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Pelican Pilots: I'm trying to talk myself into getting an affordable plane for buzzing around the Southwest Montana area. I have about 18 hours towards my ticket out of SNA, so I figure I need to spend another 30 hours to get my license here in MT, at around $100 an hour wet. So, that's about $3,000 in plane rental. I can pick up a decent old 172 or Citabria in the $30K-$35K range it seems. I think I'd like a high wing aircraft, as opposed to a Piper, for better views.

My main concern is to be able to dump the plane quickly if I want to. I don't want to be stuck with the thing for a year on the market. Are small planes selling these days? If I pick something up for $35K, could I sell it easily for $30K a year later if I needed to?

Also, hangar space here in Red Lodge is non-existent, unless I build a hangar, which I don't think is an attractive option. Is it OK to leave a plane tied-down through the winter, or is that a good way to kill an old plane?

And how much does an annual and typical repairs run?

Bottom line is I'd like to be able to get into a fun, small plane to get my license, possibly keep it, but be able to get out quickly if I need to. Thoughts?