How much would it cost to buy and operate a small aircraft?

I'm a Cessna guy (because I hate getting wet when it's raining - think about this !!!), and I own a P-210. I had a 182 RG way back, so here goes.

I would suggest a used 182 RG (preferably a turbo 1978 on) will run you around $150,000. You can get one financed for about 10-12 years, with 20% down. So $30K up front, and 10 years at $1500 per month.

Insurance - depends a lot on your flying time and ratings - get an instrument rating - please !. About $3000-5000 per year.

A hanger will add between $250-500 depending on whether you get a "T" or a full rectangle. Get the bigger one - you put a lot of junk that otherwise fills your garage around the edges :-)

Fuel burn - 15 gal per hour, at say - $3.50 - $52.50 per hour.

Engine - 2000 hr TBO - $30,000 - so another $15.00 per hour.

Annual checkup - assuming no problem - $2500.

The 182 RG will actually let you fly somewhere as opposed to put - putting around. The difference between turbo and non-turbo is actually being able to fly up where the air is cool and smooth in the summer - not to mention faster.

All costs about the same for new, except for up-front, where the new airplane will run you about $400,000.

My advice - don't get a partner - no one takes care of an airplane they don't "personally" own, and you will find yourselves arguing about who's turn is it to fly this weekend. If you can't own it yourself, don't do it.

The reason I don't suggest a 172 is that it just can't carry anything truly useful and is not much faster than a 150/152, and the 150/152 is a trainer - it's just not comfortable for any kind of long flight - and it's too slow.

Another option is the much maligned 337 twin. It will require a twin rating (though it's only good for centerline thrust twins), and you have an extra engine to feed and care for. But if you are flying over water or mountains, it's nice to have a second engine. The initial cost for a pressurized 337 is about the same as for the T182-RG, and a normally aspirated 337 is less than $100K.

Now for the last temptation - you can buy a 210 or P-210 for about the same as the 182RG. Be aware that the insurance costs for a P-210 are astronomical unless you have a LOT of hours in it, and the 210 as a whole is a different class of airplane - 6 seats - and much heavier to operate, as well as burning another 5 gal per hour. It's about 15 kts faster (more if it's a Turbo or P at altitude). That said, if you truly want a cross-country airplane, a P-210 is the cat's meow.

Best wishes.

John B and XP Pilot have done a pretty good job here of laying out the facts. A lot depends on where you want to base the aircraft and exactly what type of flying you will be doing. Also if you can write off any expenses of ownership through a business. I've owned aircraft for over thirty years I do as much maintenance as possible and assist my A&P mechanic and Inspector as much as he will let me. Getting your hands dirty will save you big bucks. The more seats the more the insurance....I sold a twin engine Aztec and moved down to a Cessna 182, years later bought a ragwing Piper two place VFR aircraft. It costs about as much as say a nice 26 foot boat in anual cost of operation and maintance. I guess around 30 bucks an hour operating costs over 150 - 200 hours a year. When I need a plane with more capability I rent, borrow or steal thus avoiding the high cost of ownership of a more sophisticated aircraft. It also helps me keep current. Aquisition costs widely vary on condition and equipment. Some times you can still get a deal with a motivated seller. Look into a flying club if you have one local.

I too have been thinking of getting a plane. While not new timesharing of aircraft is an increasingly popular way to do it.

There are numerous companies offering this service. The best I have seen so far work with the manufacturer to provide small fleets of planes. This assures that a bird will be waiting to fly most every time you wish to book hours.

If you are highly organized and business minded you could also put together a group your self.

The fleet share cost is about 100, 000 to sign up and start and then you pay a monthly fee of 500-700 dollars (USD). For this you get a set number of hours. You may be able to increase your hours with no added cost if you take others with you in some cases. Flying in a doctor or minister, or the like. Doing it yourself with a used plane and 4 others you would be looking at 50 000 to get started then the shared cost of insurance, maintainence, hanger fees etc.

I like the flying boat called the Seawind, that is a four place, 200 mph machine, that offers an optional retractable, inboard outboard boat engine that allows you to troll for fish from the cabin of the plane with the canopy open. There is no fleet option for this aircraft now though. Lake flying boats have a broker service for used planes that start around 150 000 for a 4 place plane to meet your specs. These boats can also land on wheels by the way.

Surf the web using aircraft time share. You will find pages and pages of stuff. Hope this helps.

Adventureboy

Well, cheap it ain't no matter what; especially if you are looking for an aircraft with teh speed range you described.

If you want to go cheap, you can start out with a two seater like a Cessna 150/152. You can buy a pretty good one for around $20,000. Maintenance is pretty low, less than $3K a year most of the time. Speed is around 100k. An older 172 4-seater (light weight four seater) can be had for around $50,000 for a good one. Speed around 100-125k. A 182 might fill the bill for you. They have a little better lifting capabilities, more horsepower and can cruise along pretty well at 130-140 knots. A good used one will run about $120,000 right now.

Something capable of 190 knots would be on the more expensive (and more insurance) side. As far as four seaters go, a used Cirrus or Mooney comes to mind.

I'm sure some others will have good suggestions also.

Used Cirri can be found for around $200K on up and new are about $450,000. Older Mooneys can be had for around $100K on up and are about the same as a Cirrus new.

Maintenance is always an issue and you have to be ready for it. The best maintenace is preventive; the better you take care of your airplane, the better it will take care of you.

I have owned and rented. I have owned factory built planes and I have built a plane.

It is ALL expensive.

If you fly less than 100-125 hours a year, the economics will always lean towards renting---regardless of what class (speed) of plane you fly.

However, the pride of ownership, the access to a plane and the comfort of flying a plane you know well all tend to favor ownership at some cost above renting.

In raw numbers for 100 hours a year with a hanger.

a Cessna 150/2 will cost around 20k and will cost you about 80/hr to operate it

a Cheroke 180 or Cessna 172 will cost around 40K and operation costs will go up to around 105 and hours.

The great plastic planes..Columbia 400 and Cirrus 22 will cost in the 400K range and operation costs will be bumping 150/hour.

Consider a home built....can get speed, lower cost and customized flying for fewer $$.

Look at www.eaa.org.

RE:

How much would it cost to buy and operate a small aircraft?

I am interested in eventually buying a private airplane, and I am interested in getting a _very_ ballpark estimate of how much one would cost to buy and operate.

My basic idea is a four-seat internal combustion aircraft with a top speed between 140-190 kts. I'd like some idea of the...

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There's a huge range of prices for light aircraft - from $15k to $20K for a 2 seat Ercoupe from the late 1940s to more than $500,000 for a Cirrus SR22 turbo, and almost as big a spread on ownership costs . One thing to keep in mind that unless you are flying 200 hours a year, it's cheaper to rent, or join a club, partnership, or other shared ownership arrangement Getting your private pilot certifcation will cost $7000 to $9000

LMAO at John B but I'd have to agree with him. If you own an airplane you're going to have to worry about things like insurance, hangaring, maintenance (overhauls are very expensive), AD's (i.e. a recall on the airplane that YOU have to fix). The costs are considerable.

Unless you fly A LOT it will be cheaper in the long run to rent. If you simply enjoy flying and are looking for a cheaper way to do it consider becoming a flight instructor.

I have no idea of all operating expenses but I worked with somone who owned a Cessna. It was time for an engine replacement (mandated by the FAA) after so many hours of operation. $30,000 US for just the engine delivered in the crate. He was installing it himself. I never needed to ask him any other questions about the cost of flying after that.

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