2yr PPL (about 300 hrs) with a 98 Piper Archer 3. (About 1500 since TBO, over 6k TT on airframe) I'm coming up on the last payment in 2 months, and I'm thinking about the future. The Archer isn't the plane I want to fly forever, although I'd be okay with it if that's the way it turned out. My wife likes flying places with me, but doesn't like being in such tight quarters. (She's normal size, I'm the big one at 6'/250lbs) We both want to move to a roomier, faster, more capable aircraft. The plan had been to run the Archer to TBO and the sell it as a run out, using the funds from the sale as down payment on the next plane. (We put about 150/yr on it right now, but expect that to go up with the new plane.)
The issue isn't what plane to buy. The issue is what, if anything, should I upgrade now, versus perhaps selling and trading up sooner.
I'm planning on doing my IFR training this summer/fall. I know that I don't need to upgrade my 430 to WAAS, but one of the destinations that we plan to fly IFR into on a regular basis doesn't appear to be interested in fixing their ILS. (KMRY) So, without WAAS, I wouldn't be able to legally fly the RNAV into there.
Options I'm considering:
1) Upgrade my 430 to 430W
2) Replace the 430 with the GTN650 (getting a discount with the 430 as trade-in)
3) Getting ADSB compliant at the same time
4) Selling the plane and trading up now, without doing any upgrades.
Should note that the plane spent the first 5 years of its life as a trainer for Luthansa in Arizona, and there are some gaps from that period in its maintenance logs. I paid $80k for it two years ago, and have sunk another $15k into it to make it what I consider airworthy. (Or I should say, what my wife considers airworthy.:grin
Also, the plane is IFR, with 2 VORs but no DME or ADF.
What do you all think?
The issue isn't what plane to buy. The issue is what, if anything, should I upgrade now, versus perhaps selling and trading up sooner.
I'm planning on doing my IFR training this summer/fall. I know that I don't need to upgrade my 430 to WAAS, but one of the destinations that we plan to fly IFR into on a regular basis doesn't appear to be interested in fixing their ILS. (KMRY) So, without WAAS, I wouldn't be able to legally fly the RNAV into there.
Options I'm considering:
1) Upgrade my 430 to 430W
2) Replace the 430 with the GTN650 (getting a discount with the 430 as trade-in)
3) Getting ADSB compliant at the same time
4) Selling the plane and trading up now, without doing any upgrades.
Should note that the plane spent the first 5 years of its life as a trainer for Luthansa in Arizona, and there are some gaps from that period in its maintenance logs. I paid $80k for it two years ago, and have sunk another $15k into it to make it what I consider airworthy. (Or I should say, what my wife considers airworthy.:grin
Also, the plane is IFR, with 2 VORs but no DME or ADF.What do you all think?
