Florida man could never have guessed the repair bill when he bought abandoned jet off Facebook Marketplace that was last flown in 2008
Published on Sep 30, 2025 at 2:41 PM (UTC+4)
by Daisy Edwards
Last updated on Sep 30, 2025 at 2:49 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
This Florida YouTuber got quite the shock when he saw the repair bill for an abandoned jet he bought from Facebook Marketplace that was last flown in 2008.
When Cleetus Mcfarland stumbled across a Dassault Falcon 20 listed on Facebook Marketplace for $115,000, he thought he’d found the deal of a lifetime.
The jet suffered from issues such as obsolete straight-pipe engines, which had been out of inspection for over 14 years, and non-compliance with noise regulations.
So the YouTuber hired an aviation expert to assess the price for making it airworthy again, and the verdict was not good.
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He couldn’t believe his Facebook Marketplace find
Florida-based YouTuber Cleetus McFarland is no stranger to crazy projects, but he couldn’t believe what he was seeing when he stumbled across a Dassault Falcon 20 airplane listed on Facebook Marketplace.
It should’ve been the find of the century. However, it seemed that the Floridian man didn’t anticipate how much it would cost to bring the aircraft 20 back to life.
The plane hadn’t been airworthy since 2008, so Cleetus hired an aviation expert to assess what it would cost to bring it back to life.
The aviation expert, Joe, took a look at the plane and pointed out issues like the jet’s obsolete engines, which hadn’t been inspected for 14 years and were non-compliant with modern noise regulations.
And the price tag to fix these problems turned out to be eye-wateringly high.
He could never have guessed the abandoned jet repair bill
Joe told Cleetus that the repair bill kept growing.
The plane also required an Auxiliary power unit (APU) overhaul, which would cost $150,000. It required mandatory inspections, which would cost $750,000 minimum, with costs climbing if corrosion was found.
Landing gear, interior, hydraulics, and tires rebuilds were also necessary, which, according to Joe, would add around $400,000 to the total.
According to expert, just towing the jet to a certified facility could run to $150,000 in bills.
His verdict? A staggering total of $2.5 million to $3 million in repairs and compliance costs, which is nearly twenty times the purchase price.
Even if the team spent the full $3 million to restore the Falcon, Joe explained it might only be worth less than $1 million afterwards, which would make the project financially implausible.
Despite the disappointing outcome, how often do people get to say you bought an abandoned jet off Facebook Marketplace, even if it can’t fly?
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Daisy Edwards is a Content Writer at supercarblondie.com. Daisy has more than five years’ experience as a qualified journalist, having graduated with a History and Journalism degree from Goldsmiths, University of London and a dissertation in vintage electric vehicles. Daisy specializes in writing about cars, EVs, tech and luxury lifestyle. When she's not writing, she's at a country music concert or working on one of her many unfinished craft projects.
