Sound Advice

Would you use a surgeon who did everything in the operating room by themselves? I don’t think so. You want a team of folks ready to help if needed.

Then why do we resist using professional help when buying and selling airplanes? Here are two stories to illustrate.

In the ‘90s, I was in love with the Falcon 10. One of the sweetest airplanes ever designed. I found one for sale at Dallas Love. It had everything I wanted but it was no bargain. Another one popped up on the market at an airport near me. I flew to see it.

The salesman was young, smooth and knowledgeable. This particular Falcon was $400,000 less! It had no damage and the price included a completely new interior to our specifications. I reviewed the logbooks – all in French! What a great pedigree. The salesman even flew Patty and me to an interior shop in Wichita in his Westwind so that we could spec out our new interior right down to the gold-plated seat belts.

What a deal! I could get all I wanted for much less money. This deal was once in a lifetime. I was ready to write the check.

One day before the transaction, my copilot Rick asked me a question: “Dave, do you think we should have those logbooks translated into English?”

“I guess so,” I answered. So, we spent $500 and got an eyeful.

Turns out the sweet little Falcon had been hit by a catering truck in Rome, Italy traveling about 45 miles per hour. The collision severed the cockpit from the nose of the airplane. The remains had to be trucked back to France and spent close to 2 years in repair.

I almost became the dumbest owner of that airplane. Rick’s advice saved the day. The sales guy later went to prison.

Fast forward 30 years.

During the pre-buy of my King Air C90A, the buyer required a borescope. This is a common inspection where a tiny camera is inserted into the engine to look for any abnormalities. A small crack was noticed on the inner vane ring of one engine. The buyer wanted it repaired to the tune of $40,000.

I was going to have to make a major price concession in order to save the deal.

Having learned my lesson on the Falcon, I retained a maintenance manager, Bill Gorin of Tailwind Services, to look after my airplane. A late-night call to him ensued. I explained my predicament.

He drafted a letter to the engine manufacturer with details of the engine and its history. In less than 24 hours, we had a positive response that the crack was allowed and not an issue. Bill saved me $40,000.

My takeaway is this: Pay for experienced advice every time you buy or sell an airplane. It just might save your deal.

You may have noted my comments about selling my C90A King Air. What in the world am I thinking now? Stay tuned.

Fly safe.