There seems to be two kinds of aircraft owners; those that spend the money to maintain their aircraft properly and those that do just enough to keep the wings on the aircraft.
Maintenance is not inexpensive. Airframe and Powerplant technicians are very skilled tradesmen and if you have a good one, keep it a secret or you will never get your aircraft in their shop again. There are two important reasons to maintain an aircraft properly: 1) Safety. 2) Value retention.
It goes without saying that this is number one. Aircraft are very safe by design and the engineering and construction of an airplane ensure that they last a very long time. Just look at the number of older aircraft that are still flying very safely every day. Older aircraft do require more maintenance and as they age, the fleet will develop issues and experience expensive Airworthiness Directives, Service Bulletins, etc… that should not be ignored. From pistons to jets is the same across the board.
An aircraft that has thorough maintenance and upgrades will certainly outpace an aircraft that has been neglected. That’s obvious. Outpace is a subjective statement. In the case of a piston aircraft, it could be a 20-40% delta. A jet could have a 75% delta due to the higher expense of parts and service. The time on the market is greatly affected by this as well. A well-cared-for and upgraded aircraft will sell immediately if it even hits the open market. One with poor maintenance history will remain on the market for a long time and gain a stigma.
As the adage goes, pay me now or pay me later. Good aircraft maintenance is worth investing in.
