Own a single engine piston that's fuel efficient. In my plane 100 miles would be about $40 in fuel conservatively. Amortized maintenance costs are much higher

Own a single engine piston that's fuel efficient. In my plane 100 miles would be about $40 in fuel conservatively. Amortized maintenance costs are much higher than $40, but still not even close to $400. The article mentions a Caravan which is a bigger single engine turbine, not piston. Fewer moving parts doesn't mean reliable and not subject to catastrophic unforeseen failures. If it hasn't been out for five years you're a test pilot.