In the process of buying a plane

[dmcummins]

Ive found a plane that I like and they have accepted my offer. Pending pre buy of course. The owner is also going to pay for a annual, and I get to chose who does the work. The only stipulation is its done in the Milwaukee area, as that where he lives. Ive also hired a agent that was recommended to look after my interest. He is suppost to look over the log books, fly the plane, pick the mechanic for pre buy and annual.

I'm excited and nervous at the same time. This is a big purchase for me.

I really need to finish up that PPL.

[ODDJOB UNO]

oh what can i say here....................after being on a flight(fright) line a good portion of my life?


ahhh get an instructor, a qualified A&P who ya trust yer life with, find a damn quiet airport close, to do countless touch and go's and practice practice practice.


and then practice in crappy weather to gain proficiency.



and nevar evar talk down yer nose to us mere mortal peon ground pounders. we cant tell you how many "i walk on water and my poo dont stink" pilots we have watched CRASH! and thats a FACT!

and then if we happen to be present for your "i walk on water and my poo dont stink" crash or "incident", we will GLADLY PHOTOGRAPH YOUR BOOFOONARY and speed dial the local newspaper and PLACE YOU ON THE FRONT PAGE for ALL YER FRIENDS TO SEE and then send it into internet space.

i would look out for anything squirrelly in the log books. example: "it only has 1 hr on it,since the last annual", even tho the damn plane was in L.A. calif for its last annual, and yer now in florida standing next to the plane.

[ODDJOB UNO]

or howz bout dis one?????????????

[Jeff Jagusch]

Hi DC,
I'm in Waukesha, and have some friends that are pilots, let me know if I can help
Looks like all you need for that plane is some #44's on the side! . Very nice

[dmcummins]

If the deal goes through I will have to have at least 25hrs dual time just before I can act as PIC. That's due to insurance. I plan to continue on with IFR training also. I also will be installing a dual yoke and shoulder harnesses before I'll be flying it.

[911_Dude]

Looks great. Have fun!

[KNS]

Beautiful plane and a wise decision on getting the instrument rating.

[ODDJOB UNO]

heres another couple of things if i were you. 1st if that plane was ANYWHERE around salt air or water, i would become ONE WITH THE WORD.........INTERGRANULAR CORROSION! and pull every inspection plate looking for anything amiss. i would ALSO go down the NTSB's "AD" list of any aviation directives re: that exact model and mfg. date.

basically what yer doing is a "PPI" on a plane along with your upcoming annual.


what we see ALL the time here is guys with some dough, who want to fly ("i wanna fly") suddenly and inexplicably BECOME CHEAP as far as correct/timely maintenance. and the ensuent problems..............which compound themselves really fast.


remember the (2) WORST PRIVATE PILOTS out there are DOCTORS and ex-airline pilots and we have gaggles of those here.


we have had our A&P for over 15years and he MISSES NOTHING and will break yer balls if he does find something wrong.


have fun be smart be safe as we have seen some real boners here the last 15years just at this aeropuerto.

[recycled sixtie]

That is a beautiful a/c. My concern for u is that u have not finished your PPL. So u are coming from a basic trainer with fixed undercarriage likely and you are moving on eventually to a plane with retractable undercarriage and variable pitch. You will need training for this new a/c.
Make sure you use checklists for instance to make sure the landing gear is down for landing. If you can afford to buy this a/c, you can afford to have somebody train u properly. If you are not comfortable with the instructor, find another one you are comfortable with. There are many other good points made in the other posts. Consider also a single engine instrument rating to avoid bad weather. Enjoy!

[Tim Hancock]

What year? What engine? Does it have auto-pilot?

That will make a nice traveling airplane but as you likely already know, it will cost you a bit more to operate/maintain/insure vs a simpler fixed pitch prop/landing gear. Personally, I would likely have opted for a cheaper/simpler first airplane as my airplane flying is mainly for fun (local grass strip fly-ins...$100 hamburgers etc), but if your ultimate desire is to travel 500+ miles often, a Bonanza/Debonair variant is a great choice.

Congrats!!!!

[dmcummins]

I'm at around 40 hrs so far. I need 3 hrs of night and then practice for my checkride, so hopefully I'll have my PPL soon.

Ive also contacted a instuctor with the Beechcraft Proficiency Program for my initial transition training and to meet insurance requirements.

I'll know more this week as the mechanics look the plane over. This is a big investment for me so I appreciate the comments and Ive been trying to do my homework.

[dmcummins]

Originally Posted by Tim Hancock

What year? What engine? Does it have auto-pilot?

That will make a nice traveling airplane but as you likely already know, it will cost you a bit more to operate/maintain/insure vs a simpler fixed pitch prop/landing gear. Personally, I would likely have opted for a cheaper/simpler first airplane as my airplane flying is mainly for fun (local grass strip fly-ins...$100 hamburgers etc), but if your ultimate desire is to travel 500+ miles often, a Bonanza/Debonair variant is a great choice.

Congrats!!!!

I debated over getting something like a 172 or piper as a first plane. But I figured I would still be wanting something more like this in a year or two and then would have all the additional transaction cost with selling and buying. Id just as soon spend more now in added training and as they say, buy my second plane first. Also we plan on many trips in the 250 to 500 mile range and felt something like this would fill the mission better.

Its a 1960, has a basic gps, vfr only, and basic A/P wing leveler. The engine should be the 225hp IO-470-J which also can be STC for auto gas. But I don't know if its been upgraded or not.

[Rot 911]

That is one beautiful airplane. Hope things work out and you get it!

[FLYGEEZER]

Nice Beech! And it ain't a "V" tailed doctor killer. Your gonna love it! Don't do the STC, It's not worth it. Stay with 100LL

[onewhippedpuppy]

Congrats!

[p911dad]

Congrats on a nice looking plane. Lots of good comments here, and I think many experience pilots here are thinking that is a lot of airplane for a new pilot. I have to agree, but on the positive side it is perfect introduction to complex aircraft, but not so speedy as many in that category. Also, it's nice stable platform for instrument work.
The one thing I want to pass on from my experience is the idea that a complex plane can get you there a quicker and handle headwinds easier than a 172 or Piper 180, but also can fly you and your passengers more quickly into iffy weather, where things can go down fast. It's relatively easy for a fast plane to get ahead of your thinking and your abilities, which is something I'm sure your instructor will be talking about. Always remember the 180 turn back to better weather. No mission is worth risk taking. AOPA Pilot has a great series called "Never Again" and it often deals with these issues.
Have fun with that airplane, and stay safe.

[pavulon]

I'm uninformed as to what it is about the V-tail that makes for dead (overconfident/under-experienced) doctors. I remember reading something about oscillation being an issue but would think that would be an issue for anyone that is piloting such a plane and that such an issue would have been addressed.

Your (soon to be yours) plane looks great!! How long until you turbine convert?

[Tim Hancock]

Originally Posted by FLYGEEZER

Nice Beech! And it ain't a "V" tailed doctor killer. Your gonna love it! Don't do the STC, It's not worth it. Stay with 100LL

The majority of the 600 or so hours I have put on my Pacer have been running 87 octane auto gas. Unfortunately I can't get it any longer without ethanol so I am back to running 100LL. While on auto gas, lead fouling of the plugs does not happen and my compression tests at annual have consistently been in the high 70's year after year running the car gas. If the ethanol scam/fad ever goes away, I will be back to using my auto fuel STC in a heartbeat.

[widgeon13]

If you are going to get an instrument rating put a good autopilot in the aircraft and make sure to use checklists all the time. It will make life much easier. Things happen fast in that plane.

[intakexhaust]

Originally Posted by Jeff Jagusch

Hi DC,
I'm in Waukesha, and have some friends that are pilots, let me know if I can help
Looks like all you need for that plane is some #44's on the side! . Very nice

Group 44... I like it. No one more qualified than Mr. Tullius to check it out.

Back to the subject, years ago had a way screwy deal with a deceitful jack@ss doctor on a 172. I later had a gentlmen plane broker out of Rockford who helped me out immensily. (That doctor should have been locked up and hope one day he piles his 930 into a tree.)

Best wishes and enjoy your acquisition.