Aircraft ferry flights across the lower 48

Piston singles and twins moved point to point by a pilot current on type, whether the airplane is headed to a new home base, a buyer, or a shop.

Quoted by the day, plus trip expenses
Get a quote Call 972.559.0871
A blue Stinson taildragger parked on a ramp in late afternoon light, hangar and open field behind it
Point to point

What is an aircraft ferry flight?

A ferry flight moves an airplane from one airport to another. No passengers, no cargo. The airplane itself is the job.

Owners hire a ferry pilot when they cannot give up the days, are not current in the airplane, or are not yet covered by insurance to fly it.

  • Piston singles and twins, including high performance and retractable gear models
  • Any public-use airport in the lower 48 the airplane can safely use
  • A pilot day rate plus the trip's expenses, both priced from your route
Get a quote Planes we ferry

How a ferry flight works

Send it

Tell us the airplane and the two airports

The tail number, where it sits, where it is going, and when. Mention open squawks or an expired annual so nothing surprises the pilot, and say whether the maintenance logs are available.

Plan it

Get a quote built around the route

A day rate for the days the trip takes, plus fuel stops, airport fees, nights on the road and the pilot's travel to reach the airplane. If a special flight permit is needed, the quote says so.

Read the logs

The records get reviewed before anyone travels

A walkaround shows condition. The logbooks show airworthiness. The pilot confirms the annual, airworthiness directive compliance, and the required inspections in the records first, because an airplane nobody can establish as airworthy does not fly.

Check it

The pilot inspects before the first leg

A careful preflight in an airplane that is new to the pilot, including fuel, the certificates and flight manual required aboard, the equipment required for the flight, and a look at anything you flagged.

Fly it

It goes when the weather says it can

We do not launch into conditions we would not fly our own aircraft in. A delayed leg is cheaper than a damaged airframe.

Who calls us

When does it make sense to hire a ferry pilot?

Most ferry customers fit one of these situations. If yours is different, send it anyway.

  • You moved, and the airplane needs to follow you to a new home base
  • You sold the airplane, and the buyer is several states away
  • The airplane is not insured for you to fly yet, or you are not current in the type
  • The trip will take more days than your schedule can give up
  • The airplane needs to reach a shop, covered in maintenance ferry flights
The rate

How much does an aircraft ferry flight cost?

A ferry flight is quoted by the day, not by the flight hour. A day rate covers the pilot for each day the trip takes, and the rate differs between single engine and twin engine airplanes.

On top of that sit the trip's own expenses: fuel for the distance and the engine, landing and handling fees at each stop, lodging and meals on multi-day trips, and the pilot's travel to reach the airplane and get home. Weather is why the day is the unit. A trip held on the ground still costs days. Two trips of the same length can price very differently, which is why every quote starts from your two airports. The full breakdown is in the ferry flight FAQs.

Before it flies

What gets checked before your airplane leaves the ground?

Every ferry flight starts in the paperwork, not the cockpit. The pilot in command carries legal responsibility for the airplane's airworthiness on that flight, so the maintenance records get reviewed before anyone buys an airline ticket. Owners are asked for the logbooks, or clear photographs of the relevant pages, along with the quote request.

In the records, the review covers the annual inspection required by 14 CFR 91.409, along with the 100 hour inspection where the airplane is flown for hire, compliance with applicable airworthiness directives under 14 CFR Part 39, approval for return to service after any recent maintenance under 14 CFR 91.407, the transponder check required every 24 calendar months by 14 CFR 91.413, the emergency locator transmitter and its battery under 14 CFR 91.207, and, for instrument flight, the pitot-static and altimeter checks in 14 CFR 91.411.

At the airplane, the check continues:

  • The airworthiness certificate and registration aboard, as 14 CFR 91.203 requires
  • The flight manual, markings and placards required by 14 CFR 91.9, and operation within those limitations
  • The instruments and equipment 14 CFR 91.205 requires for the kind of flight planned, whether day visual, night or instrument
  • Anything inoperative addressed properly under 14 CFR 91.213 rather than simply noted
  • The preflight planning 14 CFR 91.103 requires, including runway lengths, takeoff and landing distances, weather and fuel
  • Where the airplane does not meet its airworthiness requirements, a special flight permit under 14 CFR 21.197, flown within its limitations. See the special flight permit guide.
Straight answers

Aircraft ferry flights questions

What condition does my airplane need to be in for a ferry flight?

It needs to be safe for the flight, and it needs to be legal for the flight, which are related but separate questions. Legal usually means a current annual inspection, current registration, compliance with applicable airworthiness directives, and the required equipment working for the kind of flight planned. If any of that is missing, the airplane may still be able to fly one trip under a special flight permit, provided a mechanic finds it safe for that flight. Safe is the pilot's call at the airplane. A ferry pilot will look closely at fuel contamination, tire condition, oil leaks, control freedom, and anything you mentioned when requesting the quote. Airplanes that have been sitting, or that just came out of heavy maintenance, deserve extra attention. The more you share about the airplane's recent history before the trip, the less likely the pilot finds a surprise on the ramp that delays the departure.

Can you ferry an airplane that has been sitting for a long time?

Often, but a long-idle airplane needs a mechanic before it needs a pilot. Engines that sit for months can develop internal corrosion, and fuel left in the tanks can break down or pick up water. Seals dry out, tires flat spot, batteries die, and insects and birds move into pitot tubes, vents and engine cowlings. None of that is visible from a quick walkaround, and all of it matters on a first flight over unfamiliar terrain. The usual path is to have an A&P mechanic inspect the airplane where it sits, address what is needed, and confirm its airworthiness status. If the annual lapsed during storage, that inspection may lead to a special flight permit so the airplane can fly to a shop for the full annual. Tell us how long it has been since the airplane last flew and when the engine was last run, because that history shapes both the plan and the quote.

Also from Settle Ferry

Related services

A red Cirrus parked on a concrete ramp with both cabin doors open under a broken cloud layer

Purchase delivery

Bought an airplane two states away? It gets flown from the seller's airport to yours.
A red and white Cessna taildragger parked inside a metal hangar, chocked on its mains with the tail low and the wing struts in view

Maintenance ferry flights

Runs to and from annuals, avionics installs, paint and repair shops, including airplanes flying on a ferry permit.
Two pilots side by side in a light airplane cockpit, both in headsets, flying over a city with scattered cloud above

Insurance transition training

The dual hours your insurance company requires, flown with a certificated flight instructor, often on the trip home.

Ready when your airplane is

Tell us where it is and where it needs to be

Send the tail number, the two airports, and when you need it moved. We will come back with a plan and a price.

Get a quote Call 972.559.0871