On 19 Dec 2004 06:02:40 -0800, "Denny" wrote:

I have rented / owned / owned and rented / leased / borrowed (never
stole though / airplanes my entire adult life... I could teach an
entire PhD course in the uneconomics of airplanes...

Good one, I'd never heard the term ueconomics before.

things I have learned along the way is that owning is more expensive
than renting - period!

I have been fortunate, my ownership costs have been around $68/hr for
a Cherokee 180, but this is not including engine overhaul reserve,
aircraft depreciation due to increased TTAF, the new paint job,
avionics updates, Knots2U mods, opportunity cost of money, and the
countless hours I've spent working on the plane (which I enjoy).

A nice Cherokee 180 or early Archer rents for ~$90 wet in Chicago
area, so there's no way I'm coming out ahead. On the other hand,
that's not why I own.

This is for ~200hrs / year of flying.

-Nathan