What Aircraft We Accept

Aircraft donations cover a broader spectrum than most donors realize. Single-engine piston airplanes make up the largest volume category, but multi-engine piston aircraft, experimental and homebuilt airplanes, light sport aircraft, gliders, helicopters, warbirds, project airframes, and even aircraft parts and engines are all workable donations. Condition ranges from currently flying and in annual inspection through non-airworthy and long-parked. This guide walks through what qualifies and what to expect within each category.

Single-Engine Piston Aircraft

Single-engine piston airplanes are the most common donation category. This includes the standard general aviation fleet:

• Cessna — 150, 152, 172 Skyhawk, 175, 177 Cardinal, 180, 182 Skylane, 185 Skywagon, 195, 205, 206 Stationair, 207, 210 Centurion
• Piper — J-3 Cub, PA-11 through PA-18 Super Cub, Cherokee series (Warrior, Archer, Dakota, Pathfinder), PA-24 Comanche, PA-28R Arrow, PA-32 Cherokee Six and Saratoga, PA-46 Malibu and Mirage
• Beechcraft — Bonanza (V-tail 35-series and straight-tail 33-series Debonair), Sundowner, Sierra, Musketeer
• Cirrus — SR20, SR22, SR22T
• Mooney — M20 series across generations, including Executive, Statesman, Ranger, Chaparral, Ovation, Bravo, Acclaim, Encore
• Grumman American / American General — AA-1 Yankee, AA-5 Traveler, Cheetah, Tiger

Other single-engine types — Maule taildraggers, Aviat Husky and Pitts, Bellanca Citabria and Decathlon, older Aeronca and Taylorcraft, Luscombe, Stinson, Ercoupe — are also accepted.

Multi-Engine Piston Aircraft

Twin-engine piston aircraft come through the donation program less frequently but are workable:

• Cessna — 310, 337 Skymaster, 340, 401, 402, 411, 414, 421
• Piper — PA-23 Apache and Aztec, PA-30 and PA-39 Twin Comanche, PA-34 Seneca, PA-31 Navajo and Chieftain
• Beechcraft — Baron 55 and 58, Travel Air, Duchess 76, Duke 60
• Aerostar / Ted Smith — 600, 601, 601P, 700

Turboprop and jet aircraft are outside the standard program in most cases; describe what you have and the coordinator can advise.

Experimental and Homebuilt Aircraft

Experimental amateur-built (E-AB) aircraft have a substantial and active buyer market. Common types include:

• Van's Aircraft RV series — RV-4, RV-6, RV-6A, RV-7, RV-7A, RV-8, RV-9, RV-9A, RV-10, RV-12, RV-14
• Lancair — 235, 320, 360, ES, Legacy, IV, IV-P
• Glasair — I, II, III, Sportsman
• Sonex, Waiex, Onex
• Kitfox — various series
• Bearhawk, Sportsman 2+2, Zenith CH-701 and CH-750
• Rutan designs — VariEze, Long-EZ, Cozy

Experimental aircraft require builder logs, the operating limitations letter from the FAA, and the airworthiness certificate specific to the experimental category. Completeness of the build documentation matters for value.

Light Sport Aircraft (LSA)

Special Light Sport Aircraft (S-LSA) and Experimental LSA (E-LSA) are accepted. Common types include CubCrafters (Carbon Cub SS, Sport Cub), Flight Design (CT, CTLS), Tecnam (P92, P2008), Icon A5, Remos, and various European-designed LSAs.

Gliders and Sailplanes

Motorless gliders and self-launching sailplanes are workable donations. Types include:

• Schleicher — ASW-19, ASW-20, ASW-27, ASK-21
• Schweizer — 1-26, 2-33, SGS series
• Grob — G-102 Astir, G-103 Twin Astir, G-109
• Blanik — L-13, L-23 Super Blanik
• Discus, DG, Ventus, LS, and Nimbus series

Trailers for glider transport are welcome as part of the donation.

Helicopters

Piston-powered civil helicopters are accepted. The most common are Robinson R22, R44, and R66, along with Bell 47, Hughes/Schweizer 269 and 300, and Enstrom F-28 and 280. Bell 206 JetRangers and similar turbine helicopters are handled on a case-by-case basis given the specialized market.

Warbirds and Vintage Aircraft

Vintage military and warbird aircraft have their own specialty market. Types that come through donation include:

• Boeing PT-17 Stearman and PT-13 biplane trainers
• North American T-6 Texan and Harvard variants
• North American T-28 Trojan
• Beechcraft T-34 Mentor
• L-birds — Piper L-4, Stinson L-5, Cessna L-19 Bird Dog
• Yakovlev Yak-52 and Nanchang CJ-6
• Restored civilian warbirds and vintage certificated aircraft

Warbird donations may require additional documentation depending on registration category (standard, limited, restricted, or experimental exhibition).

Non-Flying Project Aircraft and Airframes

Project aircraft — partial restorations, disassembled airframes, hangar queens that have been down for years — are workable. Common situations include:

• Aircraft in mid-restoration where the project stalled
• Damaged airframes recovered from incidents where the salvage value remains
• Long-parked aircraft that will need engine and airframe work before flying again
• Aircraft with expired annuals and deferred maintenance

Provide the full history you know when reaching out. Aircraft in this category are evaluated case by case, and many find buyers among restorers and rebuilders.

Aircraft Parts, Engines, and Avionics

Standalone aircraft parts, complete engines, propellers, avionics, instruments, and other components are accepted as separate donations. Common items include:

• Overhauled or run-out engines (Lycoming, Continental, Rotax)
• Overhauled or serviceable propellers (Hartzell, McCauley, Sensenich, MT)
• Removed avionics (radios, GPS units, autopilots)
• Instruments, flight controls, and airframe components
• Documented, tagged parts with yellow-tag or 8130-3 documentation where applicable

Parts with proper documentation and traceability have real market value.

Partial Interests and Fractional Ownership

Fractional ownership shares — a percentage interest in an aircraft owned by an LLC, a partnership, or a formal fractional-ownership arrangement — can be donated. Mention the ownership structure on the first conversation so the transaction can be structured appropriately.

Condition Realities

Aircraft donations are evaluated across the full condition spectrum:

• Airworthy and current — in annual inspection, no open discrepancies, ready to fly
• Out of annual — airworthiness certificate valid but overdue for annual inspection; common and workable
• Run-out engine — airframe good, engine at or past TBO; still workable, value adjusts accordingly
• Non-airworthy with recoverable status — needs work but can be brought back to flying condition
• Damaged airframe — accident or incident damage; workable as parts recovery or restoration project
• Long-parked — has been in storage for years; requires evaluation of condition

Even aircraft that will never fly again — irrecoverable damage, unrepairable structural issues — often have donation value through parts recovery, engine cores, and avionics salvage.

Ready to Donate

Learn more about the process and start an aircraft donation at /donate-airplane.html. A coordinator with aircraft experience will walk through the specifics of your airplane and situation.