Overview

The best way for private pilots with limited means to obtain the plane of their dreams is to purchase a used one -- and there's no better way to buy one without getting burned than this heavily illustrated guide. Focusing on airplanes priced at $100,000 or less, the author walks readers through the entire process of purchasing a used plane: prospecting the market, determining a plane's true value, closing the deal, partnership, and much more.

Table of contents

Part 1: The Art of Buying and Owning an Airplane
Chapter 1: To Own or Not to Own
Chapter 2: Making Decisions
Chapter 3: Determining Airplane Value
Chapter 4: Before You Purchase
Chapter 5: As You Purchase
Chapter 6: After Your Purchase
Chapter 7: The Sport Pilot License
Chapter 8: The Light Sport Category
Part 2: The Used Airplane Fleet
Chapter 9: Two-Place Airplanes
Chapter 10: Four-Place Easy Fliers
Chapter 11: Complex Airplane
Chapter 12: Heavy Haulers
Chapter 13: Affordable Twins
Part 3: Alternative Airplanes, the Rumor Mill, and Ad Facts
Chapter 14: Alternative Airplanes
Chapter 15: Hanger Flying Used Airplanes
Chapter 16: Airworthiness Directives
Chapter 17: Conversions and Modifications
APPENDIX A: NTSB Accident Ranking of General Aviation Aircraft
APPENDIX B: Government Aviation Offices and Contacts
APPENDIX C: State Aviation Agencies
APPENDIX D: Resources for the Small Airplane Owner
APPENDIX E: Advisory Circulars
APPENDIX F: Makes and Models in the FAA Registry

Biographical note

Bill Clarke is the author of over 20 books on aviation topics, including the best-selling Aviator's Guide to GPS, now in its Third Edition, also from McGraw-Hill. A veteran of the Air Force and the Washington, D.C., Police Department, Clarke is a long-time pilot and ham radio buff. He writes frequently for a number of publications on aviation, computing, electronics, and radio communications. He lives in upstate New York.

Back cover copy

GET THE BEST DEAL ON THE BEST PLANE FOR YOU

With a focus on planes under $100,000 -- some as low as $20,000 -- pilot Bill Clarke's classic guide -- now fully revised and updated -- is a bigger bargain than ever. A book that can save you thousands of dollars, The Illustrated Buyer's Guide to Used Airplanes provides a photo-filled model-by-model look at the top used aircraft in today's market, as well as many hard-to-find models -- complete with prices, accident ratings, performance specifications, and airworthiness directives.

The most comprehensive, authoritative, and popular book on buying used planes available, this guide helps you with every step, from prospecting the market and sizing up planes to doing the deal and post-purchase priorities. The much-respected Illustrated Buyer's Guide to Used Airplanes is the source that thousands of pilots turn to when the time comes to buy a plane. It's the only guide to airplane purchasing you'll ever need.

STEP BY STEP TO PLANE OWNERSHIP
Current prices and profiles, with photos, of more than 100 of the market's top used personal aircraft
Evaluation and inspection of used airplanes
Tested pricing formula for near-exact calculation of a plane's value
Step-by-step negotiation to the best possible price
Newly ranked models, updated airworthiness directives, and new regulations
New chapter on light-sport aircraft
Partnership options
Personal needs assessment for pilots
Deciphering classified ads

Paperback, 512 pages