Non-Certified Aircraft Valuation Reports
A limited-scope opinion of value, offered only when a certified appraisal is not the right fit.
What a Non-Certified Report Is
A Non-Certified Aircraft Valuation is an opinion of value prepared entirely from documentation the client provides — logbooks, photographs, an equipment list, weight and balance, and supporting records. The appraiser does not travel to the aircraft, does not physically review the original logbooks, and does not verify the installed equipment or the aircraft’s condition. The resulting report is clearly labeled non-certified, is not issued under a professional appraisal standard, and is not signed as a certified appraisal.
Plane Data offers the Non-Certified Aircraft Valuation only for piston single-engine and piston twin-engine aircraft. Turboprops, bizjets, and helicopters require a USPAP-Compliant Appraisal Report, which involves a field visit by the appraiser.
Piston single-engine and piston twin-engine aircraft
Turboprops, bizjets, and helicopters require a USPAP-Compliant Appraisal Report, which involves a field visit by the appraiser
The "Desktop Appraisal" Question
You will see other providers advertise “desktop appraisals” at a wide range of prices. It is important to understand what that term does and does not mean.
“Desktop appraisal” is not a defined product under USPAP, PAAO, or any recognized appraisal standard. There is no industry rule for what a desktop report must contain, 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 of work is spelled out in every report we issue.
When a Non-Certified Report Is Appropriate
There are a small number of situations in which a Non-Certified Aircraft Valuation is a reasonable choice:
- 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 appraisal.
- An owner needs an internal, planning-purpose valuation and does not require lender, court, or tax-authority acceptance
If your intended use does not appear on this list, a certified report is the right choice.
When a Non-Certified Report Is Not Appropriate
A Non-Certified Aircraft Valuation is not acceptable for:
- Aviation lending, refinancing, or periodic collateral review. Lenders that follow sound collateral-review practices will require a PAAO Certified or USPAP-Compliant Appraisal.
- IRS filings, estate valuations, charitable donations, divorce proceedings, damage claims, or litigation. These require a USPAP-Compliant Appraisal Report from a qualified appraiser.
- Any transaction in which a third party will rely on the value opinion.
Accepting a value opinion that was not supported by a physical examination of the aircraft, its logbooks, and its installed equipment is not consistent with responsible asset-based lending or with the standards courts and tax authorities apply. Plane Data will not issue a Non-Certified Aircraft Valuation for any of these purposes.
What You Provide
If we agree that a Non-Certified Aircraft Valuation is appropriate for your situation, you will need to provide the following:
Airworthiness Certificate — a copy of the aircraft’s current certificate.
FAA Registration — a copy of the aircraft’s current registration.
Logbooks — complete, legible copies of all airframe, engine, and propeller logbooks.
Weight and Balance — the current Weight and Balance and installed Equipment List.
Tach/Hobbs Photo — a photograph documenting current time.
Aircraft Photos — exterior, interior, panel, and any damage history, taken within the last 30 days.
STC Documentation — any Supplemental Type Certificates, upgrades, or refurbishments.
Damage/Maintenance Statement — a written statement of known damage history and current maintenance status.
Intended Use — the intended use of the report and identity of any third party relying 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.
⚠ A Note on Misuse
A valuation prepared without physical verification of the aircraft, its logbooks, and its installed equipment carries elevated risk of misuse. Unverified valuations have been used in transactions involving inflated collateral values, bank fraud, and money laundering. Plane Data is not willing to have its work product used for those purposes.
We reserve the Non-Certified Aircraft Valuation for a narrow set of legitimate uses and will decline the engagement if the intended use is unclear, if the requested value appears inconsistent with the market, or if the transaction pattern raises concerns. In borderline cases, we will require a Certified or USPAP-Compliant Appraisal — or we will decline the engagement entirely.
Upgrade Path
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 nearly every transaction of consequence, order a certified report. The PAAO Certified Appraisal Report is the industry-recognized product for aviation lending on piston aircraft. The USPAP-Compliant Appraisal Report is required for IRS, court, estate, and litigation purposes, and is the only product Plane Data issues for turboprops, bizjets, and helicopters. Both are prepared with a field visit by a PAAO Senior Certified Aircraft Appraiser, and both have supported Plane Data’s clients in hundreds of transactions since 1992.
The Non-Certified Aircraft Valuation is available when you genuinely need it. We will tell you honestly when that is the case.
Not sure which report you need?
Read our Client FAQ: Aircraft Appraisal Report Options for a side-by-side comparison, or call Mike Simmons at 800-895-1382.