I have bought and sold 38 aircraft over my career — everything from basic trainers to King Airs to business jets. I have found diamonds, and I have walked away from deals that looked perfect on paper but fell apart under scrutiny.
The difference between a smart buy and an expensive mistake usually comes down to five things. None of them are optional.
This is non-negotiable. Before you even look at paint or avionics, you need to know what ADs apply to the airframe, engine, and propeller — and whether they have been complied with.
An uncomplied recurring AD can ground an airplane the day you buy it. A one-time AD that was missed during a previous annual means someone signed off an inspection they should not have, and now it is your problem.
Search the FAA’s Dynamic Regulatory System (DRS) at drs.faa.gov and filter by model. Cross-reference every AD against the aircraft’s logbooks. If the seller cannot produce logbooks that show compliance, that is not a yellow flag — it is a red one.
Aircraft titles are not like car titles. There is no DMV handing you a clean slip. The FAA Aircraft Registry is a recording system, not a titling system. That means liens, security interests, and unresolved bills of sale can follow an aircraft through multiple owners.
I have seen deals crater at closing because a bank lien from two owners ago was never released. The buyer thought they were getting clean title. They were not.
Before you commit, search the aircraft’s records through FAA CARES. Look at every bill of sale, every lien filing, and every release. Better yet, use a title search company — the few hundred dollars is cheap insurance against a six-figure headache.
Every aircraft has a story. Some of those stories include gear-up landings, prop strikes, runway excursions, or worse. An accident does not automatically disqualify an airplane — what matters is how the damage was repaired and documented.
A properly repaired aircraft with a 337 form on file showing the work was done per manufacturer specs by an authorized repair station? That can be perfectly airworthy. An aircraft with a suspiciously fresh paint job, no 337 on file, and a logbook that skips two years? Walk away.
Search the NTSB’s CAROL database at data.ntsb.gov by registration number. Cross-reference any incidents with the aircraft’s 337 records to make sure repairs were documented.
TTSN (Total Time Since New), SMOH (Since Major Overhaul), and SNEW (Since New) are the three numbers every buyer asks about. But they do not tell the whole story.
A 1,200-hour SMOH engine that has been sitting in a hangar for six years may be in worse shape than a 1,800-hour engine that has been flying regularly. Corrosion does not care about your Hobbs meter. A “top overhaul” is not a “major overhaul” — know the difference, because the price gap between them is substantial.
Ask for oil analysis reports, compression check records, and any borescope inspections. If the seller does not have them, factor the cost of an engine reserve into your offer. For most piston singles, that is $15,000-$30,000 you might need sooner than the logbook suggests.
A panel full of steam gauges in a 1975 Cherokee is fine — if the price reflects it. A glass panel retrofit with a Garmin G500 and GTN 750 adds real value, but only if the installation was done under an approved STC with proper 337 documentation.
I have seen field-approved avionics installations that were done so poorly they would never pass a serious pre-buy. I have also seen aircraft where a $40,000 panel upgrade was done by a reputable shop with full documentation — and the seller was asking less than the avionics were worth.
Check ADS-B Out compliance. Check whether the transponder and static system are within their 24-month test cycle. These are not optional — they are regulatory requirements that cost money if they are out of date.
The best aircraft purchase I ever made was not the cheapest airplane — it was the one where I knew exactly what I was buying before I signed the check. The worst deals I have seen happen to buyers who fall in love with paint and leather and skip the homework.
Every one of these checks takes time. But they are all free or nearly free — and they can save you from buying someone else’s problem.
Search any N-number on PlaneLists.com to see registration status, NTSB records, and links to AD searches, title history, and 337 records — all in one place.
Search N-Numbers Free →David is the founder of PlaneLists.com, an aviation data intelligence platform with 364,000+ aircraft and 967,000+ pilots in its database. He has over 30,000 flight hours and has owned 38 aircraft across his career, from basic trainers to turboprops and business jets.