It is the single most important step between an accepted offer and a closed deal, and it is where HPA earns its keep as your advocate.

What a prebuy inspection actually is

A prebuy is an independent evaluation of the aircraft’s physical condition and paperwork, performed by a shop the buyer chooses, before the purchase closes. It is not the same as an annual, though it can be combined with one. A prebuy digs deeper, looking for expensive surprises that would change your offer, your negotiating position, or your decision to buy at all.

• Airframe and structural condition, including corrosion and prior damage
• Engine and propeller condition, including borescope and compression checks
• Avionics function and installation compliance
• Logbook review for AD compliance, service bulletins, and record gaps
• Damage history cross-checked against logbooks, FAA Form 337 records, and accident databases

Why it protects the buyer

The prebuy shop’s job is to work for you, and only you. That independence matters. A prebuy can surface things a logbook review alone will not catch: corrosion hidden behind an inspection panel, a repair never logged correctly, or avionics installed but never properly certified. A thorough, independent inspection turns risk into a known, documented condition you can act on.

Choosing the right scope

• Basic prebuy: visual inspection, logbook review, general assessment. Common for simpler, lower-value aircraft.
• Standard prebuy: adds compression checks, engine borescope, and a closer look at avionics and systems.
• Comprehensive prebuy: panel removal, oil analysis, detailed corrosion inspection, often run in parallel with an annual. Typical for turbine or higher-value aircraft.

HPA facilitates the prebuy scope for every transaction, tailoring it to the specific aircraft, its maintenance history, and its location, rather than applying the same checklist to every deal.

Choosing a shop

• Has no financial relationship with the seller or selling broker
• Has specific experience with the make and model
• Will put findings in writing, not just a verbal summary
• Is willing to walk you through results before you decide

What happens when the prebuy finds something

Finding issues is common and does not necessarily mean the deal is dead. Buyers typically can renegotiate the price, ask the seller to correct the issue, escrow funds to cover a repair after closing, or walk away. What matters is a clear-eyed read on the findings and a plan for each scenario, which is far easier with someone who has been through this before.

How HPA coordinates the process

HPA has transacted well over 100 aircraft on behalf of clients across high-end piston aircraft, turboprops, and light-to-mid-size jets, and treats the prebuy as a coordinated process, not a hands-off referral: helping you select an appropriate shop and scope, staying in the loop as findings come in, and helping you interpret what they mean for price, timeline, and next steps. HPA is led by Brandon Ray, an ATP, CFI, CFII, and MEI, a seven-time Master Instructor, an A&P certificate holder, a Wharton MBA, and a pilot with multiple PIC type ratings in jets.