We got to it before the owner arrived. I could tell from a distance that we had been lied to. He told me that it was being flown regularly and was ready for the 700 mile trip back to our home. I could see from a distance that all three tires were flat. When I got close I could see that they were all weather checked and split and not safe for use. There was someone doing a preflight on an airplane tied down nearby. I asked him if he had seen the plane flown or even moved lately. He said that it had been sitting unused for years.
The pictures in the ad looked beautiful but it turned out that they were from years before. The ad promised that a fresh annual would be included in the price. I was promised that it was going to be completed before we arrived.
The shyster we were dealing with showed up and was every bit as bad as any used car salesman that I had ever dealt with. Of course the battery was dead. I pulled the prop around a couple of times and there was no compression on two of the four cylinders. This is one of the reasons that it took so long for us to find a good airplane to buy. People think that because a factory plane has to have an annual and regular maintenance to be flown legally that this means that there will be less hidden problems than with a used car.
But that is not the case. Buying a used airplane typically has more pitfalls than buying a used car and the sellers typically will attempt to mislead more often than someone trying to sell a car. We did not intend to spend two years buying an airplane. We did have many adventures during the process and learned a lot and met a lot of great people. Fortunately we had friends who helped us and by the end of our journey we were a lot more street wise.
Because of some of what you have said I was surprised to hear that you were/are already an airplane owner. It just does not feel like you are someone who went through the same type of experiences that we did. With the General Aviation fleet having gotten so much older than it was when we were looking... I do not believe that finding a good plane has gotten any easier. Good luck finding your dream 172!
With the General Aviation fleet having gotten so much older than it was when we were looking...
I looked up the old 152 I did some flying club flight training on 30 years ago and, yep, still in the air. That bird took a beating from students. I’m not sure I’d get into it again all these years later knowing it’s history.
It's just a great, all-around airplane, IMO. I have taken it off-field many times, even though it's a retract. Half tanks and 20 degrees of flaps with just me on board and I can be in the air and climbing pretty quickly. The 0-360 is well known for its reliability. I think it's the perfect candidate for upgrading to a factory-new engine and glass cockpit. Some Cutlasses, used as fish spotter planes, have unbelievable numbers of hours on them. I happen to be only the second owner of the one I have now.
So, I'm not in the market for another plane, and unsure how you came to that conclusion. I was curious why 172s were disappearing from the market and why the massive increase in price was the reason for the post. I didn't intend to start a model controversy - which kind of reminds me of the gun nut arguments. To each his own, I like to say. Much depends on the flying you do and the availability of funds.
The fact 172s are in short supply and increasing in price foretells a possible GA or airline industry change, of which I'm not entirely sure. COVID is hitting the airline industry hard and probably caused many pilots to retire. Add the previous shortage of pilots before COVID, and perhaps a greater than usual need to train replacement pilots is expected? That would explain the scramble to acquire the 172. Add that to an increase in need for private use, and you have a shortage of the most successful aircraft in aviation history!