Buying a used Gulfstream G280: price, checks and questions for the seller
Monthly flying varied widely across the North American G280 fleet: 1 in 20 aircraft made more than 21 flights a month in the twelve months to 31 Jul 2026, and 1 in 20 fewer than 4. Each aircraft quoted at a Gulfstream G280 price carries one of those records. A pre-purchase inspection finds wear on the day it is done. Tracking adds the months before it: flights, landings and the fields where the aircraft spent its nights.
Four checks follow, one for each TailCheck chapter: Fatigue, Corrosion, Engines and brakes, and Utilization. Each sets the North American G280 fleet median beside its harder end, the 1 in 20 aircraft that asked most of the airframe on that measure.
What has each flight cost the structure?
The median G280 flew 1.6 hours for every landing over the twelve months. The middle half of the fleet sat between 1.3 and 1.8 hours. 1 in 20 landed every 1.1 hours or sooner, the most cycles for its time.
Hours per landing, short hops and leg length.
Every landing is a pressurization cycle. A G280 that flew short legs built up cycles faster than its hours suggest. Cycles count against structural and landing-gear life limits, so they belong beside the hours in any record review.
Each aircraft’s average flight hours per landing
The 25th to the 75th percentile: typical.
The 5% that ask most of the aircraft
All 243 active G280s in North America, 1 Aug 2025 – 31 Jul 2026.
The rest of the check
Same aircraft and window| Measure | Fleet median | Middle half | Harder end |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short hops Share of legs under 300 nm | 34% | 24–44% | 5% at 60% or more |
| Leg length Median leg | 489 nm | 352–629 nm | Highest 5%: 869 nm or more |
1.1 hours per landing or less, which puts it among the 1 in 20 G280s that landed most often for their hours.
Short hops on 60% or more of its legs, the 1 in 20 with the most. A short hop is a leg under 300 nm.
Logbook landings and hours that don't square with each other, or with the tracked flights over the same months.
How many landings has it logged against its hours, and how does that ratio compare with the fleet median of hours per landing?
How many landings remain on each of the landing-counted limits described above?
What air has it lived in?
The median G280 spent 1% of its nights in salt air, meaning within 2 km of the coast. A quarter of the fleet spent 3% or more of its nights there.
Salt, damp and freeze–thaw where it spends its nights.
Salt, damp and freeze–thaw nights drive corrosion, so where an aircraft spends its nights matters as much as where it flies. A coastal base doesn't rule an aircraft out. It moves corrosion to the top of the inspection list.
Nights within 2 km of the coast
The 25th to the 75th percentile: typical.
The 5% that ask most of the aircraft
171 G280s in North America we can place on enough nights at known fields, 1 Aug 2025 – 31 Jul 2026; 3 on their record since 1 Jan 2025, with too few in the twelve months.
The rest of the check
Same aircraft and window| Measure | Fleet median | Middle half | Harder end |
|---|---|---|---|
| Near the coast Nights within 10 km of the coast | 8% | 3–27% | 5% at 89% or more |
| Damp air Hours a day at 80% humidity or more, above freezing | 6.8 h | 5.3–8.2 h | 5% at 11.0 h or more |
| Freeze–thaw Nights that froze and thawed within the day | 8% | 3–17% | 5% at 28% or more |
| Moisture in the air Average absolute humidity overnight | 9.2 g/m³ | 7.7–10.9 g/m³ | 5% at 14.2 g/m³ or more |
Salt air on 12% or more of its nights, the 1 in 20 most coastal G280s, with no record of hangar storage.
Freeze–thaw nights, when the field froze and thawed within the day, on 28% or more of its nights, with no recent check of drains, seals and sealant.
A home field on the coast and no corrosion inspection in the records.
Where has it spent its nights, and was it hangared there?
When was the last corrosion inspection, and what did it find?
What did its departures ask of the engines and brakes?
The median G280 left from a short runway on 13% of its departures. That is a field whose longest runway is under 1.25 times the published takeoff distance. 1 in 20 did so on 48% or more.
Runway length, heat and height at takeoff.
Short runways load the brakes and tires. Hot, high takeoffs work the engines harder. A pattern of both in one record is worth matching against engine trend data and brake records.
Departures where the longest runway was under 1.25× the takeoff distance
The 25th to the 75th percentile: typical.
The 5% that ask most of the aircraft
243 G280s in North America with enough departures we could assess, 1 Aug 2025 – 31 Jul 2026; 1 on their record since 1 Jan 2025, with too few in the twelve months.
The rest of the check
Same aircraft and window| Measure | Fleet median | Middle half | Harder end |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hot, high takeoffs Departures at 5,000 ft density altitude or more | 3% | 1–8% | 5% at 19% or more |
| Density altitude Typical density altitude at takeoff | 1,440 ft | 1,111–1,846 ft | 5% at 2,902 ft or more |
Short runways on 48% or more of its departures, without brake and tire records to match.
Hot, high takeoffs, at 5,000 ft density altitude or more, on 19% or more of its departures, with no engine trend data to match.
Are the Honeywell AS907-2-1G engines (EASA TCDS EASA.IM.A.348 Issue 6, p.8) on an hourly maintenance program, and does it transfer with the sale?
Is there engine trend data, and do the brake and tire changes line up with the short and high fields in its record?
How hard has it been flown?
The median G280 flew 171 estimated hours a year, and the middle half between 113 and 248 hours. 1 in 20 logged more than 407 estimated hours a year.
Estimated hours, flights and flying days: how much of its life it has used.
Utilization is the quickest read on how much life an aircraft has used. Tracked flying gives a second count of it. Compare that count with the logbook hours, month by month.
From time in the air
The 25th to the 75th percentile: typical.
The 5% that ask most of the aircraft
175 G280s in North America with at least 40% of their flights tracked, 1 Aug 2025 – 31 Jul 2026.
The rest of the check
Same aircraft and window| Measure | Fleet median | Middle half | Harder end |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flights a month In the months it flew | 8.8 | 5.9–13.3 | 5% at 21.3 or more |
| Days flown a month Days with at least one flight | 6.0 | 4.3–7.7 | 5% at 12.0 or more |
More than 407 estimated hours a year, a level only 1 in 20 G280s passed, presented as typical use.
Logbook hours well below what tracking shows. Tracking misses some flights and its hours are estimates, so a small gap means little; a large one needs an explanation.
Do the logbook hours match the tracked flying, month by month?
Has it flown charter or under management, and for how long?
What affects the price of a used G280
Six factors come up in any look at a used G280: age, hours, landings, charter use, demanding fields and salt air. Each comes with the fleet's figures and the TailCheck chapter that grades it.
| What moves the price | Across the G280 fleet | TailCheck chapter |
|---|---|---|
| Age | Calendar inspections come due as the months pass. The build year alone says little about wear. Among the 122 tracked G280s with a known build year, those built from 2010 to 2021 flew a median of 204 estimated hours a year; those built from 2022 to 2025, a median of 160. | Fatigue |
| Hours | More hours mean hours-based inspections and engine overhauls come due sooner. The Utilization check above gives the fleet median. A tenth of the fleet flew fewer than 78 estimated hours a year, and a tenth more than 318. | Utilization |
| Landings | Landings matter as well as hours. An aircraft with few hours per landing has used more of the landing-counted limits in the Fatigue check for its hours. Around the fleet median given there, the middle half flew between 1.3 and 1.8 hours per landing. | Fatigue |
| Charter history | Charter flying adds hours and landings, so check that the records show a maintenance program to match. Of the tracked North American G280s, 19% were on our charter list. They flew a median of 183 estimated hours a year; the rest flew a median of 164. | Utilization |
| How hard it has been flown | Short runways work the brakes and tires; hot, high departures work the engines. The Engines and brakes check above gives the short-runway median. The median G280 took off hot and high on 3% of its departures. | Engines and brakes |
| Base and corrosion exposure | Salt and damp at the fields where an aircraft spends its nights drive corrosion, which stays out of sight until an inspection looks for it. The median G280 spent 1% of its nights in salt air; a tenth of the fleet spent 7% or more. | Corrosion |
Asking prices vary by aircraft, and the tail’s history explains much of the difference. Check a tail →
Where TailCheck fits in a G280 purchase
The usage checks cost least before anything is signed, while walking away still costs nothing. After that, the report tells the records reviewer and the inspection shop where to look hardest.
| # | Step | Where TailCheck helps |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | Shortlist Screen candidates on how they have been used before spending on anything else. | Free record for each tail, then TailCheck on the shortlist |
| 02 | Letter of intent Price and terms, subject to inspection and a records review. | — |
| 03 | Records review Logbooks, maintenance programs and damage history. | Hours, landings and long gaps to check the logbooks against |
| 04 | Pre-purchase inspection At a shop that knows the type. | Brief the shop on what the usage data flagged |
| 05 | Discrepancies and price Negotiate on what the inspection and records found. | Grades against the type support the conversation |
| 06 | Closing and delivery Title, escrow, registration and acceptance flight. | — |
What each part of the purchase answers
Usage is one leg of a purchase; paperwork and condition are the others| Item | Why it matters on a G280 | Who answers it |
|---|---|---|
| Usage history | Hours, landings, bases and gaps, against the 243 North American G280s. | TailCheck |
| Logbooks | Complete, back-to-birth records, and whether they square with the tracked flying. | Records review |
| Damage history | Any structural repair, how it was signed off, and whether it was disclosed. | Records review |
| Inspections due | When the next major inspections fall due, by hours, landings and calendar. | Records review |
| Engine program | Whether the Honeywell AS907-2-1G engines are enrolled on an hourly maintenance program, and whether it transfers.Engines: EASA TCDS EASA.IM.A.348 Issue 6, p.8 | Records review |
| Physical condition | Corrosion, structure, systems and interior: what the usage data says to look at hardest. | Pre-purchase inspection |
| Title and registry | Liens, the ownership chain and any export or import between registries. | Title search |
What tracking can and can’t tell you
Tracking shows where a G280 flew, how often it landed and where it spent its nights. It misses some flights, and it can't see condition. Use it alongside the inspection and the records review.
| What it can show | What it can’t establish |
|---|---|
| What it has flown, and where | Its mechanical condition, maintenance quality or airworthiness |
| How hard it is used against other G280s | Its exact hours and landings, or flights we didn’t see |
| Long stays on the ground, and gaps in the track | What work was done at any shop, or why it sat anywhere |
| Where it spends its nights, and the weather there | Whether it was hangared or parked outside |
| What its departures asked: runway length, heat and height | Its takeoff weight, or which runway it used |
Ben
Ben founded The Aircraft Ledger to show buyers how an aircraft has really been flown. Before that, he spent five years researching what more than 140 private jet models cost to buy and run, for clients mostly in the US.
Down to two G280s?
Check both tails before you choose.
Enter the two tails on your shortlist. TailCheck grades each one on Fatigue, Corrosion, Engines and brakes, and Utilization against the G280 fleet, then puts them side by side.
Buying a used G280: questions
How many hours a year is normal for a G280?
The median North American G280 flew 171 estimated hours a year in the twelve months tracked. The middle half of the fleet flew between 113 and 248 hours a year. Estimated hours are worked out from tracked flights. Only the 175 of 243 aircraft with enough of their flights tracked count toward these figures. A candidate well outside the middle half is worth a question about how it was flown.
Is a high-hour G280 a bad buy?
No, not on hours alone. Hours flown on long legs put fewer landings on the structure than the same hours flown in short hops. The Fatigue check above covers the limits those landings count against. Read a candidate's hours and landings together, set the ratio against the fleet median of 1.6 hours per landing, and have the inspection look at both.
Does a TailCheck report replace a pre-purchase inspection?
No. TailCheck shows how the aircraft was used; a pre-purchase inspection shows its condition. The report points the inspection team to what the flying record flags, and the inspection finds what tracking can't see.
Can tracking show whether a G280 was hangared?
No. Tracking shows where the aircraft spent its nights and what the weather was at those fields. Whether it was inside a hangar is a question for the seller and the records.
When should I run these checks?
Before a letter of intent, when a candidate can still be dropped at no cost. Then share the report with your records reviewer and inspection shop, so both start from the same flying record.
Cite this data
The Aircraft Ledger. “Buying a used Gulfstream G280.” Data to 29 August 2026. theaircraftledger.com/guides/gulfstream-g280
Method: benchmarks are North American G280s with at least 20 tracked flights in the latest twelve full months, ADS-B tracking 1 Aug 2025 – 31 Jul 2026; each figure is the fleet median with its middle half (25th–75th percentile) and the 5% at the harder end. Estimated hours from time in the air; tracking misses some flights, so counts and hours are minimums. We assume the longest runway at each field, so short-runway figures are conservative. Engines from the type certificate data sheet, cited. This guide is general information, not an inspection, appraisal or records review. About our data