We have a 3-way partnership and each person is the "Primary" pilot from 6pm on
Wednesday to the next Wed. at 6pm. Every 3rd week you are the primary. When
you aren't the primary and want to fly you are to contact the primary and get
their approval. Each person is responsible for topping the tanks after flying
and for their own oil. Other than that all costs are divided 1/3, not by
the number of hours flown. That gives someone the incentive to fly if they
are going to pay 1/3 anyway.

We haven't had too many disagreements and the ones we have had work themselves
out. We each pay $120/month for fixed costs (hanger rent, Insurance,
and taxes). If anything is left when these are paid we apply towards the
annual. If any expenses come up and there aren't suffucient funds, we
just all put in our 1/3 of what is needed.

It does seem as the new partner I've done all the washing/waxing/tire
inflating, etc. the past 1 1/2 years but then I flew her 86 hours last year to
their combined less than 10. )



Trip Farmer
PA28 235
N8501N


In article , says...


We've got 3 people in our Cherokee 180 for almost a year. We use the week
rotating schedule. If it's my week, I don't have to call anyone to fly. If
partner 2 wants to fly during my week, he calls me. If I have no plans I
give him that time. If partner 3 wants it, he calls me & I tell him partner
2 has it. Too bad. Next week, it rotates. So far, very few scheduling
conflicts, and most of those we were able to work around so the involved
parties still got to fly.

2 of us are in a local flying club, so we have some alternatives if the
Cherokee is tied up. It's a nice cheap backup.

We use the weekly rotating schedule for the 4 partners in the Mooney. My only
complaint with that system is that sometimes I want to go flying on short notice

but I can't contact the partner who 'owns' the schedule at that moment. I've
heard about arrangements like: "if you can't contact the schedule owner, you are

allowed to commandeer the aircraft for a period not to exceed x hours", but I
have no experience with such an arrangement.

I also have a flying club membership and agree that makes a good backup.

The OP asked about the importance of dissimilar use of the aircraft. IME this is

a problem if you have dissimilar views on how the aircraft should be maintained.

For example, partner A flies twice a week and wants any squawks fixed pronto to
maintain the availability of the airplane. Partner B flies only occasionally and

wants to defer maintenance until the plane can be ferried to a mechanic who has
a lower hourly labor rate.