Aircraft buyer's guides and upgrade paths
35 buyer's guides for choosing a specific airplane, and 20 upgrade guides for moving from the airplane you fly now to the next one — with the training, insurance and financing each step takes.
Buyer's guides
First airplanes & four-seat trainers
Fixed-gear singles most owners start with.
- Cessna 172 Buyer's Guide Is a Skyhawk the Right First Airplane?
- Cirrus SR20 Buyer's Guide Choosing a Generation From G1 to G7+
- Diamond DA20 Buyer's Guide DA20-C1 vs DA20-A1 as a First Airplane
- Diamond DA40 Buyer's Guide DA40-180 vs DA40 NG, Trainer Time and What to Inspect
- Grumman AA-5 Traveler and AA-5A Cheetah Buyer's Guide The 150-hp Grummans
- Grumman Tiger Buyer's Guide AA-5B vs AG-5B, Inspection Points and Loan Math
- Piper Archer Buyer's Guide Archer, Archer II, Archer III and LX/TX Compared
- Piper Cherokee 180 Buyer's Guide Picking a 1963–1975 PA-28-180 by Year, Load and Records
- Piper Warrior Buyer's Guide PA-28-151 vs Warrior II and III as a First Airplane
High-performance & complex singles
Retractable gear, constant-speed props, turbocharging, 150+ knot cruise.
- Beechcraft Bonanza Buyer's Guide V-Tail, F33A, A36, B36TC or G36?
- Beechcraft Sierra Buyer's Guide The Roomier, Slower Retractable Alternative to the Arrow
- Cessna 182 Buyer's Guide Legacy O-470 Skylane vs 182S/T IO-540
- Cessna 206 Stationair Buyer's Guide Legacy U206 vs 206H, Utility History and Financing
- Cessna 210 Centurion Buyer's Guide Early 210, Cantilever 210, T210 or P210?
- Cessna TTx Buyer's Guide Buying the 2013-2018 Turbocharged Composite Single
- Cirrus SR22 Buyer's Guide Generations, CAPS Costs, Insurance and Payments
- Mooney Acclaim Buyer's Guide M20TN Acclaim, Type S and M20V Ultra
- Mooney M20 Buyer's Guide Choosing a Model From the M20C to the M20V
- Mooney Ovation Buyer's Guide Which M20R to Buy, From Ovation to Ultra
- Piper Arrow Buyer's Guide Choosing Your First Retractable, From Arrow II to Turbo Arrow IV
- Piper Comanche Buyer's Guide Choosing a PA-24 180, 250, 260 or 400
Light-sport, experimental & vintage
Sport-pilot eligible, kit-built and classic tailwheel aircraft.
- Buying a Completed Van's RV-10 Build Quality, Records and Financing
- Buying an Experimental Aircraft A First-Time Buyer's Guide to Homebuilts
- Cessna 195 Businessliner Buyer's Guide Owning and Financing a 1947–1954 Radial Taildragger
- Diamond DA20 for Sport Pilots Checking MOSAIC Eligibility, Insurance and Financing
- Evektor SportStar for Sale A Buyer's Guide to Inspection, Rotax Upkeep and Financing
- Kitfox Buyer's Guide Choosing a Series, an Engine and a Well-Built Example
- Light Sport Aircraft Buyer's Guide Legacy LSA, New Part 22 Aircraft and Certified Options
- Maule M-7 Buyer's Guide Variants, Tailwheel Realities and Pre-Buy Checks
- Piper Cub Buyer's Guide Vintage J-3, PA-18 Super Cub or a Modern CubCrafters?
- Tecnam P2008 Buyer's Guide LSA vs P2008 JC, Rotax 912 Checks and Financing
Twins
Multi-engine trainers and family or business twins.
Jets & turbine
For owners stepping beyond piston power.
Found the airplane? Know the payment first.
Share the aircraft, price and timeline. A specialist comes back with rate, term and down-payment options — no credit pull to start.
Upgrade paths
Piston single step-ups
Complex and high-performance endorsements, more seats, more speed.
- Cessna 172 to 182 Upgrade Endorsement, Insurance and Financing the Step
- Cessna 182 to 206 Upgrade Six Seats, Insurance and Financing the Step
- Cirrus SR20 to SR22T Upgrade Training, Insurance, the Turbo Cost Gap and Financing
- Diamond DA40 to DA50 RG Upgrade Two Endorsements, Insurance, Jet-A Costs and Financing
- Piper Archer to Arrow Upgrade The Complex Endorsement, Insurance and Financing the Step
- Piper Arrow to M350 High-Performance and Pressurization Training, Insurance, the Cost Delta and Financing
- Piper Arrow to Saratoga Upgrade High-Performance Endorsement, Six-Seat Costs and Financing
Single to twin
Adding the multi-engine rating and a second engine to insure and maintain.
- Bonanza to Baron The Multi-Engine Rating, Twin Insurance and What Doubles When You Add a Second Engine
- Cessna 172 to Piper Seminole Multi-Engine Rating, Complex Endorsement, First-Twin Insurance and Financing the Step
- Cessna 172 to Tecnam P2012 Is an 11-Seat Commuter Twin a Realistic Step for a Skyhawk Owner?
- Cirrus SR20 to Diamond DA42 Multi-Engine Training, Insurance, Cost Delta and Financing the Step to a Diesel Twin
- Diamond DA42 to DA62 Transition Training, Insurance, the Cost Delta and Financing the Step to Seven Seats
- Piper Archer to Seminole Upgrade Multi-Engine Rating, First-Twin Insurance and Financing
Piston to turbine
Turboprop and jet step-ups: type-specific training, mentor-pilot requirements, bigger loans.
- Baron to King Air Turbine Transition Training, Insurer Requirements, the Cost Delta and Financing a Turboprop Step-Up
- Bonanza G36 to King Air Multi-Engine and Turbine Training, Insurance, the Cost Delta and Financing
- Cessna 182 to Caravan Turbine Training, Insurance, the Cost Jump and Financing a Turboprop
- Piper M350 to M700 Fury Turbine Transition Training, Insurance, the Cost Delta and Financing the Step-Up
- SR22T to Pilatus PC-12 Turbine Training, Insurer Requirements, the Cost Delta and Financing the Step-Up
- SR22T to TBM Turboprop Training, Insurer Requirements, the Cost Delta and Financing the Step-Up
- SR22T to Vision Jet The SF50 Type Rating, Insurer Requirements, the Cost Delta and Financing the Step-Up
Tools to use alongside the guides
- Affordability calculatorWhat price fits your budget
- Loan calculatorPayment by rate, term and down
- Loan requirementsCredit, down payment, documents
Buyer's guide FAQs
What is the best first airplane to buy?
For most new owners it is a fixed-gear four-seat single such as a Cessna 172, Piper Warrior or Archer, or Diamond DA40: easy to insure, cheap to maintain, and simple to resell. Pick by mission first — seats, useful load and range — then by budget. Complex or high-performance types make sense once your insurance history supports them.
How much down payment do I need to buy a plane?
Lenders commonly ask for about 15% down on post-1960 singles, 20% on older aircraft and 15–30% on twins, with credit scores of 680+ and best pricing around 720–730+. Rates were roughly 6.99%–9.99% APR as of September 2026.
What is the difference between a buyer’s guide and an upgrade guide?
Buyer’s guides answer whether a specific airplane is right for you: variants, model years, inspection points and first-owner advice. Upgrade guides cover the transition from one airplane to another: new ratings and endorsements, what insurers ask for, the cost difference, and how to use equity from the airplane you sell.
Should I get pre-qualified before shopping for an airplane?
Yes. Knowing your likely down payment, term and payment range narrows the search, makes your offer more credible to a seller, and speeds closing once you have a signed purchase agreement. Pre-qualification through this site does not involve a credit pull.
Where do I find operating costs for a specific aircraft?
Each buyer’s guide links to the matching cost-of-ownership page, which breaks the airplane into fixed costs, per-hour costs and reserves at 50, 100 and 200 hours a year, plus the loan payment. Model pages show specs, typical prices and payment examples.