Dealer vs factory for purchase

[Steve]

I live almost equal distance from the factory and Billy Payne's place. Is there a reason to pick the factory over the dealer when purchasing the kit?

[SuperFly]

You can buy either way. The distance from the dealer really doesn't make a difference. I bought from Steve Henry at Wild West Aircraft, and what was helpful about that was that he was able to help me with some of the options and things that would make the airplane fit what I want to do with it. Not that the factory wouldn't do that, cause they would, but the dealers are able to spend a bit more time, and have a bit more insight into actually flying them. That said, Troy is the same way at the factory, and has tons of flying experience obviously, but he is spread pretty thin with everything he has going on, and is sometimes difficult to get to talk to at length. The whole gang at the factory is great to deal with, but I would recommend buying from a dealer, as it helps ease the load on the factory guys. Support has been great both from the factory, and from Steve, and I have spoken to Billy several times and all have been very helpful.

Hope that helps.

[SheepdogRD]

... [Steve] was able to help me with some of the options and things that would make the airplane fit what I want to do with it.

That's information I wish I'd had when we were at the factory ordering our kit. We simply didn't know what questions to ask, so we didn't know about some things until long after we had our kit.

Billy and Steve have both built multiple Highlanders and SuperSTOLs, and both have lots of stick time in them. They can provide builder's and pilot's perspectives, recommend options and additions, and help you configure your kit so you'll end up with the airplane and the building experience you want.

To me, buying from a dealer helps everyone. You'll still have the factory folks as an excellent resource, but you'll have your dealer's guidance as well.