Questions To Ask Sailplane Seller

There have been lots of comments and threads in RAS about "what I want
for a new glider for a newbie". The answers are usually around "get
automatic hookups" or "get glass" or "the wings are heavy" or “buy a
name a ship”. All this is good and valuable but there is another
set of questions to ask. These have to do with the SPECIFIC glider
that you want to purchase.

Let's say you have identified a glider that you are interested in.
This glider might be 500 miles away and you need to ask the right
questions before you go look at it. So what are those questions?
Here are a few to get your juices flowing;

1) How old is the glider?
2) What is the tail number? Serial number?
3) Why are you selling the ship?
4) What is the overall condition of the surfaces (gelcoat, aluminum,
cloth, wood, etc)
5) Any damage history?
6) List of instruments.
7) Any major modifications (winglets)?
8) Type and condition of the trailer.
9) How many hours total time on the airframe?
10) What other items does the glider come with (i.e. O2, canopy cover,
one man rig, tow out gear, parachute, spare parts, etc)
11) When was the last annual done?
12) Tinted canopy?
13) Details about the power system (batteries, wiring, fuses/breakers,
etc).

What pictures do I need?

1) Overall views
2) Instrument panel (front and back)
3) Trailer (inside and out)
4) Any damage and/or repaired areas.
5) Close ups (more the better)
6) Undercarriage
7) Data plate
8) Close ups of surfaces, especially around the spoiler boxes.

Thanks in advance for all your comments;

- John DeRosa

On May 10, 9:21*am, ContestID67 wrote:
There have been lots of comments and threads in RAS about "what I want
for a new glider for a newbie". *The answers are usually around "get
automatic hookups" or "get glass" or "the wings are heavy" or “buy a
name a ship”. *All this is good and valuable but there is another
set of questions to ask. *These have to do with the SPECIFIC glider
that you want to purchase.

Let's say you have identified a glider that you are interested in.
This glider might be 500 miles away and you need to ask the right
questions before you go look at it. *So what are those questions?
Here are a few to get your juices flowing;

1) How old is the glider?
2) What is the tail number? *Serial number?
3) Why are you selling the ship?
4) What is the overall condition of the surfaces (gelcoat, aluminum,
cloth, wood, etc)
5) Any damage history?
6) List of instruments.
7) Any major modifications (winglets)?
8) Type and condition of the trailer.
9) How many hours total time on the airframe?
10) What other items does the glider come with (i.e. O2, canopy cover,
one man rig, tow out gear, parachute, spare parts, etc)
11) When was the last annual done?
12) Tinted canopy?
13) Details about the power system (batteries, wiring, fuses/breakers,
etc).

What pictures do I need?

1) Overall views
2) Instrument panel (front and back)
3) Trailer (inside and out)
4) Any damage and/or repaired areas.
5) Close ups (more the better)
6) Undercarriage
7) Data plate
8) Close ups of surfaces, especially around the spoiler boxes.

Thanks in advance for all your comments;

- John DeRosa

off the top...

14.a) AD's, what's our there and have they been complied with?
14.b) Who did the work and when?

-Paul

On May 10, 9:32*am, sisu1a wrote:
On May 10, 9:21*am, ContestID67 wrote:



There have been lots of comments and threads in RAS about "what I want
for a new glider for a newbie". *The answers are usually around "get
automatic hookups" or "get glass" or "the wings are heavy" or “buy a
name a ship”. *All this is good and valuable but there is another
set of questions to ask. *These have to do with the SPECIFIC glider
that you want to purchase.

Let's say you have identified a glider that you are interested in.
This glider might be 500 miles away and you need to ask the right
questions before you go look at it. *So what are those questions?
Here are a few to get your juices flowing;

1) How old is the glider?
2) What is the tail number? *Serial number?
3) Why are you selling the ship?
4) What is the overall condition of the surfaces (gelcoat, aluminum,
cloth, wood, etc)
5) Any damage history?
6) List of instruments.
7) Any major modifications (winglets)?
8) Type and condition of the trailer.
9) How many hours total time on the airframe?
10) What other items does the glider come with (i.e. O2, canopy cover,
one man rig, tow out gear, parachute, spare parts, etc)
11) When was the last annual done?
12) Tinted canopy?
13) Details about the power system (batteries, wiring, fuses/breakers,
etc).

What pictures do I need?

1) Overall views
2) Instrument panel (front and back)
3) Trailer (inside and out)
4) Any damage and/or repaired areas.
5) Close ups (more the better)
6) Undercarriage
7) Data plate
8) Close ups of surfaces, especially around the spoiler boxes.

Thanks in advance for all your comments;

- John DeRosa

off the top...

14.a) AD's, what's our there and have they been complied with?
14.b) Who did the work and when?

-Paul

or if experimental (FAA type cert, not just individual exp
registration of a certified type) substitute TN's for AD's...

-Paul