The prebuy is simply meant to ensure the airplane’s condition is as represented in the listing. Contrary to popular belief, the objective of the prebuy inspection is not to kill an airplane deal, rather to make the deal better. The prebuy can help you negotiate the final sales terms or lower the price as well as have specific maintenance items fixed before taking delivery of your new airplane.

While a prebuy is often referred to as an inspection, a prebuy is really an investigation on an airplane. The term inspection is defined by the FAA and governed under FAR §91.409. Interestingly, a prebuy is not recognized by the FAA as an inspection; they provide absolutely no description, guidance, or oversight of a prebuy. Likewise, aircraft manufacturers make no mention of prebuy evaluations in their maintenance manuals or service documents. Therefore, a prebuy is not regulated in any way and has no set standards. That is, until now. We are raising the bar and setting the standard for what a pre-purchase evaluation is and what it should include.

As a pilot you’re probably familiar with the term Pilot-in-Command, but what about Buyer-in-Command? If you want to take control of the purchase process, you must start with a detailed prebuy. When you enlist Airplane Intel, we strictly work on your behalf and act as your your eyes and ears during the purchase process. We will help coordinate the prebuy, flight test, and other logistics with the seller. We will travel to the airplane’s home airport or maintenance base so there is no need to have the airplane relocated or flown to a different airport. If you choose, you, your mechanic, and/or flight instructor can attend the prebuy to get a first-hand look at the aircraft.

We will keep you informed during each phase of the prebuy process. Upon completion, we will present you with a detailed written report, complete with photos and video, summarizing our findings along with a list of squawks, an estimated cost of repairing/correcting known discrepancies, and a list of our recommendations. The results of the prebuy will help you determine whether you want to move forward with the purchase of the airplane. In many cases, the seller will agree to correct major defects at their expense or agree to renegotiate the sales price or closing terms.

Nationwide, there are only a handful of maintenance shops and mechanics willing to perform prebuy inspections on used aircraft. In fact, many mechanics do not do prebuys for liability and insurance reasons. Thus, they lack the experience and insight to know how defects impact aircraft value, cost of ownership, and whether the airplane is a good buy.

There is absolutely no guidance whatsoever from the FAA or aircraft manufacturers as to what a pre-purchase inspection should encompass. Therefore, there is no set standard for a prebuy and many mechanics have different views on how to perform a prebuy. Some mechanics simply perform a “visual” examination while others perform a scheduled inspection. Both options barely scratch the surface of the aircraft’s actual condition and overall pedigree.