"Jim Fisher" wrote in message ...
Long story but some financial doldrums I've experienced for the past year
look to be coming to an end. I sold my way-too-big house and am getting
into something less insane. Business is recovering and, I dare say,
rocking. My purdy wife still loves me. Life is good.

More importantly, soaring into the wild-ass yonder is again in my future.


Good to hear. The economy has been tough.


I've got a buddy who has the same model Cherokee 180 I once owned. We've
been going up every now and then and sharing wet costs. He's offered to put
me on his insurance as long as I'll pay the difference between what he and
his brother are paying now and whatever it will be when I am named on the
policy.

So what is that cost difference likely to be?

As long as there are less than 4 named pilots the insurance co will
just charge the premium that the highest risk pilot would cost on
their own. You don't start paying more to add a pilot until you go
beyond 4 (at which point you are considered a "club"). So, if your
times are around the same as the lowest time pilot and your
accident/DUI/etc history is about the same you will likely find that
the insurance will not go up at all.


Second question: He doesn't fly much at all. Perhaps one a month or so.
Taking into account that I will be selflessly devoting time to keeping his
bird well-oiled and used to flying, what's a fair price to pay him per Hobbs
hour?

A check of the local FBO rental prices will help out here. Although
FBOs are trying to recover expensive commercial/training insurance and
trying to get some small profit, they also benefit by having a lot
more hours on the planes and can better spread fix costs. Rarely does
owning a plane cost less per hoursthan rental costs. If you are paying
fuel directly, just deduct that.