Infrequent use & humid conditions

[BrianL99]

New to the Board and looking to purchase my first LSA. I was previously a Cirrus SR20 owner and without an identifiable mission, decided if I was going to get back into flying, I'd do it on a more reasonable budget.

I'm looking at a couple of LSA's from the Pacific Northwest (seems to be a lot in that area). Both have very low usage (under 250 hours over 6-7 years) and I'm wondering about the effects of that lack of usage, on both the engine and other areas. Both are composite airplanes and have spent most of their life, hangared.

My Cirrus was a low-time, low use airplane when I bought it and I had problems with spalling on cylinders and valves of my Continental engine ... which ended up being replaced by Continental. I'm wondering if I should expect the same with a Rotax.

Any advise, opinions, suggestions & warnings are welcome.

Thank you!

[3Dreaming]

Engine problems from sitting are not common for the Rotax.

[drdehave]

My three mechanics all agree with me on one issue: An airplane that is flown a lot, but is well- and regularly-maintained, is better than one that has been sitting for long periods and sports low hours. Also, in my experience, low-hour LSAs seem to have a propensity for owners who think that this lack of time makes the airplane immune from the need for adherence to certain 'bulletins,' such as 5-year rubber replacement. Sitting also means more opportunities for gasoline issues (phase separation, loss of octane, varnish build-up, etc.), corrosion and rust.

I learned the value of 'sitting' vs 'being regularly used and maintained,' in my previous life as a fish-head with seven boats (yep, owned that many at one time, once, each for a different type of fishing; gosh, I wish I could figure a way to have that many airplanes!)

Just my 2 cents.