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Buying Piston Helicopter


m3onster

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Getting an add on Helio license and looking to purchase piston type to build hours etc. Just my opinion and look for anyones input but apparently if looking for a Helicopter to purchase you should apparently take your CPA, a Rabbi, A & P plus an Attorney unless you want your ass handed to you. Probably conservative number at $1500 an hour for those.

 

Forgot a reputable Broker. If for sale in Colorado at least I sort of understand the disparity in price.

 

Thanks

 

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Let me see if I can add a more serious response to your question. The caveat is that this is just my thin nickel as a Helo pilot since 1980 and a private owner of two different helicopters in the past decade, and I owned a fixed wing aircraft prior to that.

 

This is really not as complex as one might imagine however it is critical that you "buy right" by making certain that you have a really thorough pre-purchase inspection and title search. It is also important to know just like buying a fixed wing aircraft, you need to have enough discretionary cash for the inevitable service bulletins and ADs that occur. In my particular instance I purchased a Robinson R22 that was mid time and was able to fly the last 600 hours before the ship went to overhaul. Those 600 hours served to be invaluable as I purchased a late model R44 as my current helicopter.

 

I'm not a fan of using a broker however I have purchased a number of aircraft prior so I am familiar with the paperwork and prepurchase necessities. If this is your first aircraft a broker may be of some help to you.

 

In my experience, its the quality and credibility of the AP who does the pre purchase inspection that is your most crucial asset. If I were buying a ship across the country from my locale, I would fly my personal AP to wherever the ship is located...it will be the best airfare you ever spent..,. In full disclosure, in one instance I spent $1300 for a prepurchase inspection that saved me tens of thousands that would have been needed to get it airworthy and all of the SBs up to date...in that case beauty was only skin deep...

 

In this business especially, you actually do get what you pay for..there are pristine well maintained ships out there, they are worth waiting for and will be worth the extra premium you will pay..,and there are hard worked beat up ships that have not been well maintained that can quickly take the joy out of ownership.

 

Hope some of this helps..,

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I've got nothing to add to this one but must comment that Rich1's post above is one of the best written I've read on this subject - thanks for taking the time to post. It's a bit of a dark art I guess so care would be the best option.

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