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Maintenance: What you can and can’t do as an aircraft owner
For aircraft owners, maintaining airworthiness is a continuous balance of vigilance, regulatory compliance, and mechanical care. While the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grants pilots the authority to perform certain preventative maintenance tasks, there is a distinct boundary where owner-performed maintenance ends and professional technical intervention must begin. Understanding this boundary—and knowing how a professional mobile…
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The Ultimate Pre-Buy Guide: What to Look for Before Purchasing a General Aviation Aircraft
Buying your own airplane is a milestone for any pilot. It unlocks a new level of freedom, but the purchasing process can quickly turn into a costly nightmare if you let excitement override due diligence. Impulsivity is one of the most common pitfalls in aircraft purchasing. Before you sign a bill of sale and hand…
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The ultimate guide to buying an aircraft.
Deciding to buy an airplane is a thrilling milestone. Whether you are looking to reclaim your time, avoid the hassle of commercial airports, or elevate your corporate travel, owning an aircraft offers unparalleled freedom. However, an aircraft is a major, complex asset. The acquisition process requires careful planning, a solid understanding of the market, and…
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The Ultimate Guide to Inspecting Composite Aircraft
If you are in the market for a sleek, modern general aviation (GA) aircraft, there’s a good chance you are looking at an airframe made of composite materials. Manufacturers like Cirrus, Diamond, and Pipistrel have revolutionized the skies with carbon fiber and fiberglass designs, offering incredible aerodynamics, weight savings, and structural integrity. However, buying a…
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Aircraft for sale, what to look for when buying
When shopping for an aircraft, whether it’s a single-engine Cessna or a twin piston, the mechanical condition should be one of your top priorities. A great paint job and updated avionics might catch your eye, but it’s what’s under that cowling and behind those panels that determines value, safety, and long-term cost. Start with the…
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What inspectors look for in a pre-purchase inspection
Buying a small general aviation aircraft is a big investment, and a thorough pre-purchase inspection is one of the most important steps in protecting it. This inspection goes far beyond a standard annual—it’s a deep dive into the aircraft’s true condition, history, and potential future costs. Airframe ConditionInspectors carefully examine the airframe for signs of…
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Should I buy an aircraft that’s been sitting for a while?
You’ve found it: the aircraft you’ve been searching for. The price is right, the airframe looks clean, and the logs are there. But there is a catch—it has been sitting idle in a hangar for months, or maybe even years. While it’s tempting to think that a plane parked in a hangar is a plane…
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Keep your engine baffles in good condition
I installed some missing baffling on a Beechcraft Baron, got me thinking about how quickly things can go sideways when an air-cooled piston engine can’t properly shed heat. Whether you are flying behind a Lycoming or a Continental, the principles of thermal management are the same, and ignoring them can turn a reliable powerplant into…
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How can I prevent corrosion?
A Guide to Protecting Your General Aviation Aircraft Every aircraft owner knows that the silent killer of general aviation (GA) airplanes doesn’t happen in the sky—it happens on the ground. Corrosion is an insidious enemy. It creeps into aluminum skins, eats away at steel components, and can quickly turn a prized, airworthy airplane into a…
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Airframe Corrosion
Buying an airplane is an incredibly exciting milestone, but it’s also one of the largest financial commitments you can make. When you find the perfect aircraft, the urge to sign the papers and fly it home is strong. However, skipping a thorough Pre-Purchase Inspection (PPI)—or rushing through one—can lead to financial ruin. One of the…
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