Airplane Repo The TV Series

This is exactly what I am trying to tell the guy I sold my 421 to, he sold it and is looking at "cheap" Citations.:hairraise: $300K up front seems like a bargain, UNTIL something breaks or a phase 5 inspection is due.:mad2:

txflyer said:
Unless the jet boys have all their maintenance, insurance, inspections, and upkeep figured out in a way they are deducting those expenses, the purchase price is relatively minuscule compared to the ongoing cost per hour. Getting into a jet is easy compared to affording it afterwards. :redface:
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N747JB said:
This is exactly what I am trying to tell the guy I sold my 421 to, he sold it and is looking at "cheap" Citations.:hairraise: $300K up front seems like a bargain, UNTIL something breaks or a phase 5 inspection is due.:mad2:
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I've never owned a jet and know this.

One of my A&P buddies told me just one strut replacement, plus a brake job on a Hawker he flies cost $125,000.00. :yikes: And then a phase inspection for pressurization and something else was going to cost ~$50.000.00 later.

I've talked enough with him, and others to figure it out. It isn't rocket science. Almost anyone can buy a jet, but only a few can keep them flying. It's one of those realms where if you must ask and worry about what it costs .... you probably shouldn't be thinking about it. :wink2:
 
Citations aren't as bad as Hawkers, but they can get real pricey real quick! A phase 5 is due every 36 months and it's $20K+ just for the inspection, and if you get out for $40-50K it was a clean inspection by most standards. :eek: Kind of like an annual, the inspection part is $1000.00 but the total bill when all is said and done is $2500 in most cases. ;)

txflyer said:
I've never owned a jet and know this.

One of my A&P buddies told me just one strut replacement, plus a brake job on a Hawker he flies cost $125,000.00. :yikes: And then a phase inspection for pressurization and something else was going to cost ~$50.000.00 later.

I've talked enough with him, and others to figure it out. It isn't rocket science. Almost anyone can buy a jet, but only a few can keep them flying. It's one of those realms where if you must ask and worry about what it costs .... you probably shouldn't be thinking about it. :wink2:
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txflyer said:
I've never owned a jet and know this.

One of my A&P buddies told me just one strut replacement, plus a brake job on a Hawker he flies cost $125,000.00. :yikes: And then a phase inspection for pressurization and something else was going to cost ~$50.000.00 later.

I've talked enough with him, and others to figure it out. It isn't rocket science. Almost anyone can buy a jet, but only a few can keep them flying. It's one of those realms where if you must ask and worry about what it costs .... you probably shouldn't be thinking about it. :wink2:
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Are these costs mostly parts or mostly labor? Are the manufacturers just making huge money on parts, or is there a good reason why costs are that high?
 
dans2992 said:
Are these costs mostly parts or mostly labor? Are the manufacturers just making huge money on parts, or is there a good reason why costs are that high?
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I know for example one tire on a GV is $45,000. It takes one person about an hour to put the tire on so I doubt that it is all labor. I'm sure there is significant cost in making the parts but theres no way the manufacturer is not making a killing. Another example, a light bulb on the autopilot control panel goes out on the GV, you're getting a whole new panel, the bulb can't be replaced. IIRC that is ~$28,000.
 
I had an early EFIS on my Citation, Honeywell I think, it worked fine but wouldn't "dim" so at night it was very bright, easy enough to blank out that screen and move the information to the lower screen until I could get the rheostat fixed..................$9000.00 for a rebuilt display!!!!!!!!!!:mad2::mad2:
The good thing about older Citations is that as more are being scrapped, used parts are easier to find. :dunno:
A lot of the larger jets have life limited parts that HAVE to be overhauled, like landing gear on a Challenger, I think it's a 10 or 12 year item, $2-300K :yikes::yikes: Better prepare and budget for all this before signing the dotted line. ;)
DanielH said:
I know for example one tire on a GV is $45,000. It takes one person about an hour to put the tire on so I doubt that it is all labor. I'm sure there is significant cost in making the parts but theres no way the manufacturer is not making a killing. Another example, a light bulb on the autopilot control panel goes out on the GV, you're getting a whole new panel, the bulb can't be replaced. IIRC that is ~$28,000.
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DanielH said:
I know for example one tire on a GV is $45,000. It takes one person about an hour to put the tire on so I doubt that it is all labor. I'm sure there is significant cost in making the parts but theres no way the manufacturer is not making a killing. Another example, a light bulb on the autopilot control panel goes out on the GV, you're getting a whole new panel, the bulb can't be replaced. IIRC that is ~$28,000.
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I'm thinking that being able to charge $45 k for a tire would attract a lot of competition from other manufacturers.

So, it sounds like most of the expense is outright gouging then...? It's amazing that these manufacturers are not more profitable.
 
N747JB said:
I had an early EFIS on my Citation, Honeywell I think, it worked fine but wouldn't "dim" so at night it was very bright, easy enough to blank out that screen and move the information to the lower screen until I could get the rheostat fixed..................$9000.00 for a rebuilt display!!!!!!!!!!:mad2::mad2:
The good thing about older Citations is that as more are being scrapped, used parts are easier to find. :dunno:
A lot of the larger jets have life limited parts that HAVE to be overhauled, like landing gear on a Challenger, I think it's a 10 or 12 year item, $2-300K :yikes::yikes: Better prepare and budget for all this before signing the dotted line. ;)
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There is a local flight department that operated a Challenger 604 for a long time and said it was a solid airplane but could no longer fly far enough with enough people for their mission. Supposedly Bombardier is absolute hell to work with on getting parts. They also did all mx in house on the Challenger. Moved up to the GV and can no longer do nearly as much mx in house due to the expensive equipment required to work on it.

Another example of ridiculous prices is a flat rate of $60,000 to take the interior out of the Challenger. One mechanic can do that in a day. Double that for the GV.
 
DanielH said:
I know for example one tire on a GV is $45,000. It takes one person about an hour to put the tire on so I doubt that it is all labor. I'm sure there is significant cost in making the parts but theres no way the manufacturer is not making a killing. Another example, a light bulb on the autopilot control panel goes out on the GV, you're getting a whole new panel, the bulb can't be replaced. IIRC that is ~$28,000.
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How long do the tires last? Number of landings or something else?
 
A corporate pilot I talked with one time said that the BBJ was less expensive to operate than a GV. Being a 737, the parts were more available and therefore cost way less.
 
DanielH said:
Another example, a light bulb on the autopilot control panel goes out on the GV, you're getting a whole new panel, the bulb can't be replaced. IIRC that is ~$28,000.
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Why anyone would buy a machine for which that is true escapes me, but if you have money to burn, I suppose being sensible about spending is not a priority. :rolleyes:
 
Palmpilot said:
Why anyone would buy a machine for which that is true escapes me, but if you have money to burn, I suppose being sensible about spending is not a priority. :rolleyes:
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Or better yet, not design it like that in the first place.
 
us AAirways said:
Or better yet, not design it like that in the first place.
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If people are dumb enough to buy airplanes that are designed like that, then there's no incentive to design them with better serviceability.
 
This is a good example how fortunes can suddenly change even for those "wealthiest" and often the first thing they dump is whatever is flying ...

Smartphone maker BlackBerry (née RIM) plans to close its corporate flight department as part of a comprehensive restructuring plan aimed at stemming losses that are set to total as much as $995 million during its second fiscal quarter, which ended last month. New chief executive Thorsten Heins has decided to sell a Bombardier Global Express that the Waterloo, Ontario-based company bought pre-owned as recently as July for an undisclosed price.
Earlier this year, BlackBerry opted to sell a pair of “medium range” Dassault Falcons–a 1994 Falcon 50 and 2000 Falcon 900EX owned by subsidiary 1432766 Ontario Inc., according to Canadian aircraft registration records–and instead use just one longer-range aircraft.
“In light of the company’s current business condition, the company has decided to sell that aircraft [the Global Express] along with the two legacy aircraft [the Falcons] and will no longer own any airplanes,” BlackBerry said in a statement released Sunday,
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Brakes on the Lear are 60k a piece, and there are 4. It is literally 90 dollars a landing in brakes alone...
 
Land slow on LONG runways and save the brakes!! :D The cost of brakes is one knock against jets with no thrust reverse! ;)
Inverted said:
Brakes on the Lear are 60k a piece, and there are 4. It is literally 90 dollars a landing in brakes alone...
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Yeah, when a company or a person goes from making big $$$ to losing big $$$, the first thing that doesn't get paid is the "good to haves" and the "toys"! For some folks it's the bass boat, others it's the RV, a few it's the airplane. As a wise man told my dad on time during a recession, "OK boys, it's time to beach the boats and put the golf clubs in the closet and go back to work!" :D

olasek said:
This is a good example how fortunes can suddenly change even for those "wealthiest" and often the first thing they dump is whatever is flying ...
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Inverted said:
Brakes on the Lear are 60k a piece, and there are 4. It is literally 90 dollars a landing in brakes alone...
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The carbon brakes on our company's bizjets are on an "MSP type" program. At least that allows is to avoid any budgetary surprises. Those puppies are ubber expensive.
 
Why has this thread stalled?
I just watched the episode where Kevin Lacey 'flies' a DC-3. Well, he occupied the left seat. He's typed in several planes, but not the -3.
 
Fullagas said:
Why has this thread stalled?
I just watched the episode where Kevin Lacey 'flies' a DC-3. Well, he occupied the left seat. He's typed in several planes, but not the -3.
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Did you read the rest of the thread? Look at my post #197 for why many of us find the show to be a joke.

Welcome to POA by the way!
 
This season is the worst of them all. I know of two airplanes (the T-6 and L-39) are planes they arranged to be on the show for publicity (they are Reno air racers) and were flown out by their respective pilots, and most certainly not repossessed. It is such a joke of a show it is just about too hard to watch.
 
I feel guilty DVR'ing it. I think at this point, I'm watching it now just to see how ludicrous it keeps getting.

Being chased by a combine. :rolleyes2:
 
us AAirways said:
How much of that is parts?
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All of it. Airplane maintenance is billed less per hour than a car dealership charges. At least at a very high end private facility I worked at they bill $95/hr. Pretty cheap cosidering the cost of the plane.
 
us AAirways said:
How much of that is parts?
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Labor isn't cheap, but my experience has been that parts are usually the biggest portion of repairs.:dunno: Things like tire changes aren't much different on a Citation than a 172, maybe double the labor, 4-6 hours vs 2-3, but the tires are much more expensive!
The straw that caused me to get serious about selling mine was the emergency lighting power pack. It needed to be replaced, $1800.00 for 8 AA nic-ad batteries shrink wrapped together! :yikes::yikes: I listed it about a month later! ;)
Never underestimate the price of Cessna parts! :nono: I'd hate to see what Gulfstream charges!:rolleyes:
 
Looked it up-G5 main tire costs between 5 and 6 hundred bucks. So much BS on this forum!
 
Paulie said:
Looked it up-G5 main tire costs between 5 and 6 hundred bucks. So much BS on this forum!
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Aircraft Spruce? :D I agree with the BS, but I'm shocked that a tire for a G-V is $5-600.00 :dunno: I just paid $410.00 each for tires for my Conquest, I may need to get you to do my tire shopping! :D

Dang, I just searched it and you're right! :D I am shocked how cheap they are!
 
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LoneAspen said:
I feel guilty DVR'ing it. I think at this point, I'm watching it now just to see how ludicrous it keeps getting.

Being chased by a combine. :rolleyes2:
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I laughed so hard I almost soiled my trousers...:rofl:

I watch this show just to see how bad it can get. And the last episode will be hard to beat.
 
I made it all of 5 minutes when I tried watching it again the other night..Turned the channel and no dvr-ing it..
 
I love it. It has cool planes and people flying them. Not so bad, who cares if it is dramatized. Suspend belief and enjoy it. Good fun.
 
Palmpilot said:
I tried, but for me, it was no fun to watch the general public being so badly misled.
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Agreed. It reflects poorly on all pilots, like using a Garmin Nuvi to navigate at night with a jet aircraft that had most of its avionics removed. Seriously? They don't own a friggin' iPad with Foreflight?

It's insulting.
 
nddons said:
Agreed. It reflects poorly on all pilots, like using a Garmin Nuvi to navigate at night with a jet aircraft that had most of its avionics removed. Seriously? They don't own a friggin' iPad with Foreflight?

It's insulting.
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I think I'm more bothered by the fiction that they have to be sneaky about it, as if airport operators, FBOs, and local law enforcement had some reason for wanting to help deadbeats.

And then there's the fact that it perpetuates the myth that you can secure an airport with a fence, when all they would have to do is FLY in.
 
so im sitting here watching this with my dad who is not a pilot and i have to ask, how is this show legal? assuming it's all staged which i think was established on this thread or another i get they have permission sure. but one episode they were repoing an albatross it had an engine failure they landed in water and he was able to fix the blocked oil cooler. now the plane isn't airworthy since someone who presumably isnt an a&p fixed it. and they "steal" the planes by trespassing. so i'm confused how this show lives
 
Plane was probably not unairworthy to begin with. They "simulated" the emergency.
 
Catalo said:
now the plane isn't airworthy since someone who presumably isnt an a&p fixed it. and they "steal" the planes by trespassing. so i'm confused how this show lives
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You're presuming that the person on screen "fixing" it actually did anything, and that there wasn't an A&P right behind the camera supervising the entire thing

Actually you're presuming they had some kind of problem in the first place.
 
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