By Lisa Turner, EAA Lifetime 509911
This piece originally ran in Lisa’s Airworthy column in the August 2024 issue of EAA Sport Aviation magazine.
An unexpressed thought sometimes hides like an aftertaste in my brain as I pick up the for-sale flyers for aircraft and read the flight details of new and wonderful airplanes on the shiny pages of aviation magazines. “Wouldn’t that be great to have,” I ponder, as I imagine lifting off into the blue sky. Then, the thought that’s been hiding bursts forth in a flash, “You can’t afford it.”
Here to save the day is our own Hal Bryan with “Flying Affordably: 10 Ready-to-Fly Aircraft That Are Cheaper Than a New Car” in the May 2024 edition of EAA Sport Aviation. It arrived about the time I was reminded that one of my pet peeves is the cost of personal aircraft ownership. I shake my head reading flight details of aircraft I can’t afford, even when I’m trying to be stingy on other pleasures.
Hal pointed out the many alternatives we have to get in the air — from plansbuilt, to kitbuilt, to ready-to-go. If you’re not inclined mechanically and the build part of the kit aircraft equation is not your gallon of gas, you still have lots of affordable choices.
Buying a flying homebuilt is a great way to get in the air in a recently built aircraft. The aircraft are typically well equipped in terms of avionics and powerplants, with good safety records. Many of them are technologically advanced. Prices are reasonable, and I’ve seen buyers get even better prices at estate sales and situations where the seller just had to let it go due to life circumstances.
Typically, you don’t pay for the labor the builder put in, but you do pay for the parts and pieces plus any premiums the market adds in due to popularity. This makes for a good deal since many kitbuilt and plansbuilt aircraft take hundreds, often thousands, of hours to build and test.
While there are plenty of used homebuilt airplanes, supply is tight on popular models in high demand. In your search, don’t forget about less conventional ways to get in the air, such as single-place aircraft, powered parachutes, gyroplanes and helicopters, and ultralights.
In the February 2020 issue of EAA Sport Aviation’s Airworthy column, I wrote about the mechanical and general maintenance issues to know about if you’re buying a used homebuilt, and included a detailed checklist of items to look for. EAA has also produced an excellent guide for non-builder owners (NBO) titled The Non-Builder Owner’s Guide to Amateur-Built Aircraft. It’s free, full of checklists, and available online via the link at EAA.org/Extras.
In this article, I’ll talk about the biggest mistakes buyers make, and how to avoid them yourself.
Over the last 20 years, I’ve met with many non-builder owners who didn’t follow these recommendations and ended up disappointed. The likelihood of stepping into traps is much higher with homebuilts than it is when purchasing a certified aircraft. Not that you won’t end up with a fabulous purchase, but the process for the NBO is more involved.
Here’s what can go wrong.
1. You Bought the Wrong Airplane
When you fall in love, you can easily rationalize why this airplane is the perfect airplane, built by the perfect builder, with the highest quality and no abnormalities. When you begin feeling this way, stop and think about being logical in your choices. To make the right decision, do some research.
What kind of airplane should you look for? Do you love short hops and sightseeing trips, or are you going cross-country? Is it just you, or are you taking someone along? Simple fixed gear and prop, or retractable gear and in-flight adjustable prop? Tailwheel or tri-gear? Get these questions and requirements out of the way first.
The second area of research will be the quality of the build for the particular airplane you are buying. When you’re buying an airplane that other people built, it will be unique. Even two homebuilts assembled in the same hangar by two different builders will have differences. You’ll need to dig into the history. Pretend you’re researching this airplane so you can write a detailed story about it. If there are any trouble areas, dig deep for the answers.
If the airplane had only one owner — the builder — it will be much easier to find the detail you need on the build and how it’s been treated over its operating life. If the airplane has changed hands many times since being built, there may be hidden problems.
One airplane I know of had multiple owners and sat in a field for several months with the canopy partially open. When the owner couldn’t get it started, he donated it to a vocational school. The engine was removed. The students, thinking it was like the marine projects they’d done, sanded down to the foam core of the composite skins, adding filler and painting, rendering it structurally unfit for flight. But it looked great.
There may be hidden issues in any airplane you’re considering (this is also true for certified aircraft), especially composites. That’s why it’s so important to discover all the history. You may need to make some calls and ask some tough questions.
I suggest you make a checklist of have-to-haves and want-to-haves. Put on this list how affordable the maintenance will be (ask owners) and consider how expensive any upgrades will be. For example, if the airplane has an older panel with “steam gauges,” how costly would it be to upgrade to a glass cockpit? You might be surprised.
It goes without saying that attending the best aviation show on earth — EAA AirVenture Oshkosh — will help you with your decisions and round out your experience.
2. The Airplane Isn’t Legal
A big trouble area we see frequently is missing paperwork and documentation. Although this seems to be more of a problem on homebuilts, we also see this on certified airplanes. One of the biggest errors (and it is more common than you might think) is the data plate not matching the information on the registration.
These details are easy to overlook, but the airplane may not be legal to register and fly without the data syncing up, even if everything else checks out.
Missing logbooks. When I sold my airplanes, I made copies of the logs and gave the originals to the buyer. I didn’t need the backups, but I’ve heard buyers say, “The builder did not supply the logs.” This is unusual and may prompt you to look further for possible problems. The build log would also be handy.
Never got out of Phase I testing. The airworthiness certificate is there in the airplane, but the owner didn’t sign off on test completion. If it was signed off, look at the test program the owner-builder used to meet the test requirements. Did they use the task-based test cards with the EAA test program, or did they fly off hours? If the owner-builder flew off the hours, ask to see the test checklist and results. I’ve seen some airplanes “flying” with the hour meter hooked up to a battery.
Modifications. It’s a red flag if there were modifications that represent a major change, but there’s no documentation in the log and no information on how the mod was completed or whether the airplane was placed back in testing phase. For example, one homebuilt owner converted the aircraft’s configuration from tailwheel to nosewheel. When he went to sell the airplane, there was no information at all on the conversion, and the buyer was not told. Since this was a major change, the owner who made the change should have contacted his designated airworthiness representative or the FAA to determine what inspections and testing needed to be done to keep the airplane safe and legal.
You and the person you hire to do the pre-buy should be attentive to the small details on all the paperwork. At the least, the aircraft should come to you with the original correct airworthiness certificate, operating limitations, registration, weight and balance calculations that are current, and a data plate that matches the paperwork data.
3. You Chose an A&P Unfamiliar With the Aircraft for the Pre-Buy
While A&P mechanics are a logical choice to perform a pre-buy on the airplane you’re evaluating, if the mechanic is unfamiliar with experimentals, and especially the specific airplane you are buying, they could miss important items. Find out how much experience they have with homebuilt aircraft and if they are comfortable doing the inspection.
Ideally, you want to find an A&P mechanic with knowledge and experience in the aircraft brand you’re buying. Even if you pay more for them to travel to you, this insurance is worth it. The aircraft’s owners group can usually point you to someone qualified.
You should have someone experienced with the aircraft’s flight characteristics performing the test flight.
4. You Didn’t Get Transition Training or Spend Time With Other Owners
Have you ever been on the verge of buying a car or truck, but after the test drive you realized it wasn’t for you? Worse, have you actually bought a car or truck and then realized it wasn’t for you? There are so many variables with machinery. Personal intangibles are endless. It may be about sightlines, comfort, the ride, the noise, looks, and the ability to see outside. All these factors apply to your airplane, too.
The best thing you can do, once you home in on the airplane of your dreams, is to spend some time with one. Contact the builders group, the owners group, and the manufacturer. Get a ride in the airplane. The owners group will be invaluable now, and even more so once you’re flying.
When you buy, arrange for transition training. This single undertaking could save you from the “first 10-hour accident” that is all too frequent. Most of these accidents are mishaps without injuries, but there are serious accidents in the mix, too. Don’t be one of them.
5. You Fell in Love
Finally, don’t fall in love. What’s this? I hear you say, “What do you mean, don’t fall in love with an airplane? Of course I’m going to fall in love with an airplane. Being in love is what it’s all about.” I get it. It might be better for me to say, “When you fall in love, stop and take a deep breath.” It is better to calm down in that moment and be logical. If it’s the right choice, you can do the happy jump after you’ve found out it’s all you thought it was.
Lisa Turner, EAA Lifetime 509911, is a manufacturing engineer, A&P mechanic, EAA technical counselor and flight advisor, and former designated airworthiness representative. She built a Pulsar XP, a Kolb Mark III, and half of a RotorWay Exec helicopter. Her book, Dream Take Flight, details her Pulsar flying adventures. Lisa loves hearing from readers. Write her at Lisa@DreamTakeFlight.com.