Buying an aircraft
For first time buyers, and card holders or fractional owners moving up to whole ownership.
The short version.
Three things worth knowing first.
- 01
Start with the flying you actually do. The aircraft is the last decision, not the first.
- 02
The purchase price is the entry ticket. The cost is what follows.
- 03
Never buy without a pre buy inspection from a facility independent of the seller.
What shapes the decision.
- 01
The mission
Who is on board, the longest leg you want nonstop and the runways you use. Skip this and you pay for range or cabin you never use.
- 02
The annual cost
Fixed costs arrive whether the aircraft flies or not. Variable costs arrive with every hour. The drop in value is the quiet cost.
- 03
New or pre owned
New brings a warranty and a wait. Pre owned brings a lower price, inspections due and a history to read.
- 04
Crew and management
Hire your own crew, use a management company, or put the aircraft on charter to offset fixed costs. Each has a price and a tradeoff.
If you fly frequently, owning an aircraft may make sense. If you fly less often, a jet card or fractional ownership may be a better fit.
Questions worth asking.
Put these to anyone you talk to, including us.
- What will this aircraft really cost a year at the hours I fly?
- What do the logbooks say about how it was flown and maintained?
- Which inspections are coming due, and what will they cost me?
Want the answers for your situation? Call a pilot at 615.652.9091
Where a pilot helps.
A pilot reads an aircraft differently from a listing. The logbooks tell how it was flown and who looked after it, and the cabin wear shows how hard it was used. That eye sits beside you through the search, the pre buy and the closing.
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- The short version
- What shapes the decision
- Questions worth asking
- Where a pilot helps
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