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Good article in Sport Aviation this month on one of VR's regular posters. I tried to link the article (Combat and Unicorns) but couldn't get the URL to paste for some reason. Perhaps someone with better computer skills than myself can post it.

 

Anyway, good story Mike. One of these days I'm going to get around to schedule a ride in that Stearman!

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Thanks, Ms Wallace contacted me a few months ago, I didn't know it materialized into anything until it showed up in the mail. Went and did some sunset acro in the Stearman last night off the home grass strip...just cuz.

 

Mike-

 

Your version of "just cuz" is most people's wildest dream.

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Sunset patterns in my own 152 at the local whatever strip is my wildest dream. LoL

Nothing beats owning your own aircraft. That is until you get the bill. Just this year for me:

 

Annual-$5,000

Engine overhaul-$28,000

Insurance-$2,000

Hanger-$2,500

Avionics-$1,400 (Dynon D1)

Transponder pitot insp-around $500

Local personal property tax- $1,300

Fuel- who knows. Maybe a couple grand.

 

Gotta be nuts to get into aircraft ownership.

Edited by Velocity173
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Nothing beats owning your own aircraft. That is until you get the bill. Just this year for me:

 

Annual-$5,000

Engine overhaul-$28,000

Insurance-$2,000

Hanger-$2,500

Avionics-$1,400 (Dynon D1)

Transponder pitot insp-around $500

Local personal property tax- $1,300

Fuel- who knows. Maybe a couple grand.

 

Gotta be nuts to get into aircraft ownership.

Whelp, there goes any hope of one day owning a 172 or R44.

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Whelp, there goes any hope of one day owning a 172 or R44.

Well it was a particularly bad year. Wasn't expecting an overhaul at only 900 hrs. Generally annual operating costs run me about 10-15 grand.

 

C-172 can be operated quite cheap but I'd stay clear of an R-44. This months Aviation Consumer did an article on it. You'd be looking at insurance costs over 10 grand alone. The 12 yr / 2,200 hr overhaul goes for about 180 grand. Hourly operating costs around $200.

 

Obviously I like helos but for economy and transporting family, they can't touch a FW.

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Holy cow that's an expensive airplane! I do a lot of consulting for potential vintage aircraft buyers..all over the financial map, and I always caution that the acquisition price will be the cheapest expenditure. The general rule is if you can't fly at least 75 hours a year, it's generally cheaper to rent. Sounds easy, but I rarely put more than 50 hours a year on the Stearman and maybe 10 on the Cub. Set of Stearman tires; $800, 100hr annual prop AD: $1,200, etc.

 

I do all my own work, so unless something catastrophic occurs, the annual for the Stearman is $500, the Cub $200. Hangar rent, insurance for both runs about $10K/year, 100LL for a radial that burns 14-16gph...you do the math, equals about $300 every time I even look at a fuel pump. Oh...ad the 5 gallon oil tank doesn't help either. I do quite a bit of instructing (checkouts, acro, ferrying) which offsets the costs. I just flew an OSH award winning Stearman from WI to Seattle which pretty much paid for the hangar for a year.

 

Worth...every...single...penny! That said, we don't take lavish vacations, drive nice cars, have a boat, heck we don't even have cable.

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Holy cow that's an expensive airplane! I do a lot of consulting for potential vintage aircraft buyers..all over the financial map, and I always caution that the acquisition price will be the cheapest expenditure. The general rule is if you can't fly at least 75 hours a year, it's generally cheaper to rent. Sounds easy, but I rarely put more than 50 hours a year on the Stearman and maybe 10 on the Cub. Set of Stearman tires; $800, 100hr annual prop AD: $1,200, etc.

 

I do all my own work, so unless something catastrophic occurs, the annual for the Stearman is $500, the Cub $200. Hangar rent, insurance for both runs about $10K/year, 100LL for a radial that burns 14-16gph...you do the math, equals about $300 every time I even look at a fuel pump. Oh...ad the 5 gallon oil tank doesn't help either. I do quite a bit of instructing (checkouts, acro, ferrying) which offsets the costs. I just flew an OSH award winning Stearman from WI to Seattle which pretty much paid for the hangar for a year.

 

Worth...every...single...penny! That said, we don't take lavish vacations, drive nice cars, have a boat, heck we don't even have cable.

 

Nor should you!! Not with all those other fun things in your possession haha!!

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Well the 10-15 grand total is for two planes. Plus, like I said, there were a lot of unexpected expenditures this year. I could do my own work and bring costs down a bit but outside of oil changes, I leave it to the professionals. I could also buy and operate something relatively cheap like a C-150 but it wouldn't fit my needs. It's like a boat. The two happiest times...

 

I'd love to get a warbird one day. Been up in T-6s and T-34s a few times. P-51 once. If weather holds, I'll get my first open cockpit ride in a PT-26 in a couple weeks.

Edited by Velocity173
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I fly a PT19 for a museum, very sweet and docile machines. Ya know, you'd be surprised how much you're allowed to work as an owner/operator. At $90-100/hour shop rate for mechanic labor it would be my biggest expense.

 

If you keep your ship at Dothan, I know you're paying a hefty shop rate. I was at Rucker for the Staff course last winter and kept the Super Decathalon at Aero One and it was pricey...like $12/qt for oil and $300/month to park it under the shade hangar. Guess it's all about supply and demand.

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