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I am looking to buy a Cessna 182. I am trying to work out the sweet spot between age and price. I am looking for a plane that will be really reliable. I am looking to spend several months flying around the USA with my wife and prefer not to spend my whole time dealing with mechanics. Some questions:

  1. At what age does a regularly maintained airframe most commonly start needing frequent repairs?
  2. At what age does the depreciation slow down (so I can buy and sell the plane after three years with minimal loss)?
drabjohns
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  • I think this question might be considered too broad/opinion based and impossible to answer. But basically you have airframe, avionics and engine to consider. I would consider a well maintained 182 with 5000 hours or less on airframe to be no problem (everyone else will surely have a different answer). For the engine, you want to make sure it is regularly flown. I rather have an engine with 1200 that was overhauled 2 years ago, then an engine with 120 hours that was overhauled 20 years ago. Finally, for avionics, find a plane that has what you want already installed. – Devil07 Jul 29 '17 at 14:11
  • David, I have removed the 2nd question because it would still call for opinions. I have left the other two because I think they might be answerable. (I am not sure though, we'll see what the community thinks) – Federico Jul 29 '17 at 19:04
  • Never, depending on your definitions of "well maintained" and "frequent"; 2) After 15-20 years or so, I think you will find that well-maintained planes appreciate (at least before inflation) due to supply & demand.
    • – jamesqf Jul 29 '17 at 19:36
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    OK thanks for the help. This is my first time out :) – drabjohns Jul 29 '17 at 19:40
  • I'm tempted to say "5 minutes after you get the key for any aircraft". There's always something to tinker with after all and that's about the time it takes to run to the aircraft and start tinkering... – jwenting Jul 31 '17 at 11:33