How To Buy Your First Plane

Personal Airplane Prices Have EXPLODED - Here is a breakdown on how to To Buy Your First Plane.

[ChiliStyles]

When I purchased my plane in 2021 I paid 174k. After a new engine install and few upgrades I had it re appraised at 259k. For a 24 year old 4 seat single engine.

[Network-Mike]

Prices are nuts, I've wanted to get my PPL and have my own airplane all my life. I'm now at a place financially where I thought it would be easy. What a shocker when I started looking at prices lately after not looking for several years.

[TheBarzook]

It's strange that the few airplanes you mention wouldnt be my first choice for a first airplane. An Icon A5? Bristell?

[DanFrederiksen]

Prices have gotten ridiculous but Carbon Design offered me a brand new factory built FM250 Vampire II for 83700€ including ballistic parachute. Good looking pretty fast plane although only 912 engine but still 3x cheaper than bristell or VL-3. If Carbon design has far more reasonable prices then everyone should support them instead of getting robbed by other brands. There is zero reason they should be that expensive.

[RealRickCox]

You aren’t kidding about the costs going sky high for GA. I’m going the rotorcraft route - no interest in fixed wing ownership. I’ll rent if I want to fly planes. ;)

[DanO.]

I agree even for people that have money i can’t wait till they come out with a personal vtol with long range and hardly zero maintenance so that everyone in this world can travel inexpensive

[wolffianna]

I'll post this in the hope that someone can give an idea here.

This really hits to the points I have. 2 fold. Cost of training (very many places will NOT train sport license) is huge barrier.

Also why hasn't there been a ford or Nissan or whatever of aircraft? AKA a low price mass produced? LSA would be a sweet spot for this.

[nothingtoseehere]

Great stuff. Demo flight on the house is a big deal for inspiring new pilots.

[FlipFlopPilot]

I bought my 2007 LSA in 2013 expecting to never see that money again. The plane has more than doubled in value since then which is just crazy.

[jm]

Hang out at the local grass strip and make friends with all of the guys that no longer fly. There are gems hiding in those hangars that don’t open anymore, and they can be had for not a lot of money. Like everything in life, success comes from who you know.

[flyer]

You can do everything you said and still there will be surprises. Count on a learning curve. Count on your first annual with your local shop costing more than you thought possible. This is inevitable as each A&P has their own particular set of specific things they focus on which are unlikely to be what the previous mechanics did, and even the pre-buy shop. This is especially true with older airplanes. However you end up with a safer, better maintained plane. It's just that it can be a lot of money so be prepared and have a good communications relationship with your mechanic. Count on your mechanic as if your life depends on it, because it does.

[liveextreme]

Owned 2009 Sports Cruiser tt 1000hrs, cost me 76K, upgraded Avionics, sold it for 169K. Bought a Vision Jet

[markanthony]

Thanks, Mike, very interesting, very informative.

[jamiemezs]

Wow I remember you back in the early days when you were first starting out and how it seemed to be every episode was an adventudear thank you😊

[wez]

Give it 12 months to see where the economy is

[JonMulveyGuitar]

As a plane owner that just finished a panel upgrade and an annual. My suggestion to new pilots is to stay in the rental game. Let the flight school or club carry the burden of the maintenance and annual expenses. As the renter you show up and fly. As the owner you pay and cry.

[supersavagegodgaming]

Damn im in canada im studying with a online ground school to get my PPL written exams first plane are so expensive but renting is more a pain in ass that owning

[CRFHONDARIDER]

A wise man once told me whatever your budget double it and you might get lucky and be close to that number . Covid really ruined the market for the buyer

[r.gibson]

due to all the coming retirements (boomer- gen x). The market is about to be saturated with planes for sale, which will drive prices down. Imo

[fudogwhisperer]

Prices are in a bubble. They WILL crash.