On Thu, 22 Jan 2004 01:30:24 GMT, Newps wrote:

If you want to win a 172, buy something from Sporty's. People who can't
afford the taxes on the Waco are not much better off with a 172 costing
3/4ths the amount. Since it will be sold by these types of winners, the
more valuable the better.

Every plane AOPA and Sporty's has given away has been sold by the winner
within a few months of winning it.

Not necessarily that quickly. Margaret Puckette, a rec.aviation denizen
who won the first AOPA giveaway (an Archer) kept hers for several years,
getting her IFR, Commercial, and CFI on the way (she won the plane a week
after getting her Private). She eventually sold it to buy a 152 to
instruct in, but it was after a number years and a divorce.

She took out a loan to pay the taxes, using the airplane itself as
collateral.

Ron Wanttaja