How Much Aircraft Can I Afford? | FLYING Finance

Affordability Calculator · FLYING Finance

How much aircraft can I afford?

The right answer isn't the maximum you can borrow — it's the number that lets you fly comfortably, maintain the aircraft, and sleep well. This tool finds that number.

Interactive Calculator

Find your purchasing range

Adjust the sliders to match your financial picture. Uses standard aviation lending guidelines. Your income input should be what actually hits your accounts — what underwriters will aggregate from W-2s, 1099s, and pay stubs.

Aircraft Affordability Tool

Your numbers, your range

Annual take-home income $110,000

What W-2s, 1099s, and paychecks aggregate to after taxes & deductions

Existing monthly debt payments $1,500

Mortgage, auto, student loans, credit cards (minimums)

How much are you willing to put down? $40,000

Minimum 15% — click notches below to snap to key thresholds

Loan term 20 years

5yr 10yr 15yr 20yr

Estimated rate 7.25%

Comfortable range

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Based on 36% DTI (recommended ceiling)

Maximum price

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Based on 43% DTI (lender ceiling)

Est. monthly payment

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At comfortable range, 80% LTV

Down payment

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Of comfortable range price

Aircraft in your range

Adjust sliders above

Rules of Thumb

How aviation lenders think about affordability

These aren't rigid cutoffs — they're the mental models experienced lenders use to evaluate whether a loan fits a borrower's financial life.

Rule 01

The 1% monthly check

A rough sanity check: can you comfortably afford 1% of the aircraft's value per month in total operating costs? A $200K aircraft implies roughly $2,000/month all-in. Your loan payment is one part of that.

Rule 02

The 36% DTI sweet spot

While 43% is the lender ceiling, targeting 36% including the aircraft payment gives you a meaningful buffer. Unexpected maintenance, an engine at TBO, or an avionics upgrade won't derail a loan at 36%.

Rule 03

The 3x income ceiling

Pilots who finance comfortably generally buy at 3x annual take-home or less. Above that, operating costs create pressure regardless of the monthly payment math.

Rule 04

The maintenance reserve reality

Budget 1–2% of aircraft value per year for maintenance, separate from your loan payment. An engine overhaul runs $25,000–$50,000 on a piston. Your loan payment is only part of owning an aircraft.

See the full picture. The loan payment is only one line in the total cost of aircraft ownership. Total Cost of Ownership Calculator →

Investment Real Estate

A DTI factor many borrowers overlook

Important · Real Estate & DTI

How personally held investment real estate affects your aircraft loan

If you own investment real estate with loans held personally — properties in your own name, mortgages in your own name — every one of those mortgage payments counts against your DTI in aircraft loan underwriting. A borrower with four rental properties and $8,000/month in mortgage payments may show a DTI that disqualifies them on paper, even if those properties cash-flow positively.

Rental income from Schedule E can offset the debt payments, but it requires additional underwriting of your full real estate portfolio — tax returns, rent rolls, lease agreements, property statements. This adds complexity and time, and not every aviation lender has the appetite for it.

The cleaner path: Real estate held in an LLC or other entity, with loans in the entity's name (not personally guaranteed), typically stays off your personal DTI entirely. If you're planning future aircraft purchases and currently hold investment real estate personally, it's worth discussing the structure with your CPA before you need to finance — not after.

If your situation involves personally held real estate, tell us early. We'll route your file to lenders who understand the full picture and know how to underwrite it properly.

Aircraft by Price Range

What flies in each range

A guide to what's available at different price points across certified, LSA, and EAB categories. Kit prices assume fully equipped completed builds.

Price Range	Aircraft Examples	Category
$30K–$60K	Van's RV-7/RV-9 kits (completed), Zenith CH-750, Kitfox Series 7, vintage Cessna 150/172 (1960s–70s), Piper Cherokee 140	EABCert
$60K–$120K	Bristell B23, Sling 2/4 (completed kit), Pipistrel Virus, Cessna 172 (1980s), Piper Archer II, Grumman AA-5B	LSAEABCert
$120K–$200K	CubCrafters CC11-100, Van's RV-14 (fully equipped), Tecnam P2008 JC, Cessna 182 (1990s), Piper Arrow III, Mooney M20J	LSAEABCert
$200K–$400K	CubCrafters X Cub, Van's RV-15 (early builds), Cirrus SR20/SR22 (G3–G5), Cessna 182T, Diamond DA40, Piper Archer TX	EABCert
$400K–$700K	Cirrus SR22T (G6/G7), Cessna T206H, Diamond DA42-VI, Piper M350, CubCrafters FX-3 Carbon Cub	Cert
$700K–$1.5M	New Cirrus SR22T, Piper M500/M600, TBM 700/850 (older), Socata TBM series, King Air C90B	Cert
$1.5M+	TBM 930/960, Pilatus PC-12 (NG/NGX), King Air B200/350, Piper M700, Daher Kodiak 100	Cert

Pre-Approval · Soft Pull Only

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Common Questions

What buyers ask us

Should I buy as much aircraft as I can qualify for?

Not usually. The maximum you can finance and the right aircraft for your mission are rarely the same number. A $400K Cirrus SR22T you fly 150 hours a year makes more financial sense than a $900K turboprop you fly 80 hours a year. Buy the aircraft that fits your actual flying — not the ceiling of what a lender will approve.

Does the aircraft's age affect what I can borrow?

Age primarily affects which lenders will finance the aircraft, not the LTV on the amount borrowed. Older airframes may have fewer lender options and may require additional documentation or inspection, but the loan-to-value ratio on the purchase price is generally consistent across age ranges for aircraft that qualify. Where age gets complicated is with aircraft that have significant deferred maintenance, airworthiness questions, or are approaching major overhaul milestones — those affect underwriting in ways that go beyond age alone.

Can I include maintenance or overhaul costs in the loan?

Yes — for maintenance, overhauls, or airworthiness work that needs to happen at or before purchase, we can often structure that into the financing. An engine at or near TBO, a required AD compliance, or necessary avionics work can be folded into the loan amount rather than requiring you to fund it separately out of pocket. This is one of the things that distinguishes aviation-specific lending from generic personal loan products. Tell us about any known squawks or deferred items early in the process.

What about LLC or trust ownership?

LLC and trust ownership are fully supported — we structure these regularly. If you're planning entity ownership, have your Articles of Organization, Operating Agreement, and EIN ready before you apply. Partnership structures have their own underwriting requirements. The main thing: mention your intended ownership structure at the start of the process so we route your file correctly from the beginning.