Methodology
How grades work
01
Sources we use
- Manufacturer data: specifications, performance and type-certificate details.
- Published flight-test and operating-cost references.
- FAA and NTSB records: the aircraft registry, airworthiness directives and accident reports.
- Listings observed on the open market.
- Our own pilots, who have flown the types they write about.
02
The JetGrade
Every graded aircraft gets a JetGrade from 35 to 95. 70 is typical for the aircraft's cohort, the group of comparable aircraft it competes with. Above 70 is better than its peers; below 70 is weaker.
The grade is a weighted average of seven categories:
- Range and payload20%
- Cabin and passenger experience20%
- Operating economics20%
- Reliability and support15%
- Airport access and versatility10%
- Purchase value and resale10%
- Speed and trip efficiency5%
Cohorts in use today: light jets, midsize jets, super-midsize jets, turboprops, very light jets.
A high grade
PC-12 NGX · JetGrade 80 · Clearly above its class
Graded against turboprops.
Strongest: Airport access and versatility 90. Short takeoffs, grass-strip approval and a huge cargo door make it the class benchmark.
Weakest: Speed and trip efficiency 65. About 280 kt in typical cruise trails faster singles and twins on long trips.
A low grade
HS-125 Series 1A, 1B and 3 · JetGrade 36 · Far below its class
Graded against midsize jets.
Strongest: Speed and trip efficiency 60. A 430-knot cruise is still respectable, but frequent fuel stops stretch longer trips.
Weakest: Airport access and versatility 15. Barred from airports in the 48 contiguous states by noise rules, and needs about 6,200 ft of runway.
03
Deal ratings on listings
Each listing is compared with an expected price: the model's typical ask, adjusted for the aircraft's year and total hours.
- Great: 10% or more under the expected price.
- Good: 3% to 10% under.
- Fair: from 3% under to 5% over.
- Above market: more than 5% over.
- No comparables: the model has no typical ask to compare with.
04
Asking prices
Asking prices are observations, not appraisals. The typical ask is the median of recent asking prices we have observed for that model. What an aircraft actually sells for depends on its records, condition and inspection.
05
Corrections
See something wrong on a model page? Send us the page link and what should change. A pilot reads every correction and replies in Messages.