Rick Durden’s article about hidden damage and other sales lies (December 2022 Aviation Consumer) is one of the better articles I’ve read on the subject in some time, and I thought readers would benefit from more real-world advice on damage history.
After 30-plus years of appraising aircraft, I continue to be amazed at the buyers who never read through the aircraft’s logbooks or take any interest in the aircraft’s past maintenance and repair history. This is true for both piston and turbine buyers. In the case of “damage,” it is important to understand that what mechanics see in terms of the levels of damage and what aircraft appraisers see are different because FAA categories are safety and regulatory in nature, while appraiser categories are more for valuation based on observations and research.