"Frank" wrote in message . ..
Since this is an aircraft owners newsgroup, that means it's the perfect place to ask about the costs associated with owning an airplane vs. renting.

Since I haven't started my private pilot lessons, I'm not familiar with all of the expenses associated with owning an aircraft. I have listed below a brief list of likely expenses (I think) and I asking for feedback on it.

I do understand that costs for each item can vary greatly from place to place and according to many factors, but I think this is a good start. I am imagining the purchase of a Cessna 172 with a couple of private pilot buddies and I came up with this:

1) Storage (what is the price difference between hangar and tie down?)
2) Insurance for plane
3) Normal service for plane (how often does the plane have to be serviced...and approximately how much?)
4) Repairs (I understand this is unpredictable...is their an annual "average" cost for problems?)

Can you give me a basic idea?

Fixed Costs:
1.. Loan (Principle and Interest) 755.00 That's 65,000.00 for 10 years at 7% YMMV
2.. Storage (75.00 per month for a Tie-Down and 300 to 700 for a hangar)
3.. Insurance (about 1200.00 per year or 100 per month)
4.. Annual (900.00 per year or 75 per month, annual ONLY)
Right there it will cost you $1,005.00 without EVER leaving the ground!

Variable Costs:

1.. Fuel @ 4.65 a gallon and burning 8.5 GPH is 39.53 per hour.
2.. Oil at 5.50 per quart and buring 1 qt every 7 hours is 0.79 per hour.
3.. Engine Amortization (this depends on the engine OH cost and the amount of time on the engine at purchase) Let's assume a mid-time engine. 20,000 cost for OH, 1000 hours TT on engine and 2000 hour TBO. Therefo 20.00 per hour.
4.. Oil Change every 50 hours. Cost 100 bucks. So 2.00 per hour.
5.. Unforseen Maintenance. This is a LUCK thing and how much you are willing to look the other way and put up with small to medium unpressing issues versus MUST do issues. I put 30.00 per hour away and I'm in the red by 3,000.00 and I've jacked my wallet at least 10,000.00 in six years for extra funding...and I'm STILL 3000 under-water!! I'd put about 40.00 per hour aside if you want it safe and right.
So about 102.32 per hour...

So...you pay 1,005.00 per month membership fees to your own flying club and that buys you the price of 102.32 per hour to fly the plane.

The fixed cost will drop for each partner, but the variable costs will always be about the same. The maintenance might drop in price per hour if the plane flys a lot because there will be more flying between problems, however, probably there will be more problems the more it flys.

Good luck, Kobra