Best-buy Citations

Determining the best value in the market is a tough question to answer without better understanding someone’s needs and desires. Is the buyer a Garmin G1000/G3000-only kind of owner or pilot? How open is the person to owning something a little older? How often is the owner going to fill up all 10 seats? And so on. We’ve taken a crack at briefly outlining a few of the best buys out there in the preowned Cessna Citation market.

Below $1 million

The below $1 million price point offers some amazing values. It’s particularly hard to choose between two great airplanes: the original CitationJet and the Citation Ultra.

The CitationJet, originally certified in 1993, was the first aircraft certified in Cessna’s successful 525 series of Citations—and is still in production with the Citation M2, Citation CJ3+, and Citation CJ4.

The original CitationJet offers room for up to eight occupants, is certified for single-pilot operation, has a fully enclosed lavatory, a range of about 1,000 nautical miles, 350 KTAS cruise speeds, and reasonable operating costs of about $1,300 per hour. Finding a great CitationJet under $1 million is tough—but they are out there. Especially if it is not on a prepaid engine maintenance program.

The original CitationJet cockpit includes traditional six-pack, round-gauge avionics, which may be a turn-off for some owner/pilots coming out of technically advanced aircraft. However, a G1000 upgrade is available for the CitationJet, and so is the supplemental type certificate-approved Tamarack winglet modification. The Tamarack winglets offer a 20-percent range boost over stock CitationJets, making the aircraft significantly more capable.

The Citation Ultra can be a s

pecial value because it’s big—really big—for the money.

Cessna announced it was developing the Ultra’s predecessor, the Citation V, at the National Business Aviation Association convention in New Orleans in 1987, and the airplane was certified in 1988. The Citation V is an upgraded version of the Citation II (not to be confused with the CJ2), which includes Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D-5A turbofans and a slight fuselage stretch, allowing standard-configuration seating for a total of 10 occupants (11 if you include the belted potty).

In 1993, Cessna upgraded the Citation V to the Citation Ultra, which has an upgraded Honeywell Primus 1000 EFIS cockpit and even more powerful Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D-5D engines, each putting out 3,045 pounds of thrust. Built between 1994 and 1999, the Ultra has become a workhorse for high-capacity, longer-range operations.

Today, Ultras with decent time left before engine overhaul can be bought for much less than $1 million. But beware if a hot section inspection or engine overhaul is coming due. Heavy engine maintenance can easily run up a bill for more than the value of the airframe. Operating costs will be a bit higher than the CitationJet’s, at about $1,500 per hour, but for what the airplane can do, it can be a relatively good value indeed.

Below $2 million

The Mustang is the safest jet out there. Not just safe from a physical safety perspective (knock on wood, no fatal accidents in 11 years of operation), but also from an ownership experience perspective.

The Mustang, originally introduced in 2006, had very few changes in production until the last one was built in 2017. This steady configuration state is a great testament to the quality of the Mustang’s original design. For a jet with a Garmin G1000-equipped cockpit, dual FADEC-controlled engines, 41,000-foot cruise capability, miserly fuel flows (operating costs are less than $1,000 per hour), Cirrus SR22-like approach speeds, seating for six occupants, a lavatory, a range of more than 1,000 nm, and the service and support of Cessna, it’s hard to beat. Depending on year, hours, engine program enrollment, and damage history, Mustangs can now be bought with price tags ranging from just above $1 million for an older, higher-time machine with no engine program, to the low $2 million range for newer, lower-time units on engine and maintenance programs.

Below $4 million

Below the $4 million price point, there is no question that the Citation CJ3 is the best value for someone looking for the perfect, all-purpose, owner-flown jet.

The CJ3 has Rockwell Collins ProLine 21 avionics, a reliable 1,900-nm range, 415 KTAS/0.737 Mach cruise speed, 45,000-foot cruise capability, $1,300 per hour operating costs, amazing climb performance, docile handling characteristics, and great ramp appeal. In many ways, a CJ3 can be the perfect “last” jet that someone buys.

Add on the upgraded performance from the soon-to-be-certified Tamarack winglets and the CJ3 will have an extended range of more than 2,100 nm. Earlier this year, a CJ3 equipped with Tamarack winglets made the trip from Paris, Texas, to Paris, France, with just one stop.

One of the decisions many current and future CJ3 owners face is the method for achieving Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast Out (ADS-B Out) compliance by the 2020 deadline. Many owners are opting for the full Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion upgrade—which costs about $300,000. Others are opting to simply do the ADS-B Out upgrade on the standard ProLine 21. However, depending on flight management system configuration, this upgrade can cost upwards of $200,000, which will make the Fusion upgrade a bit more sensible in the long run for some owners.

Summary

If you are about to buy your first jet or upgrade to the next, lay out a thoughtful plan on how to evaluate your needs against the capabilities of the airplanes you are considering. Talk to as many owners as you can. Join the various type-specific associations for the model of airplane you’re considering. And go have fun in the process. Life is short. Fly a jet.