Aging like fine wine

I forgot to include it in the previous post but, when I was speaking with the mechanic a couple days ago, he commented that the airframe is in very good condition. Because my plane was originally used as a trainer, it has a lot of time on it. In fact, it has over 12,000 hours total time on the airframe. There are a few other planes in this line with similar time, but most have far less.

One reason it's still in good condition is that, when it was used for flight training at the University of Illinois, it was also used for mechanic training so it was maintained to a high standard during that time. And it has continued to be well maintained since then. Another reason is that Beechcraft built quality airplanes. They may not be the fastest, but they're solid. So, even though the engine needed overhauling, and it could use some paint, the bones are very good.

I have no reason to believe that this airplane will still be flying in ten or even twenty years time. I don't know how long I'll have it, but it's entirely possible this will be the only plane I ever own.

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A Man and His Airplane

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