Aircraft Ownership

The 8 easy ways to own an aircraft

Owning an aircraft may seem like a fantasy to the avarage pilots, but those who have experienced it know that purchasing an aircraft can be a true nightmare! What a great time! Below are a few hints to help you browse through the aircraft purchasing experience. You may know that there is more to aircraft costs than just the aircraft itself.

You must buy an auto cover, a hanger or a tie-down rent, petrol, oil, parts and service. You are a week-end driver or a commercial driver? To a large extent, the kind of flight you do will dictate what kind of aircraft you need and what functions and abilities it must have.

All pilots want a new, technological aircraft with a great finish, a high cruising rate and the latest global positioning system. However, a commercial rider who will fly a few short flights at the weekends will not see the advantages of higher performance and landing gears. Instead, purchasing a quick, sophisticated aircraft means only a higher fare (and more expensive insurances ) for the same kind of flight.

However, for a commercial airline pilots who fly across the countryside three and a half times a day, it might be advantageous to buy a sophisticated or turbo-charged aircraft to conserve valuable flight hours and transport more passenger or freight. Choosing this option will probably result in you being registered for a certain amount of cash and for a certain type of aircraft.

Naturally, it is useful to know your financial situation and what aircraft you are looking for. It has never been so easy to find your plane of dreams. Today with a huge amount of on-line ressources you can search anywhere for your ideal aircraft. Whilst many good offers can still be found on your own regional airline billboard, you will usually find a large choice of aircraft for purchase on web sites or in specialist magazines such as Trade-a-Plane or Globalair.com.

If you are starting to personally view and test aircraft, it would be advisable to bring a trustworthy aircraft service engineer or A&P engineer with you. They are useful when it comes to testing the aircraft as they know how to search for specific motor and handler properties.

Unless you can take a technician with you on your first trip, make sure you have the aircraft thoroughly checked before you buy. As soon as you have chosen a plane, you have to stay in the book for some while. Meticulous examination of the aircraft's service records will tell you whether it has been serviced correctly or whether there have been repeated service issues in the past.

Once the aircraft has been purchased, you must complete the aircraft on your behalf. Aircraft registrations can be transferred by submitting an aircraft request, evidence of ownership and $5 to the FAA. After all, you are in charge of the aircraft once it is in your hand. Certificates of competency are transferred with the aircraft sales, but it is up to you to ensure that the aircraft itself is still capable of flying.

If, after a purchase, you are not sure whether the aircraft's certification is airworthy or not, please consult your local FAA Air Force Service (FSDO) for further information. As a rule, insurers determine the demands and premium on the basis of the aircraft category and the pilot's qualification. Purchasing an aircraft is a great deal of work, especially if it's the first one.

It' a good moment to ask your colleagues, technicians and aircraft operators for help. AOPA for example is a great asset for aircraft operators.