Silhouette traced from a photo by Acroterion · CC BY-SA 4.0

63JetGrade70 = typical for light jets

Cessna · Light Jet

Citation I/SP (501)

Name: Cessna Citation I/SP (501)
Brand: Cessna

Built 1977–1985Out of production1 pilot

63JetGrade70 = typical for light jets

Cessna · Light Jet

Citation I/SP (501)

1977–1985Out of production1 pilot

Photo: Photo: unknown, via Wikimedia Commons

Buy it if

You fly one to four people on 200 to 700 nm trips, want a jet you can legally fly alone at the lowest acquisition cost, and can hold engine reserves in cash.

The numbers that matter

Price

$575k

typical asking

Cost per year

$857k

at 300 hrs · 1 pilot

Range

1,328nm

Speed

345kt

Seats

Pilots

Price

What one costs to buy

Based on 16 listings observed 2026-09-28

Typical ask

$575,000

Low$295kTypical$575kHigh$1M

Observed on other sites

16 observed on other sites

Explore the Citation 500/550/560 straight-wing family

For sale now

None listed right now

Cost to own

What it costs per year to run

Estimate · One pilot · Your operator will quote actual numbers

How many hours a year will you fly?

300hours / year

Per year

$857,068

Per flight hour

$2,857

Scales with hours: fuel, maintenance.

Fixed: pilots, other, hangar, training, insurance.

Show charter income (gross, at $2,600/hr)

$857kPer year

Fuel$355,71642%
Pilots$168,62820%
Other$139,27416%
Maintenance$136,05016%
Hangar$29,3843%
Training$17,3162%
Insurance$10,7001%

Fuel is the biggest line at 300 hours a year; pilots is the biggest fixed cost.

Assumptions

Fuel 164 gph @ $7.23/gal. Split fields are midpoints of researched ranges; full ranges and sources in.

The JetGrade

63 out of 100

70 = typicalI/SP

Why 55 on speed & trip efficiency: Below 70: among the slowest jets in the light cohort on longer legs.

Grades are editorial opinions about the model, not any specific aircraft. Sponsors and affiliates have no input. Reviewed 2026-09-28.

Where it can fly

Sample trips and reach

Flights from

1,062 nm from Carlsbad — seats full

1,328 nm — published max range

NonstopConditionalNeeds a fuel stop

1,062 nm from Carlsbad — seats full

1,328 nm — published max range

NonstopConditionalNeeds a fuel stop

Sample flight times

Carlsbad → Las Vegas
easy hop · 217 nm
1.0 hr
Carlsbad → Aspen
conditional — hot/high airport · 654 nm
2.4 hr
Santa Ana → San José del Cabo
nonstop · 802 nm
2.6 hr
Teterboro → West Palm Beach
nonstop · 947 nm
3.0 hr
Dallas → Teterboro
conditional — weight and weather · 1,251 nm
4.8 hr

Flight times are planning estimates in still air with standard reserves. Conditional trips depend on weight, temperature and the day's weather.

Lineage

What came before and after

2 models in this family. Tap any model to jump to its page.

1st

Cessna Model 500 Citation / Citation I (same airframe

Model 500 Citation / Citation I (same airframe

Price pendingNot rated

2nd · 1977–1985 · You are here

Cessna Citation I/SP (501)

Citation I/SP (501)

$575k63

Size & cabin

How big it is, inside and out

Size in perspective

Schematic · same scale

Length

43′ 6″

Wingspan

47′ 1″

Height

14′ 4″

Inside the cabin

Typical 5-seat layout · To scale

Cabin length

12′ 8″

Width

4′ 11″

Height

4′ 4″

you stoop, you don't stand

Baggage 57 cu ft - approx 11 mid-size bagsAft lavatorySmall refreshment center (no full galley) on typical executive interiorsNone as delivered; aftermarket Iridium/Wi-Fi options appear on individual aircraft

Compare

How it stacks up

	This aircraft I/SP	Alternative Learjet 35 / 35A	Alternative Falcon 100
Price	$575k	$581k	$591k
Range	1,328 nm	2,196 nm	1,620 nm
Speed	345 kt	451 kt	476 kt
Seats	5	6	7
Pilots	1	2	2
Years built	1977–1985	1974–1993	1983–1990

Learjet 35 / 35A instead: 868 nm more range.

Falcon 100 instead: 292 nm more range.

Gold marks the best figure in each row. Tap any aircraft name to open its page.

Owning one

What to know before you buy

Engines & programs

2x Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D-1A or JT15D-1B turbofans (any combination); 2,200 lb takeoff / 2,090 lb max continuous thrust each

No P&WC ESP or JSSI eligibility for the JT15D-1A/-1B was confirmed. StandardAero offers a VMAX pay-per-hour plan for JT15D operators (variant applicability not stated) plus hot-section kit exchanges.

Known issues

Payload and range: an 8,400 lb standard zero-fuel weight leaves about 1,000 lb of payload at a typical 7,400 lb operating weight, about 800 lb with full fuel, and roughly 900 to 1,000 nm with four passengers.
Out-of-production JT15D-1A/-1B engines with 3,000 to 3,500 hour overhaul intervals; reported overhaul costs of $300,000 to $500,000 per engine (2007) and no confirmed engine program coverage.
Small cabin (about 4 ft 4 in tall, 12 ft 8 in long) with a belted aft lav seat instead of an enclosed lavatory.

Recurring/AD-driven items: A/C motor brush replacement every 500 h (AD 2013-09-11/2015-17-12); brake stator disk AD 2004-09-05; JT15D-1 series impeller inspection AD 2023-03-12. Reported buyer concerns: wing corrosion/repair history, pressurization performance on test flight, deferred maintenance on long-stored airframes.

Before you buy

Confirm whether the engines are enrolled on an hourly program
Confirm when Phases 1-4 was last done and when it is next due
Confirm when Phase 5 was last done and when it is next due
Confirm when Landing gear phases was last done and when it is next due
Confirm when JT15D-1/-1A TBO and HSI was last done and when it is next due
Confirm when JT15D-1B TBO and HSI was last done and when it is next due
Check status of: Payload and range: an 8,400 lb standard zero-fuel weight leaves about 1,000 lb of payload at a typical 7,400 lb operating weight, about 800 lb with full fuel, and roughly 900 to 1,000 nm with four passengers.
Check status of: Out-of-production JT15D-1A/-1B engines with 3,000 to 3,500 hour overhaul intervals; reported overhaul costs of $300,000 to $500,000 per engine (2007) and no confirmed engine program coverage.
Check status of: Small cabin (about 4 ft 4 in tall, 12 ft 8 in long) with a belted aft lav seat instead of an enclosed lavatory.
Get a pre-buy inspection at a factory-authorised service centre

Support & programs

No Textron or third-party airframe program for the 500/501 was found; Textron's 2025 ProParts+ announcement covers 525 series only.

Cessna phase inspection program: Phases 1-4 every 300 h or 24 months; Phase 5 every 1,200 h or 36 months; plus shorter-interval phases and landing-gear phases by landings (500/501 specialist MRO).

The full review

Our take

Single-pilot by type certificate (FAR Part 23) with AFM-specified equipment; the FAA's September 2026 notice ending single-pilot exemptions for Part 25 Citation variants treats the 501 and 551 separately.
Low entry price: five stock examples asked $295,000 to $705,000 (median $500,000) on September 28, 2026.
Short-runway friendly for a jet: published balanced field length around 3,600 ft and low approach speeds from a straight wing.

“The Citation I/SP is the single-pilot version of Cessna's original straight-wing Citation.”

The Citation I/SP is the single-pilot version of Cessna's original straight-wing Citation. Mechanically it is the Model 500 Citation I. What makes it a 501 is its FAR Part 23 certification, approved in January 1977, which lets one pilot fly it when the airplane carries the equipment listed in the flight manual. That paperwork difference matters more now than it did a year ago. On September 28, 2026 the FAA announced it will stop issuing single-pilot exemptions for the Part 25 Citation variants, including the Model 500, and noted that the Part 23 501 and 551 are different: they are single-pilot aircraft by type certificate. If you want to fly a classic Citation by yourself, the 501 is the one to shop.

Pilot's take
On paper it flies like what it is: a straight-wing, low-thrust 1970s Citation with gentle approach speeds (NTSB-cited flight manual data show a full-flap Vref near 96 knots at a light 8,750 lb) and a long climb to the flight levels. There is no 501-specific simulator; training is done in a Citation II or Ultra-type sim or in the airplane, and the single-pilot checkride is flown with an examiner. Single-pilot legality is a certificate, not a comfort level. The FAA's 2026 notice cites both accident rates and training non-compliance.
— TheJetGrade editorial

Who this is for · An experienced owner-pilot or small operator flying 100 to 300 hours a year on regional trips who values single-pilot legality and simplicity over speed, cabin size and range.

Owners

Private to verified owners

Own a Cessna Citation I/SP (501)? Verify with its FAA registration to join the owners' thread and the real-cost poll.

Citation I/SP (501)

Citation I/SP (501)

What one costs to buy

None listed right now

What it costs per year to run

63 out of 100

Sample trips and reach

What came before and after

How big it is, inside and out

How it stacks up

What to know before you buy

Our take

Owners

New aircraft. Price moves. Best buys.