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TESTIMONIALS

"We know how expensive T-A-P is... we ran the ad for 3 weeks and had NO calls. From the minute I placed the Avid Flyer ad on the Barnstormers site, we began getting phone calls and emails - dozens each week. We successfully sold the plane as parts yesterday to someone in Canada that drove down to Michigan to buy and pick up the plane. I can't tell you how impressed with your site we are. THANK YOU! We will make a donation soon!" Susan Ashley Located Allegan, Michigan

"I placed the ad for my RV4 at 6:30pm on Thursday evening. The first of 27 emails/calls came 1 hour later. The plane was sold on Monday. It was priced fair for what it was! Thanks!" - Vernon Dury Located Hurst, Illinois

"Barnstormers' salesman was right! Within 24 hours of placing my homepage picture ad under the “Today’s Featured Aircraft", my beautiful MaxAir Drifter found a new home thousands of miles away. Thanks to Barnstormers.com, this great aircraft will have a new life on floats over the sun drenched waters of the Okanagan. What Joy!" - Rick Young - Richmond, Virginia

HANGAR LIAR

Contributed by Glenn Lord

While flying my J3 Cub one windy day, I got so slow on the landing that the airplane stopped moving forward and just hovered about a foot above the runway.

I let it do this for about ten minutes and then began to wonder if I was hung on something and I just didn't know it.

I tied the stick in position and carefully climbed out to take a look.

Sure enough I had caught a landing light wire on the tailwheel!

I knew I couldn't just take it off as the airplane would just fly away without me.

So I reached inside and pulled the throttle back.

But the wind was blowing so hard three guys had to come out and help me get her down.

FACT or Fiction
What do you think???

IS IT A BUYERS MARKET?

Depends who you talk to, if you are a buyer with cash in your pocket, it just may well be a buyers market. In fact, this might not be just a buyers market; it may be a great time to buy an aircraft. Just look at the price trends of the general aviation fleet.

Although, at this time, many of the aircraft advertised appear to be over priced compared to what the “book” values are showing. This would be an indication that the sellers probably purchased their aircraft over the past few years when there was tremendous growth in the market (not only aviation but also the stock market) and now that both markets have slowed down, the sellers are reluctant to lower their prices for a sale and risk losing money. Sellers will not see a loss until they sell the aircraft. If they can hold out and the market turns around, the book prices should increase and they will be in a positive position again. Although past performance is not indicative of future performance, aircraft have almost always been a better investment on the long term than most stocks.

Additionally, low interest rates will allow sellers to keep a higher price. With low interest rates the seller can always remind the buyer that the monthly payments, even for the higher value will still be low.

One way to check prices is to look at the ads on Barsntormers.com and check the book values. The Vref base value takes into account the average number of hours that the aircraft should have on the airframe and engine at the time of sale. The base price also includes a standard radio package for the model and an average condition. That is probably representative of over 75 percent of the aircraft on the market. So the base price is probably representative of over 75 percent of the aircraft for sale. The price can be increased for low engine time and low airframe hours, but at the time of the sale, it all seems to balance back towards the base price. A plane with a low total time, 1,500 hours, will get an increase in value for the hours. But if the engine has 1,500 hours on it also (and a 2,000 TBO) the book will reduce the value for the engine hours over the halfway point of 1,000 hours. Typically, the value of the engine per hour is higher than the airframe per hours.

Of course, if you have an aircraft that is loaded with all kinds of fancy modifications or avionics, the price will probably not be close to the base book values. But on the average, basic book values are going to be pretty close to the final selling price.

A random sampling of a couple of popular aircraft indicates that the average retail book prices are dropping. The sample included the 1975 Piper PA28-151 and the 1977 Cessna 172. Both aircraft are popular and affordable. But, the book values are indicating that these models have dropped 15 – 20 percent in the last 12 months. This price drop seems to coincide with the housing market and sub prime mortgage problems.

Even with the mortgage problems, fluctuations of fuel prices and even the long term fear of user fees the used aircraft market is still good deal. It’s true, not everyone will be shopping for 30 plus year old aircraft, but don’t worry, even the newer models have dropped in book value, making them a good buy. For example, the 1997 Cessna 172 has dropped a little over 7 percent and the 1995 Piper PA28-161 (close relative of the 151) dropped over 12.75 percent in the last 12 months. Like any other market cycle in the aviation industry, good planes sell for fair prices.

With the opening of new general aviation markets like China and the weak US dollar, the door for aircraft exports may be opening again. That should help stabilize the used aircraft prices.

If you are a seller and own the aircraft at a higher then book price your only options at this time are to hang on to the plane or take a loss on the sale. If you are the buyer, you just might be able to name your own price.

By Contributing Editor: Scott "Sky" Smith.
Sky Smith Insurance Agency .

TODAY'S FEATURED AEROBATIC

AEROBATIC LASER 200 $60,000 PRICE SLASHED Beautiful Prof. Built 1992 Laser 200. 628 SMOH,78 STOH 953 Lbs Empty. 3 Blade Performance Prop, 10:1 pistons, Cold Air Induction, 4:1 Exhaust, Hooker Harness, Elect Tach and Alt, Icom A22 • Contact Jack Allenberg - located Plano, TX USA Telephone: 972-423-6836

TODAY'S FEATURED ANTIQUE-CLASSIC

1948 PIPER VAGABOND • $32,000 • NO REASONABLE OFFER REFUSED • vintage 1948 piper pa-17 vagabond. restored 2001, 2565 ttaf, cont. 75-8 1004.2 tte, sensenich wood prop 72k42, left-H door.A 10/10 always hangared • Contact Donald J. McKinnon - located Powell River, BC Canada Telephone: 604-485-6127

TODAY'S FEATURED BIPLANE

1939 CABIN WACO YKS-7 • $79,900 • FOR SALE • TT Airframe 3617, Jacobs R755 B2 1145 SMOH, 2B20 Prop, New Tires, Terra Nav/Com,4 place intercom, Fresh Annual, Flown regularly. Contact Glenn Smith - located Ardmore, OK USA Telephone: 405-850-8984

TODAY'S FEATURED CESSNA

SUPER NICE 172 CESSNA • $36,500 FOR SALE OR TRADE 66/172 4500 TT 720 on lower end , 15 on All new millennium cyl, new Dig. EGT Eng. scanner, digital NAV/COM, M811 chronometer all new hoses & baffling, new bat,paint & interior ADJ seats, new annual, fiberlie lighting, alum inst. panels. Contact Ron Parker - Kanab, UT USA Telephone: 435-899-1414

TODAY'S FEATURED EXPERIMENTAL

RV-4 FULLY AEROBATIC • $65,000 SALE OR TRADE 1997 RV-4 TT 300 on Airframe&Engine, AEIO360SER-B2, New Fuel servo, front seat 7 point Ratcheting Hooker Harness, 2 Bose V1 Headsets, Removable leather cushions, wood prop, KLN90B, NAV & Beacon, Microvision digital readouts, Elec trim & flaps, Tail wheel pant, +6-4, Fresh AnnualContact Conrad S. Huffstutler located Uvalde, TX USA Telephone: 830-591-8218

TODAY'S FEATURED FLOAT PLANE

1998 DRIFTER W/ FLOATS • $9,800 SALE OR TRADE • BRS-5 JUST MOUNTED!! 503 Rotax, 168hours, BRS, brakes(new in box, ) custom Snaper floats. Will trade-up to folding wing. If interested can send more photos • Contact Don R. Wicklund - located Green Cove Springs, FL USA Telephone: 904-529-5192

TODAY'S FEATURED LIGHT-SPORT

AERONCA CHAMP 7CCM • $32,000 • FOR SALE! • 51 Aeronca Champ 7CCM-225 90HP TT:4237.0 TSMOH: 893.0 Fuselage &Tail recovered in 93 Poly-Fiber, Wings & Ailerons recovered in 04 poly-fiber. Clev Wheels & Brakes, 8in Maule , Spin on Oil filter, Bracket air Filter, Han/ Wilson exhaust, V/G's , Lg rear seat, 2 wing tanks Always hangared Contact Greg M. Nelson ARROWHEAD AVIATION located Saginaw, MN USA Telephone: 218-590-1581

TODAY'S FEATURED PIPER

PIPER CUB 1946 • $41,900 • FOR SALE BY OWNER • Pristine condition, Always Hangared. 65 Hp. Could qualify for sport category. Got to see it! Contact Lester O. Delano located East Waterboro ME • Telephone: 207-756-3226

TODAY'S FEATURED TAILDRAGGER

SKYRAIDER • $12,500 • FOR SALE BY OWNER • Beautiful inside and out. Tach reads 49.7 hrs. engine 40hp Hirth 2702. The time has been flown off, all ready to go. Contact Glenn Ruhland located Le Mars, IA USA Telephone: 712-546-8397

TODAY'S FEATURED ULTRALIGHT

New Sky Cycle Trike • $9,500 • FOR SALE • New Ultra Light 447 Sky Cycle w/ never flown Maverick strutted wing, gauges, Flytec vario, parachute, pod, gear & mast fairings, front brake, powder coated frame, front fender, large tires, strobe light, ceramic muffler. $400.00 for a 5x8 ramp trailer. Contact Max J Houston - located Marquette, MI USA Telephone: 1-906-360-1684

TODAY'S FEATURED WARBIRD

ME-262 JET FIGHTER • $2,500,000 • FOR SALE • 2 flying in the world, this will be the third. Limited repro. Not a replica, 0 time airframe. 2 seat. Own the rarest flying warbird in the world! Orion Aircraft is working with Gordon Page at AirAssets intl for the sale of the 262 Contact Mark Kenny - located Bend, OR • Telephone: 877-674-6619

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