Aircraft Acquisition & Sales Assistance
While the majority of aircraft brokers can produce the contract required to buy or sell an aircraft, most are not prepared to assist a prospective buyer or seller with the pre-purchase negotiations, aircraft spares acquisition or disposition (parts the seller no longer needs), FAA documentation preparation required during and aircraft sale or purchase, aircraft modifications or upgrades taking place at the same time as the purchase and flight department creation or flight department transition planning. AMCS provides professional expertise in all of these areas.
With aircraft service centers charging fifteen to sixty thousand dollars for the average pre-purchase inspection, it is prudent to send a qualified mechanic to review the aircraft and its records before committing to that kind of expenditure. AMCS can travel to the location where the aircraft is based and provide this service. We will generate a detailed report of our findings which will allow the buyer confidence in taking the next step.
Once an aircraft arrives at a service center for the pre-purchase inspection, without experienced representation, both parties are at the mercy of that facility. Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) companies are in the business of making money and will take advantage of the buyer and the seller in order to accomplish that task. AMCS will act on behalf of the buyer or the seller to complete an evaluation of the pre-purchase inspection findings. This protects a buyer or seller from being taken advantage of during the pre-purchase inspection.
Most aircraft owners have amassed a spares (spare parts) inventory for their aircraft. The value of these spares can be used to sweeten an aircraft deal, or they can be sold to a parts broker. This process all starts with placing a value on the inventory. AMCS will complete this task and then negotiate for either a buyer or seller to get the best deal for them in the transaction.
Closing the deal is never the final step in the purchase of a corporate aircraft. Filing paperwork with the International Registry, updating the FAA registration, acquiring FAA Operations Specifications (or Letters of Authorization), preparing the flight department manuals required to conduct those operations and outfitting the flight department with the proper software, subscriptions and ground support equipment for the aircraft are just a few of the services AMCS can assist with. Getting these tasks accomplished in a timely manner is essential to dispatch reliability, owner satisfaction and avoids possible exposure to FAA violations.
Almost every aircraft purchase involves outfitting the aircraft to meet its new mission profile. ADS-B, in flight internet and WiFi, updates to the flight director or flight management systems, new paint and a refurbished interior are just a few of the common upgrades which take place after an aircraft is acquired. Having worked for both aircraft owners and aircraft service centers, the staff at AMCS has experience in the requirements and the negotiations involved in accomplishing all these projects. We will meet with the new aircraft owner and/or flight department manager, evaluate the intended mission profile of the aircraft compared to its current configuration and provide multiple options to make the aircraft systems meet that mission profile. We will then negotiate with the prospective maintenance facilities to get the updates completed in a timely and cost effective time frame.
Please consider contacting AMCS prior to acquiring or selling an aircraft to help guide you through the process.