Airplane Pre-Buy Evaluations
I am a Pilot, Airplane Owner, and A&P Mechanic. I've owned multiple airplanes and understand the commitment you're getting into.
An airplane can look great on the ramp, be within annual, and still have significant deferred expenses or issues that may influence your purchase decision. I'll help find them, and help you make an informed decision when choosing the airplane you'll put yourself, your family, students, and/or your customers in.
I am experienced with the unique pre-buy considerations for experimentals, fabric-covered airplanes, and aerobatic aircraft, in addition to ceritificated aircraft.
An Independant Evaluation
I work exclusively for you.
I'll provide an honest assessment of the aircraft's condition, identify areas of concern, and explain how those findings may affect safety, reliability, maintenance costs, future ownership, and resale value.
Two-Phase Approach
The majority of problems that cause buyers to walk away are found while evaluating the aircraft records and the engine. I start here first so that if a significant discrepeny is found and you choose not to continue, you aren't stuck with the expense of a full evaluation
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Logbook Review & Airworthiness Directives
An aircraft's records tell an important story. A knowledgable set of eyes able to 'read between the lines' is critical to fully understand the aircraft's history. Missing records, periods of inactivity, inconsistent entries, or undocumented repairs can significantly affect both current value and future ownership.
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Engine Evaluation
The engine is often the most valuable single component of the aircraft, making a thorough assessment essential. Engine evaluations may include:-
Full Borescope Inspection (identify valve deterioration, cylinder corrosion, abnormal wear patterns, piston damage, and other conditions not be apparent during a compression test alone)
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Compression Testing
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Oil filter inspection
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Oil analysis (when practical or requested)
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General assessment of engine installation and condition
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Ground and Flight Test
When appropriate, an engine run-up and functional test flight is performed to evaluate engine performance and aircraft systems, including items such as:-
Engine indications
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Magneto operation
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Flight control rigging/trim
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Secondary control systems (flaps, brakes, etc)
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Avionics functionality
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Airframe Evaluation
Examined for evidence of corrosion, damage, poor-quality repairs, cracking, excessive wear, and signs of previous undocumented repairs. Particular attention is given to known inspection areas specific to the aircraft make and model whenever applicable.
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Propeller Evaluation
Propeller condition and blade tracking are inspected to identify potential concerns such as improper blade alignment, previous propeller strikes, hub issues, or indications that warrant additional investigation.
Your Report
I'll keep you updated throughout the evaluation, especially if any major discrepencies are discovered. We can call, text, or FaceTime.
At the conclusion of the evaluation, you'll receive a detailed summary of my findings along with my overall assessment of the aircraft.
Together, we'll discuss the findings in detail, answer your questions, and talk through how the results may affect your purchasing decision to give you enough information to make an informed decision.
If we find significant problems, I'll explain what they are, why they matter, and what they may mean for future ownership. You can then decide whether to proceed with the purchase, negotiate with the seller, or walk away.
Pricing and Scope
Pre-Buy evaluations are billed at an hourly rate plus a modest base charge (typically $300-$500) rather than a large flat fee.
If a significant discrepency is discovered early in the evaluation and you decide not to proceed, you only pay for the time invested instead of the cost of a full pre-buy.
I'll send you the checklist I'll develop and use so you know exactly the scope to expect. Please contact me if you'd like to see an example.
Location
I'm based in Albuquerque, New Mexico within easy distance to most airports in New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, Texas, and Utah. I am open to traveling wherever needed for your evaluation.
I'm always happy to talk about airplanes! For more infomation, pricing, or to see an example of my evaluation plan, please give me a call or send an email. My info is available on the 'Contact Page'.
Suggested Resources for New Buyers:
Improper STC Documentation
This Aeronca was upgraded from a C65 to C85 engine. A review of the STC and 337 revealed that the prop installed was not approved per the STC, making the aircraft unairworthy. If an incident occured, would the buyer's insurance policy covered any damage or liability? How about resale value of the airplane?
Oil Filter Media Inspection
This oil filter was cut and inspected. A large amount of metal was discovered that didn't appear in the oil analysis documents. The engine condition was rapidly deteriorating towards catastrophic failure. The inspection revealed this issue, preventing a costly burden to the prospective buyer.
Unairworthy Fuel Injector Line
This fuel injector line had been signed off as 'airworthy' for several annuals, despite being far outside the bend radius, length, and clamp tolerances for the engine manufacturer. This resulted in a crack that would have leaked fuel over the top of the hot engine, and was not discovered until the pre-buy.
Failing Fuel Pump
An operational check revealed the engine-driven fuel pump had a serious leak and was beyond serviceable, despite recently being signed off with 'a fresh annual'. Thankfully, this owner did not need to deal with the ramifications of a failed fuel pump while in flight.
Airframe Corrosion
A borescope inspection behind a hard to access panel revealed battery acid had been leaking since the last inspection, causing corrosion to the underlying skin and bulkhead. Thankfully, the issue was corrected (and sale price adjusted) and the buyer suffered no long-term damage to their new airplane.
Loose Wing Hardware
A borescope inspection of the wing bay in this wooden, tube and fabric wing revealed loose drag wire attach points due to a larger issue with the wing spar. A costly rebuild was saved and flying around with a structurally-compromised wing section was prevented.
