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Hung,


We sure had some good times over the years and I miss those days more than you know. 38H and Sierra were like two peas in a pod and enjoyed traveling together........man, did we have some fun.



Jim

Yeah, too bad all good things must come to an end, and sometimes sooner than expected.

Jim, that had to be one of the hardest posts/threads to start.

good on you for your pragmatism, I remember you saying after doing MM that you'd restored the wrong plane - but Sierra is fantastic in her own right. Somebody will come along who will appreciate her, just for the love of all that's holy - don't sell to a flight school!!

All the best with the venture - and one of these days bring MM up to Canada for a visit!!

Oh my what to do? I struggled selling my plane, I can’t imagine the thought of parting with Sierra.
I have been watching aircraft listings a lot aver the last year and have seen a couple premium 152’s listed near $100k. I’m not sure if they sold or just couldn’t do it, but they were off the market in a couple months. None of those planes were to the level Sierra is.
I would start closer to what you have invested. It will peak the interest of some and ridicule of others. I would not take less than $100k for it.

Agreed. Definitely be ready for some backlash from the Facebook crowd if you post a link to an ad there. Stuff like "For $20k more I can have a 4-place 182 or a Bonanza..." blah blah blah. Idiots, most of them.

Heck, you could list Sierra for $30k and someone on the FB groups would probably laugh at you.

Hi Jim,

From your photos and your description, it sure looks like you have probably one of the best restored Cessna 152 in the world. You should not hesitate to offer it for sale for over $100K +. I would not be surprised if there is someone out there now who has the monetary resources to buy it quickly once you officially list it. Most likely, it will be someone overseas.

I know how attached we can get to our planes. I bought my 1983 152 in 2004 from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It now only has 1950 hours TTAF and 500 SMOH. I even had it christened by a priest and named it "LingBird" after my Chinese name. Actually, my son who was 13 years old then, found it on the Trade a Plane site and we went up and bought it over one weekend.

It would be very hard for me to make the decision to sell it when I am too old to fly. I believe we are only stewards of our planes . Surely I would only sell to someone who I feel will take care of the plane. Luckily, my son will most likely take it over one day.

I know that is is a tough decision for you to sell. However, I believe from what you stated, you are selling for the right reason.


Calvin

I think the try high and if it doesn't work - raffle it - is a way to go.

I've seen houses raffled in this way - when the owner was upside down in a beautifully restored place. KNEW he couldn't get what was in it. Couldn't get it to sell for near what he at least wanted as a minimum. The Raffle idea got them somewhere in the middle.

--

As a comparison - NFP Wings of Hope raffle a plane worth about $75k every 9 months or so. They sell 5,000 tix and they are 1 ticket for $75 or 3 tickets for $195. The tix usually sell out in about 18 hours (though some of this is from their track record or offering great deals). A second prize is a PPL or training scholarship worth about $12k. Couple of minor prizes like headsets and iPads are donated.

After buying the plane and setting aside cash for the scholarship - but before costs they clear about $240k

I want to thank everybody for injecting your thoughts so far and I hope I see more input from you and others as this lingers on.

Regardless what I do, I do expect some level of ridicule or criticism and some of it just might be justified to some degree but I have big shoulders covered with some pretty tough skin so I can handle it.

On the flip side, I know there will be some other people who will drool, gawk and wish and that helps counterbalance the naysayers.

Honestly, I've had zero desire to compete with Sierra on the airshow circuit though she probably could have held her own okay but that's just not me.

What I have enjoyed the most is sharing her with people I've bumped into over the years who have interest in simply looking, touching and talking. The seemingly endless conversations I've had with total strangers talking about this plane has been reward enough......there are some very kind people out there with different backgrounds but talking airplanes is a common thread and fun with a capital F.

Uncle Eddie does it all the time cuz planes like Woodstock are a magnet and people just have to look, touch, feel and talk....just ask him.

It's encouraging to read some suggestions here to shoot high and go for the gold and to Brian's point, I could list her at 30K and still take some negative hits.......go figure, I guess.

I appreciate everybody's input and hope to see more as I'm absorbing your thoughts more than you know.

I'm selfish so keep it coming.




Jim

Jim, she is beautiful inside and out. You've given her tremendous love and I know you will do what is best for you. Thanks for all the support you give us in return, and I know you will continue to with your other impeccable birds.

Rob

I am firmly entrenched in the "drool, gawk, wish" camp!! Man I hope you have the best of luck!