I'm trying to budget my first plane purchase, and was curious what I should expect to pay for a good prepurchase inspection? I'll be buying a fixed gear, fixed prop, 4 cyl. Probably a tail dragger, not sure yet if it will be a metal or fabric fuselage.

How much more for a good boroscoping of the engine too?

Thanks,
Jesse

Just bought a PA-22/20 last week. I had the mechanic at my local FBO do the pre buy and it cost about $400. He spent several hours looking over the plane and checking out the engine (compression check, etc). He also spent a good deal of time looking over the logbooks for issues past or potential.

I was satisfied with the thoroughness and end result.

Best of luck!

You should expect to have about the same amount of time as you would have on a really good annual inspection ()without the repairs)
I should think four hundred would be about right. Pay particular attention to a good AD search as just one bad one that has not been taken care of can cost thousands.

My goal is to try and find a mechanic that is good with the model I am buying, but where can you search for ADs on planes to make sure they are all covered?

I was planning on like 1500, but I forgot you are hopefully just inspecting and not replacing, so that is some upside.

1500 is a good amount to budget for a pre-purchase in my view least ways in these parts. Might have to house the guy, pay for travel, etc.

GB

One option you might want to consider: if the aircraft is in need of an annual, or will be soon, you might work a deal with the seller to hire a mechanic of your choice to do the pre-buy and also at the same conduct a full annual, and split the cost with the seller. That way, if you like the results from the inspection and close the purchase, you not only have a good pre-buy verification, but you're also good for a full year on your annual, all for half the normal cost of doing both. It's good for the seller too, not only to help make the sale, but also if the sale does not go through, he's got an airplane with a fresh annual for half the usual cost, and it's good from a marketing/sales perspective in finding the next buyer ... it can be a win-win for both parties.

I did that when I bought my Cherokee ... it worked out very well for me, cost me a total of $500.

Just make sure that the IA/pre-buy inspector knows and acknowledges that he's working for both seller and buyer (get it in writing), and make sure you get to pick the IA.

The only way I would buy a plane is to do a full blown annual.

Have a mechanic no familiar with the plane do this.

You pay for the annual. The owner fixes/pays for the squaks.

Structure the deal so if you find something major wrong you can walk away with just the expense of the annual.

Its too easy to get burned any other way.

Tim

I had the owner pay for the annual.

Since he told me over the phone that the plane was in great shape and I had to fly across the country to pick it up, I told him he he would need to cover the annual and any squawks, if anything major came up I would just walk away minus my airfare. In my case minus a ELT battery all was well and I bought the plane.

I would also recommend you be part of the annual process, show up before the IA with coffee and in a pair of coveralls and be the last one to leave. Research all the trouble areas unique to that model before you go out to see the plane, so you can ask the IA as you go along.

behindpropellers wrote:The only way I would buy a plane is to do a full blown annual. Have a mechanic no familiar with the plane do this. You pay for the annual. The owner fixes/pays for the squaks. ..........

As the seller, I would be reluctant to sign onto this program. I figure an airplane is for sale where is, as is. If an actual airworthiness issue comes up that's one thing, but I've seen IA's refuse to sign off an annual unless some non-airworthiness-issue things were fixed. Think about all the little "we'll take care of that next year" things that can come up during an annual-- should you expect the seller to fix all those on his nickel as part of the deal? For a $200K airplane maybe, but for a $30K model probably not.

hotrod150 wrote:

behindpropellers wrote:The only way I would buy a plane is to do a full blown annual. Have a mechanic no familiar with the plane do this. You pay for the annual. The owner fixes/pays for the squaks. ..........

As the seller, I would be reluctant to sign onto this program. I figure an airplane is for sale where is, as is. If an actual airworthiness issue comes up that's one thing, but I've seen IA's refuse to sign off an annual unless some non-airworthiness-issue things were fixed. Think about all the little "we'll take care of that next year" things that can come up during an annual-- should you expect the seller to fix all those on his nickel as part of the deal? For a $200K airplane maybe, but for a $30K model probably not.

Agree. There's something wrong with all of them and everybody pretty much knows it. Get yourself as knowledgeable as you can and buy it accordingly.


GB

The where is as is is a really good way to to if you can get a buyer to buy into it. Most times that ain't going to work, it's a airplane not a snowblower.

You don't need to do a full restore to get a annual, your plane has to be airworthy though.

Going with your logic, if I would have bought my plane where is as is, if she wasn't airworthy, I would own a pretty paperweight on the other side of the country and be out allot of cash.

Including an annual (not a full restoration!) should be EXPECTED.