If you’d buy a certified pre-owned car from Honda, why not a plane?
You’ve been able to buy certified pre-owned cars from Honda for ages. CPO Hondas are great alternatives to new cars for many customers, due to Honda’s excellent reputation for reliability. Now, though, you can do the same even if you’re headed into the clouds, as Honda is selling CPO planes.
Founded in 2006, Honda Aircraft Company has been making HondaJets for personal, commercial, and even emergency use. Now, though, Honda is following in Bombardier’s footsteps and is putting its used planes through a certification process and getting them back on the market.
According to Honda, all of the planes must pass a “meticulous” 208-point inspection by Honda-trained technicians before then can get CPO status. Additionally, all CPO HondaJets will be upgraded to the highest performance level for each model, based on service bulletins. Buyers get a FlightSafety Initial Pilot Training and a six-month or 100-hour credit, which goes toward the cost of the Airframe Flight Ready Performance.
“As demand for the HondaJet continues to rise, pre-owned aircraft have become an increasingly important entry point into the HondaJet community,” said Amod Kelkar, Chief Commercial Officer of Honda Aircraft Company.
There are two different HondaJet models to choose from, the original HondaJet or the HondaJet Elite II. Both use the company’s signature perched-wing engine-mount design, with twin GE Honda HF/120 engines. In addition to the pilot (or pilots), both planes can hold five passengers with two crewmembers or six passengers with one crewmember as standard. Though, that can be modified for either a 6-to-2 or 7-to-1 (passenger-to-crew) configuration. Since the upcoming HondaJet 2600 Concept won’t debut for a few more years, you’ll have to wait a while longer before one pops up on the CPO marketplace.
Honda also makes special mission versions, for medvac or organ transport. So if there are emergency service providers that need planes for certain medical missions, there will be CPO HondaJets available.
So if you’re looking to be a baller on a budget, or need small five-six passenger aircraft for any sort of emergency service, a certified pre-owned Honda might be the way to go.
Got tips? Send ’em to tips@thedrive.com
