Buying any airplane, especially one that is pre-owned, is an adventure. It does not matter whether you are buying the airplane from your hangar mate or from halfway around the world. No matter how well you do your due diligence, there are bound to be some unpleasant surprises. Just ask Sacha Botbol of New Paltz, New York.
The Man and His Plan
Botbol, 51, is an operating engineer, merchant mariner, and former owner of several Alaskan commercial salmon-fishing vessels. He is also a general aviation pilot with 1,000 hours—Botbol soloed at 16 in 1987. “I was an ‘airport rat,’ polishing planes in exchange for rides,” he says. He purchased his first airplane, a 1963 Cessna 150, in 2006, and earned his private certificate two years later. Now he holds a commercial certificate with single-engine land and sea ratings, and has earned a Formation and Safety Team (FAST) Wing card.
