Aircraft-Backed Private Capital

Borrow Against a
Private Aircraft

Raise capital against a qualifying jet, turboprop, helicopter, or full aviation portfolio without selling it. LQD's AI-powered underwriting reads ownership, title, technical records, maintenance status, condition, and market demand to structure private, asset-backed capital, often returning indicative terms within hours. There is no credit check and no income verification, and the aircraft stays in your name so you keep the upside. Eligibility and terms are not guaranteed.

Capital Without a Sale

Liquidity Secured by Your Aircraft

An aircraft is one of the largest assets many owners hold, yet the equity in it usually sits idle. LQD lets you put that equity to work: pledge a qualifying business jet, turboprop, helicopter, select piston aircraft, or a multi-aircraft portfolio and draw capital while retaining ownership. Because underwriting is asset-based, there is no credit check and no income verification, and the airframe stays registered in your name for the duration while held in insured custody.

What determines whether an aircraft fits is the airframe itself, not a name on the fuselage. LQD's AI-powered review weighs type, make, model, year, serial number, registration, title, ownership, hours and cycles, maintenance status, logbooks, damage history, equipment, and current market demand. A recognized manufacturer helps but never guarantees eligibility, and a complete submission can return indicative terms within hours.

It pays to keep the numbers separate. A purchase price, an insured value, an asking price, a broker opinion, and a formal appraisal are all distinct from collateral value. Collateral value is LQD's own read of what the aircraft could realistically support in today's market once records, maintenance status, condition, equipment, and demand are considered together.

Aircraft are capital-intensive and slower to sell than financial holdings, so a structured facility can meet a need without forcing a sale. Where a lien already exists, it does not end the conversation: the outstanding balance is folded into the structure, subject to underwriting and to the requested amount and the aircraft's verified value supporting it. Bring whatever records you have and a confidential review can begin.

At a Glance

Asset Type
Business Jets, Turboprops, Helicopters, Select Piston Aircraft
Aircraft Types
Light, midsize, super-midsize, and large-cabin jets; turboprops; turbine helicopters
Capital Range
$10,000 – $10,000,000+
Indicative Terms
Often within hours of a complete submission
Funding
Within 24 to 72 hours of approval
No Credit Check
Asset-based underwriting; no income verification

Records That Sharpen the Review

Nothing below is required to submit. When these items are on hand, they firm up the valuation basis and can speed the review and support stronger preliminary terms:

  • Registration number and current airworthiness status, if available
  • Airframe, engine, and propeller logbooks and maintenance records
  • Engine or maintenance-program enrollment documentation, if any
  • Airworthiness-directive compliance status from your maintenance provider
  • Maintenance tracking reports and inspection status
  • A recent inspection or appraisal, where one exists
  • Avionics and equipment list with interior and exterior photographs

None of this is a prerequisite to begin. If an aircraft carries an existing lien, the outstanding balance is built into the capital structure, subject to underwriting and to the requested amount and the aircraft's verified value supporting it.

The Process

From Submission to Funding

No credit pull. No income verification. Indicative terms often within hours, and funding within 24 to 72 hours of approval.

01

Send the Aircraft Details

Give the make, model, year, and registration along with total time, engine and maintenance status, and any records on hand. Nothing is required to start a confidential review, and more documentation simply lets the assessment move faster.

02

AI-Powered Valuation

LQD's underwriting weighs ownership, title, technical records, maintenance status, condition, and comparable market data to produce a valuation, frequently returning indicative terms within hours. An inspection or added records may be requested on larger transactions.

03

Approve and Fund

Qualified submissions may receive a preliminary offer, and on approval funding typically follows within 24 to 72 hours. The aircraft stays in your name, so any appreciation remains yours. Final eligibility and pricing remain contingent on documentation and review.

By Category

Jets, Turboprops, Helicopters, and Whole Fleets

Aircraft across several categories may be considered. In every case ownership, title, technical records, LQD's valuation, and underwriting apply, and eligibility and terms are not guaranteed.

Light and Midsize Business Jets

Among the most actively traded airframes, light and midsize jets often carry deep comparable-sale data that supports a quick read. Clear title, hours and cycles, inspection status, engine or program coverage, records, and demand matter far more than the model badge.

Large-Cabin and Long-Range Jets

Given the values involved, large-cabin and long-range jets are weighed on complete records, maintenance and inspection status, cabin systems and equipment, and documented condition. For aircraft of this size, a current inspection generally bolsters the review.

Turboprops

Turboprops are assessed on make, model, year, engine time and overhaul status, maintenance tracking, condition, and demand. Many hold active secondary markets, though each airframe is judged on its own records and history.

Helicopters

Turbine and other qualifying helicopters are reviewed with close attention to component and life-limited-part status, rotor and engine time, and maintenance tracking, alongside ownership, title, and any airworthiness items.

Select Piston and Vintage Aircraft

High-value piston and significant vintage aircraft are considered case by case where condition is documented, title is clear, and demand is recognized. Thorough records and a documented history count for more here than the category alone.

Entity- and Trust-Owned Aircraft

Aircraft held through an LLC, trust, or other entity may be reviewed, with ownership verified at the entity level and the entity's authorized parties expected to take part. The ownership structure and any shared ownership factor into the review.

Specialty Aviation Assets

Certain specialty aviation assets may be considered where ownership, title, condition, and demand are established. Uncertain title, incomplete records, or thin demand weigh against a holding, and each is judged individually.

Multi-Aircraft Portfolios

A qualifying portfolio can be reviewed as a single position, each airframe assessed on its own for ownership, records, condition, and demand while the group is weighed as a whole. Not every aircraft in a portfolio necessarily qualifies.

Eligible Aircraft

What May Qualify

Aircraft may be considered on ownership, title, registration, technical records, maintenance status, hours and cycles, condition, damage history, equipment, market demand, LQD's valuation, and underwriting. The list is not exhaustive, and every airframe is judged individually.

Light & Very Light Jets

Light and very light jets from recognized makers trade in active secondary markets with solid comparable data, which helps a review. Engine or program coverage, records, and condition all factor in, and the model alone never establishes eligibility.

Midsize & Super-Midsize Jets

Midsize and super-midsize jets form an actively traded slice of the pre-owned market with plentiful comparables. Ownership and title, hours and cycles, maintenance status, records, and current demand are weighed on each individual airframe.

Large Cabin & Long-Range Jets

Large-cabin and long-range jets are weighed on complete records, maintenance and inspection status, cabin systems and equipment, and documented condition, given the sums involved. At this level, a current inspection frequently reinforces the review.

Turboprops

Single- and twin-engine turboprops from recognized makers are reviewed primarily on engine time and overhaul status, maintenance tracking, condition, and demand. Many hold active secondary markets, though each airframe is judged on its own records.

Turbine Helicopters

Turbine helicopters from recognized makers hinge on current component tracking, airworthiness-directive compliance, and time remaining on life-limited parts. Rotor and engine time sit alongside maintenance records and demand rather than model name alone.

High-Value Piston & Vintage Aircraft

Significant vintage and high-value piston aircraft are considered case by case. Thoroughly documented examples with recent condition inspections, clear title, and recognized collector or market demand are the strongest candidates; thin records or uncertain title weigh against a review.

Valuation

What Sets Aircraft Collateral Value?

Valuation for capital purposes blends technical, ownership, and market factors rather than leaning on any single number. No figure below is fixed or guaranteed.

Make, Model, Year & Serial Number
The specific airframe, its year, and serial number anchor the search for comparable transactions and current demand.
Ownership, Title & Registration
Clear, verifiable ownership and title sit at the center. Registration aids identification but does not by itself prove clean ownership, and international registration can add review.
Airframe Hours & Cycles
Total time and cycles against comparable aircraft move value, considered together with maintenance status rather than in isolation.
Engine Time & Program Status
Engine hours, overhaul status, and any transferable engine or maintenance program shape demand and liquidity. They can lift value but never guarantee terms.
Maintenance, Inspection & Logbooks
Program enrollment, inspection status, and complete, continuous logbooks reinforce a review, while missing records can materially affect valuation.
Airworthiness & Directives
Airworthiness status and any outstanding directives are weighed, but airworthiness alone does not decide collateral value.
Damage & Repair History
Damage and repair history is read in context: the nature of the damage, the quality and documentation of repairs, and any effect on airworthiness and demand.
Equipment, Avionics & Interior
Avionics, connectivity, modifications, supplemental type certificates, and cabin condition all shape market positioning and value.
Operational & Geographic Factors
Operating history, location, and import or export status can affect demand, verification, and how readily the aircraft could transact.
Market Demand, Fleet Size & Comparables
Current demand, fleet size, comparable sales, and wholesale and retail data inform the read rather than any one listing.
Existing Liens & Liquidity
Any lien is folded into the structure, and how readily the aircraft could realistically sell bears directly on collateral value.
AI-Powered Underwriting
LQD's underwriting ties these factors to the transaction structure. It is neither a guaranteed appraisal nor equivalent to an insured value, an asking price, or the original purchase price.

The numbers are not interchangeable. Purchase price, insured value, asking price, broker opinion, appraisal, wholesale value, retail value, and liquidation value can each differ, and none is automatically the collateral value. An appraisal is a single input rather than a guaranteed capital amount. Collateral value is LQD's read of what the aircraft could realistically support in the current market, subject to underwriting.

Records, Title & Airworthiness

How Ownership and Condition Are Verified

Technical records, title, and airworthiness each inform the review, but no single one sets collateral value or guarantees eligibility. Complete, continuous logbooks help; missing records can materially affect valuation. Airworthiness status is considered without deciding value on its own, and program enrollment may matter without guaranteeing terms.

Damage and repair history is read in context rather than treated as an automatic disqualifier, and an appraisal is just one factor rather than a guaranteed amount. Registration supports identification but does not by itself prove clean title, and liens, title questions, or international registration may add review. Ownership and title are confirmed during the process, generally with a security interest filed ahead of funding.

Where it helps a review, LQD coordinates title work and an independent inspection through qualified specialists. In most arrangements the aircraft is held in insured, secure custody for the term and returned on repayment, with insurance and maintenance parameters set in the agreement. LQD does not itself perform inspections, maintenance reviews, or title opinions, and it is not a dealer, broker, operator, maintenance provider, inspector, title company, insurer, aviation authority, or registry.

LQD arranges private, asset-backed capital and implies no affiliation with, endorsement by, or authorization from any manufacturer, aviation authority, registry, operator, maintenance provider, appraisal firm, title company, insurer, or industry body. Names are used only to describe an asset accurately.

What Reinforces a Review

Clear Ownership & Title
Confirmable ownership and title with no outstanding disputes.
Complete Records
Unbroken logbooks and maintenance tracking with minimal gaps.
Current Maintenance Status
Up-to-date inspections and airworthiness-directive compliance.
Documented Condition
A recent inspection and candid disclosure of damage or repairs.
Established Demand
An airframe with an active, verifiable secondary market.

These help a review; none alone guarantees value or eligibility.

Documentation

What Helps an Aircraft Review?

Full documentation is not required to start a confidential review, but available records help with ownership verification, title review, technical assessment, valuation, and underwriting. The more that is on hand, the faster an aircraft can be assessed, and anything you lack does not automatically close the door.

Useful records include:

  • Make, model, year, serial number, and registration number
  • Ownership structure, title records, and registration records
  • Airframe hours and cycles, engine and APU details
  • Maintenance tracking reports and inspection status
  • Airframe, engine, and propeller logbooks, and damage and repair history
  • Equipment and avionics list, and any engine or maintenance-program records
  • Interior and exterior photographs and a recent appraisal, if available
  • Purchase documents and any existing lien information
  • Insurance details, storage or hangar location, and operator information where relevant
  • Import or export documentation where relevant

These records feed directly into the AI-powered valuation, and the questions below cover many of the practical points owners raise about title, records, and custody before submitting.

Title, Inspection & Closing

Aircraft transactions turn on clean title and verified condition. Where it fits, LQD coordinates a title search and an independent inspection through qualified specialists, and a security interest is typically recorded before funding. The particulars vary with the aircraft, its records, and the transaction.

In most arrangements the aircraft is held in insured, secure custody for the term and returned on repayment, with insurance, maintenance, and operating parameters set in the agreement. Closing timing follows title work, any inspection, verification, and documentation rather than a fixed schedule, and funding generally lands within 24 to 72 hours of approval.

Portfolios and Related Assets

A qualifying multi-aircraft portfolio can be reviewed as one position, each airframe assessed on its own. Owners with other transportation assets may also explore financing secured by a qualifying vessel, reviewed separately from an aircraft arrangement.

Borrow vs. Sell

Borrowing Against an Aircraft vs. Selling It

Borrowing and selling solve different problems, and neither is automatically right. A sale turns the aircraft into cash for good and can make sense when an owner no longer needs it, but it also means giving up the airframe, working through broker and marketplace timing, absorbing transaction costs, and facing the task of replacing it later.

Borrowing against a qualifying aircraft lets an owner keep title, recover the aircraft on repayment, and avoid a forced sale while meeting a separate need. It carries its own considerations: financing costs, inspection and due diligence, insurance, any custody or control requirements, storage, and ongoing maintenance obligations, plus default risk. A default on the loan can result in loss of the pledged aircraft.

Timing and continuity usually decide it. An owner who relies on the aircraft, or who would rather not sell into a soft market, may prefer a facility that leaves ownership and the upside intact. Others may prefer a clean sale. Weigh both against your own circumstances, discreetly and without a public listing.

Considerations

Keep Ownership
Retain ownership of the aircraft rather than parting with it, with the airframe returned on repayment.
Keep the Upside
Title stays in your name, so any appreciation remains yours.
Timing
Skip the timeline of a brokered sale or a soft market.
Costs & Obligations
Financing, inspection, insurance, storage, and upkeep costs apply.
Default Risk
A default on the loan can result in loss of the pledged aircraft.
Why LQD

Discreet, Coordinated, Fast

Confidential Throughout

Submissions and discussions stay private, with ownership, title, and technical-record review handled discreetly. Your aircraft is never publicly listed or marketed.

AI-Powered Valuation

Underwriting reads records, maintenance status, condition, and comparable transactions to produce indicative terms fast, often within hours, rather than resting on a single figure.

Coordinated Title & Inspection

Title review, inspection, insurance, and a documented, compliant closing are arranged with qualified specialists so the transaction is handled securely.

Put Your Aircraft to Work

Submit a jet, turboprop, helicopter, or aviation portfolio for a confidential review. Qualified submissions may receive a preliminary offer within hours, with funding typically within 24 to 72 hours of approval. Eligibility and terms are not guaranteed.

Common Questions

Aircraft Capital FAQ

How fast can I get capital against my aircraft?
AI-powered underwriting lets LQD return indicative terms within hours of a complete submission, and funding typically follows within 24 to 72 hours of approval. Closing timing still depends on title work, any inspection, verification, and documentation, and timing, eligibility, and terms are not guaranteed.
Do I keep ownership of my aircraft?
In most arrangements the aircraft stays registered in your name and is held in insured, secure custody for the term, with LQD holding a security interest and insurance and maintenance parameters set in the agreement. Because you keep title, any appreciation stays yours. A default on the loan can result in loss of the pledged aircraft.
Is there a credit check or income verification?
No. Underwriting is asset-based, so there is no credit check and no income verification. The review centers on the aircraft: ownership, title, technical records, maintenance status, condition, and market demand, with LQD's valuation and underwriting applied. Eligibility and terms are not guaranteed.
Which aircraft types does LQD consider?
Light through large-cabin business jets, single- and twin-engine turboprops, turbine helicopters, and select high-value piston and vintage aircraft may be considered, as may a qualifying multi-aircraft portfolio. Each airframe is judged on its own records rather than on the model name, and eligibility and terms are not guaranteed.
How much capital can an aircraft support?
There is no fixed percentage. Amounts generally range from $10,000 to $10,000,000 and depend on verified market value, ownership, title, hours and cycles, maintenance and inspection status, records, damage history, equipment, market demand and liquidity, any existing liens, and how the arrangement is structured. Each request is evaluated on its own, and eligibility and terms are not guaranteed.
How is collateral value different from an appraisal or insured value?
An appraisal, an insured value, an asking price, and the price originally paid are each separate from collateral value. Collateral value is LQD's own view of what an aircraft could realistically support in today's market once technical records, maintenance status, condition, comparable sales, and demand are weighed together.
What if my logbooks have gaps?
Complete, continuous logbooks strengthen a review, but an aircraft with gaps can still be assessed. Missing records may affect valuation or call for additional documentation. Each airframe is judged on its own, and eligibility and terms are not guaranteed.
How do hours, cycles, and engine status factor in?
Airframe time, engine hours, overhaul status, and any transferable engine or maintenance program are considered because they shape demand and liquidity. Lower time relative to comparable aircraft can help, but these figures are weighed together with condition, equipment, and demand rather than on their own. Eligibility and terms are not guaranteed.
Can an aircraft with damage history be reviewed?
Yes. Damage or repair history is looked at in context, including the nature of the damage, the quality and documentation of the repairs, and any effect on airworthiness and demand. It is a factor, not an automatic disqualifier, and eligibility and terms are not guaranteed.
Does the aircraft need to be airworthy?
Airworthiness status is considered but does not by itself set collateral value. A non-airworthy or project aircraft can be harder to support, and any outstanding airworthiness or regulatory items are weighed in the review. Eligibility and terms are not guaranteed.
Does an existing lien rule out an aircraft?
No. Where a lien exists, the outstanding balance is built into the capital structure, subject to underwriting and to the requested amount and the aircraft's verified value supporting it. Eligibility and terms are not guaranteed.
Can a foreign-registered aircraft qualify?
Internationally or foreign-registered aircraft may be reviewed, though registration and title can require added work on ownership and transferability. Every situation is reviewed on its own merits, and eligibility and terms are not guaranteed.
Can entity-owned or jointly owned aircraft be submitted?
Yes. Aircraft held jointly or through an LLC, trust, or other entity may be reviewed. All owners of record, or the entity's authorized parties, are generally expected to consent and help verify ownership and title. Eligibility and terms are not guaranteed.
Is the process confidential?
Yes. Submissions and discussions are handled discreetly, and the aircraft is not publicly listed or marketed. The review is private from first contact through valuation and closing, and eligibility and terms are not guaranteed.
Does a well-known manufacturer guarantee approval?
No. A well-known maker or model is no assurance of eligibility. Each aircraft is judged on ownership, title, records, maintenance status, condition, and demand, and not every airframe from a given maker qualifies. Eligibility and terms are not guaranteed.
Also Accepted

Related Asset Classes

Ready to explore your options?

Speak with the LQD team today.

Unlock Liquidity (516) 762-4200