Westwind Question

[Stationair8]

Noticed some very low time Westwinds for sale in the USA at very cheap prices. One of them has been privately owned since new with about 7000 hours TTAF. Anyone know if the WW1124 has any major airframe inspections due around the 30 year mark?

[aussie027]

Re older jets for sale cheap, sometimes the reason for this apart from lack of demand, higher operating and maint costs etc is because the cost of fitting them out and certifying them with RVSM avionics and equipment is often prohibitive and if you do not then you are basically stuck below FL290 resulting in your operating costs then being way too high.

[Stationair8]

Thanks for that, I thought RVSM may hay been an issue.

[aussie027]

Mate, you are welcome.
I was told all that about 6 yrs ago in the US when the company I was working for was thinking of getting an old cheap small jet instead of a larger turboprop than what we had at the time.
The initial purchase cost of the jet airframe was a lot cheaper but it was then ongoing operating and maint costs that were the problem.
The RVSM issue though was totally insurmountable as some older jet aircraft would have needed hundreds of thousands of dollars to equip them and get them certified.
So they bought a very nice, well equipped fast turboprop instead to operate easily below Fl290.

[Roj approved]

Stick the bigger engines on them and go straight to FL430 at MTOW:ok: get above the RVSM airspace.

Remember, like boats, there is no such thing as a "cheap" aeroplane:}

[whiskey1]

When are the engine overhauls due?
Cheap purchase ofset by expensive maintenance.