Establish the actual configuration and cost of required equipment.
Reconcile the advertised and installed configuration
Ask the technical adviser to compare the specification sheet, actual installed equipment and supporting records. Identify exact models and versions where relevant. AOPA's checklist highlights the need to match equipment to documentation. Do not assume that a brand name in a listing establishes current software, usable capability or approval for the buyer's intended operations.
Separate ownership from access rights
Some functions depend on databases, subscriptions, service accounts, network arrangements or permissions beyond the hardware. Obtain direct confirmation of what transfers and what the buyer must purchase separately. Confirm any equipment removed at sale and any portable devices or accounts not included. Treat seller demonstrations as evidence to investigate, not a substitute for the agreed acceptance test and documentation.
Work an illustrative upgrade gap
Suppose two otherwise comparable jets differ by $100,000 in price, but the cheaper aircraft needs a buyer-required upgrade quoted at $140,000 plus downtime. These are illustrative numbers only. Compare the completed configuration and timing, including financing and operational consequences, rather than concluding the cheaper listing is the better acquisition. Have the operator verify that the required capability actually serves the mission.
Make delivery and budget language consistent
Include the agreed configuration and documentation in the transaction records. Ask who pays for database updates, transferred services, installation corrections and acceptance testing. Keep future optional upgrades separate from required acquisition work, and avoid counting the same upgrade both in purchase price and a first-year capital allowance. Preserve the final installed-equipment list as a baseline for insurance and maintenance coordination.
Working document to prepare
Use a configuration matrix with advertised item, installed identification, supporting record, tested function, subscription owner and transfer action. Mark buyer-required versus optional capability and record any quote for correction or upgrade. Include delivery acceptance evidence and the party responsible for completing it. This creates a usable baseline for the operator without treating hardware ownership, database access, software permission and operational approval as if they were the same thing.
Your next-step checklist
- Match installed equipment and records.
- Confirm transferable accounts and subscriptions.
- Quote required upgrades and downtime.
- Include the final configuration in handover.
Sources & further reading
Primary sources support the relevant facts. Our planning questions and illustrative exercises are editorial analysis; they do not replace transaction-specific advice.
- AOPA equipment and records checklist · accessed 2026-10-28