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On May 5, 9:39*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 If you plan to fly alot, buy a single seat ship. If you turn out like most of the pilots I know, you'll probably fly solo a majority of the time. For the occasions when you want to take someone for ride, rent the club two-seater. Do not base your purchase options solely on the ships you learn in. There's way too many possibilities for a better fit for your needs than to be limiting yourself so much. To help get you started in your research for your first ship, pick up a hard copy of the sailplane directory. There's a nice section by Derek Piggot regarding different ships and handling qualities/ suitability for low-timers. It also gives other good information like cockpit size, rigging difficulty, ground handling, etc. You could also take a look at Piggot's book "Gliding Safety". It also has some good information about the suitability of certain ships as a "first glider". Good luck! |
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