Hobbies And Interests
Things You'll Need
Instructions
Assess the current market value of your aircraft by using the National Aircraft Appraisers Association's Certified Appraisal program (www.plane-values.com). This resource takes into consideration the year, model, flying hours and maintenance schedule for the aircraft. Once you have assessed your used aircraft, you will be able to determine a fair sale price.
Ensure your aircraft's maintenance and flight records are up to date so the potential buyer will feel confident that the aircraft was properly used and cared for by the pilot. Remember, the buyer is going to be spending a great deal of money on this aircraft and she shouldn't be worried about future maintenance issues that could cost even more.
Clean and fix any exterior dings, scratches or dents to the best of your ability. If you make the aircraft look its best on the outside, the potential buyer will be more apt to take a look on the inside. You should also make sure that the interior is as free of flaws as possible. Sweep and vacuum the interior floor, wipe down the seats, control panel and windows and use a mild air freshener so the aircraft will be pleasant to be inside.
Identify potential buyers by using resources such as local airports, training courses offered at your local community college, the Internet and other pilots. The airport that your aircraft is located at now is a great place to start for your search for interested buyers. Talk to other pilots and the airport management about posting your aircraft for sale on their bulletin board.
Take high-quality photos of the exterior and interior of the aircraft that can be used once you have identified potential buyers.
Place an advertisement in an aircraft-oriented magazine such as "Flying" (www.flyingmag.com). Additionally, you can use aircraft sales websites such as Controller (www.controller.com) or eBay (www.ebay.com) to post pictures and information about your aircraft.
Continue to monitor the advertisements and bulletin boards where you have placed your aircraft's photos and information. It is important that any updates to the sale price, features you neglected to include or maintenance you completed is added to the sales information. Also, the aircraft sales websites offer monitoring services so you can see how many potential buyers have viewed your online sale.