All the pilots soaring the skies had to learn to fly at the beginning. Simply put…student pilot landings are often just controlled crashes. They may not do any physical damage, or in some cases they do, but the point is that you do not want to own those ones that were operated solely for the purpose of training. Those airplanes for sale have had a rough life. If you are a person just getting started flying or thinking of doing so, please check out my article on Life-Changing Pilot Training Scholarships.
#9 Extremely Hightime Airframes – Although this is not always a deal breaker it has to be considered because some airplanes have life limited airframes which means they turn into a pumpkin after so many flight hours and can no longer be flown. It would be a really hard lesson to learn if you bought an aircraft and after 50 or 100 hours you found out it can no longer be in the sky.
#10 Hangar Queens – These airplanes for sale or other aircraft can be identified by a definite pride of ownership. They are cosmetically incredible, inside and out, the paint is waxed, the tires are shined, and it looks like it came off the showroom floor yesterday…buuuutttt the plane has not flown for years. There are many problems that come from airplanes sitting for long periods of time that can include rust inside the engine from condensation that does not get burned off. Rust inside an engine can ultimately result in the need to overhaul an engine which can run from $25,000 to over $100,000 depending on the engine.
What to do After you have Identified great Airplanes for Sale
Have fun looking for airplanes for sale, helicopters for sale, or anything that flies for sale because it can be an exciting experience. Just keep in mind the above information that you have learned. Ask lots of questions and get a Professional Consultant on your side to help you with your buying process by emailing [email protected] they have the expertise necessary to turn a purchase into an asset instead of a liability.