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:

The author and his wife own a neglected Beechcraft Skipper, illustrating the common dilemma for general aviation aircraft owners where the high cost of restoring older planes often far exceeds their market value, despite sentimental attachment.
A heartfelt letter from a former pilot who learned to fly in their Skipper, expressing deep affection and concern for the aircraft, served as a powerful emotional catalyst.
Inspired by this letter and their own connection to the plane, the author and his wife decided to invest significantly (over $50,000) to restore the trainer, prioritizing its sentimental value and ensuring it will fly again.

See a mistake? Contact us.

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.