Riding The Roller-Coaster of Inspection

Visual and mechanical tests mix with heavy dollops of nerves and self-doubt.

Jason McDowell

Wednesday, December 01, 2021 at 09:43 AM ET

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Your first sight of your first airplane is a memory you won’t soon forget. Credit: Chelsea Frost

Key Takeaways:

The author approached the pre-purchase inspection of a 1953 Cessna 170 with significant anxiety and pessimism, fearing major mechanical issues or incomplete documentation.
Despite the airplane's "ratrod" aesthetic with worn paint, functional but ugly repairs, and a shabby interior, its utilitarian charm appealed greatly to the author.
A thorough mechanic's inspection found no major mechanical problems, noting impressive engine compressions, and all logbooks and paperwork were complete and orderly.
A subsequent test flight confirmed the aircraft flew beautifully, trimmed easily, stalled predictably, and ran smoothly, removing all remaining reasons not to buy it.

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In the process of purchasing your first aircraft, there inevitably comes a time when you wonder what in the world you’ve gotten yourself into.

For me, this happened at about 37,000 feet aboard a Delta Boeing 737. Typically, when I gaze out of an airliner’s window at the vista before me, I marvel at the majestic view and admire the engineering of the jet, its wing and winglets massaging lift out the air as the turbofans whisk the passengers across the country in safety and relative comfort.