Light Twin Operating Costs
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3 x Fuel
So... in the end; three times the fuel cost is a pretty good approximate of the operating cost then! It is close to what the two singles I currently fly are worth and we're paying $2 - 2.50/L right now.
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After all these replies, and we have come back to this ...... a guess, - an approximation.
Okay, for an older aircraft operating in the territory, - I am sure you will be losing at that. And big time.
To really cover your costs you need to have the spreadsheet as the guys here have suggested.
The maintainers won't tolerate an operator trying to fly an aircraft on an unrealistic budget for too long. The industry is very small and whispers of 'unpaid bills' spread very quickly.
Many hangars will refuse to accept a job if they suspect there may be money issues, or if the owner tries to dictate maintenance standards.
You really do need to do your homework...... I think you can see the range of answers you get when you ask a bunch of wannabes. Don't forget that a few of the guys here have never owned an aircraft.
If you end up buying a POS aircraft, and/or, employ a pilot with no idea how to operate one............ the costs could be crippling..
How do you factor that into your calculations and end up with a figure that looks half reasonable ?
Okay, for an older aircraft operating in the territory, - I am sure you will be losing at that. And big time.
To really cover your costs you need to have the spreadsheet as the guys here have suggested.
The maintainers won't tolerate an operator trying to fly an aircraft on an unrealistic budget for too long. The industry is very small and whispers of 'unpaid bills' spread very quickly.
Many hangars will refuse to accept a job if they suspect there may be money issues, or if the owner tries to dictate maintenance standards.
You really do need to do your homework...... I think you can see the range of answers you get when you ask a bunch of wannabes. Don't forget that a few of the guys here have never owned an aircraft.
If you end up buying a POS aircraft, and/or, employ a pilot with no idea how to operate one............ the costs could be crippling..
How do you factor that into your calculations and end up with a figure that looks half reasonable ?
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three times the fuel cost is a pretty good approximate of the operating cost then!
To work out a ball park fuel consumption figure per hour I divide engine horsepower by 20
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To work out a ball park fuel consumption figure per hour I divide engine horsepower by 20
To work out a ball park fuel consumption figure per hour I divide engine horsepower by 20
Bit low for the Bo - but close!
I flight plan 60 L/hr and generally average about 55 L/hr depending on the length of the flight.
Dr
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Hi Citation,
I didn't learn it from anyone , I figured it out myself looking at a few flight manuals that I'd collected when I was starting to learn to fly and I worked it out in US gallons as a rough check for flight planning to make sure I hadn't screwed up when jumping from different aircraft types.
One type of aircraft this HP/20 rule doesn't work too well on is the older supercharged (rather than turbo) engines , they're about 20% more thristy.
Your imperial gallons would give a better margin for taxi , climb etc.
I didn't learn it from anyone , I figured it out myself looking at a few flight manuals that I'd collected when I was starting to learn to fly and I worked it out in US gallons as a rough check for flight planning to make sure I hadn't screwed up when jumping from different aircraft types.
One type of aircraft this HP/20 rule doesn't work too well on is the older supercharged (rather than turbo) engines , they're about 20% more thristy.
Your imperial gallons would give a better margin for taxi , climb etc.
At last, someone has mentioned a suitable aircraft for this guy. A cherokee 6. Or let me guess, your clients, the ones our taxs fund require two engines. I can get hold of an old toyota troop carrier for them.
Last edited by pill; 17th Sep 2009 at 01:52.
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Cherokee 6 is a good aircraft, if he is operating from long runways with heaps of clearway because they dont perform as well as the 200 cessna's in that respect. If he is operating into and out of strips of 1000m, stick to a 206 or even a 210.
If the clients require a twin, you cant beat a 310 or a Baron. If they wanna fill 5 seats to go a long way I just add a diversion for fuel to the cost.
If the clients require a twin, you cant beat a 310 or a Baron. If they wanna fill 5 seats to go a long way I just add a diversion for fuel to the cost.
You will find that the 206 and pa32 are similar despite what the sales people tell you.
I know what I'd rather fly!
A beechcraft
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You will find that the 206 and pa32 are similar despite what the sales people tell you.
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210's good for 100nm plus flights. But for shorter hops in and out of dirts strips consistently, a 206 carries the load better. Plus in the wet, don't have to worry about mud a stuff getting into the gear wells and messing with switches and gear locks. Unless you like washing your aircraft every day.
There's not much that can go wrong with a 206. And if you look around and get lucky, you might find a quick one. I've seen a couple that stand up well against a 210 (albeit a slowish 210).
There's not much that can go wrong with a 206. And if you look around and get lucky, you might find a quick one. I've seen a couple that stand up well against a 210 (albeit a slowish 210).