How to Buy a Used Airplane, with Mark Pilkington

By John Zimmerman
Aug 26, 2025
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Pilot's Discretion Podcast, episode 111

Experienced airplane broker and all-around Cessna expert Mark Pilkington shares invaluable tips for avoiding disaster when buying an airplane, including his advice for first-time buyers, the right way to do a pre-buy inspection, and what to look for when buying a utility airplane like a Cessna 185. He also explains how he became an accidental YouTube star, and what his newest video series is all about (think Airplane Repo). In the Ready to Copy segment, Mark talks about the worst airplane model to buy, handling engine failures, and English pubs.

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Quotes:

The biggest mistake airplane buyers make: “If you go to Toyota and buy a new Lexus that's three years old, it's perfect. If you buy a 73-year old Cessna 170 or a 180, it's going to have squawks. So you can't expect perfection.”
Buying an airplane with damage history: “you want to look at when it was fixed, who fixed it, and how extensive it was.”
Pre-buy vs. annual inspection: “if a plane is coming up for an annual within the next few months, do a pre-buy on it, and with that squawk list, roll it into an annual.”
The value of older Cessna taildraggers: “my golden rule of 180 valuation back in the early 90s was you get the year, 1955, add three zeros, and you have the approximate value: 55 grand. Now you triple that.”
The best all-around Cessna: “A 182 is probably the most versatile plane you can possibly own and buy because you can buy it, own it, insure it, maintain it from the beginning and learn in it.”
Why pilots love the 185: “They're just one of those planes that just hit the mark perfectly and they've got like a cult following, but they're also absolutely practical.”
New Cessnas vs. 70s and 80s Cessnas: “really what you're getting in a newer plane, 97 or newer, is leather seats, air vents, avionics, a Lycoming engine, fuel injection, and 150,000 more dollars for a very similar plane.”
Mark’s new YouTube series: “Top Gear, the British car/motoring TV show, is about as much about cars as Plane Crazy is about planes. So it's the fun and antics involved in aviation and the people you meet, the places you go, the adventures you have.”
How to manage an engine failure: “there's all kinds of things going on in your head, but just fly the plane to a flat place.”
The beauty of English pubs: “you need a pub on every corner where you go on an evening and meet friends and have a quiet drink and, you know, and catch up.”