Kids got in the way...

A

angelo c

Active member
Joined
Jun 5, 2021
Messages
27
Location
Peoples Republic of NJ
And thats why I stopped flying....always loved it but College tuition took the "fun" out of it. Mostly spam can Flight time. always dreamed about a Super D. Interested in a project to rebuild and return to flight with.
Fire away.
 
Similar story. Stopped flying 14 years ago when I retired from the military and started a business, because I wanted to cut my expenses down. Dabbled with rentals but never found a good situation. Got my kids in college a few years ago and took care of most of the tuition, business started generating some extra cash, and COVID happened. I started shopping last summer with the intention of getting an XC plane for business travel since I did not want to sit in a sealed metal tube with 60 of my best friends during a pandemic. Every time I looked at an Arrow or a 182 on TAP, I found myself going back to the Decathlon ads. Finally realized that is what I really wanted and life is short so WTH. Pulled the trigger on a Super D last August and I am having a blast!

Point being: it ain't over til it's over. Life is a marathon. Get the young un's provided for, save some cash, and an opportunity to fly and own will present itself.

PXL_20210429_225756017.webp
 
If you want to fly, don’t buy a project. In the end a flying aircraft will cost about half what it will cost to do a ten year restoration, if your labor is free.
 
Big Ed said:
Similar story. Stopped flying 14 years ago when I retired from the military and started a business, because I wanted to cut my expenses down. Dabbled with rentals but never found a good situation. Got my kids in college a few years ago and took care of most of the tuition, business started generating some extra cash, and COVID happened. I started shopping last summer with the intention of getting an XC plane for business travel since I did not want to sit in a sealed metal tube with 60 of my best friends during a pandemic. Every time I looked at an Arrow or a 182 on TAP, I found myself going back to the Decathlon ads. Finally realized that is what I really wanted and life is short so WTH. Pulled the trigger on a Super D last August and I am having a blast!

Point being: it ain't over til it's over. Life is a marathon. Get the young un's provided for, save some cash, and an opportunity to fly and own will present itself.

View attachment 3681
Click to expand...
beautiful
 
Angelo,

Welcome to the website, how did you find it if you don't mind me asking?

We'll get you out flying sometime soon, the rest is up to you!

Bart
 
Bob Turner said:
If you want to fly, don’t buy a project. In the end a flying aircraft will cost about half what it will cost to do a ten year restoration, if your labor is free.
Click to expand...
That has long been the accepted wisdom, but the aircraft market may be changing the math. Used aircraft have doubled in price over the last three years, while services have not kept pace. A fully restored Decathlon goes for about 150K these days. Madness I know, but have you priced a 182 or 172 lately? So pick up a project for 25k or a flying plane for 50k, add 35K for factory wings, 30K for engine rebuild, and 30k for a fuselage resto, and you can start to make the case financially to have the work done. If you have the time and inclination to do the work yourself, I think you might even come out ahead. Would be interesting to see Bart's all-in cost vs market value when he finishes.

To be clear, I don't advocate a project unless doing the work is the goal. But I DO advocate ignoring people who advise walking away from older planes that need work. IMO the market makes fixer-uppers a lot more viable than they used to be.
 
Big Ed said:
That has long been the accepted wisdom, but the aircraft market may be changing the math. Used aircraft have doubled in price over the last three years, while services have not kept pace. A fully restored Decathlon goes for about 150K these days. Madness I know, but have you priced a 182 or 172 lately? So pick up a project for 25k or a flying plane for 50k, add 35K for factory wings, 30K for engine rebuild, and 30k for a fuselage resto, and you can start to make the case financially to have the work done. If you have the time and inclination to do the work yourself, I think you might even come out ahead. Would be interesting to see Bart's all-in cost vs market value when he finishes.

To be clear, I don't advocate a project unless doing the work is the goal. But I DO advocate ignoring people who advise walking away from older planes that need work. IMO the market makes fixer-uppers a lot more viable than they used to be.
Click to expand...
As with most things...it's cheaper to purchase the very best version of what you seek and amortize the payments over time( if and only IF the asset is appreciating) . Some of us prefer to know every single nut and bolt is MY responsibility and have a deeply religious relationship with said bolts....then there is me....who just has a hankering for displaced unwanted redheaded step children cast off by formerly loving owners...ps
I still have a car I bought in 1982 as a project that took 4 years to restore...some guys just wax poetic about an endless "project".
Flying to me was always the journey and rarely the destination...
 
angelo c said:
As with most things...it's cheaper to purchase the very best version of what you seek and amortize the payments over time( if and only IF the asset is appreciating) . Some of us prefer to know every single nut and bolt is MY responsibility and have a deeply religious relationship with said bolts....then there is me....who just has a hankering for displaced unwanted redheaded step children cast off by formerly loving owners...ps
I still have a car I bought in 1982 as a project that took 4 years to restore...some guys just wax poetic about an endless "project".
Flying to me was always the journey and rarely the destination...
Click to expand...
Then I'd say you are pretty good candidate for a project. I am the opposite. I just want to fly. I like learning how to work on my plane and do things, but right now it is a terrible use of my time.
 
Ed,
You and Bob are 100% correct in that a "true restoration" is a sure loss of money. Always better to have "purchased" someone elses endless amounts of time and energies...talk to anyone who has done a muscle car or an airplane and they will agree. Hope I have not come across disrespecting your position in any way. And yes...time in the "Air" is better spent then under the plane... I probably would do better in just getting an AP and paying for that then 'paying' to restore a project...and at our age time is usually the deciding factor...not money ( if you're really paying attention)
 
angelo c said:
Ed,
You and Bob are 100% correct in that a "true restoration" is a sure loss of money. Always better to have "purchased" someone elses endless amounts of time and energies...talk to anyone who has done a muscle car or an airplane and they will agree. Hope I have not come across disrespecting your position in any way. And yes...time in the "Air" is better spent then under the plane... I probably would do better in just getting an AP and paying for that then 'paying' to restore a project...and at our age time is usually the deciding factor...not money ( if you're really paying attention)
Click to expand...
Actually my position is the opposite. IMO the escalating value of the market makes it possible to come out ahead on a rebuild or fixer upper, or at least break even.

Whatever you do, it will be worth it, and we'll enjoy following along. , Please make Bart happy and start a project thread when the time comes. This board is a great resource, with tons of photos and experienced guys like Bob.
 
Big Ed said:
Actually my position is the opposite. IMO the escalating value of the market makes it possible to come out ahead on a rebuild or fixer upper.
Click to expand...
you have a point...it might take long enough to complete, that the "project" increases in value...:) although Ive been into airplanes long enough to have seen many "downturns" in values too..
 
angelo c said:
you have a point...it might take long enough to complete, that the "project" increases in value...:) although Ive been into airplanes long enough to have seen many "downturns" in values too..
Click to expand...
Well, that's the $100,000 question, isn't it? Nobody really knows if the crazy plane/boat/house prices are a temporary COVID blip or the new norm. I am selfishly rooting for a market correction in real estate because I want to buy a ski condo. But you could make a reasonable argument that certificated airplanes are a scarce good and the market is going to continue to rise.
 
Big Ed said:
Would be interesting to see Bart's all-in cost vs market value when he finishes.
Click to expand...

I keep coming up with about $175k when it's all done but it's going to be a like new, 10 TTAF, 0 SMOH and minimum weight Super D in my choice of colors! base price new is $275k plus tax and options.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top