As time goes by, we are dealing more and more with damage history. The older a plane is the more time it has been exposed to the potentail of damage history. The more "Utility" a plane is the more likely it has been damaged due to here it lives and what it does for a living. Some planes are not damaged because of the inherent instability of the type, it is more based on where the type has lived abnd what it has ben doing. Cessna 180's and 185's and Supercubs are more likely to have damage history than a Bonanza A36 or a Mooney Bravo simply because the former are back-country planes that land and take off in the mountains, and deserts and can be used on floats and skis.

They land off-airport on river-bars and take-off a bit too heavy with Alaskan hunters in them from windswept mountain ridges with deadlines to meet. So how bad for a planes pedigree is Damage History? Well, it depends on the degree and age of the damage and how it was repaired. With a Bonanza for example, there is a value for an undamaged one and a deduction in value if it has Damage History. You can buy it cheaper if it has had a gear-up in it's past, even if it was 45 years ago. With a 185 or a 180 and especially a Supercub, the Norm' is Damage History and so there is actually a psychological ADD in value if it does not have it.

Damaged/repaired planes are the normal condition in 180's and 185's because it is so rare that one has not had something happen. The joke in the business is that 90% of 180's and 185's have damage history and the other 10%, they have Damage History as well, maybe it is not in the logs. Once a plane is a certain age it is almost a good thing for a shop to have to do major and professional work on it's airframe. After 50 years and say 5000 hours if a 1965 Cessna 185 is groundlooped, the repair will be a benefit to it's pedigree. It will get new wing skins and hardware, new conrol cables, overhauled engine and prop, new paint etc etc. It is not a plus to damage them, but it creates an opportunity where work that would never be done is done. I know of a 195 that was very badly damaged, very badly. In it's repair it became a show winner with thicker belly skins, better brakes, new paint and upgraded radios. Not many people will do this level of repairs in a restoration. A repair makes it necessary.

The actual damaged parts are removed and new, better parts are replaced, so although it has "damage history", it went from a tired old beater to a pristine show winner that will last another 65 yeatrs at least, (if we still have internal combustion engines then!) Then there is "parts replacement" damage history. If a plane has a prop strike and gets a new engine and prop, is that damage history? A 182 RG landed on partially extended trailing main gear with the nosewheel down. It scrubbed the sides off the main wheels and tires and the prop was protected by the nosewheel being down. When it came to a stop, it leaned over slowly until a wingtip touched the ground and in doing so, the horizontal Stabilizer on that side bent upwards about 6 inches. It got a new Horizontal and new elevators and the wheels and tires were replaced.

Does that plane have damage history? Everything that was damaged has been replaced and it has a new tail and new brakes. It could be argued that itis better that it was before the event. What should be avoided is a plane that was damaged and repaired badly with old or used parts with splices and pop rivets. This is a serious problem that has to be re-repaired years later and is unsafe. A well repaired plane that has been damaged should not effect the decision of a buyer to see and inspect that plane.