Club Homepage Forums Classified Ads Buy & Sell - Airplanes Only Pre-buy A&P recommendations in Arkansas?

Manu,

Your intent to have a prebuy exam is wise - especially as the airplane has what is called a "fresh annual." One of the sucker traps in aviation is for an owner who is trying to get rid of a junker to have it annualled by a mechanic who will sign it off although it is lousy shape. The owner then advertises it with a "fresh annual" and pilots who don't realize that the annual may have been nonsense pay more money than the airplane is worth and then pay much more money when they have their mechanic do a real annual.

Have a prebuy exam performed by a mechanic who has never had any contact with the airplane. If it goes well and you decide to buy the airplane, it's a good idea to have the mechanic turn that exam into a real annual inspection, so that you can be very confident in what you are buying.

My comments come from the perspective of retiring after 42 years as an aviation lawyer and representing buyers of airplanes that were sold to them with a "fresh annual" and/or "fresh engine overhaul" and the buyers trusted the seller and didn't have a prebuy exam performed. They got the airplane home from several states away and discovered that they were in terrible condition. They then figured out that to sue the seller, they'd have to do so in the seller's home state, which would be too expensive.

You are looking at buying one of the best airplanes ever built - you are making the right moves in assuring that the one you buy is in good condition.

Welcome to the best type club around. Hope you get the right 150 for you and have many years of joy and adventure flying it.