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Prebuy- Mechanic Flying the Airplane?

No- but its too complicated to try to explain. He ended up not holding it for the other person after a phone call

I wonder what happened with his other deal?
Here's what happened with an "airplane for sale" at my airport.
The owner tells me he wants to sell his (model redacted),
a model that a couple friends of mine are looking for.

I tell one of the guys about it, he calls about it, nothing apparently happened.
Then I tell the other guy, he goes to a lot of trouble to come over to look at it, nothing happened.
Talking to this guy afterward, he sez the owner wanted to talk about the airplane--
but he didn't seem to want to talk about actually selling it.
When I called & asked him, the first guy said the same thing.
I tell the owner- hey if you don't wanna sell, that's fine,
but tell me so I don't waste anyone else's time by siccing them on you.
"Oh no, I need to sell it". OK.

I sic a third friend on him, a local guy, they email and text back & forth extensively.
I finally tell my buddy if he wants to actually buy this airplane, not just talk about it,
he better make a date to physically look at the airplane, and make an offer if he wants it.
He sets that up, comes & looks at it,
and sez "I wanna buy it. What's the price?"
The owner tells him the asking price, my buddy sez "I'll take it",
then the owner starts making excuses why he can't sell it.
The next day the owner tears into the plane, and tells my friend "I can't sell it now, it's took apart".

I told the owner if he wants to jerk himself off pretending he wants to sell his plane, that's fine,
but it was BS of him to waste our time (and my credibility) by jerking us off too.
 
I wonder what happened with his other deal?
Here's what happened with an "airplane for sale" at my airport.
The owner tells me he wants to sell his (model redacted),
a model that a couple friends of mine are looking for.

I tell one of the guys about it, he calls about it, nothing apparently happened.
Then I tell the other guy, he goes to a lot of trouble to come over to look at it, nothing happened.
Talking to this guy afterward, he sez the owner wanted to talk about the airplane--
but he didn't seem to want to talk about actually selling it.
When I called & asked him, the first guy said the same thing.
I tell the owner- hey if you don't wanna sell, that's fine,
but tell me so I don't waste anyone else's time by siccing them on you.
"Oh no, I need to sell it". OK.

I sic a third friend on him, a local guy, they email and text back & forth extensively.
I finally tell my buddy if he wants to actually buy this airplane, not just talk about it,
he better make a date to physically look at the airplane, and make an offer if he wants it.
He sets that up, comes & looks at it,
and sez "I wanna buy it. What's the price?"
The owner tells him the asking price, my buddy sez "I'll take it",
then the owner starts making excuses why he can't sell it.
The next day the owner tears into the plane, and tells my friend "I can't sell it now, it's took apart".

I told the owner if he wants to jerk himself off pretending he wants to sell his plane, that's fine,
but it was BS of him to waste our time (and my credibility) by jerking us off too.

And this relates to the current discussion how?

MTV
 
In an even further thread drift, has anyone here actually seen the 1969 180 that is advertised in Gig Harbor , WA? https://nickelboat.com/home

I have resisted calling the guy because I don’t need to spend that much money. It is exactly how I would build one, and I don’t think you could buy the pieces for his price.

Please tell me its a junker that flies crooked.
 
Sturgill I think you should buy it and give us a user report so my curiosity can be put at ease! I've got family in Gig Harbor and was visiting over Thanksgiving. I had half a mind to call the seller and look at it then, but decided I wasn't serious enough to take his time. I don't see mention of long range fuel which would be a deal breaker for me. I've got a PPonk without long range fuel in my '56 182 currently.
 
My previous 180 had Flint tip tanks and 88 gallons. A fellow could add those pretty easily. I’d need to sell a couple airplanes. I’ve never bought a nice airplane before; always had to build it myself. Hard to imagine. Plus 9% TN tax!
 
And this relates to the current discussion how? MTV

An admittedly long winded example of an airplane being "for sale" when the owner didn't really want to sell it.
Thought it might be a similar situation to the OP's.

Sorry if my story offended your sensibilities.
In the future, feel free to not read my posts--
I promise that won't offend mine.
 
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I've seen it many times across items for sale.....the owner feels renewed love and decides to keep. Some realize it's a part of their life, or replacement is either unavailable or unaffordable at today's prices. Brokers can help break the chain of ownership.

Gary
 
I've seen it many times across items for sale.....the owner feels renewed love and decides to keep. Some realize it's a part of their life, or replacement is either unavailable or unaffordable at today's prices. Brokers can help break the chain of ownership.

Gary

And, by the same token, try selling something these days.....lots of Looky-loos out there, who'll waste your time and band width.

MTV
 
As noted earlier, there is no "normal" process by which folks buy/sell airplanes. In fact, the "process" is likely as variable as the individuals involved.
Selling airplanes can be a torturous process, with lookey loos by the dozen, and sometimes a lookey loo who APPEARS to be serious. I had that happen, lots of really good questions, asking for photos, copies of logbook pages, etc, etc. Then, he told me I'd have to fly it to him, a couple states away, IF he liked it, he'd buy it (and the price he noted was below my asking price, which I considered a hard deck), if not, I could fly it home, and he'd reimburse me for the gas to go home (not for the gas getting there). I said no thanks, but that guy had used up TONS of my time.....

I've flown a couple planes before purchase, and not a couple others. Up to you how you want to handle it.

I was offered the keys to a brand new plane to do a flight test for a magazine article. Dealer had been flying it for months as his demonstrator, and had lots of tales of places he'd taken it. He said "just go fly it". I replied that I'd rather he was in the back seat.....I was fully qualified to fly that make/model. Went up did a stall, and it tried to get upside down.....literally. Massively out of rig. He accused me of using rudder inappropriately, so I told him to perform a stall with just him on the controls....it was equally ugly. I informed him flight test and article were off the table till the thing was rigged properly.

Last I heard from him.
 
Here is what I do for Cubs and similar - look it over (you can tell a lot by exterior condition) then fly it. St cruise (usually downwind in a Cub) I trim it up, take my hands off the stick, and see if I can hold it level. A lot of Cubs flunk this simple test, and the cure is usually new ailerons (about 3 grand after cover/installation.

I also look at the ailerons - if it flies straight hands-off and one aileron is up, the other down, expect the stall to be as MTV describes.

I don’t do prebuys, and no way will I fly an aircraft to a potential customer without advance payment of full expenses both ways.

Was helping on a Stinson Reliant sale. Customer had a one hour tourist-type flight in mind. I said no, we could set it up for cruise, do a couple turns, slow flight, and a stall. All he wanted was a free ride in an elegant airplane.
 
Did he do stalls and slow flight with you? Steep turns? Do you have to hold aileron or rudder to fly straight? How do the threads look where the struts attach to the frame? You can know how it flies with the owner as PIC if you get the controls to fly straight and level and do turns. We take people up in planes we sell and let them fly, but a lot of buyers don’t go. No one has complained about their purchase either way.
 
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