Oki, if you want to evaluate the market more accurately, you need to ask for the basis on which you will be charged for aircraft hours.
Airswitch = time in the air +/- a bit.
Tacho = what the tacho reads. Remember, for a standard steam driven tacho 1 hour tacho time only equals 1 hour of real time at a specified RPM (I think it’s 2,350 on most, but you can googlerate that to find out). So, keep your RPMs down while taxiing! 15 minutes of taxi time at low RPMs does not equal 15 minutes counted on the tacho.
Hobbs/VDO = meaningless unless they tell you and you can confirm what switches it on and off. If it’s connected to the battery/master switch, that’s the method that results in the longest time charged.
Don’t forget to ask for the fine print about fuel costs. If you rent the aircraft ‘wet’, does that include whatever price fuel costs wherever you go? Even at William Creek or Forrest?
Don’t forget to ask for the fine print about terminal navigation charges, landing and parking fees and all the other people who want to get their hands in your pocket.
Don’t forget to ask what happens if the aircraft goes unserviceable at e.g. Leigh Creek.