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 mountain bike pioneer Keith Bontrager's "Strong. Light. Cheap. Pick two" principle to airplane ownership, emphasizing that budget constraints necessitate similar compromises.
When buying an aircraft on a finite budget, owners face a dilemma: they can typically only achieve two out of "Capable, Well-sorted, and Affordable."
This forces a trade-off between a less capable but reliable and affordable plane, or a more capable plane that will likely be less "well-sorted" and require significant ongoing maintenance and investment.
The author personally chose a more capable but less sorted aircraft, accepting it as a long-term project requiring gradual upgrades and restoration, despite the challenges of unexpected downtime and expenses.
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.
