N501JD

The airframe bearing tail number N501JD is a 1979-built Cessna 501 Citation I/SP, serial 501-0129, manufactured by Cessna (Textron Aviation). It is recorded on the US registry and is owned by Universal Air Service Ltd, a corporation based in Wilmington, DE, US. The airframe is configured in an executive layout with an estimated 5–6 place cabin and has an assessed market value of $600,000. No detailed public registry entries on major modifications or transfers beyond the listed corporate ownership are published in the provided extracts.

The cabin is reported as a typical 5–6 place executive layout (club / forward-aft), though the exact interior fitment is not published in the public registry extracts for this specific airframe. With twin JT15D-1A turbofan engines producing 2,200 lbf of thrust apiece, this airframe is capable of high-speed, short- to medium-range executive missions up to 1,328 nm and cruise operations near 322 kts. The aircraft operates from its corporate base in Wilmington, Delaware, and its performance envelope—maximum certified ceiling of 41,000 ft—supports efficient regional hops and transcontinental positioning flights under typical light-cabin mission profiles. Maintenance and operational considerations for this airframe reflect the older 1979 build year and the long-established JT15D powerplant family.

The Cessna 501 Citation I/SP sits in the light business jet segment where its combinations of cruise speed, range, and single-pilot certification appeal to owner-operators and small corporate operators. Competing models in the same era and mission niche include early Citation series and other light jets with similar short-field capability and executive cabin layouts. Given its 1979 manufacture date and current assessed value of $600,000, resale and charter demand is generally driven by airframe condition, avionics updates, and engine program status; these factors typically dominate maintenance and resale considerations for late-1970s light jets.