Like the preowned piston market, the turbine market can be, as one sales pro put it, “like the Wild West.” For an uneducated buyer putting a small turbine in the hangar for the first time, there comes a risk of losing a small fortune. There’s truth to the old saw that just because you can afford to buy it doesn’t mean you can afford to maintain it, and that means buying it right—even if it means paying a premium for something close to so-called turnkey (I don’t think any turbine can be a turnkey experience—your wallet will be open from the first time you close the cabin door). As in the piston world, turbines with avionics upgrades, low-time engines and paint and interior mods fetch top dollar. And some are simply more desirable because of built-in capability, including the latest avionics tech.
One example is the second-gen Cirrus SF50 Vision Jet—its Garmin G3000-based Perspective Touch+ avionics suite is pictured to the right. Later models have Safe Return, which is Garmin’s built-in Emergency Autoland system, which also includes autothrottle. Not all are equipped with both. Ohio-based Lone Mountain Aircraft was listing a 2021 loaded with the Elite Package and cargo extension options. Just breaking in at 410 hours, there’s around 700 hours remaining on an airframe and engine warranty. The asking price was $3.15 million. It also had a first-gen 2018 Vision with 875 hours total time with the gen-two wing mod and cabin soundproofing upgrade. It was priced at $2.29 million. Lone Star—selective in what it sells—is at the top of the preowned Cirrus food chain, with a reputation for treating the buyer right long after the sale.