Aircraft Appraisals for Business Jets, Turboprops, and Piston Aircraft
Independent, USPAP-compliant fixed-wing aircraft appraisals for financing, sales, insurance, tax, estate, and legal matters.
Know What Your Aircraft Is Really Worth
Two aircraft of the same make, model, and year can differ in value by a wide margin. Engine and inspection status, avionics, interior, damage history, and the completeness of the records all move the number. General price guides can’t see those differences. An independent aircraft appraisal can.
Western Aviation appraises business jets, turboprops, and piston aircraft, plus experimental and specialized aircraft, using comparable sales, current market conditions, and a detailed review of the aircraft’s records and condition.
Fixed-Wing Aircraft Appraisals
- Light, midsize, super-midsize, and large-cabin business jets
- Single- and multi-engine turboprops
- Single- and multi-engine piston aircraft
- Experimental, vintage, and specialized aircraft
What Drives Value for Jets, Turboprops, and Piston Aircraft
Business jets
Engine maintenance program enrollment, time to the next major inspection, avionics and connectivity upgrades, and interior condition carry the most weight. A business jet appraisal also looks closely at where the aircraft sits in its inspection cycle, because a heavy check that comes due soon after a purchase changes what a buyer will pay.
Turboprops
Engine time since overhaul or hot section inspection, propeller times, and how the aircraft has been used all matter. Turboprops flown in utility, cargo, or training roles can show different wear from those used for owner-flown travel, and a turboprop appraisal accounts for that history.
Piston aircraft
Engine time since major overhaul, the quality of the overhaul, propeller status, avionics upgrades, and damage history drive most of the value. Records are especially important on older aircraft, where gaps are more common.
What We Evaluate in an Aircraft Appraisal
- Airframe total time and cycles
- Engine times, inspection status, and enrollment in engine maintenance programs
- Major inspection status and upcoming maintenance events
- Avionics, equipment, and modifications
- Interior and exterior condition
- Damage history and repair documentation
- Completeness and quality of logbooks and records
- Comparable sales and current market supply
Why a Price Guide Isn’t an Appraisal
Price guides are useful starting points, but they describe a typical aircraft of a given make, model, and year. They cannot see this aircraft’s records, its inspection status, its damage history, or how its equipment compares with what buyers are looking for. They also cannot be signed, defended, or relied on by a lender, insurer, or court.
A certified aircraft appraisal starts with the market and then adjusts for the facts of the specific aircraft, with the reasoning written down. For a closer look at what lenders expect from a valuation, see our article Beyond the Price Guide.
Desktop or Onsite Aircraft Appraisal
Every aircraft appraisal is a certified aircraft appraisal, prepared desktop or onsite. Here’s how to choose:
| Certified appraisal option | How it fits this service |
|---|---|
| Desktop aircraft appraisal | Pricing a purchase or sale, updating insurance values, or early planning |
| Onsite aircraft appraisal | Financing, aircraft with damage history or incomplete records, and any decision where condition matters |
What We Need to Start Your Aircraft Appraisal
- Make, model, serial number, and registration
- Airframe and engine total times, and times since the last major inspection or overhaul
- Engine and maintenance program status
- Equipment and avionics list
- Logbooks, or access to them, plus any damage and repair records
- How the appraisal will be used, and who will rely on it
- The aircraft’s location, for an onsite aircraft appraisal
If you don’t have everything yet, send what you have. We’ll tell you what else is needed.
What Your Aircraft Appraisal Report Includes
Every report is a USPAP-compliant appraisal signed by David Fisher, written so that the people relying on it can follow how the value was reached. Reports typically include the purpose of the appraisal and the type of value reported, a description of the aircraft and its equipment, the records reviewed, condition findings for onsite appraisals, comparable sales and market analysis, and the value conclusion with the reasoning behind it.
When You Need an Aircraft Appraisal
- Buying or selling an aircraft and confirming the price
- Financing or refinancing an aircraft
- Setting or updating insurance hull values
- Appealing an aircraft property tax valuation
- Estate planning, divorce, or partnership dissolution
- Supporting a legal dispute
Your Appraiser: David Fisher, ASA
David Fisher is an ASA Senior Accredited Appraiser who appraises both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. As an FAA A&P mechanic with Inspection Authorization, he reviews component status and records with a maintenance professional’s eye. He served as a U.S. Air Force crew chief, later worked as a branch manager for GE Capital Aircraft Financing, and has bought, sold, brokered, and appraised aircraft for more than 30 years, across more than 300 transactions.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is an aircraft appraisal valid?
An appraisal reports value as of a specific date. Because the market and the aircraft both change, most people request an update when a new decision depends on current value. Lenders and insurers may set their own requirements for how recent an appraisal must be.
Do you appraise experimental and vintage aircraft?
Yes. Experimental, vintage, and specialized aircraft often have few comparable sales, so the records, build or restoration quality, and the buyers interested in that type matter even more.
How is an aircraft’s value determined?
We compare the aircraft to recent sales of similar aircraft and adjust for differences in times, inspection status, equipment, condition, damage history, and records, then consider current market supply and demand.
Do I need an onsite inspection?
Not always. A desktop aircraft appraisal works well for planning and insurance updates. Lenders and courts, and aircraft with damage history or incomplete records, usually call for an onsite appraisal.
Can you appraise an aircraft for a property tax appeal?
Yes. A certified aircraft appraisal documents the aircraft’s actual condition and market value to support a property tax appeal.
Do you appraise aircraft outside Texas?
Yes. Western Aviation is based in Houston and appraises aircraft across the U.S. and internationally.
Ready to Value Your Aircraft?
Send us the aircraft details and how the appraisal will be used. We’ll recommend a desktop or onsite appraisal. We respond within one business day.