pilotweb.aero | Pilot June 2018 | 79z Identify brokers, agents or
individuals who have your chosen
aircraft advertised for sale and
then talk to them about the
aircraft. Where has the aircraft
been kept? Have you seen it
in use by other pilots? Andy
Twemlow suggests trying to gain
an understanding of the general
condition of the aircraft before
wasting your time journeying
around the UK and, sometimes,
Europe.
z Andy also advises that having
knowledge of the ownership and
service history of a particular
aircraft helps buyers enormously in
making that decision to purchase.
Like all good brokers they vet their
sellers to check on the background
of any aircraft that they list for
sale to gain an understanding of
how the plane was used, stored
and maintained, thereby giving it
an accurate appraisal. Brian Kane
agrees and Heli Air will check for
all documentation along with the
maintenance status to see what’s
been done, and what’s due.
z Once you have made your
decision, have a look at some
examples. All of our experts advise
that a pre-purchase inspection is
one of the single most important
actions to undertake, and while AT
Aviation can provide inspections
at any of their engineering
centres, finding an independent
engineer to accompany you is a
must. Andy goes on to say that as
well as a physical inspection, AT
will complete a records search to
check the aircraft’s AD/SB status,
and also a title search to ensure
there is no outstanding loan or
finance on the aircraft. You can
check the online National Aircraft
Register, the G-INFO database, to
ensure that the aircraft is what it
claims to be, and you could even
contact the owner to check that it’s
legitimately for sale.z Obtain insurance quotations.
There are many aircraft insurers
out there, some of which
advertise in Pilot, and others can
offer you specialist insurance as
a pilot, Stein Financial Insurance
being an example.z Following the pre-purchase
inspection, a test flight is also
crucial. Andy Twemlow advises to
“always try before you buy. You
must be able to fit in the plane
and be comfortable on longer
trips.” Being able to demonstrate
the capability of an aircraft
from a pilot’s perspective is of
paramount importance.z Beware bargain-price old
aeroplanes, or at least go in with
your eyes open. They may be
cheap for a reason – generally
huge maintenance bills. This
applies particularly to complexsingles and twins, where the bills
can be enormous, especially when
everything is old and worn. You
need to be sure any complex type
has been maintained correctly
(and note that constant speed
props have a six-year overhaul
life). Remember also that there
aren’t that many engine overhaul
businesses that will take on a
vintage engine; those that do can
have an eighteen-month waiting
list.z Finally, Brian Kane advises that
the prospective buyer must always
be careful. All too often aircraft
will be offered for sale that appear
to be exceptionally good value
and the naïve buyer parts with a
deposit which is never seen again,
and neither is the aircraft. Always
use a reputable broker, and ask
around for feedback.For more useful external
guidance, the following websites
are recommended:http://www.aopa.co.uk/go-flying/
aircraft-ownership.htmlhttp://www.caa.co.uk/aircraft-
registration-commercial/http://www.lightaircraftassociation.
co.uk/engineering/buying_
aircraft.htmlsiteapps.caa.co.uk/g-info/Advertising Feature
Another homebuilt, this time with particular appeal to those interested in aerobatics, the Acrosport 2
PHOTO: COURTESY OF THE LAA