Finding a good mechanic for pre buy Inspection

[Sumeet Bansal]

Hi guys

I have just started looking for my first aircraft and have been doing
all the due diligence of reading up as much as I can.

What I am struggling with is the fact how do I go about locating a good
mechanic for a pre buy inspection far away from home assuming I do
find a plane that I do like and meets other requirements.

Any ideas...

[Kobra]

> Hi guys
>
> I have just started looking for my first aircraft and have been doing all
> the due diligence of reading up as much as I can.
>
> What I am struggling with is the fact how do I go about locating a good
> mechanic for a pre buy inspection far away from home assuming I do find
> a plane that I do like and meets other requirements.
>
> Any ideas...

Some mechanics will fly commercially or privately to do a pre-buy.

Talk to a type club. They always have good mechanics for a specific make
and model relatively local and most can tell you what to look for very
specifically during the pre-buy. They know all the subtle / common items
that could go unnoticed by an A&P that has never or rarely worked on a
specific model. Some of these items could be quite costly or ground a plane
if not picked up.

An example is the Cessna Cardinal. There were a few that had so much
corrosion in the carry-thru spar that it made the plane unairworthy. The
fix was extremely costly. This type of problem is hidden in the headliner
and a place most mechanics wouldn't think to look.

Kobra

[Kyle Boatright]

"Sumeet Bansal" > wrote in message
...
> Hi guys
>
> I have just started looking for my first aircraft and have been doing all
> the due diligence of reading up as much as I can.
>
> What I am struggling with is the fact how do I go about locating a good
> mechanic for a pre buy inspection far away from home assuming I do find
> a plane that I do like and meets other requirements.
>
> Any ideas...

Where do you live? If you live within a couple of hours of a reasonably
well populated area, appropriate aircraft will probably come up for sale
near you. Before then, you need to talk to the owners at your proposed home
field, identify potential candidate mechanics, and interview them with the
idea that your chosen mechanic will do both your pre-purchase inspection and
future maintenance on the airplane.

When you do find the right airplane, the best option is to negotiate a deal
pending the inspection and have the owner deliver the airplane to your
mechanic for inspection. That way, your mechanic will have access to his
tools and shop to facilitate a good inspection.

KB

KB

[Robert M. Gary]

On Sep 13, 2:41 pm, Sumeet Bansal > wrote:
> Hi guys
>
> I have just started looking for my first aircraft and have been doing
> all the due diligence of reading up as much as I can.
>
> What I am struggling with is the fact how do I go about locating a good
> mechanic for a pre buy inspection far away from home assuming I do
> find a plane that I do like and meets other requirements.
>
> Any ideas...

It greatly depends on the type of airplane you are looking for. In
many cases your best bet is with a type club. Although any A&P can
work on any plane each type airplane has its own very special things
you look for. The things an A&P would look for on a Mooney are
different than on a Bonanza, etc.

[Fly]

Go here. You will gain back you membership fee by all the help you will
receive.

www.piperowner.com


Kent Felkins


"Sumeet Bansal" > wrote in message
...
> Hi guys
>
> I have just started looking for my first aircraft and have been doing all
> the due diligence of reading up as much as I can.
>
> What I am struggling with is the fact how do I go about locating a good
> mechanic for a pre buy inspection far away from home assuming I do find
> a plane that I do like and meets other requirements.
>
> Any ideas...

[Doug[_1_]]

Once you have located a plane that looks promising, find out who the
owner uses for a mechanic (and dont use HIM). Now, get the AOPA guide
or similar (www.airnav.com), that will list FBO's and mechanics at
airfields. Call one at the airfield where the plane is (or nearby
airfield if none where plane is) and tell him you want him to do three
things. Compression test, look for corrosion, and look at the logs.
Tell him you are willing to pay him for three hours work. Have him
call you back after the inspection. Now, YOU can tell pretty much
everything else about the condition of the avionics (use every one on
a test flight), paint, upholstry and tires, brakes etc. That is what I
would recommend.