Hi all.

This will be the third aircraft I have purchased and my second sky wagon.

I’ve always done a pre-purchase inspection and it’s worked well for me in the past. I don’t want to change that.

However, This will be the first time I try and get a pre purchase inspection done on an aircraft that’s not in my home state/location.

My previous two purchases have been local and pre-purchase inspections done at my local mechanic.

For people that have purchased an aircraft far from home (other side of country, etc) what advice do you have for finding a non-bias mechanic willing to do a pre-purchase inspection?

Call airports and shops at the next town over?

Find a mechanic online and airline them to the plane and pay for their hotel/food etc?

Ask the seller to fly their plane to another shop?

Any advice or guidance would be much appreciated.

When you are getting close to 200,000 for a new plane it is worth flying the IA to the plane for a pre-buy inspection. Pictures of the plane and last 15 years of the log books should tell you if it is even worth the time of looking.
DENNY

Denny times 2! I've done this twice and been worth it. If you are so inclined go see the plane your self and go through the logbooks. Pictures only tell part of the story. Get with your mechanic and what to specifically look for up close. If the logs check and the sniff test is good get your mechanic on a plane.

MW

+1 on what you’ve read already.

My last purchase, across the continent, I somehow found a guy local to the airplane and used him. It was a pencil whipping, to put it politely.

If you have a mechanic you use regularly, and who’ll be taking care of the new airplane, he would be the best person to do the inspection. It’ll cost more than someone local, but probably less than finding some Pro From Dover to go look at it. And, hopefully, having your mechanic do the pre-buy will reduce the number of surprises at the first Annual.

You can save a little money and gain a little knowledge by going with him and doing a “buyer assisted” inspection, especially log books and AD’s.

And now I’m rambling. . . .maybe you should do like 185MW suggests: go look at it and fly it yourself, make the deal, put money in escrow, and go home. Then, send your mechanic to do the inspection and write it all up, and renegotiate the deal. Then go fly it home or hire someone else to do that. It sounds so easy when it isn’t my problem!

There’s a guy here on BCP who specializes in Skywagon pre-buys. He’s not cheap and you pay a high daily rate for him to fly to the specimen and discover everything that will make that aircraft a good or bad investment. He is exacting and almost cruelly critical. But I see it as great insurance against buying any surprises. And it might cancel out with some negotiating power on price.

But also, to second Denny, at current Skywagon prices, spending an airline ticket, hotel, and daily rate to get your own trusted IA there to look at it is a drop in the bucket of the overall price. But, some dudes just don’t like to travel.

Greg Hren (bigrenna on bcp) is fantastic and does mobile pre-buys at any location. Very, very thorough. Boston, MA area.

On the west coast nearer you is Kyle Bushman (Ragwood Refactory in Creswell, OR). Also awesome to work with.

Either of them will save you far more money than it will cost you. They will give you a very realistic and thorough evaluation of what you are buying. I would never, ever put the kind of money a Skywagon requires without a thourough pre-buy to the level of an annual inspection. Make sure whomever you hire is not only an IA but has a lot of experience with skywagons. Not just any mechanic can find the things you need to know about in these birds.

Last thing, I'll say is... on top of every little thing you need to inspect on a skywagon - the latest tail cone inspection AD - make sure that horizontal comes off during the inspection and you look at those bulkheads and the hockey pucks real good.

You could also consider using Savvy Aviation's pre-buy service https://www.savvyaviation.com. They may not be as good as some of the wagon experts mentioned previously, but will certainly be better than a shot in the dark to an unknown IA.

Zzz wrote:There’s a guy here on BCP who specializes in Skywagon pre-buys. He’s not cheap and you pay a high daily rate for him to fly to the specimen and discover everything that will make that aircraft a good or bad investment. He is exacting and almost cruelly critical. But I see it as great insurance against buying any surprises. And it might cancel out with some negotiating power on price.

But also, to second Denny, at current Skywagon prices, spending an airline ticket, hotel, and daily rate to get your own trusted IA there to look at it is a drop in the bucket of the overall price. But, some dudes just don’t like to travel.

I’ve used the “guy” here on BCP, very knowledgeable and save my ass from a pieced together junker. He is very methodical in his approach to inspecting these birds and can explain it to where even I can comprehend. He is very much on your side as the potential buyer and will work with you to negotiate the final price or give you the info you need to walk away.

The last one I purchased I flew my IA and myself to the plane across the country to do a pre buy inspection, He specializes in Skywagons and has one himself. I think this worked out good for me because the relationship between myself, the plane and my IA begins in the beginning and he was able to give me a heads up on what to expect in the future based on what he found on his inspection.

I have also been burnt on local guy that I called to go look at a plane for me that happened to know the seller but did not disclose that info prior to his inspection, turned out the wings were eat up with corrosion.

My advise is make it someone you know that you trust or use someone like Greg or Kyle that everyone knows and can give you feedback, good luck with your purchase!

There are some good names being thrown around but as Zzz said, with the investment we're talking, your own IA would be pennies on the dollar to fly out.
Ultimately, regardless of anyone else's pedigree, your guy will likely be the one that brings you the most value.
I don't know a mechanic alive that doesn't leave something on the table someone else might not agree with. Some may have 'holes' that others would find unacceptable, others may find problem areas that you and your IA may not find alarming. Ultimately if you have a good IA, and already have a good working relationship, and understanding of eachothers expectations, what else really matters?

My first prebuy was on a cub. I hired it out to a local IA, who promptly deemed the aircraft unairworthy due to a non TSO'd radio and shoulder harnesses. Adamant that it would not even be ferriable. I arrived, looked the ship over, handed over a lunch sac of $100 bills, slid out the radio and shoulder harnesses and flew it home. Still own that one

Had a Thrush looked at by another hired mechanic that missed the bandit wing extensions, bandit engine work, and several missing details that were advertised to be. Still sorting that airplane out.

The best airplanes investment wise I've bought? All, including several turbines and a 180, were bought sight unseen, but from reliable sources.

A prebuy is only going to be worth as much to you as the guy doing the job. Either hire one you know, or one whose word your going to go along with, regardless of your own opinion.

Take care, Rob