Buying&Selling 2.qxp_Finance 22/03/2022 14:52 Page 1
BUYING & SELLING AIRCRAFT KEN ELLIOTT has more than 50 years of aviation experience focused on avionics, in General and Business Aviation. Having a broad understanding after working in several countries on many aircraft types and avionics systems, he has contributed to several work groups and committees, including for NextGen, Airport Lighting, Human Factors, Unmanned Aircraft and Low Vision Technology. In retirement, he is striving to give back the knowledge gained with an eye on aviation’s future direction.
Selling a Plane? Important Avionics Considerations Ken Elliott highlights how sellers can best give potential buyers a comprehensive overview of their aircraft's avionics.
T
he successful sale of an aircraft is not always straightforward, even during times of high demand and low availability. That’s certainly true when it comes to the avionics. So what are the important avionics considerations for aircraft sellers? There are so many variables and other factors to consider, with each prospective buyer having unique requirements, based on where and how they intend to operate the aircraft. As a starting point to selling your aircraft, take time to list all the positives and negatives from the perspective of a typical buyer, paying special attention to its performance and its operating capability, based on equipage and condition. Aircraft manufacturers (OEMs) start with a baseline ‘green’ aircraft and will complete it with a standard package, followed by a custom package, tailored to each serial number as it is ordered by the buyer. Once delivered and in service, the OEM will supplement the existing equipage with minor updates, and – as new technology is developed and certified – major upgrades. An example of minor updates are 46 Vol 26 Issue 4 2022 AVBUYER MAGAZINE
service bulletins, while examples of major upgrades are version updates to avionics suites which offer new capabilities and features. Owners and operators will also potentially add third-party upgrades that are either alternatives to, or not immediately available from the OEM. Once you include the unique nature of each cabin, cockpit, and exterior design that results from these, prospective aircraft buyers can expect each aircraft serial number to be different. An aircraft’s performance dictates its operational limits, and the standard equipage will match the operational capability of the aircraft. Optional equipage may, in turn, permit an optimum operational capability. Buyers are perceptive and most do their homework. They will cast equal attention to the cabin, cockpit (assume cockpit to include engines, APUs, airframe and avionics) and exterior of the aircraft. As the seller, it may help to imagine yourself as a buyer, who has never seen your aircraft previously, and enact the experience of walking up to the aircraft, ‘flying’ in each cabin seat, and then using the features www.AVBUYER.com
