Should I get a pre-buy inspection or an annual when buying an airplane?
Updated · Wingman AeroCare, KFNL
Short answer: They answer different questions. A pre-buy tells you whether this airplane is worth buying at this price; an annual tells you whether it is legally airworthy today. For most buyers, the best sequence is a pre-buy first to make the decision and negotiate, then a fresh annual (often at or after closing) so you start ownership with a known inspection date.
What is the difference?
| Pre-purchase inspection | Annual inspection | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Help the buyer decide and negotiate | Determine airworthiness and approve for return to service |
| Regulatory basis | None; scope is by agreement | 14 CFR 91.409(a), Part 43 Appendix D |
| Who can perform | Anyone the buyer chooses (ideally a type-experienced shop) | IA, appropriately rated repair station, or manufacturer |
| Logbook entry | Usually none | Required (14 CFR 43.11) |
| Focus | Value, condition, records, future costs | Legal airworthiness at the time of inspection |
| Who it serves | The buyer | The aircraft and its owner of record |
A pre-buy looks at things an annual does not have to judge, like whether the engine is near the end of its useful life, how cosmetic condition compares to the asking price, or whether a past repair will hurt resale. An annual looks at whether the aircraft meets its type design and is safe right now.
Why not just do an annual as the pre-buy?
Some buyers ask for a "pre-buy annual" to get both at once. It can work, but it has real downsides:
- The seller owns the logbooks. If the IA finds the aircraft unairworthy, 14 CFR 43.11(b) requires a signed list of discrepancies to be given to the owner, and the logbook entry records that the aircraft was not approved for return to service. That entry stays with the aircraft whether you buy it or not. Many sellers will not allow it.
- It costs more up front. An annual is a full inspection of everything on the Appendix D checklist. If the deal dies on a records or engine problem early, you have paid for a lot of work you did not need.
- It does not answer value questions. An airplane can pass an annual and still be a bad purchase at the asking price.
What about the seller's fresh annual?
A recent annual from the seller's shop is useful information, but it is not a substitute for your own inspection. The seller's shop works for the seller. An annual also only certifies that the aircraft met requirements at the time of signoff. A fresh annual is a good negotiating point; it is not proof of condition.
The usual sequence
- Records review first. Missing logbooks, AD gaps, or undisclosed damage history often end a deal before anyone touches the airplane.
- Engine evaluation. Compression, borescope, oil filter, and oil analysis. Stop if the engine is a problem you are not willing to buy.
- Airframe and systems. Corrosion, structure, controls, gear, avionics.
- Negotiate using the written report and cost-to-correct ranges.
- Annual at or after closing, with your own shop, so your ownership starts with a clean inspection date and a shop that knows the airplane.
Some buyers negotiate for the seller to pay for airworthiness items found in the pre-buy, or to deliver the aircraft with a fresh annual from a shop the buyer chooses. Both are common and reasonable asks.
When does a pre-buy annual make sense?
If the seller agrees, the annual is due soon anyway, and the records are clean, combining them can be efficient. Get the agreement in writing first, including who pays for the inspection and for any discrepancies.
How Wingman handles it
Wingman AeroCare's ClearBuy pre-purchase inspection is built for the buyer: Phase 1 covers engine and records with a stop/go gate, and Phase 2 covers airframe, systems, and corrosion. You get a written report, photo evidence pack, cost-to-correct ranges, and a debrief call, and findings are not shared with the seller without your permission (unless the seller has agreed to an annual sign-off, as explained above). After you buy, we can perform your first annual at KFNL, done and signed off by an A&P with Inspection Authorization. See pre-purchase inspections or contact us.