US2 min(s) read
Buying a private jet for just $15,000 might sound like the ultimate bargain, but one group of Florida car enthusiasts quickly discovered why the abandoned aircraft was being sold so cheaply.
Cleetus McFarland, the creator behind the Freedom Factory, spotted a Dassault Falcon 20 for sale on Facebook Marketplace and decided to take a chance on it with four friends.
The aircraft, which was manufactured by Dassault between 1965 and 1991, appeared to be an incredible deal at just $15,000. There was, however, one major problem.
The jet hadn't taken to the skies for around 16 years, with its last recorded flight dating back to 2008.
That meant the group had a huge job ahead of them if they wanted to get the aircraft airworthy again.
McFarland brought in his friend and aviation expert Joe to inspect the Falcon 20 and calculate how much it would take to return it to the skies.
The answer was far beyond what the group had paid for the aircraft. Joe estimated that getting the jet operational again would cost approximately $2.5 million. However, a major problem was the aircraft's engines.
The Falcon 20 was fitted with GE700 engines, which were considered too loud under modern requirements. Replacing them or modifying them would therefore be a significant expense.
A hush kit alone would cost around $100,000 per engine, potentially putting the cost at roughly $1 million for the pair.
The aircraft also required new landing gear, estimated to cost another $300,000. Yet, the biggest headache was arguably the condition of the aircraft itself.
After sitting unused for over a decade, the Falcon 20 had developed significant corrosion across its airframe.
Rather than throwing millions of dollars into an aircraft that was already in poor condition, McFarland decided to give the Falcon 20 a new purpose.
The jet was transported to the Freedom Factory, where it could be put on display rather than returned to active service.
What initially looked like an incredible $15,000 bargain had therefore turned into a very expensive lesson.
The Falcon 20 may have been cheap to buy, but getting the abandoned private jet back into the sky would have cost more than 160 times its purchase price.
So while a private jet listed for less than $20,000 might look like the deal of a lifetime, this particular bargain came with a very expensive catch.
