What does Wet and Dry refer to in groups?

[midiman]

Hi I keep seeing different groups rates based on wet and dry.

What does this mean?

Thanks

[IO540]

The condition of the gurl at the club reception desk :)

That's why wet hire costs a lot more.

[midiman]

Well I should always get the wet rate then :)

Serious answers please.

[hobbit1983]

No, really, it's in CAP 69 or something.

(Wet rate = inc fuel. Dry rate = pay for fuel seperate)

[midiman]

Ok now I understand.

Thanks

[IO540]

Dry hire is pretty unusual, because most spamcans have no usable fuel gauges. It would work only if you have a fuel totaliser (and trust the renter to not mess with the FOB setting) or if you always let it out with a full tank and expect to get it back with a full tank (or some other specific and easily identifiable level).

[airborne_artist]

Wet and dry is the sandpaper you'll be using after you give the aircraft its next dose of hangar rash. You use it dry to remove loose paint, and wet for the final smooth before the re-spray.

Eg:

http://img1.tradeget.com/tianqiabrasives/VVB78KQY1sic_wet_and_dry_abrasive_paperlatex_.gif

[PompeyPaul]

I've flown with a "dry" group and you simply return the aircraft full to tabs. Full fuel limits the operational capabilities of the next guy.

On the one hand wet groups are generally more predictable in what you are paying. On the other you can get burnt by somebody doing circuits who cains through the fuel, whilst you on a trip to LFAT with the engine leaned and the cover out of the back and in the boot of your car, get a much worse deal.

Personally I prefer wet rates since fuel is rising so quickly it's better to pass those rises onto the owner than yourself.

[Another St Ivian]

Just out of interest, how do other clubs handle a situation where a wet-rate hirer fills the aircraft themselves at another airfield?

The last club I did that with charged me the standard hourly rate, less the cost of the fuel I put in (as shown on the receipt). i.e. (Hours Flown * Hourly Rate) - Cost of Fuel Uplifted.

[Mike Cross]

Some do it that way, some will credit you for the amount of fuel you uplifted based on what they charge for the fuel. So, they charge 1.40 a litre and you uplift elsewhere at 1.65 you pay the difference, or if it's the other way round you pocket the difference.

[Shunter]

Getting a fuel-flow meter fitted (not particularly expensive) and charging dry is a much fairer way of doing it. Someone bashing circuits with the red knob fully forward can easily burn £20/hr more than someone in the cruise with it leaned out. Also gives you the reassurance of knowing, to the litre, how much fuel you have left.

[IO540]

Personally I prefer wet rates since fuel is rising so quickly it's better to pass those rises onto the owner than yourself.

Of course the owner is a charity and is never going to pass the extra cost to the renters... :ugh:

There is no free lunch.

Dry hire is much more fair but suffers from the crap PPL training not having taught people proper fuel management including how to use the mixture lever.

[Julian]

If you are just hiring for the odd hour then wet is easier, however if joining a group or hiring from an FBO for an extended period then dry is better.

You will, of course, have to negotiate with the hirer between his wet ad dry rates to work out which is better i.e.dry would be best if £50 dry/£100 wet, wet is better if £80 dry/£100 wet.

Our group operates on a dry basis with you returning the aircraft filled to tabs.

J.

[robin]

In my group we use the home-base price of fuel as the standard wet-rate.

We allow that pilots may need to refuel elsewhere, and would credit the pilot when putting in fuel. But we don't give an open-ended level of fuel rate and have a limit of £1.50, at the moment.

Our local 'international airport' charges over £1.60 pl and we would lose too much allow a full credit at that rate.

Dry rate we have found doesn't work. There are some pilots who for one reason or another, fail to top off, as required - not just occasionally.

In fact most prefer the wet rate, as they can buy more than they use to ease the cost of flying. All in all, it balances out over time