Average lifespan of a business jet?

GrtArtiste wrote:

There's a rumor floating around the office that my company is
considering purchase of a used bizjet. They have a reputation for
trying to do things on the cheap and seem to be partial to Citations
because we're located in a town that has a Cessna repair facility.
I've seen multiple listings for such planes varying from 15-20 years
and older with TT ranging from as few as 3700 up to 10000-12000. So I
wonder...how old (how many hours) does such a plane get before it has
(generally speaking) outlived it's usefulness? Depending on what they
decide to buy, I'll have to determine whether or not I want to fly in
it.

GrtArtistea non-pilot, not wanting to end up like Payne Stewart


Not sure this is a go/no-go question. As the age goes up, the liklihood
of systems failing does also. If the plane has a history of being
patched up (overhauls and repairs on the original systems), that is
probably going to cost you. If the jet has seen major upgrades to newer
systems when something fails (new avionics, engine upgrades, airframe
overhauls), you may find a sweet spot in the financials of owning that
plane.

In general, most business jets have surprisingly little time on them.

But it does not take many $30,000 heated windshields to bust the bank. I
really never equated "cheap" with "jets". Maybe someone with a lot more
cash than I do would.

Good Luck,
Mike