Interested in buying an airplane but can’t read the cryptic writing in aircraft classifieds? Here’s a handy guide:
SMOH—Time since major overhaul. Hours on the engine since it was last overhauled.
TT—Total time. Total number of hours on the airframe.
Paint and interior 4—Owner’s rating of quality of paint and interior on a scale of 1 to 10.
TTSN—Total time since new. Could be number of hours on airplane, engine, or any other major component.
NDH—No damage history, as reported by the owner. Verify this in the logbooks and through a prepurchase inspection.
SFRE—Time since factory remanufacture. This is when an engine is sent to the factory and “zero timed” at overhaul. Generally considered superior to an overhaul.
STOH—Time since top overhaul. A top overhaul deals with the cylinders only.
SPOH—Time since propeller overhaul. Not necessarily a measure of quality.
For more information, and to price out an airplane, visit AOPA’s valuation tool online.
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