Buying an airplane out of state
The airplane, the seller, the inspection shop and you are all in different places. Here is how to get them lined up and the airplane home.
What has to happen before a purchased airplane can fly home?
An out of state purchase has more moving parts than a local one. These are the milestones that have to line up before the flight home.
- A pre-buy inspection by a mechanic you choose, not the seller's shop
- Funds and ownership transferred, often through an aviation escrow and title company
- A signed bill of sale, AC Form 8050-2, and a submitted registration application, AC Form 8050-1
- Insurance bound in the buyer's name before the first flight
- A current annual inspection, or a plan for a special flight permit if it has lapsed
- A decision on who flies it home, and any transition training the policy requires
Should the pre-buy inspection happen near the seller?
Usually, yes. Flying an airplane you do not own yet to a distant shop adds risk, insurance questions and cost before you even know whether you want it. Most buyers choose an independent shop near the seller that knows the type well.
If the annual is due soon, many buyers negotiate to combine the pre-buy with a fresh annual. If the inspection turns up items that affect airworthiness, the airplane is either repaired there or flown on a special flight permit to a shop closer to home.
Who should fly the airplane home?
There are three common answers, and the right one depends on your experience, your insurance and your calendar.
- You, alone, if your policy allows it, you are current, and you have the time for the trip
- You, with an instructor, logging the transition training your policy requires on the way home
- A ferry pilot, while you stay home, through purchase delivery
What documents must be in the airplane for the flight home?
Under 14 CFR 91.203 and 91.9, certain documents have to be aboard. Pilots often remember them as ARROW, where the radio station license is only required for international flights.
- Airworthiness certificate, displayed where passengers and crew can see it
- Registration certificate, or the temporary authority described under 14 CFR 47.31
- Operating limitations, usually the approved flight manual, placards and markings
- Weight and balance data that reflects the airplane as it is currently equipped
Frequently asked questions
Can I fly my new airplane home before the new registration arrives?
In most cases, yes, under the temporary authority rules in 14 CFR 47.31. After you submit the Aircraft Registration Application to the FAA Aircraft Registry along with evidence of ownership, such as the bill of sale, the pink copy of the registration application can serve as temporary authority to operate the airplane within the United States while the permanent certificate is processed. That authority has a time limit and conditions, and the Registry has updated its procedures over the years, so check current FAA guidance on the Registry website before relying on it. The pink copy, not the seller's old registration, must be aboard for the flight home. International flights are not covered by the temporary authority. Registration is also only one of the required documents. The airworthiness certificate, operating limitations, and current weight and balance data need to be aboard too, and insurance must be bound in your name before the first flight.
What should I check in the logbooks before the airplane leaves the seller?
Start with the dates that decide whether the airplane can legally fly home. Confirm the annual inspection is current, and look for any airworthiness directives that are recurring or coming due. Check the emergency locator transmitter, which under 14 CFR 91.207 needs an inspection within the preceding 12 calendar months and a battery that has not passed its replacement date. Confirm the transponder test required every 24 calendar months under 14 CFR 91.413. If you plan to fly under instrument flight rules on the way home, the altimeter and static system check under 14 CFR 91.411 must also be within 24 calendar months. Then read the logs for the airplane's story: recent major repairs or alterations, engine time since overhaul, and any gaps in the records. Your pre-buy mechanic should review all of this in detail. Your job is to know which items could stop the trip home, so nothing surprises you on delivery day.
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Plain answers for owners planning to move an airplane.
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