Any aircraft owners here?

[1903Collector]

Me and the Mrs. were out on Block Island last week, we were having breakfast at the little airport restaurant and it was cool watching all the planes coming in and taking off (pretty busy airport for it's size).

MY wife asked what it costs to own a small plane and I had no idea.."More than we have" I told her, but what does it really cost to own and operate a small private plane. I'm not buying one but just curious.

Thanks,

 

[NHKevin]

Depends a whole lot on the airplane. What are you asking about?

 

[Yosemite Sam]

 

[Yosemite Sam]

Room for you and wifey only. Lol

 

[1903Collector]

Depends a whole lot on the airplane. What are you asking about?

Just curious as to what cost to own and operate say something like a small single engine Cessna, again just out of curiosity.

Thanks

 

[greencobra]

good question! i'd be interested also. i had a person working for me several years ago on a job, she owned her plane, single engine cessna, far from new, bought it on the used market. but i know she made under $14/hr and flew every weekend it was nice out plus paid the small airport she flew out of to park it. she had no other income as far as i know but lived with her parents. must be within reach, lol. wish i asked questions at the time. wonder what the fuel cost was...

 

[1903Collector]

good question! i'd be interested also. i had a person working for me several years ago on a job, she owned her plane, single engine cessna, far from new, bought it on the used market. but i know she made under $14/hr and flew every weekend it was nice out plus paid the small airport she flew out of to park it. she had no other income as far as i know but lived with her parents. must be within reach, lol. wish i asked questions at the time. wonder what the fuel cost was...

I though it was pretty cool watching people land, park their plane and get out with their beach chairs and coolers!

 

[one-eyed Jack]

Get your private ticket and rent for a while first. Jack.

 

[qqac]

good question! i'd be interested also. i had a person working for me several years ago on a job, she owned her plane, single engine cessna, far from new, bought it on the used market. but i know she made under $14/hr and flew every weekend it was nice out plus paid the small airport she flew out of to park it. she had no other income as far as i know but lived with her parents. must be within reach, lol. wish i asked questions at the time. wonder what the fuel cost was...

She had a trust fund. Even a small cheap plane is not cheap, especially maintenance. With your life on the line, you need to keep up with scheduled maintenance, done by professionals, not DIY. A college buddy of mine with big bucks paid something like $35k to replace a cracked windshield for his small jet.

Aviation fuel is about $5 a gallon, with a burn rate of 5-10 gals per hour for a single engine prop plane, 4 seater. Old 4 seater plane from the 1960's would be about $20k - $50k.

 

[greencobra]

I though it was pretty cool watching people land, park their plane and get out with their beach chairs and coolers!

yeah...but i've always figured it must be like owning a boat, just sucks every last dime outta ya.

 

[swatgig]

I paid $17K for a 4 seat Piper Cherokee 140 back in 1999. Two adults and two children could fit. Not four adults. A short time later I spent another $19K to overhaul the engine and everything else "While you're at it". I sold it in 2009 for $20K. The good part is I flew a lot of hours, and got somewhat comfortable flying. The bad part is it cost me a metric ton of money. I sold it in 2009 because I realized I hadn't flown since 2008 and it was just sitting there. For the last few years I owned it, I'd go fly a 100 mile circle and park it.

I've considered getting back into it, but it would probably cost me almost $1K just to get current.

 

[1903Collector]

I paid $17K for a 4 seat Piper Cherokee 140 back in 1999. Two adults and two children could fit. Not four adults. A short time later I spent another $19K to overhaul the engine and everything else "While you're at it". I sold it in 2009 for $20K. The good part is I flew a lot of hours, and got somewhat comfortable flying. The bad part is it cost me a metric ton of money. I sold it in 2009 because I realized I hadn't flown since 2008 and it was just sitting there. For the last few years I owned it, I'd go fly a 100 mile circle and park it.

I've considered getting back into it, but it would probably cost me almost $1K just to get current.

What does it cost in terms of airport fees, is it facility dependent? sorry for the dumb questions, again, I'm just curious.

 

[1903Collector]

yeah...but i've always figured it must be like owning a boat, just sucks every last dime outta ya.

Probably worse than a boat!

 

[appraiser]

there is an old saying if it has tits or tires it's cheaper to rent it if it has wheels or wings it is also cheaper to rent it. Lots of people can afford to buy a older plane the maintenance on it is brutal which is why if you go up to Nashua airport there are a couple of dozen aircraft that are in Weeds over the wings because they can't afford the annuals and the teardowns. there was a husky down in Marshfield at George Harlow field that has been there for longer than I have been flying that is out of certification

 

[NHKevin]

You can rent a C172 for about $160/hour. That is hours the plane is running. That should give you an idea of all-in costs. You need to fly a fair amount to justify owning. There are some expenses that are tied to calendar time and others to time the airplane is used. Airport fees (landing, parking, overnight, etc) are generally very cheap and often zero. Big, busy airports charge more.

 

[Asaltweapon]

I know a few guys who fly but I never asked them what it cost because I was taught if you have to ask you can't afford it.

 

[Woodstock]

Lots of guys share a plane with 2 or 3 partners, splitting expenses. That requires some coordination, but it saves money.

 

[citoriguy]

My dad had a Piper of some sort when I was growing up (late - late 70s to late 80s, and all I remember was him complaining that he didn’t have time to fly like he used to when he was in college, and when he did find the time, something or another needed to be fixed because it had just been sitting there for months at a time.

With respect to actual dollars, I have no idea. I got the message that it wasn’t cheap though.

 

[doxdsgn]

Was told a long time ago, if it fly's, floats or f&cks, rent it.

 

[Lucas McCain]

I have been trying to buy a Piper for about a year. A 140 / 160 with minimal avionics can be had for around 25K but the cost is heavily driven by the avionics.

ADS-B is mandated for 2020 and more and more people are installing glass instead of mechanical instruments which also increases cost.

 

[SFC13557]

FYI, Ad on the bulletin board in work by owner looking for 2 partners for a 1976 Cessna Cardinal, all current maintenance done. 20K per share. I have contact info if interested.

 

[1903Collector]

FYI, Ad on the bulletin board in work by owner looking for 2 partners for a 1976 Cessna Cardinal, all current maintenance done. 20K per share. I have contact info if interested.

Not interested, this was just more of a curiosity thread.

 

[spider murphy]

Powered paraglider. No licence. Cost about 15-20 grand for the aircraft and training. No hangar needed. Only negative is no passenger unless currently training them.

 

[Goliathan]

Join a flying club or win the lottery. There's a WHOLE lot more cost than just buying the bird... that's the cheap part.

Not an owner but wish I was. Long time dream, and all.

 

[NHKevin]

I have been trying to buy a Piper for about a year. A 140 / 160 with minimal avionics can be had for around 25K but the cost is heavily driven by the avionics.

ADS-B is mandated for 2020 and more and more people are installing glass instead of mechanical instruments which also increases cost.

Solid state electronic displays are much more reliable than mechanical gyros. That makes them cheaper in the long run.

 

[76Too]

If I manage to become debt free next year, I’m going to start working on my pilots license. This far I have 2 hours logged but one was in a chopper up in Nashua (C&R Helicopters)...what a RUSH going up in a washing machine with a blade on top of it!

More relevant to conversation, when I finally do get it, I plan to join a club. MUCH more cost effective way to get your jollies. Plus, my current fiancée has already told me she’d never get in a plane i’m flying, so I took that as permission to find a girlfriend!

 

[swatgig]

What does it cost in terms of airport fees, is it facility dependent? sorry for the dumb questions, again, I'm just curious.

Depends on the airport. When I bought my plane, I flew into Worcester and announced "I want to keep my plane here". At the time, a tiedown was $60 per month. They also required that I maintain $1,000,000 in liability insurance and name the airport as an additionally insured. I was not permitted to remove the cowl (open the hood) unless I brought it down to the end of the foxtrot taxiway. Finally, I was not allowed to "self fuel". I had to buy my fuel from them.

So I drove over to Spencer (4 miles west) and spoke to the owner. The conversation went like this:

How much to tie down here?
$40, payable at the end of the month.
Do you require insurance?
Just don't hit nothin'
Can I self fuel?
If you want fuel, you're gonna have to.
I have an auto fuel STC, so can I bring in auto fuel from somewhere else?
If you want to run that shit through your plane, go ahead - it's your plane. I won't put it in mine.
Where do I sign?
Um... Nowhere - just go into the office at the beginning of each month, find your bill, and pay it.
Anything else I should know?
Yeah - it's too shitty to fly today. Want a beer?

Guess where I kept my plane?

As for transient parking (just visiting), most small airports don't charge any fees. Those that do usually waive the fees if you buy fuel from them. The only small airport with a big fee is Katama on Martha's Vinyard. They have a few acres about 200 feet from the beach where you can part for $25 or so (at least it was back in 2005 or so when I flew there). Looking back, that's really not bad, considering the proximity to the beach.

Another big issue is ground transportation when you get to the airport. I suspect Uber makes things easier than when I was flying, but that's a challenge too. We would always find places with a restaurant on the field like Block Island, Nantucket, Fitchburg, Keene, Columbia County (NY), Sanford (ME), and a host of others.

 

[jhblaze1]

for around $10K you can get your license which is enough to allow you to rent small planes. You need lots of hours to get progressively more licensed privileges and the costs of those endorsements can get astronomical mostly due to the need for flight hours. the only way to accumulate those hours is to rent or if you have a rich buddy with a plane that will let you fly it.

Small single engine prop planes rentals run something like 150 at the very low end per hour to fly from what I've researched but probably really closer to $200 plus.

A brand new single engine cessna crash machine costs like 300 to 500K. Owning a small plane is waaaaaaaay out of reach for most people, but you can buy fractional ownership.

step up to a turbo prop and your over a million. lots of used aircraft out there though.

I've always wanted to fly, but it's probably never gonna happen for me.

 

[drgrant]

Depends on the airport. When I bought my plane, I flew into Worcester and announced "I want to keep my plane here". At the time, a tiedown was $60 per month. They also required that I maintain $1,000,000 in liability insurance and name the airport as an additionally insured. I was not permitted to remove the cowl (open the hood) unless I brought it down to the end of the foxtrot taxiway. Finally, I was not allowed to "self fuel". I had to buy my fuel from them.

So I drove over to Spencer (4 miles west) and spoke to the owner. The conversation went like this:

How much to tie down here?
$40, payable at the end of the month.
Do you require insurance?
Just don't hit nothin'
Can I self fuel?
If you want fuel, you're gonna have to.
I have an auto fuel STC, so can I bring in auto fuel from somewhere else?
If you want to run that shit through your plane, go ahead - it's your plane. I won't put it in mine.
Where do I sign?
Um... Nowhere - just go into the office at the beginning of each month, find your bill, and pay it.
Anything else I should know?
Yeah - it's too shitty to fly today. Want a beer?

Guess where I kept my plane?

As for transient parking (just visiting), most small airports don't charge any fees. Those that do usually waive the fees if you buy fuel from them. The only small airport with a big fee is Katama on Martha's Vinyard. They have a few acres about 200 feet from the beach where you can part for $25 or so (at least it was back in 2005 or so when I flew there). Looking back, that's really not bad, considering the proximity to the beach.

Another big issue is ground transportation when you get to the airport. I suspect Uber makes things easier than when I was flying, but that's a challenge too. We would always find places with a restaurant on the field like Block Island, Nantucket, Fitchburg, Keene, Columbia County (NY), Sanford (ME), and a host of others.

Fitchburg no longer has a restaurant. The city f***ed that up, when they built the new admin building, they flinted big time and was too small for the restaurant to fit in it. The owners moved it to a place about 2 miles from the airport. Reportedly fuel sales have plummeted, partially because there was a whole host of people who used to fly in for the proverbial 300 dollar hamburger....

-Mike

 

[Agnotology]

Powered paraglider. No licence. Cost about 15-20 grand for the aircraft and training. No hangar needed. Only negative is no passenger unless currently training them.

I'd recommend a paramotor if you were going in that direction. Having a motor greatly increases flight time, removes hiking time, and makeyou not dependent on wind.

$8k for a brand new one, $500 for lessons, and the motors are basic small engines - maintenance is owner friendly.