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The Perfect Time to Buy Used

Cessna 182RG John Miller
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • The used airplane market is currently a strong buyer's market due to economic downturns, resulting in significantly depressed prices across various aircraft types and making it an opportune time for purchases.
  • Prospective buyers must conduct thorough due diligence, including defining their mission, understanding insurance constraints early, and critically, commissioning an independent pre-purchase inspection by a knowledgeable mechanic.
  • Buyers should avoid common mistakes such as impulsivity, emotional decisions, failing to negotiate the asking price, and being unrealistic about the ongoing operational and maintenance costs of a "bigger" or more complex aircraft.
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The opening line of Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” is an apropos description of today’s used-airplane market.

For buyers these are great times to be in the hunt for an airplane that’s gotten some gentle use and good care. But for sellers, faced with an economic need to relinquish the airplane they’ve enjoyed and nurtured, often for years, the times aren’t so good.

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