Club Homepage Forums Classified Ads Buy & Sell - Everything But Airplanes prebuy question

Hey Jerry, are you allowed to construct your own tent-hangar over a tie-down at Minuteman Airfield?

Yes, as well as heavy duty nose gear.



I don't think so,those are specials. I'll get more info on the plane on Sunday. Thanks for the help.

-Jerry

Hi Jerry,

If the plane is at Minuteman and you are decide to have a pre-buy inspection, I'd recommend Steve at Marlboro Airport (9B1). He works on 150's pretty much every day and can be relied upon for good advice.

Greg

Wow! I've never seen a mil-spec AirComm 300 audio mixer panel in a Cessna 150 before. Those things aren't cheap, but it's a bit of an overkill.

Really?
NORTH American, Central American and SOUTH American....
We're ALL AMERICANS!!!
-Brian

yeah, yeah, yeah....

...once again the MID-Americans are ignored!






Oh shut up, Dennis - you're only ignored.
We FRENCH-Americans are reviled as well!

I my case, checking the logbooks was meaningless because I had no experience or knowledge as to what to look far. So, I hired an experienced mechanic that I could trust to look at the logs and at the airplane. I also hired an experienced pilot to give me his assessment. I paid them so they would have an obligation to give their expert assessment rather than a off-hand opinion. We did a thorough study of four planes before we found one they both agreed was a good value.

If I had known more about airplanes and engines, perhaps the suggestion to review the logbooks would have made sense. In my case it didn't because I didn't know what I was looking at or what I should be looking for.

Unfortunately, in this forum, when one person says, "Yes, that is a good engine", another will given a half dozen examples of why it is bad, while a third will tell you it is illegal. Until you learn who is in tune with your way of doing things, then the information given in this forum can be confusing, baffling, or misleading.

That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it. (Do I know what I'm talking about? You have no way of knowing.)

You speak the truth, Brother John!

Now, I'll share the following opinion: "pre-buys" are only useful to determine that the aircraft in which you are interested is of sufficient condition to have an Annual Inspection performed by your mechanic/IA (not the seller's, ever) before completing the purchase. There are no, repeat, no standards for a "pre-buy". It is whatever the mechanic wants it to be/not to be, and has no standing under any Reg.

An Annual Inspection, on the other hand, has standards established by/in the Regs. I have had Annual Inspections performed on aircraft that I ended up not buying (saved my tail), and on ones that I did end up buying. I have had Annual Inspections performed on aircraft that had one mere months before, just to be sure that the inspection met known standards. Besides, when I did buy the plane, it was good for a full 12 months.

The point is, once purchased, all the problems/expenses found subsequent to the purchase are mine. A $300 to $600 Annual Inspection is the cheapest way of minimizing the risk. Any noted deficiencies/required repairs/replacements found during that Annual Inspection should be negotiated into the price. I have the right to walk away if the seller will not make those corrections on his dime, or if the deficiencies are too great to overcome.

As I had indicated in a previous post, I know of an expensive airplane purchased on the basis of a paid-for "pre-buy" that was grounded by the same shop one month later for long-term deficiencies found during the then required Annual Inspection. The shop held that the "pre-buy" was not binding, but the Annual Inspection was. The buyer lost in pursuing claims against the shop.

So, count me on the cautious side. A "pre-buy" is a fancy name for someone looking at the plane. It's only function should be to see if there should be a second date - a true inspection by the Regs.

This is my opinion, and I'm sticking to it.

Mike.

In my ever so humble opinion? We purchased both of our airplanes sight unseen. Unless you are doing the pre-buy / annual yourself. Or know personally the mechanic that is actually doing the pre-buy / annual. Doing a pre-buy / annual is an absolute waste of money! If you are unable to inspect the airplane yourself, then I believe your best option is to go with your gut instinct. Get a fellow Club member that resides in the area where the airplane is at to at least give it a cursory looking over. Have copies of the logs sent to you. Talk with the present owner. If any bells go off, back away. If all you get is all sorts of warm fuzzy feelings. Then purchase the airplane. But still have stashed an additional #3,000-$5,000 dollars to fix the discrepancies that you do find.

Oh! You may also want to consider hiring a willing fellow Club member to ferry the airplane home for you.

Here is what my mechanic and experienced pilot worked out with the seller of the plane I eventually bought. The annual would be done by my mechanic.

1. I would pay 1/2 of the cost of the annual inspection (true annual, not prebuy.) Just the inspection, not the work to correct items. The seller paid the other 1/2.
2. The seller would pay 100 percent of the cost of any items that must be corrected to meet any deficiences and make the plane airworthy.
3. I would pay 100 percent of the cost of any other items that I wanted changed, improved, or added.