Buying glider from an estate - maintenance logs not available

The executor might be able to look at the check book log and find some clues as to when or where is was flown or worked on.

Whoever did the last annual might be a clue source.

At 16:07 30 March 2020, wrote:
On Sunday, March 29, 2020 at 9:00:56 PM UTC-4, son_of_flubber wrote:
What do you do when the executor of an estate is willing but unable to
provide the maintenance logs for a glider that you are trying to buy?

Any other tips on buying a glider from an estate?

Explain to the executor of the estate the difference in sales price of a
glider with complete logs vs a glider w/o logs. That might motivate the
family to have another look for the missing logs.

If it has been less than decades since the glider was being actively
flown.
Check the OLC to find out where the pilot actively flew. Or based on where
they lived you can contact the surrounding clubs/FBO's to track down where
they flew and hopefully get the names of the local mechanics who were
inspecting gliders in that area. You can then contact those mechanics and
hopefully find the mechanic who was doing that glider/owners inspections.

Some mechanics keep an inspection log or even invoice copies that may
include the gliders total time. Standard airworthiness gliders needed an
IA sign off, which further improves the record keeping potential.
Unfortunately mechanics do retire, pass away or otherwise have no records
available.

But for those sellers/buyers willing to invest the time and energy. It's a
great starting point for re-creating missing glider maintenance logs and
potentially increasing a gliders value.

A lot of good advice here.

If you have to purchase before you can do all this research....
Purchase it for a salvage price or you take a chance.

If your an A&P and better yet an IA, youve got a much better chance of coming out ahead.

Just know that there are potential headaches.

On Sunday, March 29, 2020 at 9:00:56 PM UTC-4, son_of_flubber wrote:
What do you do when the executor of an estate is willing but unable to provide the maintenance logs for a glider that you are trying to buy?

Any other tips on buying a glider from an estate?

Okay. I'm going to walk away from any owners/executors that cannot produce complete logbooks. There's plenty of gliders for sale that include logbooks.

Like what someone said earlier, it depends on the situation, the type glider, and the price. Having gone this route numerous times restoring vintage power planes, the lack-of-logs can or can not be a big deal. If its a schweizer, metal/tube/fabric, no logs is not a big deal. If its a glass bird, depends on the model, the seriousness of its ADs and the price. If they’re giving it away, then a close look see may be warented. I picked up a very nice HP14 with partial logs for a very reasonable price, well worth the effort involved in doing the research.
Dan

On Monday, March 30, 2020 at 1:36:38 PM UTC-5, son_of_flubber wrote:
On Sunday, March 29, 2020 at 9:00:56 PM UTC-4, son_of_flubber wrote:
What do you do when the executor of an estate is willing but unable to provide the maintenance logs for a glider that you are trying to buy?

Any other tips on buying a glider from an estate?

Okay. I'm going to walk away from any owners/executors that cannot produce complete logbooks. There's plenty of gliders for sale that include logbooks.

Would you be willing to say what it is and where it is? Someone might be interested, and closing out estates can sometimes be rather challenging for those trying to accomplish the task.

Thank you,
Steve Leonard

On Tuesday, March 31, 2020 at 12:31:50 PM UTC-4, Steve Leonard wrote:

Would you be willing to say what it is and where it is? Someone might be interested, and closing out estates can sometimes be rather challenging for those trying to accomplish the task.

No particular glider in mind. Though I know of several retired pilots that are still holding onto their gliders. I tried to make an offer on one of them, but the owner was not ready to consider selling.

I'd heard that log books are sometimes accidentally lost when the family 'cleans out the house'.

The logbooks for my glider are in an envelop labeled "Please do not throw out. These logbooks will be needed to sell my glider'.

If it's a Grob anything run like hell from it.