Cessna 206H/T206H Stationair Cost of Ownership: New-Production (1998+) Annual Budget

This page is the annual budget for the new-production Cessna 206: the 206H Stationair and T206H Turbo Stationair built since Cessna restarted the line in 1998, with Lycoming IO-540 and TIO-540 engines. For 1964–1986 U206s and TU206s with Continental engines, and for float and backcountry economics, see the legacy U206/TU206 cost page.

Which Stationairs does this budget cover?

Years and engines per the Cessna 206 production history. The Stationair name ("Station Wagon of the Air") dates from 1970.

How much does a 206H or T206H cost per year?

The two examples: a 2004 206H bought for $400,000 and a 2012 G1000 T206H bought for $560,000, each with 15% down and 20-year financing at 7.75%. Both prices are assumptions. In 2025–2026 listings, asking prices for 1998-and-later 206s commonly run from roughly the high-$300,000s for early 206Hs to well above $600,000 for late-model T206Hs. Verify any specific airplane with Vref or Aircraft Bluebook.

The operating lines look a lot like a legacy 206's. The financing line is the difference. The T206H example's $3,908 monthly payment compares with about $1,605 on the same terms for a $230,000 legacy U206G, and the higher hull value raises insurance too. In exchange, you get a younger airframe, a smaller unscheduled-maintenance line and, on G1000 airplanes, a modern integrated panel.

What does the Lycoming overhaul reserve look like?

The 206H's IO-540-AC1A5 is commonly budgeted on a 2,000-hour TBO. For the T206H's turbocharged TIO-540-AJ1A we use a more conservative 1,800-hour planning figure. Confirm both, with their calendar limits, for your engine in Lycoming's Service Instruction 1009. Overhaul figures are all-in planning assumptions: a six-cylinder Lycoming overhaul or factory engine, plus removal and reinstallation, accessories and, on the turbo engine, turbocharger and exhaust work. They aren't quotes.

For a low-use airplane, the calendar limit can matter more than the hours. An engine flown 60 hours a year reaches 12 years long before it reaches 1,800 or 2,000 hours, so ask your shop how it treats calendar time. See SMOH and TBO explained.

What does a new Turbo Stationair cost, and how is it financed?

Price: Textron doesn't publish list prices, and dealer listings typically show "call for price." We don't print an unverified figure. Ask a Cessna dealer for a current, equipped quote, and ask about options, deposit and progress-payment terms, delivery timing and the factory warranty. Warranty terms vary by component, so get them in writing.

Payment scale: to show what financing a new airplane looks like, here is an illustrative loan amount of $750,000. It is a loan size, not a price. At 7.25% it costs about $5,928 a month over 20 years or $6,846 over 15. Newer collateral and strong credit tend to price toward the low end of the market range.

Loan amount $750,000. Principal and interest only; excludes insurance, taxes and fees. Illustrative, not a quote.

Taxes: for aircraft used more than 50% for qualified business use, 100% bonus depreciation is permanent for eligible property acquired after January 19, 2025. For tax years beginning in 2026, Section 179 allows up to $2,560,000 with a phase-out starting at $4,090,000 of qualifying purchases. Aircraft are listed property, so personal use and some related-party arrangements can disqualify them. Depreciation reduces tax; it doesn't reduce the loan. Confirm with a CPA, and see aircraft depreciation and taxes, aircraft sales tax by state and LLC ownership structures.

What does G1000 upkeep add?

G1000-equipped 206Hs and T206Hs carry the same avionics costs as a G1000 Skylane: annual Garmin database subscriptions (about $1,000–$2,000 as a planning range), out-of-warranty component repairs that can run from a few thousand dollars to five figures, and eventual upgrades such as an NXi retrofit. We budget $1,500 a year for data plus $6 an hour for repairs. Those are assumptions, and a single display or integrated avionics unit failure can use up several years of the repair reserve. The 182S/182T cost page breaks down G1000 support in more detail, and avionics upgrade financing covers paying for upgrades.

How much cash should you keep beyond the budget?

Reserves spread predictable costs over the hours you fly. They don't cover a bad month. Many owners of newer airplanes keep a separate cash cushion for the three surprises most likely to arrive early. The figures are assumptions for illustration: