3 ms·
If you rent less than about 150 hours/year, you probably can't own for less money. (The first minute each year costs about $20K [calendar-based maintenance, han
by sokoloff 3y ago
If you rent less than about 150 hours/year, you probably can't own for less money. (The first minute each year costs about $20K [calendar-based maintenance, hangar, insurance, databases/avionics subscriptions]; every hour after that costs less than renting.)
Most people who own do so for flexibility rather than savings. It usually costs more to own, but it also lets you get a plane you probably can't rent, configure it the way you want, leave all the headsets and supplies in the plane, fly it when you want without scheduling, fly it somewhere and stay for a week without paying daily minimums, etc.
- bombcar 3y agoThat matches my math when I was flying, if you're not doing 10+ hours a month or have a specific mission that can't be solved by rentals, you're best off renting. There's a middle-ground which is quite common of the "own a share" - you and five others buy and maintain a plane and "rent" it from yourself - this works great if the times you want to fly don't all overlap.
- sokoloff 3y agoThe partnership angle is a great one! I really wish I could have found great partners two decades ago. (I'd probably have a lot more money in the bank now, even if it meant we'd have missed more Christmas trips or moved that travel to the airlines because a partner had the airplane.)