How to Buy an Aircraft Safely

Here are the steps to take in transitioning your new airplane properly and cautiously.

Max Trescott

Monday, April 28, 2025 at 07:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Your goal for that first hundred hours should be to get plenty of flight instruction and gradually expand the envelope of conditions in which you'll fly. [Adobe Stock]

Key Takeaways:

Newly purchased aircraft experience a significantly higher accident rate, often occurring shortly after acquisition or on the initial flight home, largely due to pilot unfamiliarity and compounding external factors.
Pilots must prioritize and budget for comprehensive, type-specific flight training from expert instructors experienced in the new aircraft model to mitigate these increased risks.
It is crucial to fly the new aircraft home with an experienced, type-specific pilot and to meticulously plan for external factors such as fatigue, weather, and strategic airport stops to enhance safety.

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One of the major ways that pilots learn about safety is by reading about accidents. And years ago, I noticed a number of aircraft accidents involving newly purchased aircraft.

So, I did a search of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) database using phrases such as “recently purchased,” and sure enough, I found a boatload of accident reports. So many in fact that I created a presentation that I gave several times called, “How to Buy an Airplane and Not Crash on the Way Home.”