Ignorance is a universal condition. We’re all ignorant of something or other. More than likely, we’re ignorant of a great many things.
Even brilliant minds like the one Neil deGrasse Tyson carries around is unaware of entire subject areas. And why wouldn’t he be? The world is big and complex. There are far too many details pertaining to far too many technologies, systems, programs, and issues for any one of us to know them all.
And yet humans have a curious aversion to admitting our lack of expertise on virtually all topics under the sun.
Ignorance is the natural state of humanity. Overcoming ignorance is the mission of those who do well in life.
This is undeniably true when the subject of aircraft ownership comes up.
Let’s look at some numbers: Pilots in the United States number in the neighborhood of 600,000 more or less. That equates to less than 0.2% of the overall population. We’re not just the 1%, we’re literally in the upper reaches of the 1%. The math proves it.
Despite that, and in contradiction to what our initial beliefs might be, aircraft ownership in the U.S. has been increasing in recent years.
There are approximately 212,000 airplanes in the U.S. All of them are owned by somebody. In more cases than you might think, a single individual may own multiple airplanes. I myself have owned as many as three at one time.
That suggests no more than 0.07% of the U.S. population own an airplane. That’s a small sliver of folks. So, it’s no wonder that many first-time aircraft owners don’t have the experience or networking connections to find, buy, and operate their aircraft with confidence and economic efficiency.
Let’s focus on the economic efficiency aspect. Airplanes can be expensive. Yet, they don’t have to be prohibitively expensive. There are a variety of ownership options that can cut the cost significantly. Included are co-ownerships (often referred to as partnerships) and flying clubs. Both those alternatives allow multiple individuals to share the cost of ownership.
Keep in mind, ownership costs aren’t limited to the purchase price. There’s also storage, maintenance, insurance, and actual operating costs to consider. Even with a single additional person added to the registration paperwork, an aspiring aircraft owner can cut their projected costs in half. That’s a pretty steep discount. Expand that number to three or four owners and the price of entry to the aircraft owners market gets darned attractive.
Still, even with costs reduced by having additional owners to work with, a bad decision made through ignorance can cost the entire group. And as we all know, when someone makes a mistake that costs us money, there can be rancor in the ranks.
So, it is with the greatest respect and sympathy I say do your research first. Take the time to make an educated decision about all aspects of aircraft ownership.
Any aircraft owner can tell you to get a pre-buy inspection prior to making a purchase. What many won’t tell you, perhaps because they don’t know, is that you should never use the seller’s mechanic to perform that inspection. Hire someone independently. The expense will be cheap insurance against buying a bad airplane for a premium price — and yes, that happens more often than one might wish to believe possible.
I recently spoke to a gentleman who is an active member of a flying club. The full membership of the club is very happy with their airplane, but they are not so happy with the expenses they see it dumping in their laps. In truth, the excessive cost of their aircraft is not due to the aircraft itself, but rather to their decisions about how and when and where to maintain it. By guessing rather than researching, in effect making knee-jerk decisions without benefit of real insight, they’ve spent thousands of dollars unnecessarily.
One group I spoke with spent a ludicrous amount of money on an annual inspection, working with a mechanic none of them wanted to work with, because the aircraft’s annual inspection had timed out and they were under the impression they had no choice but to use the local shop that charged high rates. They could easily obtain a ferry permit to move the aircraft to another airport where the far less expensive mechanic they preferred was based. But nobody thought to ask about options.
Not long ago I spoke with an owner who hired a local shop he wasn’t comfortable working with to rebuild his engine. He hired the shop based on the recommendation of an acquaintance, not a long-time friend or a trusted colleague. The price he was quoted to have the overhaul done in a local shop with no particular expertise in the work was in the ballpark of what he would have spent on a factory rebuild, which would come with a superior warranty, no doubt.
A casual conversation with a few knowledgeable folks might have saved the owner a bundle of cash, or conversely, gotten him a much better product for an equivalent amount of money.
We all have gaps in our knowledge base. And while I’ve had some experience owning and operating aircraft, I still seek out insight from others with even more experience whenever the least bit of doubt creeps into my mind.
As boat owners have known for hundreds of years, knowing what your options are and making good decisions about maintenance and operational costs can be the difference between being a miserable owner and a happy owner. The same goes for aircraft owners.
A few phone calls or a conversation over a cup of coffee can provide a great, inexpensive opportunity to educate ourselves on almost any topic. Consider them both when you’ve got decisions to make. You’ll be glad you did.
I got swindled when I bought 1946 J-3 on line. I talked with the AI who had maintained the plane and was told that it had a solid air frame with a good mid-time engine. The price seemed fair and the owner would deliver it from Pennsylvania to central Nebraska and take his son with him for the experience. It outwardly appeared as described and the owner would not have flown it over such a distance unless it was as the mechanic had told me.
At the first annual inspection it was apparent that extreme corrosion was a prevalent issue . Parts were ordered and assembled, but as we got further into it, more corrosion away from inspection ports was discovered. Finally the airframe was completely rebuilt at a cost of about.$70,000. Then I decided to check the engine. It was sent away for inspection and found to have cracks in all of the cylinders.
It is now a pristine airplane but I developed arthritis badly enough that I grounded myself. Now I must sell a “new” J-3..
You say so from USA.. But from France you can loose your mind just with the paperwork
There are about 230 million folks in the USA that have a drivers license, and how many of these have any knowledge of what goes on under the hood, let alone attempt to repair any problems.
So, what number of that 0.07% of these folks that are inclined to buy an aircraft, after the large expense of getting a pilot certificate, and attempt to know what makes it fly and keeps it in the air.
As an electrical engineer, I was surprised at how little pilots knew about the aircraft electrical systems, or something as basic as; ‘what is the voltage of a fully charged battery ?’ Few know that it is 12.8 to 13.0 volts.!!
Then there is the ‘replace vs repair’ method of most A&Ps. Maybe its that they don’t want the liability for the repair, when a replacement part puts that on the supplier.
The costs to maintain an aircraft can be lowered with the example ; repairing an alternator that just needs a set of $10 field brushes vs a $600 exchange for a rebuilt one.
Over the years I have owned five aircraft ranging from a TriPacer to a new Piper Dakota, with a C172 along the way, and the best advice I can give is – Get an aircraft that most nearly meets your needs. The advice given to get a RELIABLE AI to do a complete and thorough pre buy inspection is VERY important.
Some people may not know that an AI is held to much more stringent requirements than an AP. The difference in cost is worth many times what it will cost if you get a local hurry up inspection. The tendency is to get a larger aircraft than is truly needed. It is better to rent a larger aircraft when needed than to buy one that meets most of your needs. Most of us seldom take 1,000 mile trips and most of our use is within 100 miles, and a 10 knot increase in cruise speed will often only get you there less than an hour sooner.
Advice: Sit down and list all of your actual needs or requirements then look for an aircraft that meets them.
I owned for 13 years and I sold the plane in August 2019. People ask me if I miss it. I tell them I miss having an airplane, but I don’t miss owning an airplane. 🙂
I tell people it’s not about flying more often, it’s about be able to go flying whenever you want to on your own terms. In other words, what you are paying for is the privilege.
I agree.
And, what a wonderful privilege it is!
Send your first born to A & P (airframe and powerplant) mechanic school. And learn how to do “preventive maintenance” from an experienced A&P to save $$.
Or, build you own airplane. Unlike the old days, the kits available these days have made it easy. You will learn a million useful things along the way, be able to maintain it, and be able to inspect it yourself. A win-win-win.
Sure. And when you need surgery learn to do it yourself and really save. There are no shortcuts in aviation. Those that look for them or try for them pay the biggest prices in the end.
Price gouging in Gen Avn…came with this territory…ad infinitum🤔
Wait until your called in to review and appraise a pressurized twin Cessna that has “some” issues. Then, telling the owner he is so much better off selling to a salvage dealer because repair of the issues will be several times the value of his airplane. All could have been prevented with a pre-buy inspection accomplished by a known and knowledgeable shop.
The number one mistake an owner can make is cheaping out. There are no real shortcuts when it comes to safety and integrity. Partnerships invite trouble because like a rental plane, you don’t know what others are doing when they fly (some people won’t tell on themselves when they damage something.) Using a distant shop can set you up for extra trouble because the first few post-annual flights are the most dangerous. And when you have issues you don’t want to be far from home and you don’t want to be arguing with a mechanic far away and be faced with flying back just to get them fixed. Like your personal doctor, find someone near home you trust and pay the small delta to keep them. Do not get into this sport if you can’t afford it, are prone to taking short-cuts, or worry about the cost.