Aircraft Acquisitions

If you've ever embarked on the process of acquiring a pre-owned aircraft on your own, you quickly learned how laborious, technical, disappointing, lengthy and costly a task it is. The time involved to identify a suitable airplane, to speak with multiple aircraft owners, to evaluate specs and equipment differences, comparing one aircraft to another in terms of airframe and engine times, reviewing aircraft logbooks... its a maddening process before you can even determine price and value. Invariably, you will trek across the country to actually inspect the top aircraft on your hit list only to be disappointed that the airplane was misrepresented by the owner or the broker. We understand, we've been there... but we can save you the hassle.

At Aircraft Associates, our proven acquisition method is your assurance that you not only get an aircraft that best suits your needs, but an exceptional airplane with uncommon value. Our thorough approach provides an effective solution that will save the aircraft buyer time, money, and aggravation. Here's how it works...

Our acquisition process starts with a Buyer's Survey and a series of questions concerning your qualifications as a pilot and as an aircraft owner. Whether you're a new pilot seeking your first airplane or a seasoned aviator looking to upgrade, the Buyer Assessment  gives us a perspective on how we can best assist you.

Next, we develop your aircraft selection criteria by defining your Mission Profile, your projected use, your acquisition budget and other considerations. We do this to determine which type and class of aircraft best meet your operational needs while offering you the most safety, comfort, efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

For a nominal fee, our legal and tax consultants can develop an operating budget and advise you on an ownership structure that best suit your needs. Do you own the airplane individually, in your business, or in a newly formed LLC? Can you take advantage of the available 100% year one tax write down on the plane? All questions easily answered by our professional associates.

We engage our clients' assistance in the online on-market search process but we also conduct a nationwide search for off-market aircraft as well, evaluating each candidate aircraft to ascertain an offer price that insures a five year exit strategy for the airplane. We do this to help insure, to the best of our ability, that our clients' aircraft never go "upside down" in value over the specified ownership time frame.

We present initial purchase offers to sellers of suitable aircraft. Once accepted, we request, and thoroughly review, all relevant aircraft  records, spec and status sheets, equipment lists and government records. We do this as a final qualification measure to determine aircraft suitability and to present the seller with a thorough Aircraft Purchase Agreement or APA.

Finally, with an executed APA in hand, we conduct an onsite evaluation and prebuy inspection of the aircraft, detailing maintenance discrepancies and negotiating the final purchase price on behalf of our clients. We close the transaction through our title company associate and deliver the aircraft to its final home. Seamless, painless, cost-effective and done!