What used aircraft actually cost in Canada
What you'll really pay for a used aircraft in Canada — the sticker price, what drives it up or down, and the ongoing costs of ownership. Compare live Canadian asking prices by make and model.
The sticker price is the smallest decision you'll make
"How much does an aircraft cost?" is really two questions: what you pay to buy it, and what you pay every year to keep it flying. The purchase price gets all the attention, but the ongoing costs are what catch new owners out. Start with the number on the ad, then read to the end of this guide before you fall in love with anything. For live figures, MarketPlane publishes current Canadian asking prices by make and model — low, average and high — pulled from real listings.
What actually drives a used aircraft's price
Two aircraft of the same year, make and model can sell for wildly different money. The levers, roughly in order of impact:
- Engine time vs. TBO. A fresh engine is worth a large fraction of a small aircraft's value; one near or past its recommended overhaul is a five-figure liability the buyer will price in. (If SMOH and TBO don't mean anything to you yet, start with the listing-jargon guide.)
- Avionics. A modern IFR panel — WAAS GPS, a glass PFD, ADS-B — can add tens of thousands over steam gauges.
- Damage history & logbook completeness. Disclosed, well-repaired damage is a discount; gaps in the logbooks are a bigger one, because uncertainty scares buyers more than facts.
- Equipment. Floats, skis, long-range tanks, a useful-load-friendly weight — all move the number.
- Paint, interior and how it's been stored. "Always hangared" is worth real money.
Roughly what to expect by category
Prices move constantly, so treat these as orientation, not quotes — the live numbers per model are on the price pages:
- Ultralights & homebuilts: the most affordable way to own — often the low tens of thousands.
- Piston singles (Cessna 172/182, Piper Cherokee, and up): a broad band from modest older trainers to well-equipped IFR tourers in the low-to-mid six figures.
- Piston twins: lower purchase prices than you'd expect, higher running costs than you'd hope.
- Turboprops & jets: a different world of both price and operating cost.
Browse what's actually for sale right now: all aircraft for sale in Canada.
The costs that start the day you own it
Budget these before you buy, not after. As a rule of thumb, the yearly cost of keeping a simple piston single is a meaningful fraction of a modest new car — and it's very sensitive to how much you fly and where you keep it:
- Annual inspection — the one bill you can't skip, and the one that surprises people most.
- Insurance — driven by your hours, ratings and the aircraft's value.
- Hangar or tie-down — hangarage varies enormously by airport and region.
- Fuel & oil — the part you control by flying more or less.
- Engine reserve — the overhaul isn't a surprise if you've been setting money aside per hour.
MarketPlane has a cost-of-ownership calculator that turns these into a real yearly number for a given aircraft and flying pattern — worth running before you make an offer.
How to tell if a specific price is fair
Compare the ad against what similar aircraft are listed for in Canada, then adjust for engine time, avionics, damage and equipment. To make that easy, every MarketPlane listing shows how its price compares to the Canadian average for that model — below, around or above market — so you're negotiating from evidence instead of a gut feeling. And whatever the number, always arrange an independent pre-purchase inspection before you buy: it's the cheapest insurance in aviation.