What to bring to an aircraft pre-buy
A pre-buy inspection is signed off by an A&P, not by you. What you bring decides whether you walk in knowing which questions to make them answer.
Airframe and corrosion
Bright inspection light and a mirror
Spar carry-through, wing root ribs, and the belly behind the battery box. Corrosion lives where inspection panels do not open often.
Borescope
Cylinder walls and valves through the spark plug hole. A borescope run on every cylinder is the single most informative hour of a pre-buy.
Compression / differential pressure tester
Differential compression numbers, taken warm, per cylinder. The A&P will run this; you want to see the sheet.
Paperwork, which is most of the value
Logbook checklist and a scanner app
Photograph every logbook page before you leave. Missing entries, not worn tires, are what destroys resale value.
AD compliance list for the type
Print the airworthiness directives for the exact make, model and engine, then tick each one off against the logs yourself.
Borrow before you buy. A moisture meter and a borescope are the two expensive items here, and both are worth renting or borrowing for one inspection. If you are looking at three or four candidates, buy them: they will pay for themselves on the first finding.
The pre-purchase inspection kit for your aircraft
Having the tools is half of it. The kit tells you where to point them on your exact model, what each finding costs to put right, and which ones should end the deal.
See the inspection kits