Operating costs

[Larry Lyons]

Stumbled on this link today. How does it stack up to the real world?

http://www.planequest.com/operationcosts/

Larry

[Pearson]

Re: Operating costs

Larry,

I took a peek at the "100 HP" Taylorcraft and thought the projections were way too low. Fuel was listed at $2.15 per gallon and they showed the plane burning only 4 gallons per hour. Hangar/tie down was shown as $600 per year. That is only $50 per month. That might get a tie down in some places, but not very many. Insurance was low, and on and on. The whole thing looked pretty low to me. I used to fly Lears and an Aerostar. I looked at those numbers and they seemed pretty low also.

Maybe they are just trying to get new people to buy airplanes. I don't know what else would account for them slanting the numbers to the low side.

[Larry Lyons]

Re: Operating costs

Yea I looked at that fuel burn too. However auto gas is under $2/gal. My hanger rent is $10/month. So you have to adjust fit your particulars. Larry

[Pearson]

Re: Operating costs

Larry,

Hangar rent for $10 a month? Is that a typo? If not, you are one lucky guy!

I live in SW Washington. The local politicians have almost met their goal of eradicating general aviation from the area. So if you want a hanger with a door, concrete floor, and lights, plan on $450 a month or more. I feel very fortunate to have a taxi through car port type structure to keep the sun and rain off of my bird. It only costs me $100 a month. Unfortunately, the airport owner is old, and will probably only live a few more years. When he passes away I am sure the airport will have condos on it shortly.

At a small airport just north of me (Woodland, WA) all of the hanger residents have been told to get out. The hangars will be torn down in a few weeks, and there will be about 15 more people competing for the hangars at the few remaining airports.

[M Jones]

Re: Operating costs

$45.00 a month for an old hangar with a pea gravel floor, keeps the sun and wind and "most" of the rain off, and three grass runways to boot. I love my accommodations... Hope it continues to be available for a long time to come. 0C0 - Dacy airport

[flybikefarm]

Re: Operating costs

I have My Cub on my own strip. 100x2000 feet so my costs are a little more. I do owner assist annuals so I save a bit there. At 125 hours a year and burning auto fuel, My costs run about $54 an hour. George

[dedrekon]

Re: Operating costs

I took a look at their operating costs for a 200hp Mooney like mine and they were a bit off all around too.

They say 8 gph and 161mph cruise, actual burn is about 9.5 and cruise is about 180mph (I suppose I could slow down, but why fly slow in a Mooney, that's why I have the T).
Insurance was $1,117, which is close, but tie-down was $1,150 which would be WAY cheap. I pay a total of $620 a month for two hangars, which hold three planes.....so that's about $210 a plane, which is very cheap for the areas they're in.

I WISH their estimated operating costs were right, but I promised myself long ago that would not keep track of what I spend on flying, so it doesn't really matter. Sunny and 75 in NorCal today.....think I'll go punch some holes in the sky.