American breaks down the ‘obscene’ cost of owning a private jet after picking up Cessna from what was meant to be a routine first service

We all know that owning a private jet would be expensive, but one content creator and Cessna Citation 501SP owner discovered just how enormous the cost really is.

The expenses ranged from avionics upgrades and engine overhauls to scheduled maintenance, inspections, taxes, and more.

The figure owed was sadly a lot higher than they’d bargained for.

Can they afford to keep the private jet?

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The Cessna Citation 501SP

A relatively small private jet, the Cessna Citation 501SP was in production from 1977 to 1985.

With an airplane cabin measuring 11.3ft long by 4.7ft wide by 4.3ft tall, it’s not the biggest private jet ever.

Its modest dimensions mean it’ll seat five people comfortably, with a baggage compartment that holds up to eight bags.

Despite being small, its first service bill was bigger than its owner, Jeff Alan of JR Aviation had ever anticipated.

Let’s break it down.

‘I don’t think I will ever complain about a car maintenance item ever again, none of our cars will ever come close to the magnitude and expense of maintenance that is this private jet,” Alan said.

“You think owning a Ferrari or Lamborghini is expensive? I’m telling you that is peanuts compared to what I’m about to outline,” he warned.

Private jet cost

The unexpected maintenance bill for their Cessna Citation 501 SP was significantly higher than they’d expected.

Jet maintenance is divided into phases, with Phase 5 being the most comprehensive and costly coming to $75,000 every two years due to regular inspections and checks that come with hefty price tags.

Routine inspections start with Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum checks to reduce the distance between aircraft at certain altitudes, allowing more aircraft to fly to reduce delays and improve air traffic flow. 

They also include engine fire bottle replacements that can cost thousands of dollars – and these quickly add up.

What’s more, delays in scheduling maintenance led to additional required work, further increasing the total as the private jet sat idle for months.

One of the most expensive parts was a difficult-to-source nitrogen landing gear bottle that needed to be replaced at a cost of around $10,000.

The total bill for six inspections, as well as repairs, came to $27,080.67.

With engine overhauls totaling up to $400,000 per engine, it seems like this is only the beginning of the expenses.

“My bank account’s a whole lot lighter now but, hey, I learned a lot,” Alan said of the experience.

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