Knowing what a thorough inspection catches is how you keep it from being cut short.
What a real pre-buy examines
Beyond confirming the aircraft flies, a proper inspection is a forensic audit of the aircraft's life:
- Complete, continuous maintenance records
- Engine and APU status against their programs
- Corrosion and prior-damage history
- Compliance with airworthiness directives and service bulletins
- The true condition of time-limited components
- Whether the logbooks actually match the airplane in front of you
What a rushed one hides
Speed and seller-control are where problems disappear: a records gap that isn't chased, a "minor" repair never done to standard, an engine near an expensive event that isn't flagged, a discrepancy between the logs and the airframe. None show on a walk-around — and each can cost six or seven figures after closing.
How to protect it
- You commission it, not the seller.
- It runs at a neutral, buyer-chosen facility.
- The agreement is written "subject to" its findings — so what it uncovers is negotiable, or a way out.
A clean aircraft welcomes all three. Resistance to any of them is itself information. We scope and manage the pre-buy on the buyer's behalf, at an independent facility — tell us what you're evaluating.