1. Does APHS guarantee what it sells?

In some cases, when specified, we do. However, in the aviation industry the term "as removed" has specific meaning. It means a part is as it last flew, and no claim of condition, or guarantee of function applies. These parts are sold for far less than "serviceable", or "overhauled" units with the customer opting to re-certify the part or accept the chance that it might need a repair. The majority of what we sell...aimed at the collector or sim builder, is "as removed". We sell no airworthy parts, nor do we intend for anything we sell to be used on an aircraft. Our full panels are sold to be as aesthetically correct as possible. However, we cannot guarantee function, nor can we match the exact layout of a specific airline. We also reserve the right to use creativity in cases where parts are too expensive or difficult to obtain. The price reflects what we are selling, based on all of the above factors.

That was my diplomatic explanation when I wrote that a few years ago. I now have to dispense with the diplomacy and spit it out in street language to get the point across. We still have people expecting perfect parts for low prices. We work diligently to find parts at the best possible price so we can sell them for prices the average person can afford. You are buying things like a $23,000 altimeter for about a hundred bucks or less. Most parts are only available at low prices because they are AS REMOVED...you buy cheap, and if it needs a repair, YOU PAY TO FIX IT. If you want a guarantee you will have to pay the going rate from a parts supplier, which for a used altimeter is about $1200. The terms AS REMOVED, and SERVICEABLE have been defined by the industry, not us. Parts suppliers price their stuff according to those terms...PAY MORE, GET A GUARANTEE. Buy for dirt, and assume the responsibility the way any airline does when it buys as removed parts. In short: We make every effort to sell good parts, BUT we aren't mechanics...WE'RE PILOTS, what do we know?

2. Where will APHS ship?

We have successfully shipped to over 40 countries. Very bulky items such as seats, full panels, etc., are shipped air freight and customers seem to understand the charges and accept them. We charge actual shipping costs only.

3. Why doesn't APHS ship via US mail?

We do for some less expensive, less fragile items. However; international insurance is totally worthless. The post office loses so many items that we don't want to risk the loss, and they can destroy a concrete block, so we'd rather not take the chance. We get a huge discount on FedEx so you get the benefit of our airline connection. Often, you will save as much on shipping as you paid for the item.

4. What about insurance vs. cutoms value?

It is common for international customers to ask that a low customs value be declared on shipping documents. That is possible because the value of "scrap" aircraft parts is highly subjective. However, parts mailed by postal service airmail stand a better chance of being lost or stolen, than if sent by FedEx. If that occurs, the insurance claim cannot exceed the customs value. We feel that if you pay for a part, APHS is responsible for delivery to you...you should get what you paid for. If you request a low customs value, and the package is lost, we cannot be held accountable. So, please decide whether you'd like to save on customs fees and take the chance, or pay the full fees and have the package insured fully. After the fact, in cases of loss, people have a tendency to get mad at us for uninsured losses. To avoid that, we have always sent free replacement parts, even though we didn't lose it, and the lack of insurance was at the customer's request. We'll have to ask that from now on you agree to the above policy.

5. I don't like having to pay a wire transfer fee to my bank, why don't you use PayPal?

If you don't like paying the wire transfer fee, remember that you actually come out ahead in the end. Paypal has been nothing but trouble for us in the past. This might make you feel better.

We offer the customer a 75% discount for Fedex shipments. We go out of our way to drive all the way across town to drop off packages at Fedex which takes time, effort and gas. We do not get the discount unless we take the packages to FedEx, and no other company would do that for free. We make no extra profit on shipping which other companies often do. If a civilian were to ship the same box it would cost four times more. We don't ship expensive items via mail because the post office either loses or wrecks most everything. Also, FedEx will get it to you in a few days. The post office, who knows? If you were to buy the same item someplace else, they would charge whatever the shipping cost turned out to be, doing it the easiest possible way, and you would either have to pay or not buy the item. Finally, we ship many items such as glareshields, columns, crossovers; all are right up to the maximum size FedEx will accept. One inch can make a difference. We take the time to hand make boxes that get the job done and we have NEVER charged a packing fee. Scotch packing tape is $6 a roll and we eat that cost. We often have to buy boxes, for which the customer rarely pays. In the end, you come out even, or better.

6. I'm building a 737 sim, easy and cheap, right?

As far as your 737 goes, I'll give you the basic speech I give 10 times a week to new sim builders: There are 737's being torn down, however, most of those cockpits are sold whole to large sim companies. The parts that are available are being sought by about a thousand home sim guys worldwide, maybe more. ALL 737 parts are in demand because more than 4000 are still flying. However, if you are patient, if you have money to spend, if you can live without a 100% correct cockpit, if you are REAL careful who you buy from, it will be a fun project. There are few cheap parts out there. We sell stuff that no one has, and we are always cheaper because we work for free. We also have been here 15 years and won't steal your money.

EASY: control wheels, columns, panels, some instruments.

HARD: quadrants, sliding windows, 02 masks, pedals.

VERY TOUGH: NG anything...too new, come back in 10 years.

7. I'm building a 777 sim (or 757, 767 or Airbus). Will I have trouble finding parts?

Simply put, you will. There are few being torn down, and any parts available will be in high demand for flying aircraft.

8. Why are Boeing control wheels so expensive?

We sell a typical Boeing wheel for around $350 to $450. Parts dealers ask anywhere from $600 to $4000 for the same thing. The trim switch sells used for over $600, if you can find a used one. A new one is $3600. Our complete wheels include the trim switch. Below is our basic Boeing control wheel pricelist:

$450-550...new, or re-conditioned, all switches.

$400...very nice, all switches.

$350...decent, all switches.

$300...decent, some wear, missing trigger switch.

$115...clipboard with sliding tab checklist.

$100...trip reminder...very hard to find.

$65...plain clipboard.

$25...gear to mount wheel to column.

$15...clipboard checklist.

****Everyone wants a captain's wheel: add $25 to the price if you specify "left" only. Keep an eye on our "steal" section where we often have bargain wheels****

9. What suggestions would you offer to a new sim builder?

Be careful out there. You can find parts for sale elsewhere, but it can be dangerous territory. Some sellers will take your money and send you junk, or nothing at all. At least with APHS, you know who we are, where we are, why we are here, and you have no risk. We all work for free, we have no profit motive and the only complaints we've ever had have come from people who didn't want to pay for what they bought.

10. What are my chances of finding a full panel elsewhere?

Zero.

11. Will APHS hold my parts for me?

Once an order has been confirmed by email, we typically hold parts for 5 business days awaiting payment, or verification that payment has been made. On occasion, we will hold parts for later payment provided a deposit is paid immediately.

12. Will APHS send me pictures of the parts I am interested in purchasing?

Not usually. Most of the time we show pictures of the specific part in the listing on the site. More generic items such as pedals, tillers, columns, etc. are sent in "as removed" condition...normal wear. We carefully describe everything we sell.

13. Does APHS have items other than those shown for sale on the site?

Absolutely. If you don't see it, ask.

14. Why does APHS show some parts for sale and then tell me I'm on a waiting list to buy?

Some parts, columns for example, are in high demand. We have access to those, but they sell faster than we can stock them. Therefore, most are pre-sold to a person on our waiting list. We never know what we'll find in our continuing worldwide hunt for interesting parts. We usually can't predict waiting times.

15. Why was the item I was trying to buy sold before I could finalize my deal?

We sell many items that are extremely rare. We state that in the listing so the buyer is aware of the limited availability. Often, novice sim builders will ask many questions over a period of days or sometimes weeks before buying. We understand why and are always glad to answer. However, many other buyers are well informed or have researched the part prior to contacting us, which makes completing a deal fast and easy. Until we receive a firm commitment of purchase, the item is considered "available". Once a buyer commits to a purchase, we allow 5 business days to receive confirmation of payment.

16. Why do I have to plod through 200 items to find anything new being listed for sale?

You don't. Unlike your neighborhood grocery store that forces you to walk past the cookies to get to the milk, we always add new items at the end of the listings. If you regularly check the items for sale in our catalog, zip to the end and work backwards. If you have noticed, unlike most sites we have NO advertising, and we have NO secret methods embedded to entice you to buy.

17. SEAT DISCLAIMER:

Cockpit seats are always hard to find and usually expensive. We describe our seats in our listings as accurately as possible, however, most seats can't be tested until properly installed. Also, our seats are sold "as removed" which means we have priced them according to what they are, in the condition they are in. It very well could be that some adjustments are needed, maybe a bit of ingenuity required. We keep no secrets: If we know of a defect we'll tell you. If they were "serviceable".... drop in and use, nothing required.....the price would easily be double. Plain translation: We charge you for what we picture and describe. The price takes into account any tinkering that might be needed.

18. Why don't you have a checkout page like most other places that sell things?

We don't sell typical products as found in a typical store. We have limited supplies of many things we show on the site, and we never know if or when we'll get a replacement, if ever. Therefore, our "checkout" is done on an individual basis, assuring that all squares are filled. We also do business in over 40 countries which often requires a great deal of information sharing before an order can be completed. Finally, much of what we sell is highly regulated by the US government as to final disposition. We cannot ship to certain countries; we cannot ship hazardous materials; we cannot sell (in most cases) airworthy parts; AND...we maintain our right to decide with whom we do business. In most cases, online sellers will sell anything to anybody as long as they pay. We monitor every sale much more closely than that.

19. Why does your site look "old fashioned" rather than High tech?

For the same reason I never flew glass airplanes. If I want to know what time it is I'll look at a clock and will get the answer immediately. I don't want to pull up 13 menu pages and wait 10 minutes for each page to load to eventually come up with the answer, which will not be the answer I was looking for 10 minutes ago. In my opinion most websites are constructed by young computer geeks that think that tiny windows and more complexity is "awesome dude". To me it's a huge pain in my ass and 11 other organs. Our site is in bold print, plain English and easy to use. You don't have to search for our contact address...it's all over the site...we answer your emails very quickly. Try that with Google or AOL. Have you noticed that we have NO advertising on our site? That's out of respect for you our site visitors and supporters. We could make a lot of money driving you nuts with advertising but we decided to not prostitute ourselves for an easy dollar. I'm sure some of you will say; "spoken like a true dinosaur". You are correct...but i'm the boss and I work for free, so the site will stay the same.