Help with new plane decision

[northern33]

Hi everyone,

I am new to flying. I am in the middle of flight training; just waiting for my medical to start flying solo. I am trying to purchase a C172 to complete my training along with a couple of other folks that will all go together on this airplane. Having a heck of a time trying to find a suitable C172 for us somewhat close to where we live in Canada. Our group is contemplating a few planes for our first airplane. Two of which are from Upper Valley Aviation in British Columbia. He's got two on his website (C-GHJX and C-FBFW).

http://www.uppervalleyaviation.com/airc ... -FBFW.html

Any advice you could give would be really appreciated. The plan is for 4 us to complete our PPL and do some flying for fun. I plan on continuing on to my CPL. From the description on each plane they look great. I am a bit curious on the avionics though. One of them has two Collins NAV/COM's and two VOR instruments (please excuse the poor descriptions - I'm still a student!!); while the other only has one of each. I really like the idea of having a backup radio, as our school planes have experienced radio failures quite a bit this Spring already. I just don't know how important it is to have two, nor any idea the cost of adding another radio to a plane.

Our other option is the plane I found in a aviation paper; it's a 1982 172P from http://www.nixonair.com Not knowing much about what surprises there may be with a repaired plane we are a bit cautious on this one of course. The owner has told me that there was lower firewall repairs from a landing and repair to the leading edge of a wing from an unrelated incident. He says that the repairs are well documented in the logs and the engine has been recently rebuilt with 15 recent hours on it since.

Any thoughts??

[elmog]

Acquiring the plane is actually the easiest part of an aircraft partnership. Making a 4-way partnership work will be the real trial. There are books available that delve into the intricacies of shared aircraft ownership and all parties involved should get a copy and discuss all the various issues that will come up that need to be addressed. I know your current concern is locating the right plane, but once you have it you must have a detailed plan or it just won't work. A lot of folks have had issues with just one partner, but having three requires mature personalities that work well together and completely understand what is expected of them and the consequences if they do not keep up their end of the bargain.
Now, concerning the plane. As a very low-time student pilot, you are going to need experienced help to steer through all the pitfalls of buying a safe and reliable aircraft. Anything less will just ruin your whole flying experience and could even prove injurious/fatal. Make sure to have any aircraft that you are seriously considering checked out by a licensed Airframe and Poweplant mechanic. Be sure that you read the aircraft's log books carefully and present any questions to your mechanic. The best rule of thumb is to let unbiased, experienced professionals assist you in your aircraft purchase. Even pilots that have been flying for years utilize professionals when seeking an aircraft purchase. It's the best money you will ever spend.
An aircraft that has been regularly flown is a better bet than one that has been sitting on the ground for years, even if it's considerably cheaper to buy. Sitting around is hard on an aircraft and any money saved will probably be spent in the form of corroded engine internals, tires, plexiglass etc... Also, a plane with no damage history (NDH) is preferable to one that has had airframe repairs performed. It's hard to verify that a repair has been done correctly by qualified mechanics, so go with one (if possible!) with NDH.
There are also books available on purchasing a used aircraft and this would be an excellent start. You seem eager to buy something, but patience will have it's reward. Jim