Honestly, this is the life of Riley! Here I am buying airplanes, $18,000 jobs complete with everything but dishwashers, which come extra; $678 bargains in the light-plane class. Sea planes, land-planes, single-engine airplanes and twin-engine executive ships. It's wonderful.

I haven't spent a dime nor traveled a mile. I'm propped up in bed with a portable typewriter in my lap, a copy of a recent aviation magazine spread out beside me. The thing is full of airplanes for sale. Study of the used plane market is revealing, interesting and still out of my reach!

First off is a guy who admits he doesn't want to get rich on one deal--but probably is. He is offering a two-place Aeronca, 3 hours since over-haul, for only $678. It has chrome-plated cylinders yet!

That Aeronca wouldn't make a down payment on the deluxe job next below it. Wow, an 8-passenger C-45 Beechcraft, $18,000.

It isn't all that bad. A 1946 Bellanca Sr., low hours, like new, is for sale at Kokomo for $4,000. Ercoupes are for sale all the way from $1,975, with only 35 hours, to $2,350. The guy who is asking $2,400 for his red-trimmed Culver, however, is whistling in the dark.

There is a Globe Swift owner down in New York who will part with his pride and joy, an 85-horsepower low-winged job for only $2,000. but the real combination deal for the guy who drives and flies, too, is the Luscombe all-metal 65 and the 1947 Pontiac deluxe convertible, will sell both for $4,200. A Luscombe 85-horsepower ship is advertised for $2,495, 110 total hours.

You've seen those national ads on the four-place busineessman's Navion. One is offered at $6,400.

Of course Mr. Piper's little planes are always interesting, for they are fairly stable on the airplane market and worth watching: 1946 J3 Cubs are priced at $1,159 each; a 1947 Super Cruiser with less than 25 hours, will be yours for $2,995, and this one hauls three passengers. And in Pennsylvania is a fellow who isn't kidding when he offers his 1947 Super Cruiser, never damaged, at a sacrifice of $2,600. If you are looking for cheap, flying time, which would probably be costly in the long run, a re-licensed J3-50 Cub has a tag of $660 on it. Another 1946 Super Cruiser says, first $2,500 gets it.

The versatile Republic Seabee, four passengers, land or water--ship is only bring $5,000 for 1947 models on the used-plane market. One is even offered at $15 less than that at $4,985.

In what sounds like a good buy, without looking at it, is a 1947 Stinson Station wagon, hauls four or a whale of a lot of cargo, for only $4,800. In fact, there is a Stinson (1947) at Goshen in "superior" condition, 4-place, for only $4,100. Sounds awful cheap. Maybe the man gets air-sick or something. Late model T-Crafts are on the block from $1,200 up.

Here is a BT-13, that noisy rascal, for $1,385, a Waco 4-place cabin job for $1,990, a Fleet 2 sea-plane for $1,500.

And you want to remember that these are "asking" prices, not necessarily "getting" prices.

Now is the time to get a real buy in a used airplane, if you want one.

There is a fellow in Kalamazoo who should read this column, for he wants to trace a fancy Packard Custom Eight, with radio, front and rear underseat heaters, overdrive, etc., for a Navion or Bonanza, I'll bet he gets it done.

Well, it's fun to look them over, compare the bargains. Some of these ships are no doubt real bargains, where the guy who bought it new is taking the initial reap. Some of them are probably "ringers". You never know till you look.

I'm not going to crawl out of bed to look. Not tonight, anyway. I'll just take the best of the bunch after serious consideration and fly away to all the exotic and far-away points of the compass.

Turn out the lights!

Don't forget the aviation banquet, March 11. Only 125 plates being sold. Col.. Clarence Cornish, Indiana director of aeronautics, will speak and movies of aviation's latest baby, the helicopter, will be shown. What is left of the tickets may b e had from Tay Hess, Jack Doswell, Bill Mollenhour, Lowman Flying Service, Carlin Airways or Strauss Skyways. I might explain that the "bite" will not be put on anyone and that there are no ulterior motives behind the banquet. It is organized by the Aero club to give aviation-minded people a chance to hear the latest inside dope on what goes on.

Warsaw Daily Times Fri. Mar. 5, 2003