Aircraft Donations · Texans on Mission · Dallas, Texas
There is a version of this where you list it, wait, negotiate, survive a prebuy, and hand the keys to someone you'll never hear from again. And there is a version where the airplane becomes a mobile kitchen in Kerr County, a well in South Sudan, and a recovery crew still working a year after the water went down.
The part nobody enjoys
And the meter runs the entire time it's on the market. These are the ordinary, recurring costs of an airplane that isn't earning its keep.
Per year, depending on field and airplane. Tie-down runs $600–$3,600.
Base cost, before squawks. A single surprise can double it.
Of insured value, every year. Liability adds $5,000–$40,000.
Annually. A major engine overhaul runs $100,000–$1,000,000.
Of the sale price, paid at closing — if it closes.
Showings, logbook requests, prebuy findings, escrow, renegotiation.
Three honest paths
We're not going to pretend selling is a bad idea. It's the right call for plenty of owners. Here is the comparison without the thumb on the scale.
| Sell it yourself | Keep holding it | Donate it here | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Money out of pocket | Broker commission, escrow, title, prebuy discrepancies you eat to save the deal | Hangar, insurance, annual, reserves — indefinitely | None. Texans on Mission covers every cost. You never see a bill. |
| Timeline | Months, and outside your control | Open-ended | Five steps, administered by a registered aircraft title company |
| Valuation | Whatever the market gives you on the day | Declining, in most cases | Independent qualified appraisal — and you see it before you decide whether to proceed |
| Tax position | Taxable gain, or depreciation recapture on a business airplane | Carrying costs, no deduction | Charitable deduction, with full IRS documentation provided |
| After the keys change hands | Liability questions can follow you | Still yours, still your exposure | Ongoing ownership, storage, and insurance obligations end at transfer |
| Where the airplane ends up | A buyer you likely never hear from again | The same hangar | Underwriting disaster response and clean water work you can go see |
Why "working mission" is not a slogan
Most donation programs you've seen advertised are pipelines to an auction block. That distinction isn't sentimental — the IRS built it directly into what you're allowed to deduct.
Your deduction is generally capped at the gross proceeds of that sale — not what the airplane is worth. If it moves at auction for well under market, that lower number is your deduction.
If the organization makes significant intervening use of the aircraft — using it substantially to further its regular activities — or makes a material improvement to it, you may deduct fair market value instead. The charity certifies this on Form 1098-C, Box 5a, and describes the intended use in Box 5c.
Ask us directly what we intend to do with your specific airplane, and get the answer in writing before you sign. A straight answer to that question is the single best test of any aircraft donation program — including ours. We'll tell you which box gets checked and why.
Mechanics · 2026 tax year
A qualified appraisal is required when the deduction exceeds $5,000 and is not limited to gross sale proceeds, and you'll file Form 8283 Section B. The appraiser must be independent of the charity — we will never be the ones valuing your airplane.
A gift deducted at fair market value is limited to 30% of adjusted gross income in one year. If the deduction is instead figured on your basis or capped at gross sale proceeds, the 50% limit applies.
Anything above the ceiling carries forward for five years and keeps its character — it stays a 30% gift rather than converting to a higher tier.
Only giving above 0.5% of AGI is deductible starting this year. The floor is a fixed annual hit, so it stings least when giving is concentrated rather than spread thin — and where a gift also exceeds the percentage ceiling above, the floored amount can be added to your carryforward rather than lost.
Beginning in 2026, itemized deductions are worth a maximum of 35 cents per dollar for taxpayers in the 37% bracket.
The written acknowledgment must reach you within 30 days — of the sale date, or of the contribution date when the use or improvement exception applies.
This page is general information, not tax advice. Aircraft held for business use may face a deduction reduction for depreciation recapture, and every owner's situation differs. Please review any gift with your own CPA or tax attorney before proceeding.
Where it goes
Formerly Texas Baptist Men. Fifty-nine years of mobilizing volunteers into the worst days of other people's lives — and staying long after the news trucks leave.
After the July 2025 Hill Country floods, Texans on Mission began what has become one of its largest rebuild efforts — roofing, fencing, painting, finish work. It is still going.
Disasters happen fast, but recovery doesn't. A lot of groups move on. We don't.
The process
Nothing is irreversible until you've seen the appraised value and said yes to it.
From an appraiser independent of Texans on Mission, coordinated and paid for by us. You don't front anything.
You see the appraised value first. If the number doesn't work for you, the conversation ends here — no cost, no hard feelings.
Sale and donation paperwork, for your review and your attorney's.
Administered by a registered aircraft title company, the same way a clean sale would be.
We handle logistics and ferry. Your ongoing ownership obligations end at transfer, and the IRS documentation for your deduction follows within 30 days.
Straight answers
Tell us anyway. Condition affects appraised value, not our willingness to talk. Owners frequently assume a project airplane is worthless to us and it isn't — and a down airplane is often the one costing the most to keep.
Good. This works far better as a planned decision than a forced one. Some owners set the gift up for a future year, or coordinate it with a year they expect higher income so the deduction lands where it's most useful. Call and we'll map the timing with your CPA.
Common, and workable. The mechanics depend on the entity and how each partner's interest is treated, so bring us into the conversation early and we'll work with your counsel.
Honestly, it depends on the airplane, your bracket, your AGI, and whether the fair market value exception applies. That's a numbers conversation, not a brochure claim — and it's the conversation we'd rather have with you.
Ask. Owners have directed gifts toward disaster relief, the water ministry, or a specific field. We'll tell you plainly what we can and can't commit to in writing.
Most of those are third-party processors that auction the asset and pass along a fraction. We are the organization doing the work. There's no middleman taking a cut, and you can drive to Dallas and look us in the eye.
Next step
No forms, no visit, no obligation. Tell us the make, model, year, and roughly where it sits, and we'll tell you honestly whether this makes sense for you.