Aircraft Appraisal Scope

This page describes the scope and methodology of our aircraft appraisal services. For appraisal services organized by intended use (bank financing, estate and legal matters, donations), please see our Appraisals section.

OakTree Aviation Services (OTAS) provides independent aircraft appraisals for general aviation and business aviation aircraft, with assignments structured for lender, legal, fiduciary, and owner reliance.

The aircraft market is fluid, and real‑time market conditions can materially affect value, liquidity, and collateral risk. Relying on static value guides or generalized pricing tools can result in significant mispricing, particularly for aircraft with meaningful differences in configuration, maintenance status, or damage history.

Our appraisals focus on the subject aircraft’s actual condition, equipment, documentation, and market context at the effective date of value, rather than on canned or non‑specific value indications.

OTAS is based in California and routinely performs on‑site aircraft inspections throughout California, including Southern California. We also support appraisal assignments across the United States by prior arrangement, with inspection logistics and regional market factors addressed as appropriate to the assignment.

An aircraft appraisal can be useful in many contexts, including:

• Buying or selling an aircraft
• Bank financing, refinancing, or collateral review
• Estate, trust, or divorce matters
• Litigation and dispute resolution
• Donation and other tax‑related reporting
• Periodic asset value verification and ownership planning

In each case, our objective is to provide a well‑supported opinion of value that is appropriate to the stated intended use and intended users.

Our appraisers are experienced, PAAO‑trained, and equipped with the tools and data needed to complete a range of aircraft appraisal assignments.

Depending on the assignment’s requirements, we provide:

• USPAP‑compliant aircraft appraisals for higher‑reliance uses such as lending, estate and legal matters, litigation, and IRS‑related reporting.
• Certified aircraft appraisals (non‑USPAP) for assignments where a client does not require a full USPAP report but still needs a professionally prepared opinion of value supported by on‑site inspection and market data.

All assignments include on‑site inspection and full review of logbooks and records; we do not provide “desktop” or no‑inspection opinions of value.

Our appraisal scope includes:

• High‑performance single‑engine piston aircraft
• High‑performance multi‑engine piston aircraft
• Turboprop aircraft
• Light, mid‑size, and large‑cabin business jets

Our practice is limited to general aviation and business aviation aircraft. We do not provide appraisal services for commercial airliners or airline fleet assets.

All appraisal assignments are developed in compliance with USPAP, supported by PAAO analytical methodology, and clearly documented:

• Scope of work
• Effective date and market conditions
• Data sources and market evidence
• Any extraordinary assumptions or hypothetical conditions, when applicable

Valuation conclusions are based on observed market behavior, current transaction data, and aircraft‑specific characteristics, not on automated pricing models or unsupported benchmarks.