Aircraft Ferry Checklist
Use this staged checklist to gather aircraft details, documentation, insurance requirements, route information, aircraft status, and handoff logistics before requesting an aircraft ferry, delivery, relocation, or repositioning quote.
Gather what you can. You do not need perfection to start
This checklist is meant to help owners, buyers, brokers, dealers, shops, and aircraft managers submit cleaner ferry requests. It is not a pass/fail list. Some details may be unknown at first contact, but the more you can provide, the easier it is for AFS to understand the mission and identify what still needs clarification.
Must-have basics
- Authorized relationship to the aircraft
- Aircraft make/model and registration if known
- Current airport or location
- Intended destination
- Desired timing or delivery window
- Mission type or reason for movement
Helpful if available
- Recent flight and inspection status
- Known squawks or open maintenance
- Insurance or named-pilot requirements
- Logbook/documentation status
- Seller, shop, broker, or aircraft manager contact
- Handoff/access instructions
- International, customs, or permit considerations
Work through the request in the same order AFS will usually think about it
The goal is to eliminate surprises before travel, pilot assignment, insurance approval, aircraft access, or delivery timing becomes urgent.
1. Identify the aircraft and authorized party
- Confirm who can approve aircraft movement
- Gather make, model, registration, and aircraft category
- Identify current owner, buyer, seller, broker, shop, or aircraft manager contacts
- Clarify whether the aircraft is being purchased, relocated, moved for maintenance, or repositioned for another reason
2. Confirm route and timing
- Current airport, hangar, shop, broker facility, or pickup location
- Intended destination airport, receiving shop, new base, or delivery point
- Preferred delivery window and realistic timing flexibility
- Any deadlines tied to closing, maintenance scheduling, hangar space, insurance, or buyer acceptance
3. Disclose aircraft status
- Recent flight history and current inspection status
- Known squawks, open items, recent maintenance, or unusual aircraft behavior
- Fuel, battery, tires, brakes, oil, avionics, oxygen, de-ice, and autopilot status if relevant
- Any reason the aircraft may need special review before normal ferry planning
4. Prepare insurance and document context
- Insurance broker, underwriter, policy contact, or named-pilot approval process
- Registration and airworthiness documentation status
- Logbook or maintenance-record availability if needed for review
- International, permit, experimental, or operating-limitation documents if applicable
5. Plan pickup and delivery handoff
- Who has keys, logs, fuel card, hangar access, and ramp access
- Who will meet the pilot at pickup and delivery
- Parking, fuel, oxygen, de-icing, hangar, or FBO preferences
- Post-flight handoff expectations, status report needs, and delivery communication preferences
Early transparency is better than late discovery
AFS can evaluate many different aircraft movement situations, but incomplete status information creates delay. If the aircraft has been sitting, recently repaired, recently purchased, out of annual, subject to insurance approval, located at a shop, or involved in any unusual event, disclose that early. It does not automatically mean the request cannot be evaluated; it means the review needs the right facts.
Checklist boundary
This checklist is for quote preparation only. It does not determine mission acceptance, airworthiness, insurance coverage, permit eligibility, or regulatory compliance. Those issues remain subject to the appropriate owner, insurer, maintenance provider, and regulatory channels.
Ready to submit the request?
Submit the aircraft, route, timing, aircraft status, insurance, and handoff details you have. AFS will review the request case by case.