Aircraft Appraisal Report Options

Which report is right for your transaction?

Plane Data, Inc. offers three categories of aircraft valuation reports. Two are formal appraisal products signed by a PAAO Senior Certified Aircraft Appraiser and delivered with a field visit to the aircraft. The third is a non-certified opinion of value, available on request when a field visit is not feasible — what some providers loosely market as a “desktop appraisal.” This FAQ explains the differences, addresses a common source of confusion around the “desktop” label, and helps you choose the right product for your transaction.

The Three Reports at a Glance

USPAP-Compliant Appraisal Report

Our most rigorous product. Prepared under the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice, the reporting and ethics standard required for IRS filings, estate valuations, charitable donations, divorce and litigation matters, and expert witness testimony. Plane Data always performs a field visit and records review as part of the USPAP scope of work — the field visit is our practice, disclosed in the report.

PAAO Certified Appraisal Report

Our standard product for piston aircraft. Prepared under Professional Aircraft Appraisal Organization standards, which require a field visit to the aircraft and a review of the records for any signed Certified Report. Offered only for piston single-engine and piston twin-engine aircraft. The industry-recognized product for aviation lending on these aircraft — used for financing, refinancing, periodic collateral review, and insurance placement.

Non-Certified Aircraft Valuation

A limited-scope opinion of value prepared from client-supplied documentation only, without an on-site inspection. Offered only for piston single-engine and piston twin-engine aircraft. This is Plane Data’s version of what is often called a “desktop appraisal” in the market — a term that is not defined by any recognized appraisal standard and that varies widely in scope and rigor from provider to provider. Not an appraisal in the professional sense, not signed as certified, and not appropriate for financing, IRS, estate, or litigation use. Available on request for a narrow set of situations where a field inspection is not feasible.

Side-by-Side Comparison

The table below summarizes the practical differences among the three products.

	USPAP-Compliant Appraisal	PAAO Certified Appraisal	Non-Certified Aircraft Valuation
Eligible aircraft	Piston, turboprop, bizjet, and helicopter	Piston single-engine and piston twin-engine aircraft only	Piston single-engine and piston twin-engine aircraft only
Compliance standard	Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP)	Professional Aircraft Appraisal Organization (PAAO)	Not issued under a professional appraisal standard
On-site aircraft inspection	Yes — field visit performed by Plane Data	Yes — field visit required under PAAO standards	No — documentation review only
Logbook review	Original logbooks inspected in person	Original logbooks inspected in person	Not verified against the aircraft
Installed equipment	Verified against the airframe	Verified against the airframe	Assumed from client-supplied information
Interior and exterior condition	Documented with appraiser photographs	Documented with appraiser photographs	Assumed average for age and model
Comparable-sales and market analysis	Full analysis	Full analysis	Full analysis
Signed by PAAO Senior Certified Appraiser	Yes	Yes	No — issued as an opinion of value
IRS, court, and estate acceptance	Yes — the required standard	Not accepted for these purposes	Not accepted for these purposes
Lender acceptance for financing	Yes	Yes — the industry standard for aviation lending	Rarely accepted — confirm with your lender first
Best used for	IRS filings, estate, charitable donations, litigation, expert testimony	Financing, refinancing, collateral review, insurance placement	Preliminary opinions when the aircraft cannot be inspected
Typical turnaround	5–10 business days	5–10 business days	3–5 business days
Relative investment	Highest	Standard rate	Modest savings vs. Certified

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do I know which report I need?

Start with the aircraft. If your aircraft is a turboprop, bizjet, or helicopter, the choice is already made — the USPAP-Compliant Appraisal Report is the only product Plane Data issues for those aircraft, and it covers every intended use.

If your aircraft is a piston single-engine or piston twin-engine, you have three options and the intended use of the report determines the right one. As a rule of thumb:

• If the report will be seen by the IRS, a court, an estate administrator, or a charitable-donation reviewer, order the USPAP-Compliant Appraisal Report.
• If the report will be used for financing, refinancing, periodic collateral review, or insurance placement, order the PAAO Certified Appraisal Report.
• If the aircraft is genuinely inaccessible and you only need a preliminary opinion of value, the Non-Certified Aircraft Valuation may be appropriate — but see the questions below first.

When in doubt, call us. We would rather help you select the right product than sell you the wrong one.

2. What is the difference between USPAP-Compliant and PAAO Certified?

The PAAO Certified Appraisal Report is offered only for piston single-engine and piston twin-engine aircraft. The USPAP-Compliant Appraisal Report is offered for all aircraft types Plane Data appraises, and it is the only product we issue for turboprops, bizjets, and helicopters.

The two standards work differently, and it is worth understanding the distinction. USPAP is the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice — a reporting and ethics standard that governs how an appraiser conducts an assignment (competency, scope-of-work disclosure, workfile, ethical conduct). USPAP itself does not mandate a physical inspection of the property; the appraiser and client agree on a scope of work, and any limitations are disclosed in the report. PAAO is the reporting standard of the Professional Aircraft Appraisal Organization; for a signed PAAO Certified Report, PAAO standards require a field visit to the aircraft and a review of its records.

In practice, for both products, Plane Data conducts a field visit to the aircraft and reviews the logbooks, equipment, and documentation on site. That is our standing practice — required under PAAO, and adopted as our scope-of-work choice under USPAP. Both reports are signed by a PAAO Senior Certified Aircraft Appraiser. USPAP reports carry additional scope-of-work, disclosure, and documentation requirements, and are priced accordingly.

3. What is the Non-Certified Aircraft Valuation, exactly? Is it the same as a “desktop appraisal”?

It is an opinion of value prepared from documentation the client provides — photographs, equipment lists, logbook copies, and maintenance summaries. The appraiser does not travel to the aircraft, does not physically review the original logbooks, and does not verify the installed equipment or condition. The resulting report is clearly labeled as non-certified and is not issued under a professional appraisal standard.

You will see other providers advertise “desktop appraisals” at a wide range of prices. It is important to understand that “desktop appraisal” is not a defined product under USPAP, PAAO, or any other recognized appraisal standard. There is no industry rule for what a desktop report must include, who is qualified to prepare one, or what level of due diligence is required. A $250 online valuation and a $2,000 documentation-based report from a certified appraiser may both be marketed as “desktop appraisals,” even though they are not comparable products. For that reason, Plane Data does not use the “desktop” label. Our comparable product is the Non-Certified Aircraft Valuation, and its scope is spelled out in this FAQ and in every report we issue.

4. When is the Non-Certified Aircraft Valuation appropriate?

First, the aircraft must be a piston single-engine or piston twin-engine. Plane Data does not issue Non-Certified Aircraft Valuations for turboprops, bizjets, or helicopters — those require a USPAP-Compliant Appraisal.

For eligible piston aircraft, there are a small number of legitimate uses:

• The aircraft is located outside the continental United States and travel is impractical within the required timeline.
• The aircraft is hangared in a location the owner cannot open on the required timeline.
• A prospective buyer wants a preliminary opinion of value before committing to a full engagement.
• An owner needs an internal planning-purpose valuation and does not require lender, court, or tax-authority acceptance.

Outside of these cases, one of the two certified products is the right choice. If your intended use does not appear on this list, order a Certified or USPAP-Compliant Appraisal.

5. Why does Plane Data discourage the Non-Certified option for most transactions?

Beyond the practical limits above, a non-certified opinion of value carries elevated risk of misuse. Because it is prepared without physical verification of the aircraft, its logbooks, or its installed equipment, an unverified valuation can be — and has been — used in transactions involving inflated collateral values, bank fraud, and money laundering schemes.

Plane Data is not willing to have its work product used for those purposes. We reserve the Non-Certified Aircraft Valuation for the narrow set of legitimate uses listed above, and we will decline any engagement where the intended use is unclear, where the requested value appears inconsistent with the market, or where the transaction pattern raises concerns. In borderline cases, we will require a Certified or USPAP-Compliant Appraisal — or we will decline the engagement entirely.

6. Will my lender accept a Non-Certified Aircraft Valuation or a “desktop” report from another provider?

Some do; most do not, and the reasons for accepting one are rarely explained. A “desktop appraisal” is not defined under USPAP, PAAO, or any recognized appraisal standard — there is no rule for what the report must include, who is qualified to prepare one, or what level of verification is required. Accepting a value opinion that has not been supported by physical inspection of the aircraft, its logbooks, and its installed equipment is not consistent with responsible asset-based lending practices. If your lender is willing to accept a Non-Certified Aircraft Valuation or a “desktop” report from any provider, that is their decision to make; we would encourage you to ask why, and to get their acceptance in writing before you order one. For any lender that follows sound collateral-review practices, a PAAO Certified or USPAP-Compliant Appraisal will be required.

7. Will a Non-Certified Aircraft Valuation hold up in court or with the IRS?

No. Estate valuations, charitable-donation appraisals, divorce proceedings, damage claims, and IRS filings all require a USPAP-Compliant Appraisal Report from a qualified appraiser. Plane Data’s USPAP-Compliant reports include a field visit to the aircraft and a review of the records — the scope of work these purposes call for. A Non-Certified Aircraft Valuation is not appropriate for any of these uses, and Plane Data will not issue one for them.

8. How much less does the Non-Certified Aircraft Valuation cost?

It is priced at a modest discount to the corresponding PAAO Certified Appraisal Report. The savings reflect the reduced travel and inspection time — not a reduction in the analytical work, which is substantially the same. Because the underlying research, comparable-sales analysis, and market review are still performed by a Senior Certified Aircraft Appraiser, the price difference is intentionally small. In most transactions, the incremental cost of a Certified Appraisal is dramatically less than the risk of relying on an unverified opinion.

9. What documentation do I need to provide for a Non-Certified Aircraft Valuation?

If we agree the Non-Certified product is appropriate for your situation, you will need to provide:

• A copy of the aircraft’s current Airworthiness Certificate.
• A copy of the aircraft’s current FAA Registration.
• Complete, legible copies of all airframe, engine, and propeller logbooks.
• The current Weight and Balance and current installed Equipment List.
• A photograph of the tachometer or Hobbs meter documenting current time.
• Photographs of the exterior, interior, panel, and any damage history — all taken within the last 30 days.
• Documentation of any Supplemental Type Certificates (STCs), upgrades, or refurbishments.
• A written statement of any known damage history and current maintenance status.
• The intended use of the report and the identity of any third party who will rely on it.

The quality of a Non-Certified Aircraft Valuation is directly limited by the completeness of the documentation you provide. Anything the appraiser cannot see or verify becomes an assumption stated in the report.

10. Can I start with a Non-Certified Valuation and upgrade later?

Yes. If you order a Non-Certified Aircraft Valuation and later determine you need a Certified or USPAP-Compliant Appraisal — for financing, insurance, tax, or legal reasons — Plane Data will credit a portion of the Non-Certified fee toward the certified engagement, provided the upgrade is requested within 90 days and the aircraft has not materially changed.

Our Recommendation

For turboprops, bizjets, and helicopters, the choice is straightforward: the USPAP-Compliant Appraisal Report is the only product we issue, and it covers every intended use.

For piston single-engine and piston twin-engine aircraft, for nearly every transaction of consequence, order one of the two certified products. Order the USPAP-Compliant Appraisal Report when the IRS, a court, an estate, or a charitable-donation reviewer will see the report. Order the PAAO Certified Appraisal Report for aviation lending and insurance. These are the reports Plane Data has built its reputation on since 1992, and they are the reports that protect your interests when it matters.

The Non-Certified Aircraft Valuation is available when you genuinely need it. We will tell you honestly when that is the case. In every other situation, a certified product is the right choice — and often the only one that will be accepted by the party requesting it.

Read more about the limited-scope product on our Non-Certified Reports page.

Questions? Contact Plane Data, Inc.

Mike Simmons, PAAO Senior Certified Aircraft Appraiser
Call 800.895.1382 or send us a message.