"Isaac McDonald" wrote in message ...
I am thinking of buying an airplane....

Abandon all hope, ye who enter here...

I want to rent it when it is not in
use to recoup some of the cost of buying the plane.

How much will it "not be in use?" Oddly enough, renters typically want
to rent the plane the same time you want to use it.

Also, renting it out will probably not help you recoup the cost of
buying the plane, but it may help you recoup some of the costs of
owning it, i.e. maintenance and tiedown.

How hard is it to do
this?

About as hard as it is to go to Vegas and cover the costs of your trip
at the craps table. I've heard about it being done but never seen it
personally.

What are the insurance costs?

Substantial, as others have mentioned.

How often do I need to get it checked
out by an aviation mechanic?

You'll need it inspected every 100hrs. This is basically the same
inspection as an annual but does not need to be signed off by a IA.
You can however do a combined 100hr/annual, but it is still only good
for 100hrs. In other words, if the plane will fly up to 100hrs/year,
the inspection costs are pretty much the same.

How much is the maintenece?

If you're asking if it will be the same as for a regularly-owned
plane, it will probably be similar or a little higher due to increased
wear-and-tear. If you're asking say how much it costs to maintain a
172, then you have more basic things to learn before thinking about a
leaseback.



In my admittedly brief experience, leasebacks are complex and open you
up to really getting fleeced, particularly if you depend on the rental
income to cover the ownership costs. These are best viewed not as
owning your own airplane, but as participating in a business venture
that you may occasionally get to fly around in.

OTOH, shared ownership can and often does work very well. It can work
out poorly but there's more you can do to prevent that.

Best,
-cwk.