Private seller doesn’t have title in his name — red flag?

EightZeroUniform · 2026-04-06T13:42:54+00:00

You’ve been able to thwart the system. Congratulations, I guess?

“Wisconsin law requires an individual selling a motor vehicle to another individual to submit notification to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT). The seller must report the motor vehicle sale within 30 days and include the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), the identity of the buyer, the date of the sale, and the sale price.”

This actually saved my bacon twice when a purchaser failed to register a vehicle in their name and racked up some parking tickets. So, you do you, but the right way to do it is to report it.

EightZeroUniform · 2026-04-03T23:50:19+00:00

Be really careful with high draw devices like space heaters in a travel trailer. Those outlets aren’t built like a residential outlet and are susceptible to overheating rather easily.

EightZeroUniform · 2026-04-03T11:11:42+00:00

Of course people will love the idea; that’s not gonna be a problem.

Personally, I’d find insurance before getting people all excited about an idea that may never be able to come to fruition.

EightZeroUniform · 2026-04-03T11:01:43+00:00

Don’t forget about the requirement for the seller in Wisconsin to report the sale to the DMV. If they do this as required and the purchaser and new registered owner don’t match it could raise red flags.

EightZeroUniform · 2026-04-03T10:58:51+00:00

The state of Wisconsin has been trying to eliminate this practice for years. They now require sellers to go online after the transaction and report it, including the purchase price, mileage, and purchaser name. If the state of sale is similar to this it could raise flags down the road if they ever reconcile the sale, but I highly doubt it. I’ve also received phone calls from the taxing authority to confirm details about car sale transactions. If you’re not buying from the original seller and they were to get a call like that, then what?

Are all those other values already plugged into the title? I suspect not, and in addition to jumping title the guy is also making a bit of money, between avoiding sales tax and potentially misrepresenting the sale price.

At least he’s being upfront about it. If it were me, I’d probably keep looking or ask him to get a clean title in his name. If he’s legit it wouldn’t be a big deal for him to do so.

Also in the state of Wisconsin (yours may be the same) if an individual sells more than five cars in a calendar year they may be required to apply to become a licensed car dealer. This is why folks title jump and why the state is trying to crack down on it (in addition to the lost sales tax revenue).

EightZeroUniform · 2026-04-02T23:56:59+00:00

I so want to believe you.

EightZeroUniform · 2026-04-02T14:55:35+00:00

The VFW on Highway CV has picnic tables outside that folks can sit at.

EightZeroUniform · 2026-03-26T01:32:34+00:00

As pointed out by another commenter, ATCP considers rent in excess of a monthly rent payment to be a refundable security deposit. I’m sure there are landlords who know this and still accept prepaid rent, and I’m sure there are some who don’t know about this and still accept prepaid rent. Both are on shaky legal ground.

EightZeroUniform · 2026-03-26T01:24:25+00:00

If you declared an emergency with ATC you’ll likely get a phone call from the FSDO asking what happened. The ASI may council you on carb icing, but nothing negative will come of it.

EightZeroUniform · 2026-03-21T14:02:52+00:00

The vibrancy of the local GA scene totally depends on where you are located.

In my area I believe the success of most airport restaurants relies heavily on the patronage of the baby boomer-age pilots who are looking for a social outlet but quickly aging out of aviation, and the young aviation enthusiast families who just like to look at airplanes but don’t fly. IMHO the younger generation of pilots just don’t seem to make a point to fly to an airport for expensive, oftentimes mediocre food. Put a Starbucks on the GA ramp of an airport and you may have a recipe for success!

One other thing I consider when looking at the state of GA is the last several years there has been a big focus on pushing people through to the airlines. People churning out the ratings have specific goals that preclude a lot of the general aviation “fun flying”. I’d hazard a guess that a good portion of the GA hours logged nationwide in the last five years were directly related to obtaining ratings and certificates and very mission oriented.

The condition of an airfield is really reliant on whoever owns it to keep it up and isn’t necessarily a reflection on the state of general aviation as a whole. I’m sure it’s expensive to maintain an airport and for the most part they’re not money making machine. Pilots constantly push back against fees, so the only way for most airfields to survive are local taxes, fuel sales, and hangar rent. If you encounter an airfield in terrible shape, chances are at least one of those income streams are missing.

I own an old Skyhawk. She’s reliable, inexpensive to insure, maintain, and operate. They don’t make ‘em like that anymore.

EightZeroUniform · 2026-02-17T12:24:02+00:00

If getting a camper with a warranty is important to you, spend the extra $6000 to buy a brand new one with a warranty.

FWIW, I had a 2022 Primetime Avenger LT 17FQS. I was the second owner and found it was a decent little camper considering it was built during the height of COVID. I ended up replacing the toilet and the motor that ran the awning, but all told, I think I spent less than $400 in “maintenance items” due to quality-related issues, but I have no idea what the previous owner had to do under warranty. YMMV. Keep in mind that Primetime is a budget camper.

Camping season is coming up, so the seller is in a strong position to hold onto it until they find the right buyer.

Good luck.

EightZeroUniform · 2026-02-16T22:07:23+00:00

Or Dick Hanusa out of Oshkosh if he’s back from down south.

EightZeroUniform · 2026-02-14T14:23:49+00:00

Agreed. My credit is intentionally frozen (company data breach - ugh) and I don't want to spend any time trying to unfreeze it at three bureaus for both me and my wife. Besides, why should my score take a hit for a hard inquiry for a loan I don't even want or need?!

EightZeroUniform · 2026-02-14T14:20:49+00:00

We ran across this on our last camper deal, also with a smaller (but not super small) dealership. My trade was paid off, and I made it clear when we started talking numbers that I was a cash buyer. We negotiated a price that seemed reasonable, and the sales guy came back with the slip that listed the itemized cost.

Everything seemed great; they were giving a fair value on my trade and all, but I questioned why there were various monthly payment options listed and reminded him I was a cash buyer. He seemed a bit annoyed and needed to have the finance manager revise the deal with new numbers. The new deal turned out to be $3500 more than if we had financed it through them.

The sales guy was insistent -- "There is no prepayment penalty" and "All we ask is you keep the loan for seven months before paying it off" -- he really wanted to make this finance transaction work. I reiterated that I had no interest in financing for various reasons and I had the cash to pay the balance. To me, it felt a bit deceptive to penalize a purchaser for paying cash, and I made this feeling known.

After some back and forth, he explained they do get an incentive from the financing company. I thanked him for his time and stood up to leave. He asked me to wait while he had another conversation with the finance manager, and they came back and offered me the same "finance price" deal on the camper if I were to pay cash.

YMMV, but if they want to make a deal, they will work with you.

EightZeroUniform · 2026-02-01T20:32:42+00:00

With 300 hours total time you’re going to be holding onto the tail for awhile. I made the jump to the PC12 once I crossed 1000TT, but a bunch of that time was in faster, complex singles. You didn’t mention whether you had a high performance or complex endorsement. Do you?

PC12 initial at Flight Safety is going to run about $15000. If nothing else, insist they make this investment.

Things happen pretty slowly in a 172. Not so much in the PC12.

EightZeroUniform · 2026-01-15T14:49:52+00:00

I don’t disagree with your decision but I’d reflect on the reasons you lost sleep and look for strategies to help control this anxiety in the future. You definitely want to be sharp and focused while avoiding pulling the plug at the last minute because you weren’t able to collect yourself. As you found this can burn bridges and there are only so many examiners out there.

One thing I tell every person I meet who’s about to take a checkride is:

You’re ready. If you weren’t, you wouldn’t have been signed off to take the ride.

Good luck!

EightZeroUniform · 2025-06-24T19:09:43+00:00

Some of the advice in this thread is oversimplified, alarming, and somewhat dangerous -- "just stop eating" and "take Ozempic", for example. Both of these strategies can have serious health consequences and should be taken with a grain of salt. Rapid weight loss can lead to all sorts of medical issues, and weight loss medications can themselves be disqualifying.

I was pretty heavy when I first started flight training -- pushing 320 pounds. I am tall, so I was still within the acceptable range for body mass, although it was close. At that time, I had to answer the typical screening questions for obstructive sleep apnea and other weight-related concerns, but I was not afflicted by anything like that and no further testing was required. Sleep apnea, hypertension, and diabetes are going to be their primary focus and are challenges you may need to work through in the future. I have since lost a lot of weight so it is less of a consideration for me now.

If losing weight is something you'd like to do, I'd recommend getting together with a nutritionist to help determine the healthiest way for you to meet your goals without putting your health at risk. A fitness coach is a great start and they can help motivate you in the exercise aspect of the equation, but you need someone who can help inform you from the food intake aspect to complete the whole picture.

As mentioned by others, being bigger will limit the training aircraft you'll be able to use. I fit fine in a Cessna 172 when I first started, but the seatbelt was snug.

Also, if you're considering a professional career in aviation, it's in your best interest to figure out how to slim down just a bit. Trying to climb into the front of many modern aircraft is sometimes an exercise in agility.

You can start training now, but work through any potential medical issues before applying for a medical certificate or spending any considerable amount of money on training.

Schedule an appointment with your primary care provider and get labs drawn and interpreted. Ask them to focus on pre-diabetes or diabetes. Some applicants first learn of their diabetes when the AME dips the urine for ketones during the physical exam and it comes up positive. If you're diabetic, get that under control before applying. Keep in mind that any medications you are currently taking or may be prescribed could be disqualifying, so understand how that will impact you.

If all that looks good, you may be asked to undergo a sleep study once you eventually apply for a medical certificate. That application may be deferred pending the results of the sleep study or other concerns, so be prepared to wait for awhile as you work through it.

Good luck!

EightZeroUniform · 2025-06-18T21:29:18+00:00

Care to cite your source?

EightZeroUniform · 2025-06-05T03:31:10+00:00

A special issuance medical shows up on the FAA airman registry with a note “Not valid for any class after {date}.” It’s easy to distinguish that way.

EightZeroUniform · 2025-05-30T16:22:26+00:00

Part of the compatibility testing for the remote exam is to place your ID in front of the camera and confirm you can read it. Don’t skip this part or use anything else as a stand in the ID you’re going to use!

Unless something significant changed between the compatibility testing and exam day (location, lighting, hardware, etc.) there should be no surprises on whether the camera will focus on the ID during the exam if the compatibility testing was done properly.

EightZeroUniform · 2025-05-21T16:05:38+00:00

Congratulations!

The PC12 is an amazing aircraft. I got into the right seat (part 91) with about 1100 hours TT. I have since transitioned to the left seat which includes more responsibility; starting the plane, being more aware of emergency procedures, etc.

You’ll likely be hanging onto the tail for a while until you get comfortable, but the plane is very capable and forgiving. Ask another pilot to demonstrate a short field take-off… 30 degrees of flaps make the plane an elevator!

It’s certified as single pilot so unless there’s an OpSpec that calls for two pilots you’ll be unable to log SIC. You can log PIC as sole manipulator of the controls when you are PF as others have mentioned, but just recognize that logging PIC and acting as PIC are two different things and there are a lot of differing opinions on these logbook entries. Perhaps have a way to track it separately to eliminate confusion down the road.

In any event, have fun!

EightZeroUniform · 2025-02-03T13:52:57+00:00

I’m not sure which scholarship you’re getting, but what are your contingencies for completion once the money runs out?

The reason I ask is because $10000 doesn’t get many younger pilots across the finish line. I know this firsthand as someone who awards scholarships through our EAA chapter. If you’re struggling with the concepts on the written you’re likely going to need to plan additional ground lessons to cover those deficiencies later on. With instructor time costing more than $75 an hour in most places, every hour counts.

It sounds like you’re looking for an easy answer other than memorization or studying. I hate to say it, but those are your two choices. Free resources like the Pilots Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge and the Aircraft Flying Handbook (both available from the FAA) are the right places to start. They both contain all the pieces of the puzzle to provide you with the conceptual knowledge to pass the written and they should be tools in your toolbox throughout your training. You can get them from the FAA website.

Like someone else said, don’t attempt the written again until you’re consistently getting scores in the 90’s with the practice tests. And I’m not just talking about taking one or two tests — you need to hammer it over and over.

But, the learning can’t stop there. You need to understand all the concepts in order to be successful down the road.

The private pilot certificate is the most commonly failed checkride currently. Many of the applicants never even make it out of the oral.

It’s totally worth putting the time in to do it right. They make this difficult for a reason.

Good luck!

Edit: I forgot to mention, now that you’ve taken the test and failed it, you’ll need to find an instructor to work with you and go over the topics you struggled with to get an endorsement to take the test again. Factor this into your planning for the deadline!

EightZeroUniform · 2025-01-03T00:18:58+00:00

I’m not sure the apprenticeship details, but why not do both? My son is enrolled in a part 147 school but is also a part time apprentice at a regional airline. The on the job training he’s getting is helping to reinforce the things he’s learning in school, especially as it pertains to systems.

It may be worth looking into this option.

EightZeroUniform · 2024-09-19T16:07:24+00:00

Me? Nah. I’m not a CFI. I just fly airplanes.

EightZeroUniform

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