Home Buying a Used Homebuilt

Buying a Used Homebuilt

You don’t necessarily have to build your own airplane to enjoy the benefits of an Experimental/Amateur-Built aircraft. A so-called “homebuilt” often has more performance than a similarly sized production-line aircraft and almost always has more modern equipment—all for less money, sometimes far less, than what you’d pay for a much older Cessna or Piper. Even better, as the owner you can make substantial additions and need only to have a licensed A&P mechanic perform the annual condition inspection. The flexibility doesn’t stop with the original builder.

Where do you start? Right here. We’ve assembled some of the most valuable features on buying a flying homebuilt from Dave Prizio, our resident maintenance guru, and other authors. Dave is a Designated Airworthiness Representative and recent winner of the Tony Bingelis Award for dedicated service to the homebuilt community, as well as a multi-time builder himself. Click on the features below to get your research started—and welcome to the family.

Buying Used: GlaStar

This article begins a new series that takes off from our previous articles on buying a used Experimental/Amateur-Built airplane. Where the previous series took...

In Case You Missed it

Can You Calibrate Your Hand?

Every aircraft kit is designed with a number of nut and bolt fasteners that...

Preparing for Your First Flight

The paperwork, the plane, and the pilot must come together for success.

Ask the DAR

Higlander gross weight increase, using certified parts in a plansbuilt Cub.

Design Process: Aileron Types

The size and planform of the ailerons are set by the roll-control power needed...