PPIs can include several different procedures. Here’s how we determine what’s necessary.
A pre-purchase inspection is a critical piece of due diligence that every airframe buyer should undertake. However, just as no two crafts are exactly alike, the same is true of the inspections that assess their airworthiness.
In truth, a PPI could involve many different assessments. These are based on the airframe’s maintenance history, flight hours, age, damage and repair history, and the prospective buyer’s concerns about the craft.
At Global MX, we have completed hundreds of PPIs for airframe buyers over the years. We are experts in helping buyers discover what types of inspections will give them confidence in their new investment.
Here are a few factors that will determine how we customize your inspection to fit your airframe. Contact us for more advice and perspective from our professional inspectors.
How We Customize a PPI
Our institutional knowledge of airframes is the most common reason we recommend specific procedures during a PPI. We know the issues that commonly arise with various airframe models, and we confide with prospective buyers about our prior experiences that lead us to scrutinize certain components.
The other major factor guiding our PPI process is the presence of airworthiness directives (ADs). These are notifications from the FAA to airframe owners and operators of a known safety deficiency in a particular model that must be inspected and addressed.
If the craft’s maintenance history includes AD inspections, major alterations or significant repairs, we assess the recency of those events. The timeframe may lead us to suggest revisiting those inspections before buying the aircraft.
For a general aviation aircraft, a good example is a spar inspection. Spars are the primary structural component of an airframe’s wings, and there are several aircraft with ADs that concern spar cracking. Many of them require 500-hour inspections. If your craft had one completed 400 hours ago, we would recommend revisiting that inspection during the PPI.
Avoiding Avionics Surprises
It’s common sense to imagine that a PPI would involve checking the major flight components of a craft, like the engines and brakes. But part of a robust PPI is verifying what type of avionics are installed and comparing them with obsolescence lists.
Avionics have progressed so rapidly in recent years that many avionics insurance pools will slowly drop older or more outdated systems from the list of covered components. Our expertise might flag an avionics system that is no longer supported and should be replaced. We would catch this during a general overview of any airframe, but it’s one example of a component we are constantly replacing.
These checks are vitally important because prospective airframe buyers usually do not have in-depth knowledge of avionics insurance or maintenance plans. Besides the engines, the avionics system is one of the most expensive components of an aircraft. The upgrade might cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, so it’s important to be sure your system is supported before you agree on a final purchase price.
Customizing Your Pre-Purchase Inspection
A PPI can be as basic or thorough as it needs to be. Sometimes the state of the craft or a review of the logbooks suggests we take a close look at certain components. Often, these components might be nearing the end of their maintenance cycle and it’s better to perform these routine assessments preemptively.
The goal is to empower you with in-depth knowledge about the craft. This ensures it’s the right airframe for your investment plan and saves you from expensive obligations once you take possession.
Let us know any concerns you have about the craft right away. We’ll help you customize your PPI for the ultimate peace of mind before making a major purchase decision.
Learn more about PPIs: Our process — PPI: 101 — Examples of Different PPIs — Engines and Logbooks