Buying something used is almost always going to be less expensive than buying new. Obviously the point goes to buying used.
Buying something new has its own obvious benefit, that being that you know that someone else hasn’t mistreated your aircraft. Obvious point to buying new.
If you prefer lighter aircraft, buying used is probably the way to go. Designs have gotten heavier over the years. If you are looking at the used market, you can get very nice, nimble aircraft that are hard to obtain new. Point to buying used.
Some of the older aircraft are really old. Most of the used machines are older than 2004 when the sport pilot rule was put into place by the FAA. Right before the rule, there were probably hundreds of powered parachutes being built annually. After the rule, lots of pilots got out of flying, leaving a lot of aircraft pilotless. Manufacturers are still competing with their own older product to this day, which is one of the reasons very few manufacturers are making two-stroke, Rotax 582 powered parachutes. Old being really old, with very few slightly old models means a point for buying new.
Extra goodies is a reason to buy used. When someone sells their powered parachute, they often have little use for all of the other things they bought to enjoy the sport. Two-stroke oil, windsocks, aircraft radios, helmets, trailers, hardware, and spare parts can often be negotiated into the deal for a very nice price - if not just thrown in for free. That can save the used aircraft buyer even more money.
Power is good. There is no getting away from that. And one of the coincidences in the sport is that powered parachute manufacturers were just beginning to experiment with putting the one hundred horsepower Rotax 912 ULS engines on powered parachutes when the sport pilot rule came down the pike. That means that just as those more powerful engines were being introduced, overall powered parachute production went down. That means that one hundred horsepower powered parachutes are harder to find used, and very easy to find new.
And about those older engines. Most of them are two-stroke Rotax five-eighty-twos. They have a service life before overhaul of three hundred hours, which normally isn’t a problem since many powered parachutes are low-hour. However, Rotax also says that the two-stroke engines need to be overhauled after only seven years. That is thousands of dollars and another point for buying new. Add a possible need for a new parachute to the mix while you’re at it. That’s a few thousand more dollars. Oh, and older nine-twelve engines have their issues, too. There have been a lot of improvements in them in recent years.
Here is something that is a little geeky and not very well known. Older aircraft that have been certified as “experimental light sport aircraft or ELSA” have older, more generous versions, of mandated FAA operating limitations. It simply means that you can do a little bit more with those older aircraft than you can with a new aircraft certificated the same way. It’s subtle, but definitely a point for older, used aircraft.
Training is something most people don’t think about when purchasing an aircraft, but it is an issue. Every flight instructor has only so many people he or she can train in a given year. A lot of instructors will prioritize the students who have bought equipment from them. But what if you are the guy who buys a treasure on eBay or Craigslist? Who’s going to train you? This point goes to buying new.
If you’re mechanically inclined and like to learn about how things go together, buying and bringing an older machine up to flyable condition can be rewarding. In fact, there is a market out there for people who buy machines, fix them up and flip them. You can be that guy if you want. Definitely something you can only do if you buy used!
A lot of people ask me how long they can stay in the sky in a powered parachute and how far they can go. Older machines are almost all limited to ten gallon fuel tanks. Point for new.
And finally there is the persistent march of technology. New powered parachutes have better lighting, seating, engines, parachutes, wheels, shocks, instrumentation and probably more than their counterparts of only ten years ago. If you have the budget for a fine ride, then there are a lot of things you will enjoy about it.
Ultimately, buying a powered parachute is an investment. It is a tool to help you attain your dream of flight. And no matter what, powered parachutes are a bargain in the world of aviation. You can buy a superior, new powered parachute for around $45K. That sounds like a lot of money until you learn that a new Cessna 172 four-seat airplane will set you back ten times as much!
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