AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2016 - 89

as well-but with a twist: Only ones readily available on the used market could be
included in the search.
Ads for the Cessna 150 and 152 and
Piper Cherokee 140 were most numerous in the $30,000 category; the four-seat
Cessna 172 and Piper Cherokee 180 led
the $50,000 category; and the six-seat
Piper Seneca II and Beechcraft Baron
led the twin category. Then, participants
on the AOPA Online member forum "I
Was Wondering" were asked to vote for
a winner. Forced into a corner, the forum
members chose the Piper Cherokee 140,
the Cessna 172, and, enthusiastically, the
Baron.
The 172s generally were in the mid to
upper $40,000s for 1970s models, while the
Cherokee 140s were in the upper $20,000s
for models made in the early to mid-1970s.
You can add in the sales tax to those prices
and still not exceed the category's price
limit. One forum member pointed out
another added cost: Most likely the aircraft you purchase will not be equipped
with Automatic Dependent SurveillanceBroadcast Out equipment, mandated by the
FAA beginning January 1, 2020, to operate in most airspace where a transponder
is required today.
As for twins, it might be wise to start
with $120,000 if you want to end up with a
mid-1970s Baron. There were a few Barons
offered for less than $100,000 that were
built in the early to mid-1960s. One member pointed out that you need a bit of luck

when buying used. Asking prices are commonly higher than the actual price paid.
As with any pilot group, there were,
let's say, exceptions among the forum
members. One member suggested it's
"silly" to claim an airplane is "best" in
a price category and instead suggested
looking for the best in a "function" category such as these: burger hunting, pattern
hopping, family trips, business, classic, aerobatic, homebuilt, long-distance travel for
two, mountain flying, Light Sport aircraft,
seaplane, and time building. All good ideas.
He warned it is possible to get too budgetconscious and end up with an airplane that
lacks things you're used to, such as an autopilot or updated radios. Be aware that glass
cockpits will drastically increase any used
aircraft's price.
So let's take the member's suggestion and look at function factor. Yes, the
Cessna 172 "won" the beauty contest in
the $50,000 category, but a Piper Archer
may be 10 knots faster. If you need speed
and hauling capacity, then a 182 may be a
better choice, and don't overlook an older
Maule for short fields and backcountry airstrips. Advertised for $50,000 currently is
a Maule M-5-220 with a Franklin engine,
long-range tanks, and a useful load of 900
pounds and 660 pounds of payload with
standard fuel. It can speed along at 125
knots.
While the Piper 140 was declared a
winner in the $30,000 category, a Cheetah
(now owned by True Flight Aerospace)

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AIR
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PASSIVE

Stripped down or hogged out?
What sort of airplane do you get for the money in each of the price categories?
Is there just a divining rod to tell you when you are over water, or a Starship panel
humming with a couple of terabytes of navigation wizardry? Here is what you might
expect.
The $50,000 asking price for a Cessna 172 usually includes basic avionics,
although you could get lucky and find one with a lower-end GPS. An autopilot is a
strong possibility, but not an ADS-B Out-compliant transponder.
At $40,000, it isn't uncommon to find a Piper 140 with a Garmin 430 GPS navigation and communication radio, an autopilot, and even a glideslope receiver. But you'll
need to comply with the new requirement for ADS-B reporting on your dime.
As for that $100,000, maybe $120,000 Beechcraft Baron, looking at what is
actually for sale in Trade-A-Plane, you have a 60-percent chance of finding one
with a Garmin 530 navigation and communications radio, an autopilot linked to the
navigation radio for automated approaches, and weather-reporting avionics such as
a Stormscope. Like the others, you'll not find one that complies with the requirement
for ADS-B.
You won't be flying high on the hog-maybe just midway-but even at that lower
price point you still get all the bacon and spareribs, and half the ham.
-AKM

www.aopa.org/pilot AOPA PILOT | 89

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2016