Why a pre-purchase survey pays for itself
Buying a light aircraft without an independent survey is a gamble. Here's what a proper pre-purchase inspection looks at and how it protects you.
A light aircraft can look immaculate on the ramp and still hide corrosion, undocumented repairs or a maintenance history with gaps. A pre-purchase survey is an independent engineering inspection carried out before money changes hands — and it regularly saves buyers far more than it costs.
What we look at
- Airframe condition, including corrosion-prone areas and previous repairs
- Engine and propeller condition against their documented history
- Avionics fit — what works, what's life-expired, what's due for replacement
- Compliance with applicable airworthiness directives and service bulletins
- Logbooks and records: are they complete, consistent and genuine?
Records matter as much as metal
The paperwork tells you how the aircraft has been lived with. We review the logbooks, maintenance releases and continuing airworthiness records line by line. Missing entries, unexplained gaps or components with no traceable history are all negotiating points — or reasons to walk away.
After the survey
You receive a clear written report of what we found, so you can negotiate from evidence rather than optimism. If you do buy the aircraft, we can take it straight into our maintenance programme at Turweston — already knowing it inside out.