Scott "Sky" Smith, Author at Piper Owner Society

Flights Over Water: A cautionary tale and some tips to fly safely

Posted by Scott "Sky" Smith | Aviation Insurance & Finance

Photo by Jack Fleetwood (www.jackfleetwood.com) Growing up in the center of Iowa’s boating world...

Aircraft Financing: Options for borrowing to buy

Posted by Scott "Sky" Smith | Aviation Insurance & Finance

In my experience, most aircraft are owned for less than five years. Think about it, you buy a...

Complex Aircraft Issues: Ratings, costs, and insurance

Posted by Scott "Sky" Smith | Aviation Insurance & Finance

Piper Arrow 200 Photo by Jack Fleetwood (www.JackFleetwood.com) When I started flying, I could not...

Out of Hibernation, In the Air Again: Getting your airplane prepped for flying season

Posted by Scott "Sky" Smith | Aviation Insurance & Finance, Maintenance

I think most can agree that this has been quite a unique winter. Some pilots did not fly because...

How to Sell Your Aircraft

Posted by Scott "Sky" Smith | Aviation Insurance & Finance, Columns & Opinions

When I think about the term “affordable flying,” I think about an old Kenny Rogers song. There was...

Moving Up the Ladder: Consider this before buying a bigger plane

Posted by Scott "Sky" Smith | Aviation Insurance & Finance

Piper Navajo Photo by Jack Fleetwood (www.jackfleetwood.com) Are you thinking of changing your...

Limited Rental: Can I rent to my friends?

Posted by Scott "Sky" Smith | Aviation Insurance & Finance, Columns & Opinions

Have I talked about the term “pilot math” before? I usually discuss pilot math when I am sharing...

Store, Fly or Both

Posted by Scott "Sky" Smith | Maintenance

If you plan to store your airplane, treat the fluid and protect the engine from corrosion with a...

Learning to Buy or Buying to Learn: Which ownership path is better?

Posted by Scott "Sky" Smith | Aviation Insurance & Finance, Columns & Opinions

Not surprisingly, I regularly get calls from people who have decided that they want to learn to...

When to Fly Past TBO, and When It’s Dangerous

Posted by Scott "Sky" Smith | Aviation Insurance & Finance, Columns & Opinions

Photo by Brian Burger In the world of aircraft maintenance, few things come close to being as...

How Much is that Gem in the Hangar: Determining the Right Value for your Aircraft

Posted by Scott "Sky" Smith | Aviation Insurance & Finance

Photo by Jack Fleetwood Through the years, most aircraft have increased in value. We all should...

Flying Season Prep: Be Ready for any Flying Scenario

Posted by Scott "Sky" Smith | Become a Better Pilot

Photo by Jack Fleetwood www.JackFleetwood.com The holidays are over and I have started...

FloatPlanes & Insurance: Why you need to get a quote before you get floats

Posted by Scott "Sky" Smith | Aviation Insurance & Finance

Ray Cook’s Super Cub on floats. Photo courtesy of Ray Cook Must be something in the air…or...

Cost-sharing, Cost-Saving

Posted by Scott "Sky" Smith | Aviation Insurance & Finance

A better Piper aircraft ownership option is to just share the cost of operating the general aviation aircraft. In this case maybe the owner could just share the costs of owning the aircraft with another person or several people, but not share the actual ownership of the aircraft. There are a couple of problems associated with sharing the costs that need to be addressed.

Flying on Skis: Consider the risks and the options

Posted by Scott "Sky" Smith | Aviation Insurance & Finance

This 1963 Piper Super Cub is equipped with combination skis, which allow operation on snow and dry...

Ownership and Cost-Sharing Options Webinar

Posted by Scott "Sky" Smith | Aviation Insurance & Finance, Sky Smith Webinars, Webinars

Scott “Sky” Smith presents this webinar for Piper Owner Society members to help you plan your ownership and cost-sharing structure for your Piper. What You Will Learn What alternative ownership options are...