What helicopters are listed for right now
As of August 2026, PlaneFox lists 845 helicopters for sale, of which 413 carry a published asking price. The median of those is EUR 320,000, and the middle half sit between EUR 124,000 and EUR 733,000. A further 22 listings are marked price on request. These are asking prices taken from broker and private-seller listings, not transaction prices, so treat them as the top of a negotiating range rather than a settled figure.
The listed fleet is spread across the United Kingdom (81), Germany (77) and France (50). Typical build years run from 1985 to 2026.
The common entry points
Three types account for most first purchases. The Robinson R44 has the most listings of the three, with 176. The Robinson R66 shows 53, and the Bell 206 JetRanger and LongRanger together show 39. Individual model samples are small once you filter to a single currency, so read them on their own model pages rather than as a market price.
At brand level the picture is steadier. Robinson's 301 listings include 195 published prices, a median of EUR 347,000 and a middle half of EUR 197,000 to EUR 580,000. Bell's 104 listings include 32 published prices, a median of EUR 470,000 and a much wider middle half of EUR 172,000 to EUR 1,170,000, because those listings span light singles and twins.
Overhaul reserve is the largest recurring cost
Robinson publishes its own estimated operating costs, which makes the piston and turbine numbers directly comparable. For the R44 Raven II in 2026, Robinson sets the overhaul reserve at USD 149.25 per flight hour. That splits into USD 41.77 for the 2,200-hour engine overhaul (USD 91,900 on exchange), USD 94.18 for the 2,200-hour airframe overhaul parts kit (USD 207,200), and USD 13.30 for 225 man-hours of labour at USD 130 per hour.
For the R66 NxG Riviera the same document sets the reserve at USD 225.57 per hour, built from the engine periodic maintenance intervals, a 2,000-hour airframe overhaul parts kit at USD 125,000, 4,000-hour components at USD 146,482, and the same 225 man-hours of labour.
Robinson's R44 maintenance manual schedules a 2200-hour, 2400-hour or 12-year inspection, plus a separate list of components carrying their own 12-year service. The calendar half is what catches private owners. An R44 flown 80 hours a year reaches 12 years at about 960 hours, roughly 1,240 hours short of the 2,200-hour figure, and the 12-year work falls due anyway. Ask any seller for the calendar due date as well as the hours remaining.
Insurance, fuel and the rest
Robinson's 2026 figures quote insurance for a pilot with 200 logged helicopter hours including 40 hours in command in type. On that basis the R44 Raven II carries USD 2,560 liability and USD 11,728 hull, USD 14,288 a year in total. The R66 carries USD 3,072 liability and USD 31,019 hull, USD 34,091 a year. Set against Robinson's own new prices of USD 646,000 and USD 1,777,500, those hull premiums work out at 1.8 and 1.7 per cent of insured value.
Direct operating cost lands at USD 153.60 per hour for the R44, including 15.0 US gallons per hour of avgas at USD 6.51, and USD 188.00 for the R66, including 22.0 gallons per hour of jet fuel at USD 6.27. Adding fixed cost, reserve and direct cost at 500 hours a year, Robinson arrives at USD 331.43 per hour for the R44 and USD 481.75 for the R66.
Very few private owners fly 500 hours a year. Spread the same fixed annual cost over 100 hours instead and the R44 becomes USD 445.73 per hour and the R66 USD 754.48. Divide the fixed annual cost by your own realistic annual hours before you compare any two machines.
What the listing data does not cover
Hangarage, landing fees and maintenance labour rates are local and are not in the listing data. Get a written hangar quote for the specific field before you commit, because a helicopter that lives outside will cost more in paint, blades and corrosion work than the hangar rent it saved.
Inspection cadence depends on the register. Under FAA rules a private helicopter needs an annual inspection every 12 calendar months, and a 100-hour inspection as well once it carries persons for hire or is used for flight instruction for hire. On an EASA register the equivalent document is the Airworthiness Review Certificate, which under point ML.A.901 of Regulation (EU) No 1321/2014 may be extended a maximum of two consecutive times, for one year each time, by an approved airworthiness management organisation when the conditions are met.
Before you make an offer
- Get the hours and the calendar date remaining to overhaul in writing, then multiply the hours remaining by the published reserve to see what the airframe still owes.
- Ask which service bulletins and airworthiness directives are outstanding, and what each one costs to clear.
- Get an insurance quote for yourself before you agree a price. Premiums are rated on your hours in type, and the Robinson figures above assume 40 hours in command in the model.
- Compare the asking price against current inventory on helicopters for sale, Robinson R44 listings and Robinson R66 listings rather than against a single advert.
PlaneFox figures were taken on 7 August 2026. Operating cost figures are from Robinson Helicopter Company's published 2026 estimated operating cost sheets. PlaneFox aggregates listings from 60 or more broker sites and private sellers, and publishes asking prices only.