Recommend an aircraft for me.
Hmm, I'm a bit suspicious of anyone that quotes $12 per hour for maintenance for a 40-50 year old Arrow airframe, that's only $1200 every 100 hourly. If you operate off tarmac you might chew that up on tyres alone before anything mechanical goes awry.
It's American, where LAME's call themselves mechanics because, well, they're mechanics. Not mechanics calling themselves engineers when they are clearly NOT engineers. So the corresponding cost of maintenance will be lower.
Note that the video includes $3000 for annual in the 'fixed cost' column, so for a 100-hour year, you might call it 3000/100 + $12 = $42/hr for maintenance. The numbers presented seem pretty realistic to me (for the USA), except for fuel cost, which is probably higher with present costs.
Last edited by 340drvr; 30th May 2022 at 13:59.
It's American, where LAME's call themselves mechanics because, well, they're mechanics. Not mechanics calling themselves engineers when they are clearly NOT engineers. So the corresponding cost of maintenance will be lower.
Note that the video includes $3000 for annual in the 'fixed cost' column, so for a 100-hour year, you might call it 3000/100 + $12 + $42/hr for maintenance. The numbers presented seem pretty realistic to me (for the USA), except for fuel cost, which is probably higher with present costs.
Wait 5 years and when there is no more avgas and mogas is 5 bucks a litre, owners of piston aircraft will beg you to fly them away from where they are racking up standing costs. Meantime expect airport costs to increase, as supply reduces with flat land ripe for other development. As the fleet ages, accident rate is likely to increase, because cheap aircraft often attract inexperienced owners who cant afford maintenance, so up go insurance premiums. Insurers may impose requirements which are costly or even impossible to comply with.
Used piston aircraft will soon be scrap value, so about the worst investment one could make, with big power boats a close second.
Used piston aircraft will soon be scrap value, so about the worst investment one could make, with big power boats a close second.