Sure -- check the plane out. I looked at a really beautiful, clean plane that had been inactive for about five years. The owner kept hoping one of his sons or one of his grandsons would take up flying.
I knew zip about engines and airplanes, so I hired both a mechanic and experienced pilot to look it over. They concluded that the engine was all right, but the brakes, some of the instruments would need rework. The total "incidental" work came to $5,000 which raised the actual cast of $13,500 to $18,500. Then, a title search showed a thirty year old lien against it. Time to walk away.
If a person is new to flying and doesn't know much about airplanes or engines, hiring a professional mechanic and experienced pilot to give advice is the way to go, I believe.
