Aircraft ferry tips that make a request easier to evaluate
Practical aircraft ferry tips for owners, buyers, brokers, dealers, and shops preparing for aircraft delivery or repositioning.
Use this guide before requesting a ferry quote
Better information produces a cleaner review. These points help owners, buyers, brokers, dealers, and shops understand what usually matters before an aircraft is moved.
Start with the aircraft facts
- Provide the exact make, model, year if known, registration, equipment highlights, and current location.
- Share whether the aircraft is flying regularly, recently maintained, recently purchased, or coming out of storage.
- Disclose known squawks early. Hiding a known issue almost always slows the process later.
Give AFS the route problem, not just two airports
- Origin and destination airports are only the start. Parking, hangar access, fuel availability, terrain, customs, maintenance release timing, and delivery handoff can all matter.
- If you have flexibility on timing, say so. Flexible timing can reduce weather pressure and may help avoid unnecessary costs.
- If a broker, shop, seller, or airport manager controls access, include their contact role from the start.
Prepare insurance before the last minute
- Ask your insurer or broker whether a ferry pilot, contract pilot, or named pilot approval is required.
- Confirm whether coverage applies throughout the route, especially for international, cross-border, overwater, or remote-area movements.
- If the insurer needs pilot information, let AFS know before the mission becomes time-sensitive.
Make the handoff boring
- The best aircraft handoffs are uneventful: keys, logs, fuel status, aircraft access, parking, tie-downs, hangar instructions, gate codes, and destination contact are all clear.
- Confirm who is authorized to release and receive the aircraft.
- Take photos of the aircraft condition, panel, fuel status, and exterior before and after if needed for your own records.
A better ferry request starts before the quote form
A strong inquiry does not need to be perfect, but it should give enough context for AFS to understand the aircraft, the reason it needs to move, and the constraints around the mission. The more complete the early picture is, the easier it is to identify missing information, avoid unnecessary back-and-forth, and determine whether the request is realistic.
Separate facts from preferences
Facts include aircraft type, current location, registration, maintenance status, and destination. Preferences include desired arrival date, preferred route, whether an owner wants to participate, and whether stops should be minimized. Both matter, but they are evaluated differently.
Disclose constraints early
Examples include expiring insurance coverage, an upcoming closing date, hangar access limitations, shop completion timing, aircraft equipment limitations, overwater routing concerns, or owner availability. Early constraints help shape the plan before the mission becomes urgent.
Expect follow-up questions
Follow-up questions are normal. They usually mean the request is being evaluated at the aircraft-specific level rather than treated like a generic distance quote. Good follow-up questions often protect the owner from surprises later.
What makes an aircraft easier to move
Aircraft that are actively flying, current on inspections, insured for the intended operation, accessible at pickup, and supported by clear documentation are usually easier to evaluate. That does not mean a more complex aircraft cannot be moved, but it does mean the review may need more information and more coordination.
Details that help most
Ready to move from research to review?
Use the quote form when you have the aircraft, route, timing, status, and handoff details ready. Use Contact if you have a general question first.
Need help preparing the details?
Start with the checklist, then submit what you have. AFS can identify missing items during follow-up.