Real Costs of operation

(Mike) wrote in
om:

I guess I wasn't quite specific enough. I have accounted for the
annuals, overhauls, repairmans certificate, hanger (NOT, I'm going to
fold wings and go home). What I'm really after is actual fuel costs,
oil changes, and a SWAG on repair parts and consumables cost for an
average year. I'm specifically focusing on Rotax four strokes vs
Rotax two strokes. Based on 100 hrs/yr, anyone want to SWAG?
Mike


Ernest Christley wrote in message
. rr.com...
Roger Halstead wrote:

Amen!

As you say below, add insurance, hanger, interest... Of course for
one hour the gas and oil *should* be almost negligible compared tot
he other expenses.

Actual figures: Let's see. Insurance $1700, hanger 140/month=
1680/year and the annual ran $1750 this year, for $5130 fixed
costs. 14 GPH at $2.80 = $39.2
So one hour would run me $5169.20.
10 hours drops the cost 5522/10=$552.20/hour
and 100 hours = $9050/100= $90.50 per hour.
If I could manage to get 130 hours as I flew for most years that is
10,539.6/130=$81.07

I did neglect the oil changes in there, or any likely incidental
maintenance AND the $10 per hour I add for the major. Yearly
interest if any should also be added as it's an expense that you
never get back.

As it costs me nearly $40 per hour for gas and a minimum of $10 per
hour toward the major and an oil change every 25 hours, The
variable cost per hour is a minimum of roughly $55.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com


They type of airplane you have can make a lot of difference. This
WAG is slightly bigger than the other, since I haven't finished
building yet, but....

No insurance. It's a plans built aircraft. No loan, no need for
hull coverage. If I trash the plane, then I'm just back to where I
started.

No annual. I'll have the repairman's certificate.

No hanger. The Delta folds up and you take it home with you (No.
I'm not making that up.)

I'm installing a rotary engine. Mogas is cheaper, but still around
$2/gal. My burn rate will be about the same, 8-14gph depending on
how fast I want to go on any particular day.

Overhauls will run between $200 and $5000, depending on what must be
replaced (changing seals to a whole new engine). I'm only counting
on 1000hrs TBO. At 100hrs/yr, it'll take 10yrs to to reach TBO. The
seals need to come out then regardless of how well the engine seems
to be running.

These numbers will probably be way off. Just a back-of-envelope data
point.


I think you need BOTH numbers.

You need the "what did this cost me last year per hour to fly" for the
decision to keep the plane or sell it...

But you also need to know the "what is this going to cost me to fly 2 hrs
to grandma's house and 2 hrs back" for the decision to go see grandma or
just fly an hour around the pattern


Bruce - Aviation wannabe

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ET


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