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Selling an Airplane

Irresistible forces cause unexpected pain.

The author, Dick Karl. [Credit: Stephen Yeates]
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • The author was forced to sell his cherished Cessna Citation CJ1 due to new insurance and FAA regulations that rendered single-pilot jet operations unfeasible for him.
  • The selling process involved navigating a cooling market, dealing with various offers, and conducting a pre-buy inspection which, thanks to meticulous maintenance, revealed minimal and less costly discrepancies than anticipated.
  • Despite a financially successful sale, the author experienced a profound sense of loss and sadness, as the transaction marked an unwilling end to his single-pilot jet flying career.
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Until now, selling an airplane for me has been a matter of making hangar room to accommodate and getting money to pay for a newer, faster, cooler airplane. Not this time. The insurance industry and the FAA’s good doctors of Oklahoma City have seen to that. I hope they are pleased with their work.

This Article First Appeared in FLYING Magazine

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Dick Karl

Dick Karl is a cancer surgeon who appreciates the beauty and science involved in both surgery and flying. Dick’s monthly Gear Up celebrates the human side of flying. He writes about his enthusiasm for both the machines and the people who fly and maintain them.

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