It ranges from 15% to 40% depending on the aircraft category and your credit tier, not a flat industry number. Below is every published range side by side, a worked dollar example, and the specific planning mistakes that catch buyers off guard.
Figures reflect FLYING Finance's own published product terms, current as of this writing.
Down payment is the single biggest lever in an aircraft loan, and it's also the most category-dependent number in this business. A well-qualified buyer financing a certified piston single can get in with as little as 15% down. A buyer using Low LTV Financing, a credit-and-liquidity-scored product built for larger, asset-based purchases, is putting down closer to 40%. Neither number is wrong; they're answering different underwriting questions.
Credit tier compounds with category. An Elite-tier (780+ FICO) borrower in Certified Piston financing generally sees the lowest down payment thresholds available in that category. Step down to Strong (730-779) and the number can move up modestly. Step into Credit Builder territory and a lender will typically ask for more down to offset the higher base-rate-plus-2% pricing; more skin in the game balances higher risk pricing.
| Product | Down payment | Term | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certified Piston | From 15% | Up to 20yr | Lowest threshold across the product set, at Elite/Strong tiers. See current rates. |
| Turboprop & Jet | Scales with the step-up | Varies by aircraft | See the Turboprop vs. Light Jet Step-Up Guide for aircraft-specific figures. |
| Leaseback / Flight Club | 20-25% | 10-15yr | For nicer Cirrus, Diamond, and Cessna aircraft placed into leaseback or flight-school use. See the leaseback guide. |
| Flight School Fleet | 20-25% | 10-15yr | Multiple-aircraft placement rather than a single leaseback unit; CH Brown offers 5yr term/10yr amortization for fleet deals. |
| Low LTV Financing | Up to ~40% | Up to 20yr | $250K-$4M, scored on credit and liquidity rather than income; see the complex-income guide. |
| Warbird & Vintage | 20% | Up to 15yr | Experimental-equivalent rates, no radial engine. |
| Experimental & Kitplanes | 20-30% | Up to 15yr | Amateur-built and certified kit aircraft; down payment scales with build quality documentation and builder history. See the Experimental & Kitplanes hub. |
| Light Sport & MOSAIC | 15-25% | Up to 20yr | Covers both legacy LSA and the expanded MOSAIC category; new and well-documented used aircraft trend toward the lower end. See the Light Sport & MOSAIC hub. |
The 15% floor most of this page discusses is a certified-piston number. Experimental (amateur-built or kit) aircraft and Light Sport aircraft, including the FAA's expanded MOSAIC category, both underwrite a little differently, and the down payment reflects that.
If you're weighing a certified piston against an experimental build or a MOSAIC-eligible Light Sport aircraft as your first airplane, our First-Time Aircraft Buyers guide walks through all five mission paths side by side, and the How Much Aircraft Can I Afford tool will size a realistic budget across any of these categories before you commit to one.
Numbers make this concrete faster than percentages alone. Here's the down payment and estimated monthly payment on a $350,000 certified piston purchase at the Elite tier, using the current published rate.
Run your own numbers with your actual purchase price, term, and down payment on the aircraft finance calculator, it takes under a minute and gives you a real monthly payment rather than an estimate.
"Down payment ranges from 15% to about 40% depending on category and credit tier. Tell me what you're financing and your rough credit range, and I'll give you a realistic number."
