My dad passed away earlier this year, and his favorite toy was his Cessna 210. He was an IA/AP mechanic, and ran a business at his local airport in Rifle.

I’m not a pilot, and have no use for it, and my mom is incurring the hangar/insurance/maintenance costs, so I’ve offered to help her try to sell it.


Holy cow, this is not like selling a car. Navigating the complex world of selling a 1960 aircraft is a new experience.

I’m getting the usual scammers and dirtbags I expected from the internet, those are easy to filter out.

But the legitimate inquiries are asking me things that require a deep knowledge of aircraft engines, avionics, and airworthy directives that I know literally zero about.

We have a close family friend (a retired Air Force pilot) that is helping. That’s been a huge help.

I know this is high on the list of “first world problems”, but if you smart people have any experience with this situation and can offer any advice I would love to hear it.

How do I help mom avoid getting ripped off?
What is “normal” for this kind of transaction? Pre-sales inspections?
Should I digitize the logbooks and send them to anybody that asks?
I have an add on Barnstormers, are there any other websites you’d recommmed?

Are the auction companies all predatory? I get the feeling they would definitely try to screw people.

You might want to place the aircraft with an experienced and honest broker. Beware that there are plenty of dishonest brokers out there as well.

Ask your retired Airforce pilot for suggestions, and also ask around the airfield where the plane was kept, particularly the mechanic's shop where it was maintained.

A good broker will familiarize himself with the logs and condition of the aircraft and be able to handle those questions.

https://www.controller.com/ is one of the main sites for listing and selling aircraft. You can also look on there for similar make / model / year / features to get an idea of price range. There are 100 Cessna 210s listed on there today.

You can reduce expenses a bit for now, by contacting the insurance agency and changing the coverage to "Not In Motion." This will maintain necessary coverage like fire, theft, liability, etc., but will remove coverage for flight and depending on the policy, might also remove coverage for taxiing under its own power.

Scanning the maintenance log books to make digital copies is an excellent idea. Most potential buyers will want to see the logs.

Pre-sale inspection at buyer's expense is pretty normal; I would never buy an airplane without having that done by a trusted maintenance technician.

As far as placing an ad, there's probably a Cessna forum, that would be a good place.

The last airplane that I owned prior to the v-tail was a 1960 C-210, same model as your Dad's. Nice airplane, roomy, decent speed on reasonable fuel burn. The most significant problem I had with it was the hydraulic system that retracts and extends the landing gear.

Sorry about your loss.

Link Controller Cessna 210

There are 87 listings for the 210, different years, options, etc, looks like a good place to list, at least from volume standpoint.

Good luck it appears to be a good sized asset for your mom, turning it to useable cash is a good thing.

Is there a for sale board at the airport, maybe someone that knew the plane and/or your dad would like it.

A pre-purchase inspection is ideally done by the buyer's choice of mechanic. And a test flight is also typical. Both will require insurance.

The broker is a good idea. He should vet the buyer to be sure they have the money and are legit. He should be able to provide a qualified pilot to conduct a test flight.

Sitting unused is really hard on an airplane. Plus, as you know, there are fixed expenses. It is best to sell it and be done, rather than holding out for a top dollar offer. Price it realistically.

About 7-8 years ago a local pilot died unexpectedly, 80 years old or so. Not long afterwards his 85 Piper Dakota was for sale. I had a friend that was in the know, plus I was interested in the airplane.

I looked at it a few months after his passing, 2 adult sons, and another there to show. They wanted $125k for the plane, ‘blue book’(V-ref) was in the low to mid 90’s. I would have bought at 95k. They had an ‘expert’ advising them.

2.5 years later, the plane sold for $82k, guy from NY. They had a lot of emotion tied to the plane, after all it was Dad’s. It was very original, the engine needed attention.

Aircraft can vary much more than automobiles ‘on condition’. Two aircraft of the same year can have much different values.

It’s not good for aircraft to sit long either, unused.

There are tons of moving, legal, inspection parts that all have to flow smoothly. Even people experienced on small aircraft sales have a tough time keeping up. Legal records that must be inspected with FAA going to back to the original manufacture of the airplane, and every inspection and part since then. There are so many things you don't know you don't know, that you are stepping into a minefield. I would hire a competent broker to handle it all, and relieve all your stress at an already stressful time.

Edit to add i have a college buddy who flys for American that does brokering on the side. He is based in Denver, but that doesn't mean much in aircraft brokering. I can pass along his contact info if you are interested.

As an aside, i sold my airplane a couple years ago. The guy who bought it was a very experienced buyer, and i was a moderately experienced seller. He had the cash in hand, in escrow and the deal still took over 7 months. He came down to inspect it one day and did a very thorough corrosion inspection that took 8 hours, in my hangar. Then a couple test flights. Then i had to take it and get it inspected fir it's legally mandated Annual, every airplane has to get an annual every year, mine cost me about 4500 dollars for this sale, that inspection took 3 weeks.
After that the title research had to go through the FAA records search which traced the ownership and liens back to new. This is where we hit a snag. A bank from 40 years ago filed two sets of paperwork. When the loan was paid off, the second set of paperwork never got update. According to the FAA this bank still had a vested interest in the airplane and held up the title transfer. It took me 3 more weeks to track down records from this bank. It had sold to a mega bank 30 years agao, after the loan was paid off, then merged with a different bank, and then closed, after winding up as a Bank Of America. BofA, wanted NOTHING to do with any of it. And every other contact had dried up, but i found copies of the original paperwork from 40 years ago. I presented all the documents to the FAA, showing them that both sets had the same filing number, same case number same origin date, same everything proving without a doubt it was just duplicate paperwork, and not a second lien. They accepted my paperwork and approved the title transfer, but not without the caveat to my buyer that there may still be a vested interest in the plane and my title was not clear.
Luckily he was very experienced and understood what was happening. And the whole time we had aircraft lawyers on retainer through the escrow company who were also working on the title. So we had a professional escrow team working on the FAA, the experienced buyer working his side, me working my side for 3 weeks nd we barely got the deal done, on an all cash deal. If you get a buyer trying to get a loan, this would be a deal killer. Please hire someone to help you, there are tons of chances to get ripped off, or expose yourself to liability and at the very least a massive headache. This is not a simple transaction. It is very complicated. Get some help, if you want to do it right.

Sorry to hear about your dad. Selling an aircraft is definitely trickier than selling a car. Make sure you get a thorough pre-sales inspection; it helps set a fair price and shows you're serious. Digitizing the logbooks is a smart move—makes sharing them easier. Besides Barnstormers, try Controller.com and Trade-A-Plane; they’re well-regarded. Be cautious with auction companies—they can be aggressive, so working with a reputable broker might be a better option. Stick to clear communication and meet buyers in person or via video to avoid scammers. It’s great that you’re helping your mom through this tough process.

quote:

As a non-pilot, selling an airplane is hard.

I can't imagine it would be easy for anybody. There are a lot more legalities to observe with aircraft than with, say, your old golf clubs on Craigslist.

I am currently marketing a 1972 T210 for a close friend. Be prepared for many tire kickers, and odd requests from some only half interested. Aircraft don't have titles per se, but are registered with the FAA. Pre buy inspections are on the buyer. A current annual is a bonus. Lots to know a deal with. I don't agree that a broker is actually required. The one I have dealt with locally is not the most honest fellow I know. Good luck.

I’m very sorry for your loss. I’ve left my wife instructions to call a specific broker if something ever happens to me so my plane doesn’t become a burden. If I were in your shoes I would figure out who are the high volume independent brokers of 210s and enlist their help.

I found your ad. I’m going to give it to you straight. The only thing you have to market that I see is the low time engine, and that’s only if the overhaul was performed by name brand overhaul shop. If your dad did it himself- he may be very competent- but it will be a more difficult sell. Paint interior are dated. The instrument panel is old- the instrument layout doesn’t match a standard steam gauge layout

I suspect there’s some sentimental value to you and your family, and I’m sure it was a special plane to your dad. That value just isn’t there for a buyer, but the 210 is a capable plane. If the engine is good, I would play up that low time engine and she should fly again. A fresh overhaul on that engine is going to cost almost as much as what you’re asking for the plane, and 300 hrs SMOH will sell as nearly new. If it’s a no damage history airframe with a good overhaul, it should sell. I would play up the strengths of your listing.

Typically scan logs (at least for the last few years) to prove that maintenance on the plane is real, and that any damage history to the plane was completely repaired. Allow a buyer to examine any records or the plane, but no removing inspection panels or intrusive inspections without a contract. If you allow a test flight of the plane before you sell, make sure there is insurance coverage for the flight.

Contact ALL of the flight schools in your area and close by areas. They have the ability to buy it and service it in house. They can take it off your hands VERY quickly. Even if they don't buy it, they will put the word out for you.

No point in spending $8k-$10k to maintain/store/insure it short term to just get the same or a bit more back after many months of stress and time being invested.

As others have said, time is the key. the longer you hold it the more it will cost to hold it.

I found the listing also. It is an older model, but your price reflects that.

Here's the deal with planes; you have a lot of dreamers. First, dreamers that they'll one day have a license or a plane; most never do. Don't let those folks waste your time. Personally I wouldn't list my phone, only an email. Folks will want to know about it's maintenance history. Agree with EC, scan last couple of years of engine and a/c logs such that you can email to them. It might be easier to sell if the plane were in annual. Sometimes the purchaser would rather do that themselves as part of a prebuy inspection. That cost is on the purchaser. You'll have to judge whether that'd be worth it; usually costs couple grand and that's if nothing's wrong with it. Second, even if modest by airplane standards, most don't have that much money. You may find it odd, but they think arranging for the funding is the last step is the process. They'd be wrong; it's harder than you might imagine to get somebody to loan you on the order of six figures for a sixty year old airframe. I don't need to tell you that you want all cash at closing? ;-)

You'll have to be patient. Planes can be on the market for many months, sometimes longer, before they sell. A good argument for not getting the annual...I looked up the broker I used when I purchased mine, he's since retired.

I would encourage you to consider using a broker. Be leery of the local mechanic who says he is also a/c broker, leasing and managment business; although some larger shops may. To sell an a/c, it's a deep and prolonged marketing effort. They're usually marketed across the country if not internationally. Given you're in Texas, it'd make sense to do so across Mexico too.

quote:

Originally posted by ECSquirrel:
I’m very sorry for your loss. I’ve left my wife instructions to call a specific broker if something ever happens to me so my plane doesn’t become a burden. If I were in your shoes I would figure out who are the high volume independent brokers of 210s and enlist their help.

I found your ad. I’m going to give it to you straight. The only thing you have to market that I see is the low time engine, and that’s only if the overhaul was performed by name brand overhaul shop. If your dad did it himself- he may be very competent- but it will be a more difficult sell. Paint interior are dated. The instrument panel is old- the instrument layout doesn’t match a standard steam gauge layout

I suspect there’s some sentimental value to you and your family, and I’m sure it was a special plane to your dad. That value just isn’t there for a buyer, but the 210 is a capable plane. If the engine is good, I would play up that low time engine and she should fly again. A fresh overhaul on that engine is going to cost almost as much as what you’re asking for the plane, and 300 hrs SMOH will sell as nearly new. If it’s a no damage history airframe with a good overhaul, it should sell. I would play up the strengths of your listing.

Typically scan logs (at least for the last few years) to prove that maintenance on the plane is real, and that any damage history to the plane was completely repaired. Allow a buyer to examine any records or the plane, but no removing inspection panels or intrusive inspections without a contract. If you allow a test flight of the plane before you sell, make sure there is insurance coverage for the flight.

Thanks! There really isn't any sentimental value for us, other than we know my dad loved it. Appreciate the feedback.

Don’t spend money on an annual. A serious buyer will pay for a good pre purchase inspection. My approach has been, “I want you to do the inspection part of an annual inspection (none of the maintenance) and report back on condition and further costs required to for any repairs needed for you to sign off the annual.” If there are problems either the deal goes away or the the price gets adjusted accordingly. If not, mechanic is instructed to finish the annual and my newly purchased airplane has a fresh annual by my mechanic.

quote:

Originally posted by slosig:
Don’t spend money on an annual. A serious buyer will pay for a good pre purchase inspection. My approach has been, “I want you to do the inspection part of an annual inspection (none of the maintenance) and report back on condition and further costs required to for any repairs needed for you to sign off the annual.” If there are problems either the deal goes away or the the price gets adjusted accordingly. If not, mechanic is instructed to finish the annual and my newly purchased airplane has a fresh annual by my mechanic.

Although I lean towards the same conclusion, there are a few competing factors for doing an annual on the plane.

- Out of annual planes generally sell for less than an in annual plane
- It's usually reasonable to move the plane up to a couple hundred miles for an inspection. That's not an option here without a ferry permit.
- If you do allow the plane to be moved with a ferry permit, the plane is stuck away from home and isn't airworthy without completing the annual.
- It's not possible to test fly the plane prior to completing the annual; a ferry permit will likely specify required crew only (limited opportunity to test equipment as well).

Not sure if the annual inspection would impact the selling price enough to cover the cost. The other strategy is to go to a reputable shop and pay for an annual and offer the inspection detail to a buyer in an attempt to avoid the headache of a prebuy inspection. I don't know enough about the 210 market to have a strong opinion on strategy, but my bias is to do nothing and allow a buyer to deal with the problem, acknowledging the lower sales price. The low time engine, assuming it's a good overhaul, is what will sell this plane.