Beginner questions about buying a sailplane...

On May 5, 10:39*am, vic20owner wrote:
No, I am not planning to buy anything for at least a year ... but I
have often wondered what other "hidden" expenses or obstacles there
are associated with buying a used glider.

I regularly see older planes in the $10K USD range (which is well
within my price range). * BUT, for future reference, what inspections
are required for the glider to be considered air worthy, and what else
should I know before considering such a purchase aside from obvious
structural damage or electrical problems? *How much damage should I
consider "normal wear and tear" such as delaminating wing tips, bent
rudder, etc which is a relatively easy repair versus something which
is major (wing struts, etc)?

Also, is there any specific paperwork (flight hours, maintenance
records, etc) I should insist on seeing, etc. *Is it common to pay
someone else to inspect the aircraft prior to purchase?

Lastly, are there any specific gliders one should avoid as a first
used glider? (such as homebuilt kit planes, etc)?

Thanks
-tom

You can write books regarding this. One man's dream is another's
nightmare. I love to hear things like "concrete swan", etc.

I own an Astir CS and it is no less problem or weight to rig than a
K6, a Standard Cirrus, etc. It is a fantastic ship, you simply have
to kn ow how to rig it rather than muscling it about mindlessly.

This is the internet. Heed and read what you will from this venue but
PLEASE base your purchase on reading books (Piggot, Wander, etc) and
on the advice of fliers you know.

You can get into a first gen glass ship at your price if you look
around quite a bit and you don't mind a ship with aesthetic flaws
(chips, gel craze to an extent, etc). All superficial, at least
should be. Do a thorough investigation of the AD's. The Astir CS,
77, II, III etc are ALL going to have to have the wing spar spiggot AD
done soon by mandate of the FAA. This isn't hype or conjecture now,
its fact. The AD can run in the 4 thousand USD range to complete.

I bought mine from the UK with this particular AD already done. This
wasn't by luck, it was through research. My ship is in fine
mechanical condition, flies like a dream and goes together as easily
as most. Work smarter in rigging, not harder.

The total price including shipping to the states in geting the ship
[ here was under 12k USD. This was a steal but if you ollok and are
flexible and creative you can find a decent ship like this.

650 insurance, 250 annual. I already owned a chute, look for deals
including a chute. For anohter 400 USD I could have gotten a chute
with the deal.

Good luck and remember, dont be hasty and read! You'll hear all kinds
of opinions like flaps.no flaps, no wood/wood, no v-tail/v-tail. I
found that most of the folks who generate such opinions have never
even flown the type of ship they offer negative viewpoints regarding.
They simply restate opinions they hear.

Good luck!