Cost of operating a Skyhawk

Can anyone who owns a Cessna 172 tell me approximately what it costs
per hour to operate--fuel, oil, normal maintenance, engine overhaul
fund?

Thanks.

vince norris

"vincent p. norris" wrote in message
...
Can anyone who owns a Cessna 172 tell me approximately what it costs
per hour to operate--fuel, oil, normal maintenance, engine overhaul
fund?

Thanks.

vince norris

Slightly more money than you have... ;-)

Not possible without knowing how many hours per year you will fly

Tony

--

Tony Roberts
PP-ASEL
VFR OTT
Night
Cessna 172H C-GICE

In article ,
vincent p. norris wrote:

Can anyone who owns a Cessna 172 tell me approximately what it costs
per hour to operate--fuel, oil, normal maintenance, engine overhaul
fund?

Thanks.

vince norris

On 16-Sep-2004, vincent p. norris wrote:

Can anyone who owns a Cessna 172 tell me approximately what it costs
per hour to operate--fuel, oil, normal maintenance, engine overhaul
fund?


It depends primarily on number of hours flown per year, but given that value
it's not too tough to calculate.

DIRECT OPERATING COST:
Figure 8 gal fuel/hr @ $3.00/gal = $24/hr
Figure $16000 for engine overhaul, 2000 hr TBO = $8/hr
Figure usage related maintenance = maybe $2/hr (assuming you do your own oil
changes)
TOTAL DIRECT OPERATNG COSTS = $34/hr

FIXED COSTS:
Tiedown/hangar, could be anywhere from free to $500/mo. Lets say tiedown at
$100/mo = $1200/yr
Insurance will depend upon pilot experience and hull value. Let's say
$800/yr
Annual inspection and other maintenance: When we had a 172 I think it
averaged around $1600/yr. (including avionics).
TOTAL FIXED COSTS = $3600/yr

If the plane is flown a typical 150 hrs/yr, fixed costs as estimated above
come in at $24/hr, so total operating cost per hour would be $34 + $24 =
$58. But if you only fly 50 hrs/yr the hourly cost is a whopping $96.

Note that this analysis does not include depreciation (or appreciation) or
costs for periodic painting and interior upgrades, or interest charges on a
loan, if applicable. YMMV.


--
-Elliott Drucker

wrote:
vincent p. norris wrote:

Can anyone who owns a Cessna 172 tell me approximately what it costs
per hour to operate--fuel, oil, normal maintenance, engine overhaul
fund?

DIRECT OPERATING COST:
Figure 8 gal fuel/hr @ $3.00/gal = $24/hr

Our '65 0-300D burns 9 and runs on Mogas, where available.

Figure $16000 for engine overhaul, 2000 hr TBO = $8/hr

Because of the above, ours is 1800 hr TBO...

Figure usage related maintenance = maybe $2/hr (assuming you do your own oil
changes)
TOTAL DIRECT OPERATNG COSTS = $34/hr

It seeps more than it burns...

FIXED COSTS:
Tiedown/hangar, could be anywhere from free to $500/mo. Lets say tiedown at
$100/mo = $1200/yr

We pay $100 a month for a shared 3 plane hanger. T-hangers in the area
(when available) are $65-$75 a month.

Insurance will depend upon pilot experience and hull value. Let's say
$800/yr

Under $700

Annual inspection and other maintenance: When we had a 172 I think it
averaged around $1600/yr. (including avionics).

Going in for the 2 year transponder thingie Monday. Previous transponder
failed and was replaced (exchange) with a higher output model for under
$700. Owner assisted annuals currently run $200.

vincent p. norris wrote in message . ..
Can anyone who owns a Cessna 172 tell me approximately what it costs
per hour to operate--fuel, oil, normal maintenance, engine overhaul
fund?

Thanks.

vince norris

I'm a member of a 5-man partnership in a 1979 172N based at BED, near
Boston.

Currently we charge $120/member/month to cover insurance, tiedown, and
some maintenance costs, and $60/hour (tach) for variables. Pilots are
a mix from 200-hour VFR to 900-hour IFR.

Currently we are discussing raising these by about 20% due to reserve
fund depletion after two rough (4-5k) annuals, but they're in the
ballpark. Be aware that BED is among the most expensive airports to
operate out of with $150/month tiedowns and $4.30 gas.

You can spend anywhere from $15-$25k when the engine goes, though a
good 0-320 will run well beyond TBO with good upkeep and cylinder
repairs.

What you have to be prepared for, as in all things aviation, is the
unexpected. In general a Skyhawk in good shape when you buy it and
taken good care of will not bite you. But when things break, and they
will, the numbers can add up very quickly. I would want an "oh, #$@!"
budget of at least $2500 in addition to planned costs, in case a
cylinder goes or the annual exceeds expectations. Radios and
autopilots are great but also create liabilities and if you get a real
christmas tree panel you might want to up that number, if keeping all
the toys working all the time is a requirement.

Best,
-cwk.

We have a 5-way partnership in a IFR '64 172 based at CNH. We split
$300/mo for fixed cost.

Breakdown:
$120/mo hanger (cheap hanger rent here)
$125/mo for insurance (4th and 5th
partner really increases the premiums)
$700/yr for annual

We charge $35 for operating costs. (Gas at CNH is $2.51 right now.)
Gives us about $20 for gas, $10 for engine reserve on a new 180HP O360,
and $5 for maintenance. This always brings us up short, as annuals
usually are between $2000 and $3000.

vincent p. norris wrote:
Can anyone who owns a Cessna 172 tell me approximately what it costs
per hour to operate--fuel, oil, normal maintenance, engine overhaul
fund?

Thanks.

vince norris


--
Remove "2PLANES" to reply.

Not possible without knowing how many hours per year you will fly

It's perfectly possible. The only one of the variables he listed that
changes with the total number of hours flown will be normal maintenence.

You can figure about 8 gph. You'll need to find out what gas costs
where you fly the most. Most 172's run great on mogas and this can save
a lot. You will need 87 octane minimum and no alcohol in the gas. Oil
will depend on the engine. The Lycs burn less than the Continentals as
a general rule. I use Phillips XC 20W-50 and it costs $23 per case and
I use 9 quarts in my 182. I think the typical 172 will use 7 quarts.
So you're looking at $13.41 per oil change plus a filter if you need
one. I don't use an oil filter but last I saw they were about $12 each.
A typical O-320 overhaul will run about $13-15K with a 2000 hour TBO.
So figure $7.50 per hour for your engine overhaul. Add another 25
cents per hour for your prop. Annual maintenence will vary widely
because shop rates vary widely. I can spend $42 per hour up to $70 per
hour around here. A 172 is pretty cheap to operate. For a single owner
with a fresh PPL and a $50,000 hull value will run you about $600-700
per year for insurance. Tiedown and hangar rates vary even more than
shop rates.

Thanks to all who went to the trouble of writing thoughtful replies. I
tried to be brief, so I didn't explain that I'm not planning to buy a
Skyhawk ( perhaps I should have).

I'll be touring the Canadian Maritimes with a friend in his Skyhawk,
and I want to pay half of the operating (not fixed) costs. He said he
had no idea what his hourly cost is, but you guys gave me a pretty
good range of estimates.

vince norris

On Fri, 17 Sep 2004 21:30:53 -0400, vincent p. norris
wrote:

Thanks to all who went to the trouble of writing thoughtful replies. I
tried to be brief, so I didn't explain that I'm not planning to buy a
Skyhawk ( perhaps I should have).

I'll be touring the Canadian Maritimes with a friend in his Skyhawk,
and I want to pay half of the operating (not fixed) costs. He said he
had no idea what his hourly cost is, but you guys gave me a pretty
good range of estimates.

vince norris

I am really surprised that an aircraft owner/pilot does not how much
his operating costs are. That is just about fundamental for an
owner/pilot.