It’s actually a great sales pitch. An advertisement for a 1919 White Monoplane, a homebuilt canard pusher with an open-structure fuselage like the Demoiselle.
One line always catches my eye: “No longer is flying a sport for acrobats and millionaires.”
You know, we still have the same problem. Thousands of folks want to fly, but the cost is a pretty steep barrier. Many of them want an RV, a Zenith, a Sonex, etc., but one is looking at upward of $50,000 by the time they have a flyable aircraft.
Not a problem for the acrobats and the millionaires. But it might inhibit the “thousandaires” out there … those of us with a little bit extra money, but not to the extent that we’re able to buy a brand-new Lycoming for our hobby airplane.
It is possible to get into flying for significantly less: Buy an “Old Guard” homebuilt.
Going Classic
What’s an “Old Guard” homebuilt? One designed before full kits became the standard; the classic plansbuilt airplanes. Anytime a kit is involved, this places a sort of minimum value for the airplane. A plansbuilt example, on the other hand, has a much lower basic worth. The original builder might attempt to recover some level of their investment, but by the third or later owners, this is no longer a factor.
About 7% of the homebuilts in the FAA registry change hands every year. So if you do look into an older homebuilt, it’s very likely it has already had multiple owners. The Fly Baby I bought in 1996 had been completed in 1980—with three previous owners. They’d put all of 80 hours on the airplane.
So there’s nothing unusual about buying or selling homebuilts—they find new homes all the time.
Finding the Values
Of course, you’d love a used RV-7. But some models of homebuilts—especially RVs—demand a high premium, even in the used market.
There are alternatives. The Thorp T-18 is similar in size, similar in configuration, and often has the same engine as the RV-6. Its performance is quite close to the Van’s product (albeit it lands faster). It’s even all-aluminum, like the RVs. There are about 240 T-18s in the active registry. With about 7% of homebuilts going onto the block each year, that means about 16 T-18s become available in a given 12-month period.
The Midget Mustang II is another all-metal alternative. But if you’re willing to step outside the metal-aircraft community, the Piel Emeraude is a good alternative. Again, similar configuration, similar engines, just made of wood.
Options for the Financially Challenged
The T-18, Midget Mustang, and Emeraude generally sell for less than more-modern kit-type aircraft, but they can still be unaffordable for some of us. The option then is the serious Old Guard homebuilts: Planes like the Pietenpol, Volksplane, or Baby Ace, or the various small biplanes that were introduced in the ’60s or ’70s.
The Piet is nearing its 100th anniversary, and there are still almost 300 of them in the registry.
My favorite source of information on Old Guard homebuilts is the book The World of Sport Aviation, written by the legendary Budd Davisson in 1982. You’ll often find them at used bookstores.
Options for the Severely Financially Challenged
Need an airplane at the utterly lowest cost? Look at the single-seaters. They’re hard to sell, which means the prices stay pretty low. I’ve rarely seen a Fly Baby, for instance, sell for much more than $10,000.
For these inexpensive planes, you’ll find that the non-flying expenses predominate. I had been paying $650 a month for a Seattle-area hangar; even my new Portland-area one costs $400 a month. My hangar rent, even with the smaller hangar, is about three times more than what I’ll spend on gas.
Insurance? Liability for sure, that’ll cost you about $300–$500 a year. Hull insurance (which covers repair bills) runs significantly higher. I haven’t carried it, nor have I needed it in my about 30 years of Fly Baby ownership. It’s a risk, but if you avoid financing the airplane, it might be worth it.
Maintenance costs are going to depend on your own abilities. Anyone can work on a homebuilt, but the yearly condition inspection (equivalent to an annual) has to be performed by the original builder, an A&P, or the holder of a Light Sport inspection certificate (newly added under MOSAIC).
The other thing to consider is a partnership. According to the FAA, the average homebuilt flies just 50 hours per year. That isn’t even an hour per week; get a partner, or even two or three partners.
One other point about Old Guard single-seaters: They probably don’t have starters and need to be hand-propped. This is less an issue than some people make of it, but you’ll definitely want to get some instruction. The biggest danger isn’t getting whacked by the prop (though it happens); the largest issue is the plane getting away before you get in the cabin. Always have at least the tail tied down when hand-propping. A good investment is a glider tow hook that can be released from the cabin; one was installed on the original Fly Baby, and I flew it for seven years with no issues.
The Old Guard Flies, But …
Can they be risky? Heck yes. Here’s how you can mitigate them.
- Pick a popular homebuilt type, not something custom or with only one or two examples. The homebuilding community has always been pretty smart. Only one or two examples of a type may indicate a design with issues that scared away potential builders. You can research types in the EAA’s online magazine index.
- Find active aircraft. Sure, you can make a good deal on a hangar queen, but a lot of problems can arise during long-term inactivity. If the current owner is flying around and having a blast, you probably will, too.
- Get a prebuy inspection. Any A&P should be able to do this for you, but consider asking your EAA technical counselor to take a look at the aircraft, as well. If someone in your neighborhood owns the same type of plane, get them involved.
- Understand the aircraft before flying it. The original builder may have arranged some aspects of it different from what you’re used to. Heel brakes, for instance, or an odd location for the throttle or carb heat knob.
Note that for a single-seat aircraft, you probably won’t be able to take a flight test. Ask the owner to fly it in your presence and watch how it goes.
“Then how do I get a checkout?” Well, if it’s a single-seater, you won’t. The majority of the common aircraft have conventional handling. Take it carefully in the early days. If it’s a taildragger, get some dual in a Citabria or similar aircraft prior to your first flight.
Wrap-Up
I bought an Old Guard homebuilt in 1996, and, nearly 30 years later, am still flying it. It’s had mechanical issues over the years, but the design of these aircraft is pretty simple and advice on repairs has been easy to find.
You, too, can get aloft at a much lower cost than you might expect. And you’ll actually save by not having to learn how to be an acrobat!
A very well thought out and researched article. It’s true that cost is a major factor moving or keeping folks away from flying. This article is a great summation and good incentive to dig further, possibly into ultralights as well.
The single-seaters are the bottom of the lot and usually the most fun if you like to fly alone. The Boredom Fighter looks to be am excellent aircraft to fly and have fun with. To build one today would cost $$$, but a used one in good shape can be had for <10k