General Aviation Maintenance Costs?

Question

What are some typical maintenance costs on smaller gen'l aviation craft?

I.e. Engine Rebuild / Constant Speed Prop overhaul / 100hr-Annuals / IFR Certification etc.

I'm just looking to ballpark the figures.

Thanks!

Answer 1

The cost of owning an aircraft will vary depending on where you live and how much you fly.  The more you fly the more things wear out the more it costs.  However having a lease back helps off set the cost, but having student operate the aircraft brings it own risks and damage.  I have provided a list of things you may want to consider.

· Engine Rebuild (manufacture recommendation)

· Constant Speed Prop overhaul (manufacture recommendation)

· 100-hour-Inspections if for hire

· Annuals Inspections (required 12 calendar months)

· Airworthiness Directives as required and recurrent Part 91

· IFR Certification etc.

· Appliance repairs (generator/alternator, carburetor overhaul, tack/RMP check, instrument gauges inspection, and all the stuff on the equipment list.

· Preventive maintenance items

· Alterations installed, inspection per the instruction for continued airworthiness (ICA)

· Transponder check (Part 43 Appendix E)

· Within the preceding 24 calendar months, each static pressure system, each altimeter instrument, and each automatic pressure altitude reporting system has been tested and inspected and found to comply with appendices E and F of part 43.

· Special inspections i.e. hard landing, lighting strike, structural inspection

· Rigging inspection at 100-hour and annual inspection.

· Replacement of life-limited items if any.

· Are you going to perform Service Bulletins not required for Part 91, but recommend if for hire.

When it comes to aircraft logbooks what is required by Title 49?

14 CFR Part 91.417.   Explains out what maintenance records are required and how long those records must be kept by the owner/operator.

14 CFR Part 91.417 (a)(2) Talks about the permanent records that must be “retained and transferred with the aircraft at the time the aircraft is sold.

14 CFR Part 91.417 (a)(2)(i) Talks about the total time in service of the airframe, each engine, and each propeller and each rotor simply involves keeping track of time accumulation.

14 CFR Part 91.417 (a)(2)(ii) Talks about Life limited parts that have received a specific life limit from an approved FAA document.

14 CFR Part 91.417 (a)(2)(iii) Talks about Time since overhaul

14 CFR Part 91.417 (a)(2)(v) Talks about proper documentation of AD compliance.

14 CFR Part 91.417(a)(2)(vi) Talks bout FAA Form 337’s that document Major Alterations need to be retained permanently and transferred with the aircraft.

14 CFR Part 91.417 (a)(1) Talks about aircraft records if not superceded by new identical records within the first 12 months following approval for return to service, may be discarded.

I just happen to write a book about this kind of stuff it available on my web site at http://www.stacheair.com

Answer 2

I wish I could answer more specifically, but I cant. I agree with most of what XP Pilot said. It GREATLY depends on your plane for engine rebuilds and 100/annuals. Engine rebuilds vary on how hard it is to pull the engine and how in need of repair your engine requires (new parts and so on). 100/annuals vary on the accessibility of your plane is. Each plane model have different requirments for 100/annuals. I do recommend helping out if you can. Owners can do a lot of routine things. De-panel/panel inspection holes and even lend a hand to the mechanic when needed (they are a lot of 2-man jobs). This can save you a lot. The end cost of the inspections generally come down to the need of repair when the inspection finishes. This can get VERY pricey!

Answer 3

You'd be best served by asking a flight school or charter operator what these costs are for the aircraft you have in mind for the area you live. Also, bear in mind that older aircraft tend to be more expensive to maintain than newer ones, particularly if they have had questionable maintenance in the past or students and non-professional pilots have been primarily flying them. The other consideration is the type of flying that is being done. A "bush" environment such as dirt strips in Alaska is tougher on planes that fly from paved airports elsewhere. A wet climate is harder on airplanes than a dry one, in terms of the possibility of corrosion. Flight training is generally harder on an airplane than one that is flown privately or for charter work. Also, airplanes that fly daily in the hands of experienced professional pilots generally require less maintenance than those flown sporadically at the hands of inexperienced pilots.

My own experience of owning small single-engine general aviation airplanes (I've had 6) is that a $10-$15 per flight hour  at each 100 hour inspection or annual is pretty typical, and that toward major repairs and overhaul I need to set aside another $10 - $35 per hour, depending on what I am flying. A Cessna 150 would be at the low end, while something with retractable gear and constant speed prop is at the higher end. For a twin, you can at least double these figures.

On my older C-172A that I currently own, which is IFR certified and has 500 hours on the engine, and doing all the "grunt work" of removing panels and seats, etc, myself before an inspection, the year-over-year maintenance has come out to just under $25 per flight hour. Based on my current projected costs,  I'm budgeting another $25 per hour toward a major overhaul and a few upgrades at that time. The way costs have been rising, this may not be enough. Also, although I do instruct in them part-time (dual only), I'm a 10,000 hour ATP and tend to "baby" my airplanes so as to get the most life out of them as possible. Most non-owners are not nearly as careful about how they operate an airplane.

Answer 4

I'll answer in generalities and somewhat broadly as there are a lot of variables involved.

Engine rebuilds can run anywhere from about $10,000 to $25,000 on average for a typical 4 or 6 cylinder GA engine. You can of course pay more for advanced engines, more exotics, etc. Constant speed props can vary depending upon whats needed. I bought a new prop last year but overhauling my old one with good blades would have run me about $2500. Annuals with nothing wrong can run anywhere from around $1,000 to $4,000. Just depends on things like, how difficult the annual is, whether your mechanic will let you assist by removing inspection covers and so forth, whether your plane has retractable gear, etc. IFR certs usually run around $300 or so.

As I said, these are just ballpark; lots of variables involved. These are based on my experience. A Cessna 152 will of course have much less upkeep than say a Beech Bonanza. Perhaps there are some mechanics that can fill in some gaps here.