Citation CJ3: how it differs from its rivals

The CJ line has run since the early nineties, and the CJ3 took a place in it that it holds to this day: more than three and a half thousand kilometres of range flown by a single pilot. Here is how that was achieved and where the boundary falls.

A single pilot at light-midsize range

The main distinction of the CJ3 lies in the combination of two things that usually sit in different classes.

Range of 3 778 km covers Moscow–Sochi, Moscow–Yekaterinburg and most European legs without an intermediate stop. A speed of 770 km/h is normal for the light class.

At the same time the type is certified for a single pilot. An owner with a rating takes the left seat and flies it themselves. For private operation that removes half the crew cost and eliminates dependence on a second person's schedule.

Aircraft of comparable range in the midsize class require two. Hence the CJ3's position on the market.

The second distinction: the baggage hold

The CJ3's baggage compartment is one of the largest in the light class. In practice that means skis, golf equipment and eight people with full-size cases at the same time.

The limitation of the light class usually shows up exactly here: there are enough seats and the baggage will not fit. The load calculation runs into the volume of the hold before it runs into maximum weight.

The third distinction: twenty years of continuous production

The programme has run since 2004 and continues. For a buyer that produces four practical consequences.

Support is established. Specialists on the type exist in most regions the aircraft flies to.

Parts are available. Waiting for a component is measured in days.

The pre-owned market is alive. There is something to compare against when buying and somebody to sell to when exiting.

Price statistics are reliable. On rare types valuation is built on guesswork; here it is built on transactions.

Where the CJ3 gives ground

The cabin. Standing upright is not possible; that is the boundary of the class. All light jets of this size are built that way.

Book range. Load eight people with baggage and add a headwind and the figure comes down. The rule is simple: plan a route near the limit of book range with a technical stop.

No berth. The aircraft covers night legs; comfort on them is limited.

Cycles accumulate fast. The CJ3 works a great deal on short legs. For the same hours such an aircraft has many times more take-offs and landings, and airframe life remaining has to be counted in cycles.

How to choose the generation

The move to G3000 came with the CJ3+. A base aircraft cannot be retrofitted to that flight deck, and in listings the "+" suffix sometimes goes missing — establish it before any conversation about price.

Who it suits

The mission the aircraft was created for: 6–8 people, legs of up to four hours, private and corporate flying, operation from short runways. An owner who flies it themselves gets more out of this type than anyone else.

Demand in business aviation falls into two groups: Bombardier Global goes to long routes, Hawker and Cessna to short ones. The CJ3 falls into the second group, and on the legs it was built for it does the job without paying over for a larger class. As a matter of principle I talk clients out of purchases that are not justified.

The type is certified in Russia, which removes a separate layer of questions at entry into service.

Conclusion

The CJ3 wins on its combination: range above the typical for the light class, single-pilot operation, a large baggage hold, and twenty years of production with established support.

The main question at purchase is the condition of the particular aircraft: the generation, life remaining in cycles and on the engines, the operating history and what the logbooks say.

Full specifications and photos are on the model page.

Alexander Filimonov — business aviation: sourcing, purchase and entry into service of aircraft.