Free Aircraft Bill of Sale Template

An aircraft bill of sale is a written record that transfers ownership of an aircraft from a seller to a buyer. It identifies both parties, describes the aircraft, and states the price along with the terms of the sale.

Aircraft change hands through brokers, flight schools, partnerships, and private owners. In every one of those cases, a signed record shows exactly when ownership moved and what each side agreed to.

The document handles the transfer itself. Registration paperwork, airworthiness records, and logbooks travel alongside it, and they matter just as much once the deal closes.

Because these sales often involve financing, escrow, or co-owners, a signed record gives everyone the same reference point. If a question comes up later about payment, condition, or ownership, both parties can look at one page.

A clear form does not need to be long. Two parties, one aircraft, an agreed price, and a set of terms in writing covers most private sales.

Use an aircraft bill of sale whenever an aircraft changes owners and either side wants proof of the transfer. That holds for a cash sale, a trade, or a gift.

Common situations include:

• Buying a single-engine plane from a private owner — records the price, the date, and the condition agreed on
• Selling a helicopter or turbine aircraft through a broker — documents the terms behind the closing paperwork
• Dissolving a flying club or a partnership — shows how a shared aircraft moved to one member
• Transferring an aircraft out of an estate — gives the personal representative a signed record of the sale
• Trading an aircraft toward another purchase — captures the value both sides assigned to it

Flight schools and charter operators keep the same records for the aircraft they buy and retire. Therefore, a signed form belongs in the file long after the sale closes.

A complete form answers four questions: who, what, how much, and on what terms. Work through each one before anyone signs.

Buyer and Seller Details

List full legal names, mailing addresses, and a phone number or email for each party. If a company, a trust, or a partnership owns the aircraft, use the entity’s legal name and note who is authorized to sign for it.

Aircraft Identification

Describe the aircraft precisely enough that no one could confuse it with another. Include:

• Make and model
• Serial number
• Registration number
• Year of manufacture
• Engine make, model, and serial number
• Propeller details, where they apply
• Total time on the airframe and the engines

Avionics, installed equipment, and any spare parts included in the deal deserve a line too, since those items are the easiest to argue about afterward.

Price and Payment

State the purchase amount and how it was paid: cash, financing, escrow, or a trade. If a deposit came first, note the amount and the date it was received.

Terms of the Sale

Write down whatever the two sides agreed to. That might be an as-is sale, a pre-purchase inspection window, a delivery date and location, or who covers costs until the aircraft moves. Because unwritten promises are hard to enforce, put every one of them on the page.

An aircraft carries a long paper trail, and buyers should review it before money moves.

Ask the seller for:

• Airframe, engine, and propeller logbooks
• The current registration and airworthiness certificate
• Records of major repairs, alterations, and inspections
• Weight and balance data, plus the equipment list
• Written confirmation that no loan or lien is outstanding

Liens deserve particular attention. If a lender still holds an interest in the aircraft, the payoff has to be handled at closing, and the sale record should say how.

Many buyers arrange a pre-purchase inspection by a mechanic who knows the type. That step is normal, and most sellers expect it. When both sides agree to one, write the deadline into the terms so the window stays clear to everyone.

Tip: Registration and recording requirements vary, and they shift depending on the aircraft and how it is owned. Before you sign, confirm what the registering authority, your lender, and any escrow agent each need from you.

Whether an aircraft bill of sale is accepted, and by whom, depends on where the aircraft is based and who is asking for it. The form records a private transaction; it does not by itself register the aircraft in the buyer’s name.

Confirm a few things before you sign:

• What the registering authority needs in order to record the change of ownership
• What your state’s official website lists for aircraft transfers, including any tax or filing step
• What your lender or escrow agent requires, if financing is involved
• Whether the other party or the closing agent wants a notarized signature

Aircraft deals layer quickly. Co-ownership, a leaseback arrangement, an entity purchase, or a buyer based abroad each add moving parts. In those situations, an aviation attorney is worth the call before you commit.

Sign only after every detail is right, because corrections afterward are harder than they look. Both parties should print their names, sign, and date the same copy.

Then handle the follow-through:

1. Give the buyer and the seller each a signed copy, on paper or as a PDF.
2. Submit whatever the registering authority asks for to move the aircraft into the new owner’s name.
3. Hand over the logbooks, certificates, and maintenance records.
4. Update the insurance so coverage follows the correct owner from the closing date.
5. Keep your copy with the aircraft records, where the next owner will look for it.

Escrow closings often call for a notarized signature. Ask the closing agent first, then ask the notary what it needs from each party.

Ready to start? With Document Genius, you can answer a short set of questions, generate your aircraft bill of sale form, and download a signature-ready copy in minutes.