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 experienced significant anxiety and maintained a pessimistic approach during the pre-purchase inspection of a 1953 Cessna 170, aiming to avoid past costly mechanical mistakes.
Despite its visually worn, "ratrod" aesthetic, the airplane charmed the author, and a thorough mechanic's inspection found no major mechanical issues or problems with its well-maintained logbooks.
A successful test flight confirmed the aircraft's excellent handling and performance, ultimately addressing all the author's concerns and leading to the decision to purchase the plane, despite anticipating future challenges of ownership.

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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.