How to Buy the Right Airplane: Lessons From 12 Airplanes in 25 Years
Mark Woglom has owned about a dozen airplanes, from a Cessna 182 to a Citation CJ3+. Here is his framework for buying with your head instead of your heart.
Buying an airplane is easy to get wrong. In Episode 367, Mark Woglom, who has owned about a dozen airplanes in 25 years, shares the framework he uses to choose the right one, and why he calls it buying with your head instead of your heart.
- 01A framework built on finances, features and function
- 02Why the mission is the most overlooked part of the decision
- 03How to read manufacturer range claims, brokers and forums skeptically
- 04Comparing airplanes fairly with a normalized fuel reserve
- 05Rules of thumb for insurance, capital cost, maintenance and hidden costs
- 06Earning a type rating in your mid-fifties
Finances, features and function
Mark’s framework weighs three things together. Most buyers start with features. Mark argues the mission, what you actually need the airplane to do, gets overlooked most often.
Be skeptical of the numbers
Manufacturer range claims, broker pitches and forum opinions all deserve a second look. Mark explains how he compares airplanes fairly using a normalized fuel reserve.
The real cost of ownership
Mark shares rules of thumb for insurance, capital cost, maintenance and the hidden costs that surprise new owners, plus what it was like to keep an airplane through a five-year break from flying.
A type rating in his mid-fifties
Mark’s path ran from a Cessna 182 to his current CJ3+, including earning a type rating in his mid-fifties.
Mark Woglom
Mark Woglom has owned about a dozen airplanes over 25 years, from a Cessna 182 to his current Citation CJ3+, and earned a type rating in his mid-fifties.
Frequently asked questions
How do I choose the right airplane to buy?
Mark Woglom recommends weighing finances, features and function together, and starting with the mission: what you actually need the airplane to do.
How can I compare aircraft range fairly?
Mark compares airplanes using a normalized fuel reserve rather than relying on manufacturer range claims.
What costs do new airplane owners overlook?
Mark covers insurance, capital cost, maintenance and other hidden ownership costs in this episode.
