An older, affordable example of a more capable type can offer some compelling strengths…but one must be prepared to accept the inherent compromises. [Photo: Jason McDowell]
Key Takeaways:
The article adapts the "pick two" principle (e.g., strong, light, cheap) to aircraft ownership, articulating the fundamental trade-off as "Capable. Well-sorted. Affordable."
Buyers with a limited budget must compromise, choosing between an aircraft's capabilities (payload, performance), its maintenance condition and reliability, and its purchase price.
The author exemplifies this by choosing a capable, affordable, but "less sorted" aircraft, accepting ongoing maintenance and restoration as a long-term ownership experience.
This was the wisdom coined by mountain bike pioneer Keith Bontrager back in the mid-1980s. The logic, of course, is that a bicycle part that’s both strong and light will not be cheap, one that’s light and cheap will not be strong, etc. The overlying theory is that when budget is a concern, you can’t have it all, and compromises must be made.
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Jason McDowell is a private pilot and Cessna 170 owner based in Madison, Wisconsin. He enjoys researching obscure aviation history and serves as a judge for the National Intercollegiate Flying Association. He can be found on Instagram as @cessnateur.
