Pre-Owned LSAs Offer Recreational Flying Fun on Any Budget

Bargain prices and advanced avionics can be found on the used light sport aircraft market.

Dan Pimentel

Friday, March 04, 2022 at 11:31 AM ET

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A 2018 Bristell for sale with 400 hours and a Rotax 912iS engine. [Courtesy: Trade-A-Plane]

Key Takeaways:

The pre-owned Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) market is robust, experiencing strong demand, decreasing sales times, and rising prices, especially for quality aircraft with low engine hours and advanced avionics.
Buyers can find a wide array of used LSAs across various price segments, from affordable vintage models and modern bargains to well-equipped, later-model aircraft, offering significant cost savings over new purchases.
While pre-owned LSAs provide a cost-effective path to flying, thorough due diligence, including a comprehensive pre-buy inspection and logbook review, is crucial for any purchase.

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Once you have determined that flying a light sport airplane fits your personal aviation mission, it is time to get out your debit card (or sign loan docs) and buy something shiny for your hangar. After a bit of online shopping for new LSA models, you are stoked by the level of advanced avionics they offer, but floored at the sticker price.

So you go to Plan B: Looking for a nice, previously flown, used LSA.