Aircraft Dealers & Brokers

A dealer typically buys aircraft into inventory and sells them for their own account, taking title along the way. A broker doesn't own the plane — they represent a buyer or a seller for a commission and negotiate on that client's behalf. It matters because it tells you whose interest they're protecting. Always get it in writing which side of your deal they're on, and be cautious of a single agent trying to represent both buyer and seller.

Yes. An annual confirms the aircraft was airworthy on the day it was signed off — it is not a buyer's-interest evaluation of corrosion, damage history, deferred squawks, or expensive maintenance coming due. Use a shop that's independent of the seller and, ideally, one that knows your make and model. A trustworthy dealer or broker welcomes a buyer-selected pre-buy rather than steering you toward their own shop.

Through a neutral escrow and title company that holds your funds, runs an FAA title and lien search, and doesn't release money until the aircraft, logbooks, and clear title are verified. A signed purchase agreement defines the pre-buy, deposit, and walk-away terms. If a dealer asks you to wire a deposit directly to them before there's an escrow account and agreement in place, treat that as a red flag.

Complete airframe, engine, and propeller logbooks; a damage-history disclosure; current AD compliance status; time since major overhaul (SMOH) and since new; an avionics and equipment list; and paperwork for any modifications (STCs and 337s). Logbook gaps aren't automatically a dealbreaker, but they affect value and should be disclosed openly — not discovered by your inspector during the pre-buy.