Operating costs

[englishal]

In case anyone is interested in operating costs of various aircraft, have a look here (http://www.planequest.com/operationcosts/default.asp)

These figures are for the US, but change $ to £ and it should be about right...

Cheers
EA:)

[distaff_beancounter]

englishal What a dear optimistic fellow you are!

If only the cost in the UK, were the same as those for the USA :mad:

Eg that website quotes fuel in the USA @ $2.16/gal.

With a $/£ @ 1.43 and USgal/litre @ 3.785
I make that 40 pence per litre ..... IF ONLY .....

Maintenance, parking, insurance, training quoted, all seem to be about HALF that of the average UK costs.

[englishal]

Ok, double it !:D

I don't mean convert £ to $ I mean for every $1, you replace it with £1, making 60p a litre based on a 3.8L gallon :)

[foghorn]

Mine works if I do a £1 = US$1 conversion.

The last time that I saw a US:UK comparison done, the only thing that was more expensive in the US was the insurance premiums, mainly because public liability cover costs a fortune due to the US fondness of litigation. We're even catching up in this department though, with the number of ambulance chasers around these days.

[distaff_beancounter]

Sorry englishal I misunderstood your first post.

Give a conversion to an accountant, & we immediately start dividing x by y, from force of habit. How else can we justify all our computers? :D

Anyhow, just why is GA so @#$£ing expensive in the UK, compared to USA?????? :confused:

[QNH 1013]

DB.
I think one factor is that we seem prepared to pay higher prices so there is not much of a market pressure to keep them in check.
A few examples; aircraft hire charges and landing fees have increased way beyond inflation over the past seven years, probably because we don't shop around enough. Yes, input costs have gone up in the same period, but to nothing like the same extent.
The UK practice of paying landing fees when just landing to buy fuel particularly stands out. It is particularly hard on those whose aircraft have a short duration. As I have pointed out before the margin on AVGAS is very good indeed (unlike on retail petrol sales).
There are plenty of examples to show that a business model which allows more competitive pricing creates increased demand and healthy profits.
The UK also seems to suffer from an attitude of "Oh you fly, then you should be able to afford it" There have even been pilots on this forum suggesting that prices aren't too important because they (personally) have a fairly large disposable income. I understand that they don't have this attitude in the USA, and expect value for money in all things.
Rant over....

[Evo7]

There have even been pilots on this forum suggesting that prices aren't too important because they (personally) have a fairly large disposable income


Come On QNH - that's completely twisting what I said. You a politician....? :rolleyes:

What I said was

"I'm not saying £90 is a trivial amount of money - of course it isn't. However, it's only an hour in the air in the south of England, so it isn't going to suddenly unlock the door to flying as a hobby..... Sad truth is that you have to have a reasonably large disposable income to fly in the UK, and while scrapping AVGAS duty may change that I don't think the NPPL does".

[distaff_beancounter]

QNH 1013 I hear what you say about market pressure to keep prices down & it should apply in any free market.

BUT, if all our local airfields have been closed down, by developers or NIMBYs, except one, & that airfield owner retains the exclusive rights to sell AVGAS, AND he charges the flying schools a high price for fuel, parking, landing & flight training rights ....... WHERE is the competition to keep prices down? :mad:

I assume in the USA, it is fairly simple (at least in some areas) just to move down the road, buy your own field & set up your own school.

In the UK there is also a lot more red tape on flying schools. WHY do training aircraft have to have Public CofA, when there is no equivelant for flight schools in the USA? :mad:

I could go one .... but that is enough RANT for today :)

[nonradio]

The system over here is to give monopolies to folk: Licensing of aerodromes - Can't get on a L.F.? then you can't teach) Transport Cat Cof As - Want to teach? must be on Public then - Oh and you'll have to take it to an approved Maintenance facility for it's CofA renewal rather than an IA as in the US . Therefore, in the name of safety, organisations have to be set up and since they are charged a fortune for the priviledge, they not unnaturally want to protect their investment and hence resist any change that could jeopardise their market position...
I think it boils down to this 'User must Pay' nonsense:(

[QNH 1013]

Evo 7,
I am not twisting anything you said. The comment was made in reference to the choice of an aeroplane (Not by Evo 7 to clear up any confusion) and I think the short-list included a choice at nearly half a million pounds
By the way, I don't think there was any need for the insult. I have been many things in my life, but never a politician!

[Evo7]

:D

Must have been too much coffee this afternoon - just sounded very close to what I just posted... :)