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Aircraft Valuation Part 1

One of the challenges of representing buyers, whether it is a Super Cub, King Air or Phenom is knowing where to start the opening shot: The offer.

How do you proffer a number to an aircraft seller that shows the seller multiple things? For example, your contact and methods demonstrate:

Your math accounts for outliers such as super low or high airframe total time, damage history, missing logs or a run out engine. (And when these are great.)
An offer that is serious (i.e. committed / real buyer) and likely to close.
A number that is fair and close to what other transactions are valued at for the same make, model and age aircraft. (And how to find hidden gems here.)
Adequate respect and mindfulness on how you handle the seller’s conditions or needs. (A smooth sale has as much to do with emotional self awareness, as it does the spreadsheet of how you structured the offer.)

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Some new or aspiring pilots know what they want: Big tires, a tailwheel and being “off airport” just as much as “on airport.” If you land on the water, or are a helicopter, you’ll get used to the tower saying “land at your own risk.” This is music to the ears of those who chose a slightly unconventional learning path.

What do you seek? (In your aviation dreams?)

The cookie cutter flight school program? Or do you value critical skills early on that are often not taught until you fly your first seaplane or gravel bar landing tundra tired Super Cub?

It wasn’t too long ago that we all learned to fly a tail dragger in a field somewhere near a bigger airport. Most also turned out to be really good pilots for the simple reason that they had to use their feet (i.e. rudder) and an intuitive connection and approach to much of their flying. Just ask Sully.

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CIGAR TIPS

(aka CCIGGARR TIPPS)

The beauty of mnemonic devices is that they allow the tail wheel, seaplane or helicopter pilot do a checklist without the use of both hands. While there are checklist purists out there who may disagree with my methods, let me offer this: If you fly many different aircraft, whose checklists can be absent, inappropriate, out of date, etc. it is best to develop your own. A good way to build that base, for everything from a J-3 Cub up to t Beech 18, is to use, what I’ll term, “the classics.” CIGAR TIPS and GUMPS (more on GUMPS in another post.)

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Pattern Work

I’m near certain that umpteen zillion posts have written about this subject. Nevertheless, here I go with my addition to the pile.

How do you teach students to land safely, who didn’t know how to fly a mere 10 hours ago?

The answer, to me, is 100% about feel, energy management (à la glider teaching), looking, sensing and adjusting as necessary. A trap that I, and many of my colleagues, have fallen into is thinking that landing is something a student will embrace if they are given firm numbers, power settings, checkpoints etc. Any type of recipe that emphasizes standardization exclusively does two big disservices to the student:

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Homage to the Skywagon (Cessna 180 / 185)

When I first got into aviation I called my company Skywagon Air Service. That’s how nuts I was. Nuts about the 180 / 185 that is. In the basement, of this house, next to this 185, is where the company was born. I got these photos the other day from Mike Ball of KRKD who reminded me of the day he “took the 185 home for lunch.” The drive in his car would have been all of 4 min. But why do that when you can land your 185 in your driveway and taxi it up to the front door… for lunch?: Continue reading Homage to the Skywagon (Cessna 180 / 185)

Vicarious Spin Training and Observation

Big thank you to Elliot Seguin for showing what a long term spin can look like in slow mo – in a vertical wind tunnel (iFLY in Ontario, CA). The PT-17 is a hallmark of WWII training and current day warbird aficianados (aka “The Stearman”).

Three Point vs. Wheel Landings

dc3 Much like our politics, amateur tailwheel pilots tend to suffer from polarization.

You are either in the three point or wheel landing camp. This is not a grown up way to learn about your favorite hobby.

Why? Because each aircraft type, set of conditions or the landing environment will help you choose the right solution. It will drive home that there is rarely a panacea via “one solution.”

In the spirit of Dale Carnegie, I’ll start with my own biased world view. I have a fair amount of tailwheel time, but mostly in one aircraft type – the Cessna 180 / 185 family. Whether there was 230 or 300 hp on the nose, one thing to me became clear – this make and model, under most conditions, preferred wheel landings.

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Evaluate vs. Teach (Flight Instruction)

be76 (1) — Duchess in flight thanks to Denis Hersey

I recently added my MEI (multi engine instructor) to my FAA CFI license. (Certificated Flight Instructor).

This is a simple way for expired old timers (me) to get back in the game of teaching flying. The FAA flight instructor rating expires if you don’t teach enough (and endorse enough) or take the proscribed renewal classes. I fell off the teaching wagon in 2001 and lost the legal ability to teach. This was no travesty until I aged a bit, moved to the Bay Area and realized that I not only like teaching, but I like specific types of teaching such as tailwheel training and endorsements, bush flying, TAA (technically advanced aircraft) as well multi, turbine and high performance transition related training. Continue reading Evaluate vs. Teach (Flight Instruction)

Surfair Suffering from Convention

Revolution is tough without that disruptive nugget. Not having that nugget has led Surfair to retreat into the conventional operation of what could have been a novel membership based system. I’ve followed them since their birth since I’m no stranger to the concept of moving Pilatus PC-12s around with people in them whilst attempting to make money. What was great about Surfair, is that they validated our own Grabajet aspirations that I had designed with my business partner.

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