Aircraft for Sale – The First Important Steps Before Buying...
When evaluating an, there are four important steps any prospective aircraft buyer needs to take. These will ensure that you do not end up buying the proverbial hole in your pocket instead. The major aspects to cover are:
• The particular aircraft's Certificates and Paperwork.
• Preliminary examination
• Test flight
• Post-flight check
Certificates and Paperwork: Obtain a copy of the relevant FAA Type Certificate (TC). This TC provides you with the aircraft's specifications such as speed, weight, props and so forth. The TC also contains critical details around the service life of an aircraft and compulsory replacements required. This information will help you to better understand your financial exposure in terms of maintenance costs on the aircraft. It is also very necessary to check the paperwork of the particular aircraft to ensure that it is airworthy and to gain insight into major repairs and alterations performed on it.
Preliminary on the ground examination: Check for evidence indicating repair. Hints could be anything from slight variations in color between panels to inconsistent lettering. Also check that the certificates inside the door correspond to the N numbers on the aircraft itself and compare the information in the flight manual to that on the TC. It should correspond. Next, perform a full pre-flight inspection – but go the extra mile. Use a flashlight and a hand mirror to inspect difficult to access areas. Pay particular attention to rust, sediment in the fuel tanks, tyre condition (especially uneven wear), exhausts and struts. Hiring a mechanic to check for tell tale signs of trouble may be a worthwhile investment to make at this point. Also, don't neglect the interior. Check for signs of damage that may have been caused by accidents or mechanical difficulties.
The test flight: Unless you are an accomplished pilot, and familiar with flying models similar to the aircraft for sale, don't do this yourself. It is prudent to hire a pilot if you are unsure in any whatsoever. Once in the air, pay particular attention to the responsiveness of the engine, gear performance, instrument accuracy, the stability of the aircraft when you remove your feet from the rudder pedals or fly hands-of and the condition of the radio/s, amongst others.
Post-flight check: Once you have returned the aircraft to terra firma, check for evidence of leaking oil.
If all is well so far, it certainly should end well too. The only thing tasks remaining to be completed before changing the title of the aircraft from “Aircraft for Sale” to “Aircraft Sold” will be to address the financial and legal side of things. And that is a full discussion on its own.