Historic Appraisal

Historic Helicopters Appraisal

When it comes to significantly damaged or crashed helicopters, we provide an expert asset appraisal service to ensure your helicopter is accurately assessed for its true value and market price. Using historic documentation for your aircraft, our appraisers conduct their investigation through careful inspection and market research which ensures you can deliver crucial data to key stakeholders.

Accredited Aircraft Appraisal

Our appraisers are experienced in providing a clear picture on asset value. Whether you have a model in need of significant repair or one unavailable for physical inspection, we will thoroughly research and analysis its potential with our keen understanding of the market. Whilst we may not have access to lists from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), we stay engaged with the market. This includes keeping informed of the regular updates delivered by specialist websites and attending trade events, including the VAI (formerly HAI) Heli-Expo and the annual Heli Investor Conference.

Most Used Appraisal Methods

Cost Approach

This method calculates the value of the helicopter based on the price to replace it with the same or similar type of vehicle. It takes in various factors during this process including possible depreciation of the aircraft model.

Income Approach

If your aircraft is used to generate income, which is often the case for commercially used helicopters, this method will evaluate the potential income the craft could generate for you.

Market Approach

Utilising market trends and comparing sales data for similar and/or the same model where available, this method determines the helicopter’s value based on its potential market sale. Due to scarcity of some models, certain data options may be more limited than others.

Valuation Options for Commercial Helicopter Assets

Please note that while these have been called value concepts here, they are not the only acceptable definitions, since contracts or jurisdictions may dictate somewhat different philosophies. Therefore, these definitions may be expanded or refined as the purpose and function of an appraisal dictate, as long as the fundamental concepts are not altered. In other cases, the laws of a country, state, region, or regulatory agency may require other terms, which therefore would take precedence over the definitions shown here.

  • Aircraft Diminution in Value

    A form of economic obsolescence, external to the aircraft, that can be measured by the difference in value between an aircraft with damage history and an identical undamaged aircraft. It is a measure of lost value related to market perception, not airworthiness.

  • Fair Market Value

    An opinion expressed in terms of money, at which the property would change hands between a willing buyer and a willing seller, neither being under any compulsion to buy or to sell and both having reasonable knowledge of relevant facts, as of a specific date. 

  • Fair Market Value Installed

    An opinion, expressed in terms of money, at which the property would change hands between a willing buyer and a willing seller, neither being under any compulsion to buy or to sell and both having reasonable knowledge of relevant facts, considering market conditions for the asset being valued, independent of earnings generated by the business in which the property is or will be installed, as of a specific date. 

  • Fair Market Value Removed

    An opinion, expressed in terms of money, at which the property would change hands between a willing buyer and a willing seller, neither being under any compulsion to buy or to sell and both having reasonable knowledge of relevant facts, considering removal of the property to another location, as of a specific date. 

  • Fair Market Value in Continued Use with an Earnings Analysis

    An opinion, expressed in terms of money, at which the property would change hands between a willing buyer and a willing seller, neither being under any compulsion to buy or to sell and both having reasonable knowledge of relevant facts, as of a specific date and supported by the earnings of the business. 

  • Fair Market Value in Continued Use with Assumed Earnings

    An opinion, expressed in terms of money, at which the property would change hands between a willing buyer and a willing seller, neither being under any compulsion to buy or to sell and both having reasonable knowledge of relevant facts, as of a specific date and assuming that the business earnings support the value reported, without verification. 

  • Fair Value

    The price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. 


    Source: Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Topic 820 (ASC 820) 

  • Forced Liquidation Value

    An opinion of the gross amount, expressed in terms of money, that typically could be realised from a properly advertised and conducted public auction, with the seller being compelled to sell with a sense of immediacy on an as-is, where-is basis, as of a specific date.

  • Liquidation Value in Place

    An opinion of the gross amount, expressed in terms of money that typically could be realised from a properly advertised transaction, with the seller being compelled to sell, as of a specific date, for a failed, non-operating facility, assuming that the entire facility is sold intact. 

  • Orderly Liquidation

    An opinion of the gross amount, expressed in terms of money, that typically could be realised from a liquidation sale, given a reasonable period of time to find a purchaser (or purchasers), with the seller being compelled to sell on an as-is, where-is basis, as of a specific date. 

  • Replacement Cost New

    The current cost of a similar new property having the nearest equivalent utility as the property being appraised, as of a specific date. 

  • Reproduction Cost New

    The cost of reproducing a new replica of a property on the basis of current prices with the same or closely similar materials, as of a specific date. 

  • Salvage Value

    An opinion of the amount, expressed in terms of money that may be expected for the whole property or a component of the whole property that is retired from service for possible use elsewhere, as of a specific date. 

  • Scrap Value

    An opinion of the amount, expressed in terms of money that could be realised for the property if it were sold for its material content, not for a productive use, as of a specific date. 


    Source: Valuing Machinery and Equipment: The Fundamentals of Appraising Machinery and Technical Assets 4th Edition - 2020

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Talk with our expert appraisers today for a professional asset appraisal. Our historic helicopter appraisal service is here to help you fly fast further first!

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