Classic Airplanes are more affordable and practical to own than most people realize. For those that are aware of their true potential, many have classic planes as daily flyers. Think about this. Would you rather have a newer Cessna 182 or a completely restored and upgraded Cessna 195? How about a Cub vs. a Kitfox, a Swift vs. a Homebuilt, or a Beech 18 vs. a Navajo? How about if we told you that each of these classic planes can be much more affordable than their newer counterparts? Granted, owning and operating a classic airplane is not the same as a new lightweight “glass and glue” model, but that’s not necessarily bad, just different. The main factor in this equation is the person. Have you ever listened to a radial engine start up!? Have you ever flown along on a hot summer day with the window rolled down or the canopy slid back? Do you think polished aluminum is an art form all in itself? Do you enjoy thoughts of the old days when aviation was a new adventure? Would you consider the challenge of taxiing an airplane if you couldn’t see directly in front of you? Have you ever had people at the airport come out to your airplane and say; “that’s beautiful, what is it!? If you are a potential classic airplane owner you have already had thoughts about how to justify owning that piece of classic aviation history you love so much! In the following paragraphs we will address a few major considerations from the perspective of facts and trends. The rest of this justification process is up to you. This sounds like a great forum topic for the “community” pages.

                Financial considerations are the biggest consideration for most of us when it comes to any larger purchase. The first question always seems to be; what’s it going to cost? Since cost is specific to each individual aircraft purchase let’s talk about value. Value is how much you get for the money spent. Fast transportation or the enjoyment you get from flying in general are values shared by all aircraft. Most of the classic airplanes share other added values when compared to their newer counterparts on the basis of either cost, or aircraft specifications. Whichever way you look at it, often you get more airplane for the money buying one of  the “Classics”. There are other valuable considerations often associated with vintage aircraft. Most of the vintage airplanes are appreciating in value at a respectable rate with some of the more popular ones going up signifigantly! Compare that with the exorbant cost and massive depreciation of new airplanes. Let’s compare a new Cessna 182 with a completely restored Cessna 195. You can spend a large sum on an uneventful plane that is going to loose 25% of its value rapidly or spend half that amount of money on one of the most nostalgic classics that is increasing in value? You already know our choice! The other big value associated with classic airplanes is that of personal enjoyment. We don’t know how to put a price on that type of emotional excitement and satisfaction. What we do know is the personal rewards are by far the biggest reason we own our classic planes!

                Many potential owners are discouraged by the higher costs of insurance usually associated with lower experienced pilots and tail draggers. While there are things that can help reduce the insurance premiums like locking tailwheels and taildragger instruction programs, certain vintage airplanes are just going to have higher aircraft insurance premiums. It is important not to focus on any one thing when looking into the possibility of owning a classic plane. What really matters is how the aircraft compare as a whole package.

                The maintenance of most vintage airplanes is really not that different from newer production planes. More of the vintage planes used wood, steel tube and fabric airframe construction as compared with modern aluminum or composites. Many vintage planes also had radial, “V”, or inverted engines. There are also more design varieties among the older aircraft. There are different types of brakes, props, ignition, and other miscellaneous components. None of this is of great concern as there are so many shops that specialize in the various vintage airplanes. Routine maintenance is easily accomplished with the occasional help of the manuals for most of the older planes. Some of the unique aircraft had no specific maintenance manuals however the typical airframe construction and systems were very simple. Depending on which vintage plane you might choose, most have excellent parts support, especially if any models were military planes. The military usually stocked masses of parts which were sold into the general aviation market when the aircraft model was retired. The overall maintenance costs are usually very comparable to newer aircraft and many times much cheaper. Be sure to have a thurough maintenance inspection performed by a qualified technician that specializes in that type of aircraft. Abeautiful classic plane with “bad bones” can be very expensive! Get a good one and it can be some of the best experiences of your life!