What Used Plane For First Time Purchase?

Hey CareBear,

I just went through the same process, and within the last year
Purchased a '67 Cherokee 140. Lessons from experience-

1. Prepurchase Inspection. No question, no doubts, if the 'deal of
the year' will pass you buy because there is no time, walk away. I
walked away from two lemons before settling on my current bird.
2. Be wary of nice radio panels/paint jobs. They cost a fortune when
factored into the purchase price of the bird, they're not particularly
relevant. More fundamentally though, Every feature and system you add
to a plane will cost money to maintain when it breaks... The fewer
systems you have in your plane, the fewer things you'll need to worry
about to keep your bird running 'perfect' (and believe me, as soon as
one thing goes inop, it'll bug you like a splinter until you have it
fixed).
3. When it comes to features, know the difference between 'nice to
have' and '_really_ makes life easier for the type of flying I do'.
Avoid the former, invest in the latter.
4. Interior condition is far more important than exterior condition.
5. No matter how well you budget, how much information you get, and
how much planning you do, It WILL be more expensive than you predict.
Be ready for it.
6. Beware of mission creep... I'm already feeling it. Your needs will
change as you become a better pilot.
7. There is no more damning sensation for an aircraft owner than the
feeling of regret.

That's really about it. As for specific models - fly any plane before
you buy (obviously). Grumman's are great, fast, nice looking birds...
but if you're over 6'2 (or you ever plan on carrying someone who is)
don't even think about it. Cessna's are the gold standard, but you
pay a premium because of it. I am partial to Pipers, which tend to be
slightly cheaper than Cessna's for equivolent performance (and the
PA-28 series tends to be slightly cheaper to maintain)... That said,
this is PURELY an issue of personal preference. All aircraft have
quirks and design issues you'll work around, the trick is finding an
aircraft whose quirks annoy you the least (or that you like). Buying
an airplane is kinda like finding a human companion in that regard.

I hope none of this scares you off from aircraft ownership. Its a
beautiful thing. The love between an aircraft owner and his bird is
something that is hard to explain to an outsider. Its a pain in the
ass... more demanding than you can imagine. But like any good love
affair- utterly worth it in every regard if you play your cards right.

-Scott