Finding Your Ideal Aircraft: A New Series for Airplane Shoppers

Shopping for an aircraft is a long process in which patience, shrewdness, and luck are helpful.

Monday, August 01, 2022 at 05:13 PM ET

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The big Cessna looked even more impressive on the ramp in the sunlight than it had in its hangar. [Photo: Jonathan Welsh]

Key Takeaways:

The author's experience of test-flying and nearly purchasing an aircraft that subsequently crashed due to engine failure shortly after his flight served as a stark lesson on the hidden risks in used aircraft.
This near-miss underscored the critical importance of an unhurried aircraft buying process, stressing that a specialist pre-buy inspection should never be skipped.
To avoid emotional bias during the shopping process, the author now recommends delaying test flights and involving non-pilot companions for a more objective perspective.

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Editor’s Note: FLYING’s Jonathan Welsh begins a twice-monthly series aimed at helping airplane shoppers become happy owners.

About 10 years ago, a pilot friend told me that owning my own aircraft, should I ever choose to take the plunge, would cost more than I ever expected. “Stunningly expensive,” he said. Of course, he was right, and his assessment did not include the often wild premiums that apply to most old airplanes in today’s booming market.