Why a $1M Gulfstream Aerospace Can Cost You More Than a $22M One

If you’ve been browsing listings lately, you’ve probably seen it:

“Gulfstream – $995,000.”

It feels absurdly cheap.

A wide-body, intercontinental jet… for the price of a condo.

So the question comes up:

Why would anyone spend $20–25M for a newer Gulfstream when you can buy one for $1M?

After years flying and operating business jets — and now building prjets.com — here’s the honest answer:

Because purchase price is the smallest number you will ever pay.

And the $1M airplane is often the most expensive mistake.

The $1M Dream (Old Gulfstream Reality)

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Typical candidates:

• Gulfstream III
• Gulfstream IV
• early Gulfstream IV-SP

Prices: $800k–$2M

Looks like a bargain.

It isn’t.

What you’re actually buying

You’re not buying a jet.

You’re buying:

• 35+ year old systems
• legacy avionics
• expiring LLPs
• corrosion risk
• unsupported parts
• heavy checks coming due

Real first-year math

👉 Your $1M jet becomes $8–12M almost immediately.

The $22M Reality (Modern Gulfstream Value)

Examples:

• Gulfstream G450
• Gulfstream G550

Prices: $18–25M

What you get

• Modern glass cockpit
• OEM support
• Programs in place
• Compliance done
• High dispatch reliability
• Real resale market

Economics

👉 You just fly.

No drama. No surprise invoices. No multi-month groundings.

The Hidden Killer: Downtime

Old jets don’t just cost more.

They don’t fly.

Every AOG day means:

• canceled trips
• backup charter
• angry passengers
• lost revenue

A grounded jet costs the same as a flying one.

Modern Gulfstreams routinely deliver:

98–99% dispatch reliability

Older ones?

80–90% on a good year

That gap is massive.

Resale Is Everything

After 5 years:

$1M GIV

Buy: $1M

Put in: $6–10M

Sell: ~$1M

Most of your money is gone.

$22M G550

Buy: $22M

Sell: $18–20M

Far smaller loss.

Maintenance on the old jet exceeds depreciation on the new one.

The Only Thing Worse Than Buying a $1M Gulfstream

There is one decision that’s even more dangerous.

And I see it all the time.

Hiring a “cheap” manager who promises they can operate it for half the normal cost.

This is where things go from expensive… to unsafe.

The “Cheap Management” Trap

You’ll hear:

• “We don’t need engine programs”
• “We can defer that inspection”
• “That SB isn’t mandatory”
• “Let’s just fix it when it breaks”
• “I know a cheaper shop”

Translation:

👉 They are skipping maintenance to make the budget look good.

And that’s extremely dangerous.

Reality check

Business jets are not cars.

You don’t “save money” by delaying maintenance.

You only:

• increase risk
• create massive future bills
• destroy resale value
• and potentially endanger lives

Aviation math is brutal

If you don’t pay:

• Engine programs
• Inspections
• SBs
• Proper parts
• OEM support

You’re not saving money.

You’re borrowing it from the future — with huge interest.

And eventually:

• engines time out
• parts become unserviceable
• the aircraft becomes unsellable
• insurers get nervous
• or worse… you have an incident

In aviation, deferred maintenance isn’t just financial risk.

It’s safety risk.

The rule we follow at PRJets

At prjets.com, we operate with one principle:

If you can’t afford to maintain it correctly, you can’t afford to own it.

No shortcuts.

No “creative” budgeting.

No hoping.

Because this isn’t a boat or a car.

It’s a machine flying your family at FL450.

Bottom Line

If you can afford a $22M Gulfstream:

Buy the newer jet.

Put it on programs.

Maintain it properly.

Sleep well.

Because:

Cheap airplanes are expensive.

Cheap maintenance is dangerous.

And the most expensive jet you’ll ever own…

is the one you tried to operate cheaply.

Next article:

👉 How “cheap” management destroys aircraft value and puts owners at legal and safety risk — and what professional management should actually cost.