The International Cessna 170 Association

I have been a member for about a year now. There were 2 main reasons why I joined the 170 Association; I wanted to be able to glean knowledge about it and communicate with other owners who know first-hand the pros and cons of purchasing and owning the aircraft.

I am just about ready to purchase a 170 - it will be the first aircraft that I will have owned. I know how important a good pre-purchase is and was wondering if there are any club members who provide this service. Any assistance/advice that can be offered would be greatly appreciated.

The value of a good prepurchase inspection can not be overemphasied in my book! If you can find a mechanic or pilot that has experience with 170s I would go through them first, if not someone that knows about tailwheel airplanes next. Some of the major problems concerning tailwheel airplanes and especially older airplanes is damage history. Old damage properly repaired is not so bad but there are some terrible repairs made by some people. The gear box and wings a two big items as far as I am concerned. Also the rudder and elevator get some damage due to the tailwheel breaking at the main tailwheel spring. The other big thing with older airplanes is corrision. Good luck on your search, it can be fun but frustrating but you will certainly have an airplane to be proud of when you find the right one.
Ken Nesbitt