How we actually work.
I am one person sourcing commercial aircraft parts. I do not sell you a part until you accept it, on paper, with documentation you can show your regulator, your insurer, and your boss. This page is the unabridged version of that process.
Start to finish.
STEP 1RFQ intake
You send a part number, a quantity, a condition (NE / OH / SV / AR), a needed-by date, and the tail it is going on. Same-day response. No auto-responders. No ticket queue. You get a reply from me.
STEP 2Verified vendor network
I only source from stockists with a trading history, never from a listing aggregator I have not personally vetted. The network includes US MRO surplus, FAA 145 repair stations, and European trading partners carrying EASA Form 1 tagged inventory. A vendor new to me goes through a paperwork audit before they quote on your requirement. You never see that friction. It happens on my side.
STEP 3Paperwork pre-check
Before I send you a price, the vendor sends me scans of the FAA 8130-3 or EASA Form 1, the teardown report if the unit is overhauled, the last trace back to a commercial operator, and any ADs applied. If any of those four pieces are missing, I do not quote the part. I will tell you it is available on the market and I chose to pass.
STEP 4The quote
My quote includes unit price, condition, tag type, lead time out of the vendor’s facility, applicable taxes and duties to your destination, and the paperwork package you will receive. No hidden freight. No “call for pricing.” If the price is going to shift at the freight forwarder, you hear about it before I book.
STEP 5No sale until accepted
This is the part other brokers will not commit to in writing. I do not invoice you and I do not ship the part until you have reviewed the paperwork package and accepted. If the 8130 does not match what you expected, you walk. No restocking fee from me, ever. If the vendor charges one, that is on their terms, and I tell you before you decide.
STEP 6Shipment & tracking
Tracking lands in your inbox the moment the part moves. I stay on the thread until the part is installed and signed off.
Every shipment includes, as a minimum:
- ATA Spec 106Material Certification Form, filled out by the vendor, with my countersign.
- FAA 8130-3 / EASA Form 1FAA 8130-3 for US-sourced parts, EASA Form 1 for European-sourced parts. Dual release when available.
- Teardown reportFor OH and SV condition units, serial-matched to the tag.
- Last-operator tracebackThe commercial operator the unit was removed from, with removal reason.
- AD compliance statusEvery applicable Airworthiness Directive listed with status (C/W, N/A, Open).
I will happily send you a redacted sample paperwork package before we ever transact, so you know exactly what to expect. Ask.
Paperwork glossary, plain language.
- FAA 8130-3The Authorized Release Certificate for US-sourced parts. Signed by an authorized person, it certifies airworthiness at time of release. If it does not match the part in front of you, the part does not go on an aircraft.
- EASA Form 1The European equivalent of the 8130-3, issued under EASA authority. European operators generally require it.
- Dual releaseOne certificate satisfying both FAA and EASA requirements. The cleanest option for parts crossing the Atlantic.
- ATA Spec 106The industry-standard Material Certification Form. It states what the part is, where it came from, and who certifies it.
- Teardown reportThe repair station’s findings when a unit was disassembled and inspected. For OH and SV units, it should be serial-matched to the tag.
- Trace-to-birthThe full ownership chain from manufacture to today. The gold standard of traceability, available on request for units that carry it.
- AD compliance statusWhich Airworthiness Directives apply to the unit and their status: complied with (C/W), not applicable (N/A), or open. Open ADs are cost and downtime you should know about before you buy.
What I will not do.
- I will not quote parts without paperwork in hand.Not even if a customer begs. Urgency is not a reason to put an undocumented unit on a commercial aircraft.
- I will not sell surplus that was not properly segregated from scrapat the teardown facility. No exceptions.
- I will not quote a fake ETA to win an RFQ.If the honest answer is “4 to 7 days and I am not sure,” that is the answer you get.
- I will not resell a vendor’s listing I have not personally verified.Nothing lifted off an aggregator, sight unseen.
- I will not take payment before you have accepted the paperwork.Even when my cash flow would prefer it.
The honest status.
- ASA-100 · Applying.My application with the Aviation Suppliers Association is in progress. The certificate gets posted on this page the day it arrives.
- AS9120B · On the roadmap.Pursuing after ASA-100 is in hand. I would rather do one thing well than check two boxes badly.
- FAA 8130-3 / EASA Form 1.I do not issue these myself. I source from vendors who do, and I verify every tag against the part. That is the standard you should expect from every broker, and it is the one I hold to.
Who am I responsible to?
You. And the crew who flies the aircraft the part goes on. That is the entire accountability chain. No committee, no sales floor quota, no regional VP asking me to close the quarter. One operator, one conscience, one signature.
If a part I sourced causes a return-to-service issue on your fleet, I want to hear about it directly. My inbox is open.