Dave,

I won't rehash the piper SB/AD issue, but if a PA28 is in your future, you
should know that the conventional wisdom, at least for PA28s, is that if you
aren't reasonably sure about the history of a high-time airframe and the
wings haven't been pulled, you should walk away. You'll find text to this
effect in several of the "buying a used plane" books which discuss the
model. Actually, pulling the wings has its own problems, as some planes
which complied with the AD had problems because the mechanics didn't pull
the wings properly.

If you're willing to invest the time, you might hit the NTSB database and
the service reports database for the types you're interested in.

The former can be found at:
http://www.ntsb.gov/NTSB/query.asp
It may take some time, but you should be able to discover any recent
in-flight airframe failures, possibly due to cracks, etc.

Service reports can be found at:
http://av-info.faa.gov/isdr/
As an example, you can run a query for PIPER PA28* SPAR and get all the
goodies (this one is kind of annoying because the aforementioned query also
gives you SPARk plug problems, sigh).

cheers,
mark

"Dave S" wrote in message
...
OK.. lets try this again..

any DOCUMENTED problems other than the aformentioned Piper SB/former AD?

How about people who have owned such aircraft?

I am aware of the operating environments, what I am looking for are
known trouble issues... does one particular aircraft have cracks or need
spar replacements? Where are the problems found on particular models?

Im not looking for poster support, nor disapproval. Im looking for
experiences.

Dave

Patric Barry wrote:

Pipeline patrol aircraft and transmission wire patrol aircraft fly a few
hundred feet above the ground and undergo some tough and constant
turbulence. No attention was paid to this until a crash occurred, and
metal
fatigue from the turbulence was the problem. I wouldn't touch a plane
with
that history - of course, often you don't know the history and might buy
the
plane without even knowing.

Flight school aircraft get a lot of wear, and you see it in the landing
gear
and the retractable systems - flap guides and so on.

It's your choice - seems the posters here don't support your choice.


"Dave S" wrote in message
...

Anyone have experiences, good or bad, with high time airframes (10,000
hrs). What Im specifically inquiring about are life limitations or
"frequent" issues on these airframes. Im referring to non-orphaned,
180-200 hp single piston engine frames. Most commonly fitting this bill
would be former flight school aircraft and pipeline patrol.

Im admiring a high time patrol a/c from afar, and while the engine is
fresh, the frame has passed the 10k mark. I had a friend who had a great
deal purchasing such an aircraft a few years ago, but Im sure he didnt
realize much when he sold it. Resale issues aside, what have ye to say?

Dave
PP ASEL