Aircraft buyer guide
How to read an aircraft public-record report
Read the aircraft identity and source coverage first. Then separate registration facts, linked events, model context and unresolved questions before deciding which private documents and inspections to request.
By Aerovidence · Reviewed
Start with identity and edition
Confirm that the manufacturer, model and serial evidence describe the aircraft you intend to research. Note when each source was obtained and what period it covers. The day you download a report is not automatically the update date of its evidence.
Give each section a distinct job
Aerovidence reports organize different kinds of public evidence. They do not collapse them into a single aircraft safety grade.
| Section | How to use it |
|---|---|
| Registration | Compare the dated identity and status fields with aircraft paperwork. |
| Public events | Read the identity match and original event source. |
| SDR model context | Prepare component questions without treating source counts as rates. |
| AD references | Locate official text for a separate applicability and compliance review. |
| Gaps and conflicts | List the missing evidence and who will resolve it. |
Follow the evidence before sharing a conclusion
Open the source links and read the relevant dates and identity explanation. A reported event, a derived association and an unknown state carry different meanings. If you share the report, keep its edition, limitations and unresolved items attached. Removing the caveats changes what the evidence supports.
Use the next step that fits the gap
Ask for logbooks where maintenance evidence is missing, configuration details where AD applicability is uncertain and a separate title review for ownership interests. A missing public match does not certify an uneventful aircraft history. The free lookup shows registration and dated event information; the full report is also free during launch and includes the available context and downloads.
Check the public records first
How Aerovidence handles evidence · Sources and coverage limits
Continue your research
Aircraft prebuy records checklist
Organize aircraft identity, public events, maintenance logs, AD evidence and title questions before a pre-purchase inspection.
How to read FAA Service Difficulty Reports
Use FAA SDR records as maintenance research leads, distinguish source rows from events, and understand why report counts are not aircraft failure rates.
Aircraft AD search: applicability is not compliance
Search FAA airworthiness directives using airframe, engine, propeller and equipment details, and separate possible applicability from compliance evidence.