Airplane Ownership

For the first-time airplane buyer, this book is an invaluable resource and guide. The award-winning author offers money-saving information on everything a private pilot needs to consider before and after buying a plane: selection, purchasing, financing, hangaring, maintenance, legal issues, and much more.

Get your first plane!

Here, Ron Wanttaja walks you through the exciting process of shopping for, then acquiring and caring for your first airplane. Featuring lots of new information and photographs, this second edition includes the Light Sport category and Sports Pilot license, and emphasizes how to minimize cost of ownership for a wide range of planes. Aviation journalist Wanttaja, winner of the 1992 Aviation/Space Writers' Association Award of Excellence, guides you through every step — before and after your purchase.

Expert guidance on:

• Prices and real-world operating expenses
• Cutting the costs of plane ownership
• Sizing up planes, from modern to antiques, used to partially completed homebuilts
• Privileges and limitations of the Light Sport Aircraft category
• Renting vs. owning; partnerships and leasebacks
• Pitfalls to avoid
• Preownership inspections—avoiding getting burned
• Paperwork needed to buy and register aircraft
• Getting financing and the right insurance
• Updated owner inspection and maintenance procedures—what you can and can't do, illustrated

With real ownership case histories for old and modern aircraft

Ronald J. Wanttaja is an award-winning aviation writer and a former systems engineer with Boeing, who worked in satellite orbit/constellation design and analysis, launch vehicle and onboard propulsion system trades, and operations concepts for space systems. He worked on the early design studies for the International Space Station. An Air Force veteran, he was an on-duty operator for the Defense Support Program missile early-warning satellite. As a freelance aviation journalist, he has written for Private Pilot, Flying, Sport Aviation, Flight Line, Kitplanes, and other publications. He is author of the book Kit Airplane Construction, Third Edition, also from McGraw-Hill. His aviation writing has won several prizes, including Flying Magazine's "Bax Seat Trophy" and a journalism award from the Aviation/Space Writer's Association. Mr. Wanttaja has also written and published historical fiction.

Ronald J. Wanttaja is an award-winning aviation writer and a former systems engineer with Boeing, who worked in satellite orbit/constellation design and analysis, launch vehicle and onboard propulsion system trades, and operations concepts for space systems. He worked on the early design studies for the International Space Station. An Air Force veteran, he was an on-duty operator for the Defense Support Program missile early-warning satellite. As a freelance aviation journalist, he has written for Private Pilot, Flying, Sport Aviation, Flight Line, Kitplanes, and other publications. He is author of the book Kit Airplane Construction, Third Edition, also from McGraw-Hill. His aviation writing has won several prizes, including Flying Magazine's "Bax Seat Trophy" and a journalism award from the Aviation/Space Writer's Association. Mr. Wanttaja has also written and published historical fiction.