Pre-owned Aircraft

[Jefferson Starship]

Hi All,

I am priveleged enough to be in a position that I have dreamed about for years - starting to research the market for a pre-owned aircraft.

If anyone has experience of buying a pre-owned aircraft, or is a GA aircraft broker, I would appreciate your comments on the following:

1. Where would one find the best value for $ for a Bonanza A36 (circa. 1985)? South Africa and Australia have have good quality, good value aircraft. Would one get better value there than the USA?

2. Comparitive costs of ferrying as opposed to freighting a Bonanza from the US to South Africa. Pros and cons of both.

Any comments would be much appreciated.

[Chimbu chuckles]

JS,

I own a 1970 model A36 in Australia and I can tell you the following.

1/. There are relatively few good A36s left in Australia because the Yanks came and bought up many of the good ones and took them home over the last 10 years or so.

2/. When buying second hand be VERY, VERY carefull with the pre purchase inspection on older Bonanzas. I had one done by, what I thought, was a competent LAME and the end result was a AUD40k odd repair for corrosion in the LH wing and one horizontal stab. This required manufacture of a new Horizontal Stabilizer stub spar (not a huge deal) and installation of a new spar and rib in the wing(a much more expensive exercise)

Do a google search for the American Bonanza Society and they will be able to help with good engineering advice. They also have a fantastic magazine...worth joining for that alone.

I would think that you will get better value for money in the USA as the choice between aircraft will be mind blowing. Many will have relatively low hours and good avionics.

Other than the above...great aeroplane...mine has an IO550 and three bladed Blac Mac prop and goes great. Beautifull aircraft to fly...although I hardly get to fly mine due to working in Singapore and the aircraft being in Oz...looking forward to a big trip later this year with luck.

Chuck.

Edited after checking the corrosion receipts....gave myself a fright for a minute.:D

[dirkdj]

Jefferson,

I own an A36 since 29 years and 4300 hours and can highly recommend the type. It needs to be maintained by a qualified (on Beech) mechanic.

My friend bought one last year (1978 model) and we looked at about 20 airplanes before buying one in Germany. I had impressive paperwork, as would be expected in Germany, but even then, several AD's were not done, and there was a (repairable) crack in the vertical fin that was hidden by a decal.

Do not overlook the older models (pre 1974) since they are equally well built, but lighter: mine is 100lbs lighter than his. I can carry 5 170lbs persons plus full fuel, and it has everything I need: GNS430, JPI, FD/AP, RMI...

Two ways to go: either find an airplane that comes equipped with everything you want and expect to pay more, or look for an airplane with runout engine, old radios etc, that you can bring up to your own standard. Always start with good clean airframe.

Avoid post 1991 FREM engines, better to have Millenium cylinders fitted. Where are you located?

Highly recommend the ABS, get their CD-ROM with the back issues. Come to the convention in Wichita. Buy an airplane that has been to a Service Clinic, and attend BPPP yourself.

[Chimbu chuckles]

Me and my toy! I can only echo the above thoughts re early models...just find an honest airframe.

VH-EZU 1970 A36 Bonanza (http://www.fototime.com/{D8A76C3A-C6E1-4AD7-AD98-F809EF6EC997}/picture.JPG)

VH-EZU A36 Serial No 219 (http://www.fototime.com/{706A81B9-4CF3-465D-9891-9D90B6224479}/picture.JPG)

Chuck.

Edited to insert correct rego...EZU is mine...ECG is the Falcon I fly:D

[Jefferson Starship]

Chimbu and dirkdj,

Your comments are much appreciated guys, and every bit of info. helps build the database for this project.

Chimbu, it appears I am in a similar situation to you - I presume you are with SQ? I am with EK in Dubai, but get home to South Africa as often as possible, which is where the aircraft will be based.

The situation in SA is much the same, with plenty of good Bonnies having headed back to the US, thanks to the exchange rate.

Your comments re. earlier models are interesting and I am surprised to see that yours, Chimbu, has the IO-550 engine. Is this a mod., as I was under the impression that the 300hp. engine was fitted to much later models. Your photos are great and had me drooling - great looking airplane.

Thanks again guys, much appreciated.

Regards,
JS

[Chimbu chuckles]

Hi JS,

Not SQ...Corporate Falcon. Got bored with airline flying:D

The aircraft was upgraded to IO550/3 bladed prop by the previous owners.

I have owned her (well me and the bank:( ) for about two years. The engine has just undergone overhaul (it was a first life engine/prop having been fitted factory new by previous owners) and the wing is being done as we speak.

The corrosion in the horizontal stab was found just after I bought her (in a fairly neglected state) and was repaired in the post buy 'spruce up'...which ran AUD30k when I was hoping for (and had been advised by the engineers would be) < 20k.

Actually the previous owners said 5k, the engineers said 10k and I doubled it thinking that would be reasonably conservative. The corrosion in the stub spar was a gotcha I hadn't banked on and 2 years later the LH main spar (which had been previously 'repaired' for corrosion) was another expensive gotcha.

What pi$$es me of is that it should have been found in the pre purchase and then I could have driven the price down a whole lot more than I did...Dats life and no-one ever said a well defined sense of humour wasn't a requirement for aircraft ownership:rolleyes: This is the second aircraft I have owned, the first being an early 60s model C185A (upgraded to 185F with IO520 in the 70s) 12 odd years ago which gave me no frights at all money wise.

The panel is all old King stuff, but it all works, and will be upgraded as things break or as I can afford it. Most of the flight instruments rolled over in the first 30 odd hours of my ownership due to previous lack of use. All were overhauled for not TOO much money.

Be SAVAGE and take NO PRISONERS in your pre purchase negotiations.

She's a big comfy aeroplane that handles better than any other single I have flown and at 55lts/hr and 175-180kts the numbers are easy for flight planning:D

And for an initial purchase price not a lot more than 1/10th of the cost of a new one(they're over AUD1mill now:eek: ) you can't really lose too much sleep over a few gotchas:D

Good luck in the hunt for your baby.

Do you get to RON in Singas?

Chuck.