Club Homepage Forums Classified Ads Buy & Sell - Airplanes Only Any Advice for a First Time Buyer?

That's right, all my life flying airplanes owned by others! So, I may think of buying the right C150/152... I've heard of the importance of a good pre-buy inspection, but before I even get to that step am wondering about how to best filter choices to avoid wasting time and trouble. Since my tolerance for maintenance headaches and costs isn't very high, I'm wondering if I should even look at a 1975 C150 with 1780hrs SMOH (for example)? Or, a 1969 C150 with 1200 hrs SMOH (assuming the seller is saying only positive things)? It seems like such questions depend a lot on individual factors as well good sense, but if anyone wants to share their two cents, I'd be interested in hearing!

TBO on the O-200 engine is 1800 hrs. I know that some people say keep flying it as long as the compression readings are good, but you'd better be mentally/financially prepared for an overhaul which costs $12K (field overhaul) to $20K+ (big-name engine shops). Do you feel lucky today?

Hi John. Welcome to the (almost) ownership club!

Hung is right -- overhauls are expensive. But, our C-150 had around 1,000 SMOH when we bought it over 8 years ago. Now, it is over 1,500 and still running strong. Unless you fly an unusually large amount of your time, it takes a few years to add a few hundred hours to the engine. I fly most weekend, but not on long trips. I average somewhere between 50 and 75 hours a year. All that being said, an airplane around 1,000 hours SMOH wouldn't scare me off because 800 hours is quite a bit of flying. The one with 1780 hours, if otherwise in good shape, would be okay if the price reflected an overhaul in he near future. One thing about it, when you do the overhaul, you then know what kind of shape your engine is in. And, you should then have many more years of trouble-free flying.

Enjoy the searching process and good luck!

Club members Tom and Karen Harvey have a nice 152 Sparrowhawk (125 HP) needing an engine overhaul.

18k/19k plus an engine will carry you down the road, uh, airways, for decades.


Jim







My wife Karen and I have decided to sell our '79 152. The engine is ready for overhaul as it is beyond TBO, it is making a small amount of metal, and #1 cylinder has low compressions. We are looking at joining a couple of local friends in a 182 in a couple of years so have decided to not invest any further in the 152. Here's the information;

N# 48186
Exterior:
Original paint, probably rated 7/10
Full Sparrowhawk conversion (beyond TBO and needs overhaul. Flyable with a ferry permit)
Horton STOL kit
Flap gap seals
Aileron gap seals
Wheel pants
Combination clear/red beacon on vertical stabilizer
Belly strobe

Interior:
Recent carpet and seat rework
Recent door plastic with leather armrests
Recent door post plastic
Recent door windows
Recent seat belts

Avionics:
PS Engineering PMA-6000 Comm Panel w/MP3 input
Garmin SL30
Garmin SL40
Garmin GPSMAP-396 in Air Gizmo dock
Digital tachometer
RT359 Transponder

Photos can be seen here: http://hunkydori.com:81/C152/


We are posting it on ASO for $19k but will reduce it to $18k for any club member. Feel free to email me at wingnut@hunkydori.com or call my cell, 702-203-4784.
_________________________
Tom
N48186, 152-II
Henderson, NV (BVU)

There are a lot of planes out there - take your time.

But equally get it down to a manageable pool and then pick one - you could spend forever waiting for the "perfect" plane to come along.

Figure your total budget. Then use a figure of 66-75% for what you will actually pay for the plane. Keep the rest of the budget for the inevitable things you find on an old plane after purchase.

Prebuy with YOUR mechanic - this comes out the budget. You could spend it all on pre-buys - hence the advice to not wait for the perfect plane to come along - you might be out of money when it does.

Find out what planes really sold for (compared to advertised price) and use that as a basis for a fair negotiation with the seller. Many sellers believe their planes are worth way more than they are - so negotiation is a fine line between reality and not insulting the owner. Ask Sandy Newfang about some of the horrible rude offers she was made when she went to sell her plane!

Understand how the paper trail works early on. Obtaining the records from the FAA (do it yourself cheaply - don't pay an agency) to check for reported damage history, repairs, alterations, and clear title.

From the club store - Mike Arman's "Owning, Buying or Flying the Cessna 150/152" is an excellent primer about some of the things to look for and how to go about buying a plane.

If there is a plane somewhere in the country that looks good but is too far away for you to easily see - post on here - there are many club members will go have a quick look for you and tell you if it is worth doing a pre-buy on or if you should pass.

Well, if you let us know your price range.... sometimes we know of aircraft for sale and you have a lot of people looking. Find something as local as possible not like me 750+nm away or Tim 1500.... LOL

I'm grateful for the replies and 'all ears' to advice and lessons learned. Though each of those replies deserves an individual note, I'll save everyone some space on the forum by summarizing: given my druthers to avoid 'projects' and any planes needing immediate work, I think I should take time to look for a plane in Texas (or not much further), a mid-time engine and other specs that point to no more than average risk, and use the time to also get smarter about the plane mechanically and all the aspects of ownership.

I'm in Austin, Texas. If anyone reading this has any leads that aren't too distant, I'd welcome hearing about 'em.

I can see why the long-time members are fond of this club! Good folks who are happy to help other 150/152 enthusiasts!

John also at johnchilstrom@yahoo.com

Don't be so quick to restrict yourself geographically. Part of the fun is picking up a plane far away. I bought mine in Wisconsin even though I live in Connecticut. Right now, Tim Boese is flying his "new" plane home to Arizona from Florida.

There are enough club members around this country that they can take a proxy look-see to help you decide if it's worth further effort. For example, one plane I considered was tied down right next to Niall in Georgia.

Things are certainly cheaper/easier when done locally. But don't be too timid when casting a net.

There two other club members in Austin: Henry M and Matt Wash . Get in touch with them via Private Message and they'll show you their planes, offer their knowledge, and maybe act as a "buying buddy" when you're looking at some planes.

One thing I have noticed is it really seems to pay more for a very good one right off the bat rather than to fix a laundry list of stuff over time. Spend enough to get a good one.

The other thing is I'm personally a bit tired of folks asking for is a no damage history plane. They were trainers and there are no virgins. Most have had someone bang them around at some point whether it shows in the logs or not. They are good tough little birds and can take a lot. If damage or age and corrosion has been properly repaired, I'm not put off by that. It can even be a bonus as in Sandy's plane having a recently rebuilt wing.