What's the airplane really worth? Ask a mechanic.
An appraisal is only as good as the eyes behind it. As an FAA A&P/IA, I value aircraft the way I inspect them — reading the logbooks, checking condition, and grounding the number in the real airplane and the real market. Two ways to get it: a $500 desktop valuation or a $1,500 in-person appraisal.
Desktop or in-person — your call.
Both deliver a defensible value from an A&P/IA. The difference is how deep the look goes: a records-and-market valuation you can order from anywhere, or a full hands-on inspection of the actual airplane.
Desktop Appraisal
- Full logbook & records review — total time, damage history, AD status, mod & equipment list
- Market comparables analysis against current listings and recent sales
- Adjustments for engine time, avionics, and condition as documented
- A written valuation you can use for pricing, insurance, or negotiation
In-Person Appraisal
- Everything in the desktop appraisal, included
- Physical inspection of airframe, engine, avionics, paint & interior — on site
- A mechanic's read on corrosion, deferred maintenance, and true condition
- The most defensible value — for insurance, financing, sale, or a purchase decision
Not sure which you need? Send a quick note and I'll point you to the right one.
The value is in the condition — and I read condition for a living.
I read the logbooks myself
Damage history, AD compliance, major repairs, and how the airplane's actually been maintained all move the number. I evaluate the records personally rather than trusting a summary.
Grounded in the real market
The value is checked against current listings and recent sales for the make and model — adjusted for equipment, engine time, and condition, not a one-size formula.
Defensible when it counts
Whether it's for insurance, financing, an estate, a sale price, or a buy-sell negotiation, you get a written value you can stand behind — backed by a mechanic's inspection.
A real aircraft owner
I live on an airfield, own and fly my own airplane, and work on these aircraft every day. I know what the repairs and upcoming maintenance actually cost — and it shows in the valuation.
Alongside Seitz Aviation.
I work as a broker agent for Seitz Aviation — the Pacific Northwest's premier aircraft broker, which also offers aircraft appraisals. When a valuation is part of a listing or acquisition, the appraisal and the brokerage work hand in hand — a mechanic reading the airplane, backed by an established brokerage that knows the market.
Visit Seitz Aviation Appraisals →From request to a value you can use.
Tell me about it
Send the make, model, and N-number, plus what the appraisal is for and whether you want desktop or in-person.
Records & market
I review the logbooks, equipment, damage history, and AD status, and pull current market comparables for the type.
Inspect (in-person)
For an in-person appraisal, I go to the airplane and evaluate real condition — airframe, engine, avionics, paint and interior.
Written value
You get a clear, defensible written valuation you can use for pricing, insurance, financing, or negotiation.
Vet it, value it, or buy it.
Logbook Review
Just need one airplane's records read before you commit? A flat-fee records review by an A&P/IA — the fastest way to catch red flags.
See the $375 logbook review →Buyer's Agent
Want it done for you end to end? I run the whole search and vet every candidate's logbooks — unlimited — until you close.
See the acquisition service →Buying or selling an entire airplane? See aircraft brokerage, offered as a broker agent for Seitz Aviation.
Frequently asked
What's the difference between a desktop and an in-person appraisal?
A desktop appraisal ($500) is done remotely — I analyze the logbooks, specifications, equipment, damage history, AD status, and current market comparables to establish a defensible value without traveling to the aircraft. An in-person appraisal ($1,500) adds a full physical inspection: I go to the airplane and evaluate its actual condition — airframe, engine, avionics, corrosion, paint and interior — alongside the records, for the most accurate and defensible value.
How much does an aircraft appraisal cost?
A desktop appraisal is $500 and an in-person appraisal is $1,500. Which one you need depends on how the valuation will be used — a market check versus a full, defensible condition-based appraisal for insurance, financing, sale, or a purchase decision.
Why get an appraisal from a mechanic?
Value is driven by condition, and condition lives in the airframe, the engine, and the logbooks. As an A&P/IA I read the records and inspect the airplane myself, so the number reflects the real aircraft — damage history, AD compliance, deferred maintenance, and time remaining on the engine — not just a formula run against the market.
Do I need to be in the Pacific Northwest?
For a desktop appraisal, no — it's done remotely, nationwide. For an in-person appraisal, travel beyond the Pacific Northwest can be arranged; reach out with the aircraft's location and we'll sort out the details.
When would I want an appraisal instead of a logbook review?
A $375 logbook review answers "are these records clean?" before you buy. An appraisal answers "what is this airplane actually worth?" — the number you need for a sale price, an insurance value, financing, an estate, or a buy-sell negotiation. Many buyers use both: the logbook review to vet, the appraisal to price.
Get a value you can stand behind.
Desktop for a fast, defensible market valuation, or in-person for a full condition-based appraisal. Either way, it's an A&P/IA putting a number on the real airplane.