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Old June 20th 04, 04:33 AM
zatatime
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On Sat, 19 Jun 2004 21:17:47 -0400, " Mark
Miller wrote:

I'm looking at a 1982 Turbo Arrow as a first time purchase. I'm not
new to aviation, and have sufficient time in the make/model to satisfy
the insurance company. I haven't looked at the plane in person yet,
but have had a few conversations with the owner about it.

My question is really about the airframe total time. Presently the
aircraft has 7000 hrs. on the airframe, and 1150 on the engine.

Should I steer clear of a plane with this kind of time on the
airframe? What are the concerns with an airframe as high in time as
this?

I'm also wondering if it is reasonable to ask for an engine oil
analysis among other things? I'll likely have to fly (commercial) to
look at it, so I'm curious to hear how people handle that. More than
one trip, I would guess.

Any advice would be appreciated.


7000 hours can vary greatly. Were all 7000 spent training students?
Or were most cross country flights made by owners. I own a Cherokee
235B with about 6700 hours and it flies great! I was not concerned at
all when I went to see the airplane as I had read through the logbooks
and had a picture of the planes past use and maintenance. I also had
pictures of the exterior and interior.

I was within a 6 hour train ride so it wasn't so bad, but when I got
on the train I knew if the pre-buy matched what I already thought I'd
give the guy a check. Needless to say, it worked out.

Someone I respect with more than 60 years as a mechanic and airport
operator has a neat concept for bringing owner and buyer together.

Study the logs(with your mechanic), look at pictures, etc. and get a
feel for if you want the plane. If you do, offer the seller
re-imbursement for all expenses to get the plane to you, and a return
trip on the airline of his choice if the pre-buy goes as expected.
You may even want to send him a check for 500 or 1000 dollars so he
knows you're serious. If he balks he may be hiding something.
Obviously he may not have the time either, but try to convince him to
get the plane to you. An honest seller shouldn't have any problem
with this approach. You won't lose any money either because you'll
have to pay it for you to travel anyway, and it'll let your mechanic
do the once over. It'll also allow the owner to have one last flight
in his bird.,

I've seen this work first hand, and the mechanic I'm speaking of says
it has worked many time in his life. It'll also save you multiple
trips across the country.

Hope this helps.

z