Question for aircraft owners!

[Oxeagle]

Hi there,
Me and a friend are looking at purchasing an aircraft for hour building, somwhere in the region of $20,000-$40,000 (planning to buy in the US and fly back here), so probably either a Cessna 150/152 or a Piper Cherokee though we are open to any suggestion about good cheap first aircraft! :) The main problem is the running costs. Could any of you aircraft owners out there give me a rough estimate on the yearly running costs for your aircraft?

Cheers! :ok:

[fltcom]

Sorry to dash your ambitions, but buying such a small type in the US makes no economic sense, by the time you add the costs of ferrying VAT etc, it would be chaeper to buy one here. Second, it is very doubtful that you could actually fly a 150 accross the Atlantic, you would have to fit a huge ferry tank and would have no load left for the pilot/pax. You would need to ship it in a container so therefore, now add the cost of dismantling and rebuilding when you get it back. These things alone will eat up most of your $20K
Third, who is going to fly it back? You wouldnt get insurance unless you have prior experience and would not be qualified without an IR, so that means paying a ferry pilot - eating further into your budget.

There are other ways to go hour building.

Fltcom

[Kolibear]

I think that you are going to have to provide a little more information before you get definitive answers.

Where will the aircraft live? If its parked at an airfield around London you are looking at about £300/month for hangarage, £150 for outside parking. If its living outside - add on £500+ for a cover.

Insurance - you'll have to ring for a quote, it depends on the value of the aircraft & your experience.

Engine fund - depends on the engine hours, but you need to be away that sooner or later, even if you keep it going on condition, your engine will need replacing - £12K. There comes a time when the cost of continually patching up the engine is starting to equal that of a new one.

50hour checks - The more you fly, the more of them you get.

Annuals - doesn't matter how little you fly, you still get one! The older the aircraft, the more they cost. We paid £2K on a 5 yr old a/c.

Fuel is about £1.25ish per litre, you could be burning about 6g/hr in an average C150.

The cheaper the aircraft you buy, the older its likely to be and the more it will cost to run.

"If you want to make a small fortune in aviation, start with a large one"

As Fitcom said, there are other ways to go hour-building,.

[SkyHawk-N]

Could any of you aircraft owners out there give me a rough estimate on the yearly running costs for your aircraft?

It depends on the type, whether it will be G- or N (or another nationality) registered, the condition/history, the airfield it will be kept, who will do the maintenance, this list is endless.

I've been told that it is not possible, or not recommended to fly a C-150 or 152 across from the States. My 172 was flown over and with the ferry costs involved it was worth doing. Again it all depends on the engine hours, airframe hours and condition and equipement.

If it is hour building you are after and you want to do it as easily and cheaply as possible I would suggest going to a school in the USA for extended visits. I'm sure others will agree and disagree in equal measure.

[Flyin'Dutch']

All of the above!

If you want cheap hour building buy a share in a 150/2 where the other owners are happy for you to do that or block hire a similar aeroplane. Deals can be had, look in the small ads in the mags for these.

Alternatively go to the States and do a deal with someone who has a an aeroplane for such an undertaking. NOt only will it be a lot cheaper to go over there as far as aeroplane and fuel are concerned. If you consider the money saved in landing/handling fees and the vast amount of fun you can have in GA in the States it is clear that for something like hourbuilding the US is the place to go.

Just back from a short break there myself. For Flying it is truly the land of milk and honey.

[Oxeagle]

Thanks all!
We are just investigationg the possibility atm, but what we would like to know is would a C150/152 or Peper Cherokee (flown by a ferry pilot) have the legs to make it from Iceland to the UK?

[Grob Driver]

Oxeagle...

If you're looking for something relatively inexpensive to buy, and a lot of fun to fly, then you should / could consider an Auster!!! It would need to live indoors, but I think they're a great first aircraft and I'd recommend it!

[SkyHawk-N]

Oxeagle, check your PMs

[SkyHawk-N]

Sorry Oxeagle, please check your PMs again :ugh:

[Oxeagle]

Cheers Skyhawk,
I don't think that considering the cost of the ferry flight it's worth getting a C152 from the US, might leave it a few years and look at gettin a nice Warrior or Archer, or maybe even a light twin such as a Piper Aztec or Twin Commanche!

[D SQDRN 97th IOTC]

Ah. The Aztec. Two engines for the price of three...........:\

[old,not bold]

If you're determined to buy a light single in the USA, it is possible to have it dismantled and loaded into into a container (preferably along with a low-hours engine in good nick, all mods done and no corrosion; where you buy is important).

A maintenance company (short of business) looked at importing several this way some years ago. The idea was to use idle but paid for hangar capacity to assemble, inspect and rectify as needed for the CoA, and then sell/hire for an overall profit. IE a hospital jib.

The business case was that the price of the used aircraft "as is" in the States was so low that, with shipping costs and all CofA work in UK added in, a profit was possible in UK. That may or may not be true now.

The container was cheaper than a ferry flight, all things considered, even if you don't pay the pilot, and probably still is. If you are in no great hurry you can get good shipping rates. The ferry is not easy, although it was just possible, then, to get enough fuel on board to get from each fuel stop to the next (1 up only, preferably a non-smoker!). GPS, which was not then available, would improve the chance of doing that in a straight line.

But the best way to hours build is to fly for nothing for someone who needs you to do that (eg ferry flights!).