Last year I began an active search to find the right pre-owned Cirrus Aircraft. I’d decided it was time to make the transition from flying aluminum to advanced composite aircraft. The journey took several months and a number of different turns.
My search began in earnest after the sale of my existing airplane. With my old plane sold, that money became available and I had the comfort of knowing those fixed & variable expenses were eliminated. Today’s internet is a great resource for selling an aircraft, and I wrote about that last year (see reference articles below).
With this pre-owned aircraft purchase, I wanted as much performance, electronics and safety of flight advances as my budget could afford, which led me to the decision to find a flying partner. That process took several months. And, If you find a good flying partner you’ll have more than just someone with whom to split expenses.
In our partnership, both of us have benefited a great deal. We took our transition training together, shared the expenses, and doubled our instructional time. One partner flew with the instructor while the other observed from the back-seat. Over this past year, we’ve shared many hours as safety pilot for each other and have enjoyed company on numerous cross-county flights. A good partnership will offer you the opportunity for more instruction, more flight time and more camaraderie in aviation.
So if you like aviation discounts, find one or several good flying partners, and shop the pre-owned Cirrus Aircraft market. Partnerships give you the benefit of a 50% – 75% discount on aviation costs. And, you can buy low-time Cirrus Aircraft (< 500 hrs.) at a ~37% discount off original price or choose one with higher times for greater discounts.
The combination of all-composite advanced performance, electronics and safety features, including the unique Cirrus Airframe Parachute System, is an unmatched experience for most general aviation flyers. You don’t get that new owner experience but its pretty close.
Over the next several weeks I’ll share my experience in the pre-owned Cirrus market, and blog on the following topics:
- Guidance on finding information
- Defining five categories and budgets for pre-owned Cirrus Aircraft
- Pre-owned Cirrus Aircraft “sweet spots”
- Market analysis 2008 SR22 G3 Perspective & more
Related articles:
- How to Sell an Aircraft, Part 1 of 5, click here
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