Thomas Rainey
New member
Hello folks,
I am a private pilot with 100 hours looking to start my instrument training. While I know plenty of instructors, there are no good aircraft to rent in the area. Because of this, I am looking to purchase an airplane. I want this airplane to be a good platform for me to get my instrument rating and commercial certificate. My budget is $100,000 or less and I want to get a nice example of whatever airplane I end up going with. For example, I would rather have a nice 172 than a worn out Bonanza. I primarily will be flying alone or with an instructor, but I do have a wife and son that I would like to bring along occasionally.
Things I DO NOT care about.
1.) Speed--fast or slow does not make that much of a difference to me at this stage of my flying.
2.) High wing or low wing.
3.) Fixed pitch or constant speed.
4.) Fixed gear or retractable gear.
Things I DO care about.
1.) Reasonable maintenance costs.
2.) Parts availability.
3.) Something that would hold value and be easily resellable after about 5-7 years when I purchase my dream plane (Bonanza).
A few planes I have looked into:
Cessna 172--Seems to fit the bill, but the market seems to be demanding quite a high price compared to other aircraft with similar capabilities.
Cessna 182--Solid airplane that meets all my needs, but probably can't find one with good avionics for under $100,000.
Beechcraft Sundowner--Very affordable alternative to the 172, but will parts availability be an issue. Will I be able to resell a relatively unpopular aircraft like this?
Beechcraft Sierra--Seems like a very capable and affordable airplane that meets my needs, but I am concerned about the same issues mentioned above with the Sundowner.
Please give me suggestions on what you think of the aircraft I've mentioned along with any others that I may be overlooking. Thanks for your input.
I am a private pilot with 100 hours looking to start my instrument training. While I know plenty of instructors, there are no good aircraft to rent in the area. Because of this, I am looking to purchase an airplane. I want this airplane to be a good platform for me to get my instrument rating and commercial certificate. My budget is $100,000 or less and I want to get a nice example of whatever airplane I end up going with. For example, I would rather have a nice 172 than a worn out Bonanza. I primarily will be flying alone or with an instructor, but I do have a wife and son that I would like to bring along occasionally.
Things I DO NOT care about.
1.) Speed--fast or slow does not make that much of a difference to me at this stage of my flying.
2.) High wing or low wing.
3.) Fixed pitch or constant speed.
4.) Fixed gear or retractable gear.
Things I DO care about.
1.) Reasonable maintenance costs.
2.) Parts availability.
3.) Something that would hold value and be easily resellable after about 5-7 years when I purchase my dream plane (Bonanza).
A few planes I have looked into:
Cessna 172--Seems to fit the bill, but the market seems to be demanding quite a high price compared to other aircraft with similar capabilities.
Cessna 182--Solid airplane that meets all my needs, but probably can't find one with good avionics for under $100,000.
Beechcraft Sundowner--Very affordable alternative to the 172, but will parts availability be an issue. Will I be able to resell a relatively unpopular aircraft like this?
Beechcraft Sierra--Seems like a very capable and affordable airplane that meets my needs, but I am concerned about the same issues mentioned above with the Sundowner.
Please give me suggestions on what you think of the aircraft I've mentioned along with any others that I may be overlooking. Thanks for your input.
