Club Homepage Forums Classified Ads Buy & Sell - Airplanes Only Pre-buy A&P recommendations in Arkansas?

The owner just had an annual performed in Aug by a mechanic in Heber Springs. I'm hoping for a A&P recommendation at a different location so I can get an objective 3rd party to perform the pre-buy.

Manu,

Your intent to have a prebuy exam is wise - especially as the airplane has what is called a "fresh annual." One of the sucker traps in aviation is for an owner who is trying to get rid of a junker to have it annualled by a mechanic who will sign it off although it is lousy shape. The owner then advertises it with a "fresh annual" and pilots who don't realize that the annual may have been nonsense pay more money than the airplane is worth and then pay much more money when they have their mechanic do a real annual.

Have a prebuy exam performed by a mechanic who has never had any contact with the airplane. If it goes well and you decide to buy the airplane, it's a good idea to have the mechanic turn that exam into a real annual inspection, so that you can be very confident in what you are buying.

My comments come from the perspective of retiring after 42 years as an aviation lawyer and representing buyers of airplanes that were sold to them with a "fresh annual" and/or "fresh engine overhaul" and the buyers trusted the seller and didn't have a prebuy exam performed. They got the airplane home from several states away and discovered that they were in terrible condition. They then figured out that to sue the seller, they'd have to do so in the seller's home state, which would be too expensive.

You are looking at buying one of the best airplanes ever built - you are making the right moves in assuring that the one you buy is in good condition.

Welcome to the best type club around. Hope you get the right 150 for you and have many years of joy and adventure flying it.

The plane I’m looking at has the standard 6 pack, and can only shoot non-precision approaches for IFR. I may eventually have to upgrade the avionics for IFR training, but I have time to ponder on avionics upgrades.. Looking forward to fun days ahead!

Cheers,
Manu

The 150L I’m eyeing is at 2A2 currently (Holley Mountain Airpark).

Manu,

I was one of three owners of an IFR-equipped 150 that we bought because we had kids that were learning to fly age. It worked for the kids and for me. I flew it IFR pretty regularly, as once a week I had to commute from the west side of Michigan to the east side. It was a minimum two hour drive one way. When the weather cooperated, I flew (and I shot some instrument approaches to minimums). The 150 is a wonderful airplane and can do a great deal if you recognize that its speed means range limits and it was designed for Americans of the late 1950s who weighed a lot less than we do now. Make sure that the one you wish to buy has a useful load that is acceptable.

That 150 had a "six-pack" for instruments, but its avionics allowed shooting precision instrument approaches (ILS). A six-pack does not mean that it has limited IFR capability - six-pack just refers to the flight instrument presentation that became standard with all airplanes as of 1968. The ability to fly IFR depends on the avionics installed.

2A2 is 93 miles from my airport and I'd be glad to fly down there for a walk around and have a look-see at the old gal if you want me to?

Again, I'm not a mechanic but a visual once over can determine if the plane is worth pursuing or not.

I can't get there until Thursday, Friday or Saturday and then I'm flying to Michigan the following week for several days.

Ron Twente has given you great advice about the maintenance facility in CT. They are club members and they know these 150's and 152's inside and out....plus they're good, honest folks. They also have restored a 152 and it's one of the top 152's on the planet.....it's stunning.

Question: have you heard of Emersion Air Service in Melbourne, AR (42A)?