Great! Thanks djpil. I knew that ppruners would come through for me!
So, if I'm reading the AD correctly, the airframe is limited to a total of 5,500 hours.
This would be a problem for clubs and schools, but I suppose not really a huge deal for private owners. Let's say I buy one second-hand with, say, 1,000 hours on it; that still gives me 45 years of flying, if we conservatively assume an average of 100 hours per year. That would see me through until I'm in my 80's.
Even so, psychologically it's difficult to get beyond the perceived 'resale problem'; I am used to thinking of aircraft as things that are essentially timeless, assuming proper maintenance of course.
