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Buyer's checklist: 29 checks before the deal

This list comes from what we cover in our articles and do on every transaction. Work through it before signing — most losses happen not on the price, but on the points nobody asked about in time.

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What to look at in the aircraft itself

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Total time since new and landings — from the logbooks, not from the seller.
History of aviation occurrences: any damage and how it was rectified.
Completeness of the logbooks and work records — a gap costs more than it looks.
Whether the actual configuration matches what the listing claims.
Interior condition and when it was last refurbished.
Checks done and checks due: what is behind and what is coming up.

Maintenance programmes — half the value

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Whether the engines are on a programme and its current status.
Whether the airframe and the APU are on programmes.
Whether the programme transfers to a new owner, and on what terms.
The buy-in cost if there is no programme.
How the reserve for heavy maintenance is calculated — money set aside in advance.

The cost of ownership, not just the price

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Fixed annual costs: crew, hangarage, insurance, programme fees.
Variable costs at the planned annual hours.
Planned annual hours — this decides whether to buy at all.
A comparison with charter at the same hours: below a threshold charter wins.
Who will operate the aircraft and under which certificate.

Import and customs

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The customs regime and the duty calculation — before signing, not after.
The import document set and what is prepared in advance.
Who carries liability for declaration errors under the contract.
Clearance timing and where the aircraft sits meanwhile.

Tax and ownership structure

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Private or commercial operation — the whole tax picture follows from this.
Whether VAT can be recovered under the chosen structure.
Who holds title and what that implies.

Registration and jurisdiction

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The current register and the register the aircraft will fly under.
The sequence and timing of re-registration.
What to check on a foreign-registered aircraft before buying.

If the deal is financed

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The finance structure and the lessor's requirements for aircraft and borrower.
Contract terms: early repayment, insurance, operating restrictions.
Whether the aircraft may be chartered while under lease.

Go through it together

Send us the model or a link to the listing — we will tell you what to look at first and whether it is worth pursuing. A personal reply.

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