There are many reasons why one may need to have an aircraft appraised. When that time comes, you would like to ensure that you have made the right decision in selecting a qualified appraiser. Before you go any further in the selection process you want to verify that the appraiser is associated with an appraisal organization and that organization’s standards for appraisal accreditation. If they are not associated with an organization or that organization is not credible then you should move on.
Once you have confirmed they are associated with a reputable organization then you can move on to the next step. Aircraft appraisers typically come from one of three different backgrounds: finance, technical (aircraft technician), or pilot. Any one of these is acceptable and one is not necessarily better than the other. Having said that I do believe having a strong background involving aircraft is definitely a positive. The key here is to have a conversation with the potential appraiser to find out what resources they use to come to a determination of value. Keep in mind that when appraising different aircraft different resources and connections will vary but they should be able to give you a good idea. There’s not a lot to the process of selecting an aircraft appraiser but it is most certainly a very important decision.
