RUDDER & WRENCH 4 STEPS TO PURCHASING YOUR FIRST AIRCRAFT 1 2 Understand your financial picture. 3 4 Apply and get approved. Most small general aviation shops are not repair stations; big shops and those that work on turbines are more commonly repair stations. A Part 145 repair station holds an FAA certificate and receives a much greater degree of FAA oversight. By contrast, a non-repair station is just a collection of certificated mechanics flying in close formation, the shop itself is not accountable to the FAA, only the mechanics who work there are accountable as individuals. Feds avoid taking risks " Another problem for the government involves liability if an employee makes a decision when working outside of or even close to the reasonable limits of their authority-and then something bad happens, " Fred told me. " That costs the taxpayers! The government has almost unlimited pockets when it comes to liability and gets sued often. " I've long noticed that government Negotiate the purchase. Close on your first aircraft. employees seem to be more risk averse than those in private industry. Fred's observation helps explain why. " The ASI who became involved with the Bonanza probably did go out on a limb, " I said to Fred. " He may well have put his job at risk to help obtain a good outcome for the aircraft owner. That makes him a hero in my book. " " I agree with your assessment, " Fred told me. (He no longer works for the FAA, so I guess he's allowed to say that.) mike.busch@savvyaviation.com savvyaviation.com Call for a quote today! 1.844.674.2761 AOPAFinance.org/FirstTimeBuyer Ask the A&Ps / Mike Busch, Paul New, and Colleen Sterling answer your toughest aviation maintenance questions on our Ask the A&Ps podcast. Submit questions to podcasts@aopa.org. aopa.org/ask-the-a-and-pshttp://www.savvyaviation.com http://www.AOPAFinance.org/FirstTimeBuyer http://www.aopa.org/ask-the-a-and-ps