Silhouette traced from a photo by Acroterion · CC BY-SA 4.0
Cessna · Light Jet
Photo: Photo: unknown, via Wikimedia Commons
The numbers that matter
Cost per year
$846k
at 300 hrs · 1 pilot
Price
Based on 2 listings observed 2026-09-27
Price
No priced listings
Observed on other sites
2 observed on other sites
For sale now
Cost to own
Estimate · One pilot · Your operator will quote actual numbers
How many hours a year will you fly?
300hours / year
Per year
$846,254
Per flight hour
$2,821
Scales with hours: fuel, maintenance.
Fixed: pilots, other, hangar, insurance, training.
Fuel is the biggest line at 300 hours a year; pilots is the biggest fixed cost.
Fuel None gph @ $None/gal. Split fields are midpoints of researched ranges; full ranges and sources in.
The JetGrade
70 = typicalII/SP
Range & payload 55, Cabin & passenger experience 70, Operating economics 70, Reliability & support 65, Airport access & versatility 75, Purchase value & resale 65, Speed & trip efficiency 60
Why 55 on range & payload: Below 70: against 550, Beechjet 400A, Learjet 31A and CJ1 peers, the 551's weight limit forces a fuel-or-passengers trade on most trips; estimates rely on limited weight data.
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
952 nm from Carlsbad — seats full
1,190 nm — published max range
NonstopConditionalNeeds a fuel stop
Sample flight times
Carlsbad → Las Vegas
easy hop · 217 nm
Carlsbad → Aspen
conditional — hot/high airport · 654 nm
Santa Ana → San José del Cabo
nonstop · 802 nm
Teterboro → West Palm Beach
nonstop · 947 nm
Dallas → Teterboro
fuel stop likely · 1,251 nm
Flight times are planning estimates in still air with standard reserves. Conditional trips depend on weight, temperature and the day's weather.
Lineage
2 models in this family. Tap any model to jump to its page.
Size & cabin
Size in perspective
Schematic · same scale
Length
47′ 3″
Height
15′ 0″
Inside the cabin
Typical 6-seat layout · To scale
Cabin length
15′ 9″
Width
4′ 8″
Height
4′ 7″
you stoop, you don't stand
Compare
Learjet 23 instead: 400 nm more range.
Gold marks the best figure in each row. Tap any aircraft name to open its page.
Owning one
Engines & programs
2 × Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D-4 turbofans; 2,500 lbf takeoff / 2,375 lbf max continuous each (thrust split from 550 TCDS, same engine model)
JT15D-4 TBO 3,500 h with hot section at 1,750 h; on-condition/approved extension programs to ~5,200–5,250 h. StandardAero VMAX pay-per-hour covers JT15D engines on Citation I/II/V, transferable for a flat fee, with mid-TBO buy-in options; its Legacy tier ends after the second overhaul.
Known issues
Documented: lavatory-area belly corrosion near the aileron bellcrank (500/550/560 family); wing fuel-tank skin corrosion case after boot work; ADs for BFGoodrich brake stators (2004-09-05), wing fuel boost pump wiring (2006-06-03), fire-extinguisher wiring (2007-11-17) and air-conditioning motor brushes (2015-17-12).
Before you buy
Support & programs
Cessna phase inspection program: Phases 1–4 at 300 h/24 months, Phase 5 at 1,200 h/36 months, Phase B at 150 h, Phase 6 every 14 days, gear/brake phases MA–MF by landings (200–5,000).
The full review
“The Citation II/SP is a Citation II that Cessna certified under Part 23 so one pilot could fly it.”
The Citation II/SP is a Citation II that Cessna certified under Part 23 so one pilot could fly it. The price of that certification was weight: maximum takeoff weight drops from 13,300 lb on early Citation IIs to 12,500 lb, while the airframe, the JT15D-4 engines and the 742-gallon fuel system stay the same. Cessna built the 551 from 1978 into the late 1980s; published histories say 1987, although FAA registrations show a few 551s dated 1988–1989. The FAA registry currently lists 34 US-registered examples.
Pilot's take
It is stable and forgiving on short runways, with the weight limit written in the AFM rather than felt in the airplane. The planning is where it bites: you pick passengers or fuel. Anyone flying it solo should take oxygen discipline seriously. Pressurization problems ended both the OE-FGR 551 flight and a 2016 Citation I/SP flight, and in each case the pilot was not using oxygen. Put money into an autopilot you trust and a modern panel.
Who this is for · An experienced owner-pilot or single professional pilot who wants a real cabin for regional trips and values solo legality over maximum payload.
Own a Cessna Citation II/SP (551)? Verify with its FAA registration to join the owners' thread and the real-cost poll.
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