Old Friends

Look around the ramp and in hangars at almost any GA airport in the country, and youll find some amazing aircraft. Youll also find some once-amazing aircraft that have been neglected and nearly abandoned for years, rendering them useless place holders. Sadly, one of those in the latter group belongs to my wife and me. (Its a Beechcraft Skipper we got for my wife to fly after we invested in the Cessna 340 Ive talked so much about.)

Editorial Staff

Sunday, February 17, 2019 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Many general aviation aircraft, like the author's Beechcraft Skipper, become neglected because the high cost of restoration often far exceeds their market value, making financial justification difficult.
Despite the financial challenges, a deeply sentimental letter from a former pilot who learned to fly in their Skipper reignited the author's emotional connection to the aircraft.
Inspired by this renewed bond, the author and his wife committed to investing significantly (over $50,000) to restore the plane, vowing to fly it regularly and ensure its continued enjoyment.

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Look around the ramp and in hangars at almost any GA airport in the country, and you’ll find some amazing aircraft. You’ll also find some once-amazing aircraft that have been neglected and nearly abandoned for years, rendering them useless place holders. Sadly, one of those in the latter group belongs to my wife and me. (It’s a Beechcraft Skipper we got for my wife to fly after we invested in the Cessna 340 I’ve talked so much about.)

All things physical decay over time. While they can all reach a point where resurrection costs more than their value, that seems to happen quite readily with aircraft. Think that through and the reasons become obvious.