For me, deciding on a plane was very difficult. I trucked my family
over half the state sitting in various planes. We finally decided on a
Beech Sierra.

Looking for a plane was also pretty frustrating. Many are completely
misrepresented. NDH is a joke---every plane out there has had SOME kind
of altercation, even if it is just hangar rash. And don't let anyone
tell you that low time is not damaging. The plane we finally found was
flown very little over the year and a half before we bought it, and as a
result had rust in the cylinders.

Buying the plane was quite frustrating also. We came to an agreement
with the broker quickly, but the plane was not completely flyable yet as
he was having it detailed. The detailing ended up taking 3 weeks, and I
had to juggle the detailer with the prepurchase mechanic we used. The
prepurchase guy caught some stuff---insisted on inspecting rudder
bearings that didn't seem loose to me, for example---but missed a couple
of major items (the aforementioned rust in the engine, intermittent
radios, a nosegear downlock that apparently only worked intermittently).

Owning the plane has been heartbreaking so far. The plane was 1 hour
out of annual and had had a prepurchase inspection, so I felt reasonably
safe putting my family in it and flying halfway across the country. We
got as far as Idaho and the compass was leaking, radios were
intermittent, an suddenly the gear would not retract. The nosegear
collapsed on the runway as we made a precautionary landing to check on
the gear. That was May. The plane sat in Idaho for a month before we
could ferry it out. The engine shop discovered rust, spalled lifters
and camshaft, and fried counterweights in the engine when they tore it
down after the prop strike. It is now being overhauled, mostly at my
expense. I haven't seen it since the accident, as it is 2 states away,
and I won't be able to get it back until mid-September if I am lucky.

So.... well, all in all I guess finding it was the most fun.

(In all seriousness, I vote with Jay that owning and flying it is
probably the most fun. I am anxiously waiting for the fun part to begin!)

Lessons learned:

- GET A REALLY SOLID PREPURCHASE INSPECTION BY A TRUSTWORTHY MECHANIC.

- Look over the logbooks with a fine comb and a knowledgeable friend.
Don't be afraid to question anything amiss. Especially look for things
that are missing, or large blocks of unaccounted down time.

- Take the time to do the purchase RIGHT. We were frustrated about how
long the process took, considering it is possible to have a car
inspected and buy the damn thing in a few hours. As a result, for the
prepurchase we used the mechanic who was available, not the one who
would have done the best job. In fact, take time off work and go to the
prepurchase inspection. I really, REALLY wish I had done this.

- Apart from the deposit, don't give the seller a red cent until he is
handing you the keys. No matter how trustworthy he looks. Make noises
about looking at other planes while yours is in prepurchase. Sellers
need to be kept motivated if they are going to pay attention to you, and
not much gets their attention more than a deal potentially falling apart.

- Learn a little bit about complex aircraft systems before you start.
If you decide on a Whizbang 4000, don't just read the Aviation Consumer
article about it. Find an owner's group and hang out there before you
even start looking seriously at planes to buy. If people seem to talk
about the landing gear or the electrical system or whatever regularly,
LISTEN TO THEM. You are planning to join their ranks shortly!

Good luck with your search, and with the fun part afterward!

Jefro