Buy That Airplane

In 2026 the average price of a new car is hovering in the neighborhood of $50,000. Keep that in mind. We’ll come back to it shortly.

This winter has been a bit brisk. So on a recent temperate afternoon, I saddled up on my Zero DSR motorcycle and rode to the grocery store. The DSR is an electric bike. It’s built in America by craftsmen in California. And yes, it’s expensive.

In fact, the DSR is too expensive for me. But I own and often ride one anyway. I’m a pilot. Which is to say, I’m cheap but not easily defeated.

There is a solution for every problem.

While standing in the checkout line at my local Publix, helmet in hand, the woman behind me queried, “What do you ride?”

It’s a fair question. So I told her. “I’m on a Zero today. It’s an electric bike I use locally. But I’ve got a BMW touring bike for longer trips.”

Her expression changed when I said, “BMW.” In the motorcycle world Beemers rank high on the desirability scale. Powerful, comfortable, built for the long haul. The brand is as exclusive for bikers as the automobile version is for upwardly mobile lawyers and CPAs.

“What do you ride?” I asked, assuming she was likely a rider as well. “I’ve got a Kawasaki 636,” she countered. A sporty bike that’s sleek, quick, nimble, and all kinds of fun to ride. She said it with pride, but also with a hint of sorrow. She seemed slightly humbled that her ride wasn’t in the same class as my Beemer. Not in her estimation anyway.

The cashier was ringing up my order. Time was tight.

“Buy used,” I offered. “I’ve owned five Beemers. All used. You can get them for half price or less.”

She brightened. “Really?” She seemed surprised. Her expression brightened.

“Absolutely,” I replied. “Check the classifieds. You’ll see.”

And then our time was up. I moved on. She engaged with the girl at the cash register and we went our separate ways.

Just the day before I’d had lunch with a young friend who recently earned his pilot certificate. He’s building time toward his instrument rating. He confided that he’s struggling a bit to afford the flight time he needs. Renting isn’t an inexpensive proposition.

My advice was simple. Buy an airplane. As daunting as that proposition may seem, if he took the time to run the numbers I assured him he’d be building time far less expensively. He’d own an attractive asset with resale value. Plus, he’d learn all the lessons that come with airplane ownership and management.

In 2026 the average price of a new car is roughly $50,000. I told you we’d get back to that. Well here we are.

A quick perusal of airplane classified ads will return pages and pages of used airplanes on the market for $50,000 or less. Is that a lot of money? Yes, without a doubt. But somehow, we have no problem spending that much on a car that will depreciate substantially over the next decade. Simultaneously, we convince ourselves a similar amount of money invested in our own future, our skills, our education is excessive.

I think we’ve devalued the wrong thing.

I’ve owned seven airplanes over the course of my career. Every one of them was a joy to own. Each gave me headaches and heart palpitations when major repairs were needed. Yet the lessons I learned, the experience I gained, and the freedom of having an airplane at my disposal whenever I got the urge to fly was priceless.

Incidentally, it’s probably worth pointing out that I sold five of those airplanes for more than I paid for them, a fact that is well worth considering. That rarely happens when selling a car or a motorcycle.

The Zero DSR is a wonderful machine. I considered one seriously when they first hit the market. But the price tag was too dear for this miserly old man. So I waited and bought one on the used market for less than one-third the price of a new one. No regrets. It’s a joy to ride.

The BMW I ride was also bought on the used market. It cost me less than half what it was priced at when new. Yet it came with a few extras the previous owner had added. Between the additions and the depreciation, I went home with an amazing bike for pennies on the dollar. That was more than a decade ago. I’ve been happy with it ever since.

To test my hypothesis I punched up a few web pages on my browser and began searching for airplanes for sale for a price equal to or less than the average new car. I found Taylorcraft, Aeronca, and Luscombe well represented. As was Bellanca, Piper, Cessna, and a wide assortment of experimental aircraft. There were tricycle gear options, taildraggers, and even a handful of amphibians.

Ownership isn’t easy. But it is possible. And, frankly, if my sacrifice is that I drive a 10-year-old car in order to afford my own airplane, that’s a no-brainer. I’ll take the airplane, please.

With ownership comes flight at greatly reduced cost. Especially if you’re willing to dig in and assist with maintenance. And unlike the rental aircraft available on the market for significantly more dollars per hour, I can take my own airplane over the horizon for a week or more at no additional cost. That’s true even if I have a co-owner or two or three.

Life is good. It ain’t free. It’s not even all that easy. But it’s very, very good if we choose to embrace the opportunities available to us and live our lives to the fullest.

Are airplanes expensive? Yes, they can be. Are they worth it? Without a doubt. Just as my sporty electric motorcycle and luxury touring machine are worth every depreciated penny I spent on them.

You only go around once in this life. Regrets are most often borne from the dreams we didn’t pursue, rather than the ones we cuddled up to and made a part of our real life.

Buy the airplane. It’s time.