Records Pre-Screen
A time-boxed remote review before travel or a physical pre-buy. Receive ranked risks, missing items to request, seller questions, and a proceed / investigate / pause disposition.
$395–$595
Independent aircraft records intelligence
Before you pay to inspect the aircraft, find out whether it is worth inspecting.
Red Rock Aero Services reviews the available maintenance records before travel or a physical pre-purchase. You receive a proceed / investigate / pause disposition, the evidence behind it, and an aircraft-specific Inspection Targeting Brief for the mechanic or facility you choose. Every file is reviewed under the direct responsibility of Tyler Thomas, A&P/IA.
Remote records work is available nationwide. A records review does not replace a physical pre-purchase evaluation; it helps decide whether to order one and where it should concentrate.
Records first. Inspection second.
The records and the aircraft answer different questions.
The records show what has been documented across years or decades. The physical evaluation shows what can be observed now within its agreed access, time, and test scope. The strongest acquisition process uses the first to target the second.
Step 01
Screen the records
Reconstruct the documented history, identify gaps and contradictions, rank concerns, and decide whether the aircraft still warrants deeper expense.
Step 02
Target the inspection
Convert the history into aircraft-specific questions, access areas, systems, components, repairs, and configuration items for the inspecting mechanic.
Step 03
Decide with both sets of evidence
Combine the documentary findings and observed condition before accepting, renegotiating, investigating further, or walking away.
“Many prospective owners have found it advantageous to have a reliable, unbiased maintenance person examine the maintenance records and the aircraft before negotiations have progressed too far.”
Start at the level the decision requires.
Ways to reduce acquisition uncertainty.
Records Intelligence Audit
A deeper documentary audit for complex, fragmented, contradictory, or high-consequence aircraft histories. Deliverables may include a reconstructed timeline, records-gap register, AD/SB evidence matrix, configuration review, and Inspection Targeting Brief.
$1,250–$2,250
for twin, turboprop, complex-modification, or fragmented-history aircraft
Records & Configuration Resolution
For a defined documentation or configuration problem that cannot be resolved by a standard audit alone. Work proceeds against an agreed question, source set, and written fee cap.
$185–$250 per hour
with a written cap established after intake
Physical Acquisition Evaluation
Records-led physical evaluation is accepted case by case when the aircraft, scope, current data, access, tooling, facilities, location, insurance, and schedule are a responsible fit.
Aircraft- and scope-specific quote
Judge the work by the deliverable.
What every Red Rock deliverable contains.
Every records and technical-advisory engagement produces a written, source-referenced deliverable appropriate to the agreed scope. Sample deliverables are being reissued; request one and it will be sent directly.
- Source-referenced observations.
- Severity or disposition appropriate to the scope.
- Records gaps and contradictions kept distinct from conclusions.
- Aircraft-specific next actions and inspection targets.
- Plain-language limitations and verification requirements.
Choose the right tool for the question.
An automated scan, an expert records screen, and a physical pre-buy are not interchangeable.
| Automated logbook scan | RRA Records Pre-Screen | Physical pre-purchase | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary role | Extract and organize information from uploaded pages | Interpret the available history for a specific acquisition decision | Observe and test the aircraft within the agreed physical scope |
| Strength | Speed, consistency, and low entry cost | Qualified human judgment, ambiguity handling, evidence status, and configuration questions | Current observed condition, operation, access, and tests |
| Limitation | Output still requires qualified validation and may not resolve context or interacting approvals | Limited by the records and data provided; it is not a physical inspection or airworthiness approval | May not reconstruct decades of history unless a separate records scope is included |
| Best use | Initial organization or low-cost triage | Decide whether to proceed and tell the inspector where to look | Investigate the aircraft and resolve records-derived targets where access permits |
The strongest purchase decision uses each tool for the question it can actually answer.
Principal-led review
One A&P/IA owns the file from intake through deliverable.
Red Rock Aero Services is led by Tyler Thomas, an FAA-certificated Airframe and Powerplant mechanic with Inspection Authorization based in Rapid City, South Dakota. His background includes Part 121 line-maintenance discipline, Part 145 general-aviation and avionics work, aircraft records review, pre-purchase evaluation, damage documentation, and configuration-control work. Red Rock Aero is an independent advisory practice; those experience settings are not claims that the company holds Part 121 or Part 145 operating authority.
- Principal review on every engagement.
- Remote records work available nationally.
- Physical work accepted only when the scope and preconditions fit.
- Observations, conclusions, and uncertainty kept distinct.
Start with the decision date.
Have an aircraft and a deadline?
Send the make and model, registration if known, aircraft location, records availability, planned physical pre-buy date, and the decision you are trying to make. You will receive fit questions, proposed scope, fee, and the next available start window before an engagement begins.
Records Pre-Screen delivered within two business days of receiving complete, usable records.