Pre-purchase Inspections: A Closer Look with Jet Linx Private Jets

With any sizable investment, the list of questions to ask seems limitless. In the purchase of a private jet, the pre-purchase inspection provides the answers.

Purchasing an airplane is a huge investment – one that can be daunting to tackle alone. Ensure smooth skies ahead with Jet Linx as your aircraft-purchasing partner.

“We begin with a records check, and at that point we proceed with a pre-purchase inspection,” said Tony Boatwright, Jet Linx Director of Maintenance. “Reviewing the aircraft records can help us recommend specific points of inspection for a each individual aircraft.” Having a reliable inspector complete a pre-purchase inspection can save you in costly repairs and ensure that the transaction takes place in a timely fashion.

“There’s always the opportunity without inspection that something comes up after purchase. We don’t want buyers to experience any ill effects or have out of pocket repairs because of something that could have been found during an inspection,” said Ray Bennett, Jet Linx Vice President of Sales. “We want to prevent any hidden issues and make sure that a buyer, especially a first time aircraft buyer, has a good experience and understands exactly what they’re purchasing. It can also help the Part 135 conformity process.”

“Safety is my number one priority,” Boatwright said. “We want to make sure the airplane has been cared for to ensure safety of flight and protection of investment. They trust us to do the right thing for them.”

An experienced facility is key to a thorough pre-purchase inspection, but how can you tell if the facility is right for the transaction? The Aircraft Owners and Pilots (AOPA) advises that a buyer should pay special attention if the seller selects the maintenance organization to inspect the aircraft, saying, “The inspection could amount to a ‘paperwork annual’ in which the mechanic does his work looking through an office window, fingers attached to a coffee cup.”

You won’t need to begin researching aircraft maintenance facilities if a jet purchase is on your horizon. Jet Linx will help you facilitate a pre-purchase inspection, with the actual inspection done by a third party facility. “We outsource to a third party vendor to maintain accountability,” Boatwright said.

“We work with a maintenance facility that both parties agree to use, and we look for a facility that has history with the specific aircraft type,” Bennett added. “We want to have a relationship with them to understand their quality of work and expertise.” Boatwright continued, “We look for someone with a history of experience and that is trusted with specific makes and models of aircraft.” Our proven history with maintenance organizations helps make sure that there are no surprises down the road.

“Since we are dealing with aircraft types that we have history with, we can leverage our experience for you when you purchase a jet,” Bennett said. Jet Linx’s history of helping clients purchase aircraft has led to expertise in popular models of business aviation aircraft. “We’ll take a manufacturer’s inspection program list and do those inspections, and then add some other inspections, based on what is coming due for the airplane or what we have seen in the past to be potential issues with the aircraft,” Boatwright added.

Still on the fence about the value of a pre-purchase inspection? “On many occasions, we’ve been able to help prevent expensive repairs,” Boatwright said. “Once, our experience with a specific model saved a buyer from having to replace a $60,000 part.”