Owning an aircraft is an empowering experience. Winged assets in your hip pocket can open up all kinds of opportunities and adventures free of many concerns associated with traditional clubs and aircraft rental operations. It’s also an awesome responsibility, often isn’t kind to your wallet and can bring many new and unanticipated challenges.
For one obvious example, owners become responsible for ensuring that all maintenance and inspection requirements are met and the aircraft is airworthy. While it often can be tempting to postpone or refuse to buy expensive parts and services, it’s a “pay me now or pay me later” situation where deferring inspections or repairs may seem economical at first blush, such actions have a way of catching up to us in the end. Then there’s the ethical issue of carrying innocent passengers who place their faith and trust in the owner/pilot that the aircraft is safe and airworthy, and meets current, accepted standards.
