It could be exactly the opposite. 5 years isn’t a long timeframe. Prices could go up as fewer and fewer pristine planes are available. Chris’ Bonnie does 180+ KTAS and has 6 seats. Aircraft are luxury items. Luxury items are bought by people with money. People with money tend to be good with money, so there will always be someone who can afford to get what they want by paying what a seller asks.
It is certainly not the case that you can always buy the plane you want.
Chris’ Bonanza is packed with avionics. I don’t know (or remember) any detail but I bet he had a lifetime’s worth of grief getting it all installed and working. That’s the nature of things… You can’t just buy a plane with all that stuff all working. Most pilots don’t understand their systems that well, so avionics installations can have lots of loose ends. But Chris is very techy and he does. So on his plane everything works as it should.
The engine and airframe is a bit easier to sort out, assuming you buy something with minimal corrosion.
If I somehow lost my TB20 I would look for the best possible GT, with TKS, and there are very few about for sale, with a decent avionics installation which is properly done and integrated.
kwlf wrote:
That said, is buying aircraft really that easy,
I do not think so. Look at buying a house, when you want one none are available. Look at the hours of internet threads people post about which plane to buy and the plethora of options people go through, who all generally ending up buying nothing. Yes there are always planes for sale, but few that may fit your spec, at your time, at your price. Same with cars, boats whatever. It is a lucky strike to get exactly want you want with all boxes ticked.
Hence the dilemma of what to do. The dilemma is extended when you have spent a fortune and have what you always wanted, not an easy task to dispose of when the time comes, which it does for us all. Interesting debate though.
dublinpilot wrote:
Will Chris still by flying at 80? Statistics say probably not. Still flying at 75? Maybe / maybe not. So perhaps 5 good years of flying.
A somewhat somber comment on this is that a very good friend & mentor who was an American captain, Navy fighter-and-everything-else pilot and GA pilot since he was a teenager has just run into medical issues at age 76 and his days of flying several times a week are looking to be numbered. The age issue is there.
5 years on a boat is a very long time. Most people don’t know if they will be around for another month, let alone 5 years doing a hazardous thing. And who knows, maybe around the world trip you will find somewhere better to live and never come back in the first place? Would not be the first one to decide like that.
If I knew I’d go away that long, I would probably rent out/sell all my properties. Or rather, in order to be able to go that long I’d have to.
Looking how even a car looks like if you park it for a year, I shudder at the idea of parking an airplane that long.
Peter wrote:
Chris’ Bonanza is packed with avionics. I don’t know (or remember) any detail but I bet he had a lifetime’s worth of grief getting it all installed and working.
Which makes it all the more hard to decide, as a lot of emotions are tied to that particular plane. I think all of us understand that.
But leaving a plane for 5 years in somebody else’s responsibility – isn’t that even harder ?
Avionics aren’t fully reflected in market prices, at least not in full. Chris spent a lot money on them, so he’ll get a comparably good price.
In 5 years, other owners will have spent similar amounts in their avionics, so when Chris then wants to buy a plane, he’ll likely get one similar.
EuroFlyer wrote:
But leaving a plane for 5 years in somebody else’s responsibility – isn’t that even harder ?
I would say yes, it’s even harder. If you leave it to someone expecting he/she will treat it as own property, it can work if everything is ok; the very moment something major needs attention (usually anything beyond regular maintenance) it will start to fall apart, regardless the trust or agreement conditions. It’s simply about the money and it’s not easy to expect someone would invest in someone else’s property to maintain it in working condition if it requires substantial funds. I would say the best decision is to sell and plan new acquisition when/if the time comes.
@Chris: Ever thought about travelling with both – the plane and the boat ?
Lets assume you want to sail the coastal waters of the U.S. and maybe the Caribbean. Why not transfer the plane once to i.e. Florida, keep it there, as another means of transport to places you cannot get to by boat ? It may involve a bit more logistical thinking, and maybe a bit more back and forth – but five years definitely is a long time, and you would keep your license alive. You could keep the plane, move it around, use it, charter it out from time to time, and much more.
Ever thought about that model ?
@Capitaine that would make nice RT call and confuse the hell of ATC 
