I also find that doing IR in your own plane is greatly helpful. With the PPL i felt like every week i was paying for another 10hr block at $2100 I can tell you, as a blue-ish collar worker, it felt a lot less painful doing the IR than the PPL. When i did my IR i owned my plane, so I just had the CFI and the gas to pay for (and a oil change here and there) Because the CFI i used was new and really didnt have a great lesson plan (we basically flew all over northern cali) it too took about 80hrs. It was about 82hrs to get my PPL (long story) and the plane was rented out at a average of $210/hr wet. I rented for my PPL and that cost me a small fortune. The regular maintenance is $300/40hrs for a oil change (i like the mechanics doing it because they will open the cowl and look things over while its draining) and the random Qt of oil which is like $8 a qt when bought in a case. Then there are the non-flying related stuff Nav subs $450/yr, Insurance $3200/yr, Tie down $30/m, Annual, $4000-$5500/yr, Property Taxes $2200 All of these come up once a year and just pay it when i know its coming. The actual cost to fly it is just gas, which for my TN is a average of 14.5gph which right now just costs me out of pocket about $60/hr. Because i dont charge my self reserves for the chute, OH etc. When something comes up i just pay for it like if my car needed new tires. I dont have a separate fund where i charge myself a fee for flying the plane, IE i dont put extra money away for OH, life limited parts etc. Owning a plane isnt that much flying the plane you own will cost you There is a difference in owning and flying a plane Oh, $8k for a Turbo overhaul? Uh, it’s for the plane, no big deal… Second, youur ability to rationalize huge expenditures that would otherwise drive you nuts becomes simply amazing. First, if you can’t write the check, don’t buy the plane.

And then there is the added dental costs you would have to incur if you bought a Cirrus- you’d be smiling so much that you’d need to make sure your teeth are perfect. Based on your hours it is better to rent. The reality is that it runs right at Shyam’s $250 per hour if you ignore engine and chute reserves at 100 hours. Forgetting that what I have learned on COPA has saved my life, I have saved thousands in maintenance costs based on what I have learned on the Members side.ĬOPA has tons of data on ownership costs. Joe, the best $65 aviation dollars you will ever spend is for a COPA membership. This will get you started - you have been warned… I know of MANY folks that simply don’t want to know the bottom line because it is scary - but - we still love it… and do it…ĨA434D95-1B34-4D71-ACA3-AE072BD05666.jpeg 2048×1536 470 KB The general rule - is NEVER allow this spreadsheet of expenses to be seen by a wife or significant other - Flying is NOT a inexpensive activity, and most folks are in agreement - difficult to ever “justify” the overall expenses. You can build a spreadsheet - and approximate some of these items reasonably - but, there are of course MANY un-forseen expenses - so you always need a slush fund. Many of the items listed under calendar will be included in your annual - however, you can budget if you know that these various “life limited” items are coming due. Some folks include debt service (if financed) or cost of capital. Spark plugs - either 500 hours, or 1500 hours (for fine wire).Īlternators (times two) need to be IRAN every 500 hours The Magnetos need what is called IRAN (Inspect and Repair as Necessary) every 500 hours (times two of course). This would include oil, filter, and oil analysis.Įngine reserves - some money set aside for engine overhaul - the suggested hours will vary - but the current motors are either 2000 or 2200 hours.įuel - depending upon which plane - you can reasonably estimate xx gal/hour - and use a local price - for estimation - I currently use $5.00 per gallon in my spreadsheet - will adjust with the price of fuel.Ĭleaning and general maintenance - while typically not a big item - over time, there will be supplies, time, for wash/clean of the plane - the more you use it - the more this comes up… things like tires, brakes, ware items on the plane. Oil change every 30 hours (the POH recommends 50 hours - best practices range from 25-35) - cost dependent on if you perform this yourself (legally as a private pilot) or pay a mechanic. Usage based - which will include expenses that are dependent on how much you actually fly… things in this category will be dependent upon and tracked based on flight time.

There are basically xxxx categories of expenses. Sort of like asking “how long is a piece of string?” Of course - your topic is a very “loaded question”

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