Answer a few questions about how you'll fly. Six quick questions get you your top 3 — then optional questions fine-tune the match. We score 140+ aircraft — new, used, kit and light-sport — from across the whole market, honestly.
Made by Veloce Planes. The comparison is honest and fair — every aircraft is scored on the same data. The only thumb on the scale: if two aircraft tie, the Veloce wins the tie.
Before you shop, the pros say to start with these questions:
Mission, who's flying & baggage, budget, range, speed, single vs. twin, cabin room, wing layout, and how you want to own it. AOPA, EAA and Kitplanes all agree: buy the plane that fits ~80% of your trips, not your rare edge cases. This tool walks you through exactly that.
Or jump straight in by type:
✈ Any aircraft🏭 Light-sport (LSA)🛠️ Kit — build it yourself📜 Certified only
For guidance only — not aviation or purchase advice. Verify all specs, pricing, certification and operating costs with the manufacturer, consult a CFI/A&P, and always get an independent pre-buy inspection. Operating-cost, insurance and used-price figures are estimates.
The Airplane Buyer's Guide
Everything a first-time (or returning) buyer should know before signing. Tap any section. This is general guidance, not aviation or purchase advice — verify with a CFI, A&P, and the manufacturer. Manufacturer? Add or correct a listing →
About this guide & disclosures
Made by Veloce Planes. We build and sell aircraft, and we built this guide to be the honest, comprehensive buyer's resource we wished existed. Every aircraft — ours and our competitors' — is scored on the same data and the same rules. The one and only bias: if two aircraft come out tied, the Veloce wins the tie. Nothing else is weighted in our favor.
Listings are free for any airworthy type with verifiable specs. Sponsored/featured placement, when offered, is clearly labeled and never silently reorders the honest results.
Not advice. Everything here is general guidance, not aviation or purchase advice. Specs, prices, operating costs and insurance figures are compiled estimates — verify with the manufacturer, consult a CFI and A&P, and always get an independent pre-buy inspection before you buy.
How to buy an airplane — the 7 steps
Define your mission. Buy for the ~80% of trips you'll actually fly, not the rare edge case. Mission drives everything else.
Set a total budget — purchase plus operating cost. A plane you can buy but can't afford to fly is the classic mistake.
Pick a category: type-certified, factory-built S-LSA, or experimental kit — each has very different cost, maintenance and pilot-certificate implications (below).
Shortlist two or three specific models (this guide's matcher does that for you).
Get insurance and financing quotes early — they can rule a plane in or out before you fall in love with it.
Pay for an independent pre-buy inspection by an A&P who doesn't work for the seller. Non-negotiable.
Close with escrow + a title/lien search (AOPA Title or an aviation escrow company). Then get your transition/insurance-required training.
Sources: AOPA "Buying Your First Airplane," EAA buyer resources.
New vs. used vs. kit vs. light-sport
New certified: turn-key, warranty, latest avionics, longest lead times, highest price, fastest depreciation in the first ~10 years.
Used certified: the value sweet spot — most depreciation already taken. Condition and especially engine time matter more than age; budget for an overhaul as the engine nears TBO.
Factory-built S-LSA: turn-key light aircraft (incl. MOSAIC types), cheaper to buy and maintain, often mogas-burning. Can be rented and used in flight schools.
Experimental kit (build-it-yourself): lowest cost-to-capability and you earn deep knowledge of your aircraft, but it's a major time commitment and you generally can't rent it out for paid instruction. Build-assist programs shorten the build.
Sport pilot, LSA & the MOSAIC rules
A sport pilot can fly aircraft meeting the light-sport definition. Under the FAA's 2024 MOSAIC rule the limit is now a clean stall speed (Vs1) of 59 KCAS rather than a fixed weight — which sweeps in many more aircraft, including some four-seat retractables. (Sport-pilot certification provisions took effect Oct 2025; new-LSA airworthiness provisions phase in through 2026.)
Maintenance: the owner of an Experimental LSA can do their own annual condition inspection after a ~16-hour Repairman (Inspection) course. A Special LSA needs the ~120-hour Repairman (Maintenance) rating (or an A&P) for the annual — which is also how flight schools maintain rental S-LSA far cheaper than certified aircraft. Owners can always do basic preventive maintenance.
Sources: FAA MOSAIC final rule & fact sheet, AOPA MOSAIC FAQ, EAA, 14 CFR 65.107 / AC 65-32A.
What it really costs to own
Fixed costs (you pay even if you never fly): hangar or tiedown, insurance, the annual inspection, database/subscription fees. Variable costs (per hour): fuel, oil, and reserves you set aside for the eventual engine overhaul and unscheduled maintenance.
Real-world ballparks (excluding fuel): a hangared certified piston single runs roughly $10–16k/year; a high-performance single more; a light twin ~$25–40k; a cabin-class twin $60k+; a single-engine turboprop well over $100k; a light jet $200k+. S-LSA and experimental aircraft are markedly cheaper because owners can do more of the maintenance, often on lower-cost ASTM parts, and frequently burn mogas. Engine reserve is real money: set aside per-hour toward a $25–55k overhaul at TBO.
Aircraft lenders typically want 15–20% down, a solid credit profile, and offer terms of roughly 10–20 years depending on aircraft age and value. Experimental/older aircraft are harder to finance and may need a larger down payment. Get pre-qualified before you shop. Common sources: AOPA Aviation Finance, Currency, and aviation-focused banks.
Insurance
Hull premiums run roughly 1–1.5% of insured value per year, but the biggest driver is pilot experience and time-in-type, not the aircraft. Expect a make/model checkout requirement for a new-to-you type. Retractable gear historically adds premium; some high-performance experimentals (e.g., certain Lancairs) are hard to insure or effectively uninsurable. Get a quote before you commit.
The pre-buy inspection — checklist
Independent A&P (ideally type-experienced) who does not work for the seller.
Complete logbook review — airframe, engine, prop; all AD compliance; major repairs (337s); damage history.
Engine: compression test, borescope, oil analysis, time since major overhaul (SMOH) vs TBO.
Corrosion check (esp. coastal/older airframes), control rigging, gear, hoses, tanks.
Avionics function and database currency; ADS-B compliance.
Title & lien search (AOPA Title / escrow) before money moves.
A test flight and a clear written squawk list you can negotiate against.
Sources: AOPA pre-purchase guidance, EAA.
Glossary
KTAS — knots true airspeed (cruise). Vs1 / Vs0 — stall speed clean / in landing config. Useful load — what you can carry (people + bags + fuel). MTOW — max takeoff weight. TBO / SMOH — time between overhauls / hours since major overhaul. S-LSA / E-LSA — special (factory) / experimental light-sport aircraft. MOSAIC — the 2024 FAA rule expanding light-sport by stall speed. CAPS / BRS — whole-airframe (ballistic) parachute. Complex — retractable gear, flaps, constant-speed prop. High-performance — over 200 hp. A&P / IA — airframe & powerplant mechanic / inspection authorization.
General guidance only — not aviation or purchase advice. Verify all specs, pricing, certification and operating costs with the manufacturer; consult a CFI and A&P; always get an independent pre-buy inspection.
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