This year I owned an airplane: a 1973 Piper Cherokee 140 (PA-28-140), tail number N15927, with a Garmin GTN 650 + GTX 335 and a leather interior. At the time of inspection the hours were: ACTT 3,651, Tach 1,013, Hobbs 1,581, and 600 hours to TBO.

Purchasing the plane was an adventure in itself. We first got a plane near Dallas under contract. However, the seller determined he could not let go of the plane and backed out. We later found the Piper Cherokee, tail number N15927, in Tupelo, MS.

August 5, 2023 - The panel during the beginning. The Garmin GTN 650 + GTX 335 is one of the big reasons this Cherokee stood out.

August 5, 2023 - A look at N15927 in the hangar.

August 5, 2023 - Side profile. A flight-school Cherokee.

August 5, 2023 - Piper Cherokee 140.

Owning a plane and owning a boat have their two best days in common: the day you buy it and the day you sell it. My plane spent its life at a flight school, and I never flew it.

September 25, 2023 - Cowling off for the cylinder repairs.

September 25, 2023 - The engine with heads exposed.

September 25, 2023 - View inside wing for structural inspection.

September 25, 2023 - Airframe detail: green primer and no corrosion.

September 25, 2023 - Under the plane: exhaust, nose gear, and a mechanic’s eye on everything.

September 25, 2023 - Fifty years of history to look through.

September 25, 2023 - The wing on jacks.

September 26, 2023 - Tried a new carburetor before cylinder, didn’t help.

Due to life circumstances changing after buying the plane, I moved and never continued my flight training. I left the plane with a startup flight school.

The plane was never a good investment. It always cost money, and it did break even for the most part. We experienced needing to replace a whole cylinder shortly into ownership, and this cost a few thousand dollars.

November 16, 2023 - The overhaul shop floor. Cylinders everywhere.

November 16, 2023 - A piston in hand. A few thousand dollars, delivered.

November 16, 2023 - Cylinder base and crankcase studs, up close.

November 16, 2023 - Cylinder barrel seated on the crankcase.

November 16, 2023 - A row of cylinders waiting their turn.

November 16, 2023 - Pistons, rods, and cylinders on the bench. The most expensive part of year one.*

It is possible to be in the aviation business at a very high level such as in jets, commercial aviation, or doing services for wealthy people. However, I do not believe I will be making any investments in aviation at the scale that this was on; it would not have outgrown a hobby.

I can see a future flying and continuing to aviate, but always remembering: it is a hobby, not an investment.