What Does It Really Cost to Own and Fly Your Own Plane?

This video came by popular demand from comments asking how much my operating costs are. I have hid it from myself for long enough so hopefully this can be of some assistance to anyone looking to buy an airplane of their own.

Music:
Song 1 (B Roll Oil Change): Bloodstream
by: Iolite
Song 2: Highlife (instrumental version)
by: Chris Valentine
Licensed by Music Bed

The Gear I used for this video:

#Airplane #Pilot #Aviation

[davidkreutzkamp]

Here is the breakdown:
Acquistion:$39, 000 / $20, 000 USD or find financing.
Fuel: 5 gal per hour / $4 Gal average
Oil: $62 every 25 hrs
Hourly operating those two costs = $22.50 a hour ($1, 125, 50 hrs - $3, 375, 150 hrs)
Garmin database: $200 annually
Annual Inspection: $500 annually (experimental)
Hangar: $300 (huge disrepency regionally)
Insurance: $2, 400 annually ($125, 000 hull value, Off-field landings)
Reserves not covered.
Wear and tear not covered.

Loved the video and b-roll intro oil chance Trent!
Interesting stuff considering I'm evaluating getting back into flying again and as a father and new homeowner every dollar can count :)

[jimaperkins]

Let me simplify this for every one: Owning a plane is about the same cost as a nice sports car. However, when you get a sports car up to 75 miles per hour and pull back on the steering happens.

[TheRealGuywithoutaMustache]

That was the most epic oil change I've ever witnessed

[rydfree]

$66 per hour . So it's on par with my RC hobby of flying and crashing . Who woulda thought, lol.

[stevenkostamo]

I bought water front property, and put my CH 601 on floats. The hangar rent costs go toward my mortgage, and I don't have to drive to the airport when I want to fly or do maintenance. Rotax 912, only burning 4 gal/hr. I only have liability insurance, the savings there would replace the plane in 10 years of flying. My fixed costs are less than $500/year and operating costs less than $25/hr. I bought a project plane that only needed maybe 50 hrs to get it flying. On floats I only paid $25, 000 I have been flying this plane for 5 years.

[MobWithGuns]

if you think owning a plane is expensive, dont buy a helicopter

[tobesmith]

Doesn’t cost any more than it did 30 years ago, it took every dime you had then and it still does.... but oh it’s worth it!

[SteFly]

That was the most epic and cinematic oil change I have ever seen! Nice to compare your costs with the costs of my sailplane.

[scottboyer]

The most beautifully filmed oil change of all time.

[TheFinerPoints]

Maintenance has never looked so good 👍

[Rv_pilot]

“Buying the airplane is the cheapest thing you will do when buying a plane” -my CFI, he owns 3 planes

[gliderpilot]

ASW-24 Glider cost breakdown. Acquisition in 1999 $52K (includes glider trailer). Insurance $1, 100/yr. Aero tows $2K/yr. (~20 tows per soaring season). Conditional inspection $200/yr. Oxygen $120/yr. Parachute repack $80/yr. Average flight per tow is about 5 hrs. Average flight hour $35. Enjoyment factor, priceless !

[andylittle]

I’m a commercial bush pilot, spent 6 years in the bush in PNG and now instructing in Australia. Loving your channel Trent (I just found it). Man you do an awesome job mixing interesting bush flying info with really cool, well edited footage. Keep it coming!

[rkmacdonald]

I have owned my 1977 Cessna 177RG (Cardinal RG) since 1985, and I fly it about 100 hours per year. In addition to the same things that you calculated, I have added something new every year in the way of new avionics (radios, ADS-B, etc), and, of course there is my $60, 000 engine that needs to be overhauled or replaced every 2000 hours. So, my calculation for my total hourly cost is now running about $200/hour, but this can go up with expensive new radios or down when I don't have any expenses like that.


I love your videos and watch every one as soon as it is published! Great job!



Russ
Commercial Pilot and CFI-I

N52636, 1977 C177RG

[halvanhercke]

The most important reason to NEVER add this up is so when your wife asks, “How much does this really cost?” you can honestly say you have no idea.

[BlackjackDuck]

Great video. For anyone looking, a very solid pre-buy is a must, but still might not uncover everything. Our club bought a 172 after a solid inspection and later found a bad repair in the engine that cost us ~$12, 000 just 6 months after buying. We wouldn’t have seen it unless we paid >$1000 for an engine tear down prior to buying. Not a common issue, and it increased the value of the plane, but an example that you need to be ready for anything.

[mac-inized]

You can't make changing oil beautifully cinematic. Trent" hold my beer and watch this "

[GlenAndFriendsCooking]

Multiply some of those costs by a 2x-4x if you own a certified aircraft.

[kevincanfly]

That’s why I fly a Paramotor, my fixed costs are the equipment purchase. I burn about 1gal/hr=$4/hr 😂. I’m working on my PPL, I’ve done my solo and now working on XC. I plan to become an instructor and I’ll let the school worry about the planes.... good video! Plane ownership is not for the average guy but there are clubs and buy-in’s. Many ways to split costs.

[theimpossibledreamer]

Owning an airplane can come with surprise costs and increased responsibility, but it forces you to get to know the plane better than the old beater the FBO has for rental you only see an hour or two here and there, which in the end makes you a safer pilot. I love being able to go out to the hanger and know that my plane is sitting there ready for me to fly anytime I want, and the major bonus is that I know that I was the last one to fly it!