the first partner saves you 50% of the costs. The third partner saves you
only an additional 17% of the total costs but blocks (theoretically) 33% of
availability.


You're assuming each partner flies about the same amount. This is
almost never the case. I'm aware of two partnerships with three guys I
work with. Two are in on an Archer. There's 5 total in that
partnership. The two guys I work with are the only two that fly. Hell,
one lives in Hawaii 9 months of the year and the other two really aren't
interested in flying. But they all pay their bills. The two guys I
know fly the crap out of that Archer for $45 an hour wet. The other
partnership is a 182 with six partners, only three of them ever fly. No
idea what the others are thinking.