Looking to purchase a plane

[Freight Dog]

Hello everyone, this is my first post here. I figured this forum would be appropriate to ask some questions regarding aircraft ownership and get some good answers.

Basically, I'm looking to buy a plane. The mission would be licenses/ratings/time building for my wife and kids - one is ready now and the other is 14 but definitely wants to be a professional pilot.

I budgeted 25k or under towards a purchase. I do not want to finance anything.

The aircraft I'm interested in are:

C-150/152 and 172
Piper Cherokee 140
Piper Colt or Tri Pacer
Piper Tomahawk

I saw some nice looking 172's for cheap, but they're high time airframes, and some have engines past TBO. If engine time is half the TBO, but airframe has 11,000+ hours... is it still a show stopper?

What about Colt or Tri Pacer for training? Ideally, I'd like the aircraft to be an IFR plane or at least equipped for IFR, and not many of those are.

I'm also interested in a Tomahawk, but some of these AD's are concerning me. Can anyone give me an idea of how much some of those AD's cost (not replacing the wing, but the tail section AD's). I'm aware of the stall/spin issues and think it makes a great trainer.

150 or 152, well.... They're tight (we're a tall family), but I managed to build my time way back in a 152, and I'm 6'7". Not comfy at all with an instructor... but if that's what it takes.....

What are some of the 'gotchas' that you guys have experienced? Seriously, any wisdom is greatly appreciated.

Thanks gang!

 

[Jim Logajan]

C-182s are not that much more expensive or harder to learn to fly and you will be much more comfortable in that size cabin.

find a club with a 182 and instructors and join.

But his budget is $25k.

(The only time I see C-182s priced comparable to some C-15Xs is when the C-15X sellers set outrageous asking prices.)