Aircraft Buyer’s Information Guide
Initial enquiry
Contact Asian Aviation Associates directly.
Explain what type of
aircraft you are interested in.
If you don’t know the particular
aircraft model then explain what you would like the aircraft to be able
to do and we will suggest suitable models.
Key considerations:
Some primary points to consider when looking into buying a plane include:
•
PRICE RANGES – Certainly all-further considerations are based on
the price that one can afford for a plane. Several of the main factors
influencing price include: 1) overall condition 2) year of manufacturer
3) the number of hours on the engine 4) the time on the airframe 5) and
avionics and extras included.
Here is a small chart showing the
approximate price range for several popular light aircraft in the US.
Aircraft Prices in the United States
Model
Cessna 150
Cessna 152
Cessna 172
Cessna 206
Number
of seats
2
2
4
6
Engine
h.p.
Price Range*
Low end
High end
100
108
145 - 180
285
$15,000
$20,000
$32,000
$85,000
$35,000
$45,000
$75,000
$180,00
Aircraft
Engine
Engine
Engine
Recommended time
manufacturer
model
h.p.
between
overhaul
*Price assumes aircraft in airworthy condition, manufactured after 1965,
and with
at
(hours)
least 300 hours until next engine overhaul.
Continental
Cessna 150
Lycoming
Cessna 152
•
ENGINECessna
TIME172– A key
element
Lycoming
amount of time
on
the
engine
since
Lycoming
Cessna 172
aircraft youCessna
will206
see this
referred
Continental
O-200A
100
1800
O-235
108
2400
in the cost of
O-320-E
150 any aircraft
2000 is the
its
last
major
overhaul.
In ads for
O-360-A
180
2000
to
as
“SMOH”
(Since
Major
Overhaul).
IO-520-A/F
285
1700
It is up to the buyer to know what the engine manufacturer’s recommended
Hours on airframe
Status
overhaul time is for the particular engine in question.
Most general
3000 or less
Very low time airframe
aviation aircraft in the United States are equipped with either a
4000 to 7000
Mid-time airframe
Lycoming engine or a Teledyne-Continental engine.
The following graph
8000 to 11000
High time airframe
shows several popular US manufactured aircraft, their stock engine, and
12000 or more hours
Very high time airframe
the recommend time between major overhauls (abbreviated TBO):
Abbreviation
Aviation
Engine
Overhaul
Times
Short for
Meaning
A & E (also AF &E)
Airframe and engine
-Model
Number Engine
Price Range*
Com
Communications
Communications radio equipment
of seats h.p.
Low end
High end
Cont
Continental
-2
100
$15,000
$35,000
Cessna 150
Cyl
Cylinder
-2 per hour
108
$20,000
$45,000
Cessna 152
GPH
Gallons
-4
145 rated
- 180
$32,000
$75,000
Cessna 172
IFR
Instrument
flight
-285tanks
$85,000
$180,00
Cessna 206
LR
Long6range fuel
-Lyc
Lycoming
-Aircraft
Engine
Engine
Engine
Recommended time
Nav
Navigation radio
receiver
-manufacturer
model
h.p.
between overhaul
NDH
No damage history
-(hours)
OH
Overhaul
-Continental
O-200A
100
1800
Cessna 150
RG
Retractable gear
-Lycoming
O-235
108
2400
Cessna 152
SFRMN
Since factory remanufactured
Used
at factory and officially
Lycoming
O-320-E
150 engine rebuilt2000
Cessna 172
with
0
time
in
logbook,
Lycoming
O-360-A
180
2000 like new
Cessna 172
SMOH
Since
major
overhaul
Overhauled
engine
but keeps its total time
Continental
IO-520-A/F
285
1700
Cessna 206
not considered like new
Hours on airframe
Status
SNEW
Since new
Total time on aircraft or engine since they
3000 or less
Very low time airframe
were new from the factory
4000 to 7000
Mid-time airframe
SPOH
Since prop overhaul
-8000 to 11000
High time airframe
STOH (also STOP)
Since top overhaul
Top end engine overhaul include work on
12000 or more hours
Very high time airframe
pistons, cylinders, rings etc.
Abbreviation
Short for
Meaning
How much does that engine cost:
Engine overhaul costs vary
significantly depending on the shop doing the repair and the
amount of repairs that need to be done. In the US a Cessna 150
overhauled engine with no hours on it after overhaul would cost
around $16,000; a 152 engine with 0 hours after overhaul would
be about $18,000; a 172 160 h.p. engine would be about $18,000;
and a 206 (non-turbo) would be around $27,000.
What a major engine overhaul entails:
The one common
requirement among major overhauls for all types of engines is
for the engine to be completely disassembled so that each part
of the engine may be inspected individually. Mechanics in the US
perform major overhauls using the guidelines set in overhaul
manuals.
These overhaul manuals are published by Continental
and Lycoming and set standards for certain parts which must be
replaced (in the opinion of the manufacturer) and for checking
the condition of all remaining parts. In the end, however, the
amount of work done and the number of parts replaced is left to
the discretion of the mechanic doing the work. When a certified
aviation mechanic has finished the engine overhaul he makes a
note in the engine logbook showing the date and engine total
time at which the overhaul was performed.
Overhaul times are recommended not required: Both Lycoming and
Continental establish overhaul times for every model of engine
they manufacture. However, these times are based on empirical
experience using OEM parts and are not mandatory. Also it is
important to remember that the engines are not guaranteed not to
need work prior to the recommended overhaul time.
Sometimes
certain parts of the engine or other engine driven components
will need repair or replacement prior to reaching the recommend
overhaul. It is also quite common for private owners and even
commercial operators of light aircraft to go beyond the
recommended time between overhaul (TBO). This is legal and may
be perfectly safe. It is however questionable how much will be
saved in the long run by putting off maintenance to a future
date when engine parts have been more thoroughly worn than had
they be checked and replaced at the recommended TBO time.


HOW
–
o
o
o
o
THE AIRCRAFT WILL BE USED
Key questions to determine the plane you need are:
Will it be for private use or for a club?
How many people will you usually carry?
How far do you intend to fly from your home field?
What sort of airfield will you be flying out of (length of
runway, condition of field)?
o How large of a payload should the aircraft have?
YEAR OF MANUFACTURE
– There are no restrictions by year on aircraft in the US. Most
commonly light planes in the US can be found from the late
1960’s through the early 1980’s. This was the golden era for
general aviation in the US and to this day planes manufactured
in this time period make up the majority of most private and
rental fleets
Due to problems with litigation very few light aircraft were
manufactured in the US during the 1980’s. For example Cessna
completely stopped making light aircraft from the mid 80’s to
the mid 90’s. Light planes started being manufactured again in
the mid 90’s but their cost is significantly higher than similar
models from the late 70’s (expect to pay $100,000 or more for a
used C172 from the 2000’s).
Resale value of used planes:
US manufactured aircraft seem to
be almost timeless. Open any publication selling general
aviation aircraft and you will see planes on sale from the 60’s,
50’s, and even 1940’s.
What’s more they are being sold at a
high price. A 1950 Piper Cub will often sell for around $30,000
to this day. In fact almost any 2 or 4 place aircraft will not
only keep its value over time but even increase in value. There
were after all only a limited number of these planes made and
despite the best efforts of mechanics, there are fewer and fewer
in service with each passing year. Therefore it is virtually
guaranteed that when you buy an aircraft you will eventually
sell it for more than you bought it for.

HOURS ON AIRFRAME
In ads for aircraft, airframe time will usually be indicated as
“TT” (total time).
For general aviation aircraft manufactured
and flown in the US the following generalizations can be made
for airframe time;
Total Time
Airframe
Model
Cessna 150
Cessna 152
Cessna 172
Cessna 206
Aircraft
Number
of seats
2
2
4
6
Engine
manufacturer
on
Engine
h.p.
Price Range*
Low end
High end
100
108
145 - 180
285
$15,000
$20,000
$32,000
$85,000
$35,000
$45,000
$75,000
$180,00
Engine
model
Engine
h.p.
Recommended time
between overhaul
(hours)
Continental
O-200A
100
1800
Cessna 150
Lycoming
O-235
108
2400
Cessna 152
Airframe
service
life:
aviation aircraft
manufactured
LycomingGeneral
O-320-E
150
2000
Cessna
172
in theCessna
US do
a limitO-360-A
to the number
or years
Lycoming
180 of hours 2000
172 not have
that they
may
be
kept
in
service.
All
certified
aircraft
are
Continental
IO-520-A/F
285
1700
Cessna 206
thoroughly inspected a minimum of once per year by aviation
Hours on airframe
Status
mechanics and any deterioration of the airframe is either fully
3000 or less
Very low time airframe
repaired or the aircraft is deemed
no longer airworthy.
4000 to 7000
Mid-time airframe
time airframe
About 8000
highto 11000
time aircraft: If anHigh
aircraft
has high time or very
12000
or
more
hours
Very
high
timebeen
airframeused as a trainer
high time it is generally because it has
Abbreviation
Short for
Meaning
for student
pilots (larger
aircraft such as the
Cessna 206 which
A
&
E
(also
AF
&E)
Airframe
and
engine
-- of being used as a
are not trainers could have high time because
Communications
radio equipment
small Com
freight hauler, Communications
parachute drop plane,
or in some
other
Cont
-work capacity).
TheseContinental
aircraft can be good
deals and their
Cyl
Cylinder
-- than a lower time
mechanical
condition in
some cases is better
GPH
Gallons
per
hour
-- requirements for
plane because of more stringent inspection
IFR
Instrument
flight
rated
trainers – trainers must be inspected by a-- certified mechanic
Long range
fuel tanksHowever caution
-every LR
100 hours of flight
time.
must be used
Lyc
Lycoming
-when buying
a high time
airframe to ensure that
the airframe is
-still Nav
in good shape. Navigation radio receiver
NDH
No damage history
-OH
Overhaul
-RG
Retractable gear
-SFRMN
Since factory remanufactured
Used engine rebuilt at factory and officially
with 0 time in logbook, like new
SMOH
Since major overhaul
Overhauled engine but keeps its total time
not considered like new
SNEW
Since new
Total time on aircraft or engine since they
were new from the factory
SPOH
Since prop overhaul
-STOH (also STOP)
Since top overhaul
Top end engine overhaul include work on
pistons, cylinders, rings etc.
TBO
Time between overhaul
-TT (also TTSN)
Total time
-TTAE
Total time aircraft engine
-TTAF
Total time airframe
--
Deciding on a model
After talking with one of our reps and taking into account the various
factors discussed in the first section you will have a sense of what type
of aircraft will be closest to your needs. At this point we will compile
a list of several real aircraft currently on sale in the US and submit it
for you to look over.
Reviewing ads
The ads that we send you will be taken directly from various aircraft
sales databases in the United States. They will be translated into your
language if requested and will include all available pictures of the
aircraft as well as a description as provided in the original ad. After
reviewing the ads it is good to reassess the appropriateness of the model
choice and your priorities regarding, for example, cost vs. age,
appearance vs. total time, etc. If the assumptions that you made about
the type of aircraft that could be purchased for a given amount of money
are correct and the model is indeed what you want then everything is
ready to start the plane acquisition process in earnest. If however you
find that some of your assumptions about the type of aircraft and cost
were not correct, this is the time to talk with us about options for
getting closer to what you need.

LOOKING ON YOUR OWN – If you have the time and energy, you are
welcome to search for an aircraft on you own and providing that it
is inside the United States, we will be happy to help you acquire
it. Personal research will give you a better sense of the types of
aircraft available in the US and their cost. Some popular websites
for airplane sales in the US include the following:
www.aso.com, www.controller.com and www.tradeaplane.com
Model
Number
Engine
Engine
manufacturer
Engine
model
Price Range*
To better understand
ads, hereLow
isend
a small list
of the
of seatstheh.p.
High end
abbreviations commonly used in aircraft ads:
2
100
$15,000
$35,000
Cessna 150
2
108
$20,000
$45,000
Cessna 152
Aviation Ad Abbreviations
4
145 - 180
$32,000
$75,000
Cessna 172
6
285
$85,000
$180,00
Cessna 206
Aircraft
Cessna 150
Cessna 152
Cessna 172
Cessna 172
Cessna 206
Continental
Lycoming
Lycoming
Lycoming
Continental
O-200A
O-235
O-320-E
O-360-A
IO-520-A/F
Engine
h.p.
Recommended time
between overhaul
(hours)
100
108
150
180
285
1800
2400
2000
2000
1700
Hours on airframe
Status
3000 or less
4000 to 7000
8000 to 11000
12000 or more hours
Very low time airframe
Mid-time airframe
High time airframe
Very high time airframe
Abbreviation
Short for
Meaning
A & E (also AF &E)
Airframe and engine
-Model
Number
Engine
Price Range*
Com
Communications
Communications radio equipment
Cont
of
Continental
seats h.p.
Low end
-High end
Cyl
Cylinder
-2
100
$15,000
$35,000
Cessna 150
GPH
Gallons
per 108
hour
2
$20,000-$45,000
Cessna 152
IFR
Instrument
flight
4
145 - rated
180
$32,000-$75,000
Cessna 172
LR
Long
fuel tanks
6 range 285
$85,000-$180,00
Cessna 206
Lyc
Lycoming Engine
-Aircraft
Engine
Engine
Recommended time
Nav
Navigation radio receiver
-manufacturer
model
h.p.
between overhaul
NDH
No damage history
-(hours)
OH
Overhaul
-Continental
O-200A
100
1800
Cessna 150
RG
Retractable gear
-Lycoming
O-235
108
2400
Cessna 152
SFRMN
Since factory remanufactured
Used engine rebuilt at factory and officially
Making a deposit
Having finalized the decision about the model of aircraft and approximate
condition that you want, make a earnest non-refundable deposit to Asian
Aviation Associates. We will at this point begin an earnest search for an
aircraft that fits your parameters. We will continue to search for offers
and will contact owners of those aircraft, which you express interest in and
wish to know more about. You are free to look through as many offers as you
wish.
When an aircraft has been found the deposit will go towards the
purchase of the plane. In the event that you decide not to buy any aircraft
at this stage, the earnest deposit or a portion of it will not be returned.
See our purchase agreement.
What to expect: At this stage we will review a variety of planes for sale
and you are free to ask any and all questions that occur to you about the
aircraft and to request additional pictures. Asian Aviation Associates will
talk with the owners of those aircraft that you are most interested in and
together we will narrow the plane choices down to a couple favorites.
Purchasing the aircraft
Once a particular aircraft has been chosen payment for the aircraft must be
made in full. We recommend the use of an Escrow Account and will coordinate
with such company on your behalf, a qualified pilot and representative of
Asian Aviation Associates in the US will travel to the location of the
aircraft to inspect it prior to making the payment.
The aircraft will be
test flown and all paperwork will be checked for completeness. Also at this
stage you may choose to have a certified mechanic inspect the aircraft for
mechanical soundness.
Note that all aircraft offered by Asian Aviation
Associates are guaranteed to be legally airworthy and fully registered in
the US.
That means that, among other things, they have passed a complete
inspection sometime in the last 12 months.
Nonetheless it is always
recommended that an additional pre-buy inspection is also completed. All
fees will be explicitly delineated prior to your payment for the aircraft.
Preparation for shipping
The aircraft will be flown to Asian Aviation Associates choice of a base for
disassembly and shipping preparation.
If the aircraft is located far from
our base and close to a port, it may be flown to a different location for
preparation. The plane will be disassembled by a licensed mechanic and
packed in a 20 or 40 foot ocean going container for sea transport.
Generally the time from purchase to container shipment is one to two weeks.

NOTE ON EXPORT FROM THE US – All
Associates are officially removed
aircraft are shipped with all
airworthiness of the aircraft as
exported aircraft, which may then
client’s choosing.
aircraft exported by Asian Aviation
from the US aircraft registry. The
necessary paperwork to prove the
well as its official status as an
be registered in the country of the
Delivery and customs clearance
Delivery time is about 4 to 6 weeks to any foreign countries. Shipping can
be arranged to any port or city of your choosing. Generally another week to
10 days is required for customs clearance.
In countries where Asian
Aviation Associates has a representative, Asian Aviation Associates will
handle all customs clearance unless you prefer to clear customs yourself.
If you wish to arrange shipping yourself that is also possible, but not
necessary.
Receipt of aircraft
In countries where Asian Aviation Associates has a representative
elect to have the representative assemble and test fly the aircraft
taking receipt of it. This is highly recommended. Otherwise Asian
Associates will arrange plans for aircraft assembly with the client
shipping.
you may
prior to
Aviation
prior to