My 2017 Aviation Expenses

Challenged

Challenged

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Challenged
I recently setup MoneyDance and thought I'd share my expenses this year from owning a Beech Sierra. I didn't fly much this year, only ~ 40 hours I think.

HTML: 
Annual/Repairs     $2,467.13
Hangar Rent        $2,430.96
Fuel               $1,042.97
Headsets/Repair    $909.00
Insurance          $695.00
Airplane Parts     $639.65
Apps/Data          $299.37
Mags/Mbrs          $84.00
FAA                $5.00
Total:             $8,573.08
 
Challenged said:
I recently setup MoneyDance and thought I'd share my expenses this year from owning a Beech Sierra. I didn't fly much this year, only ~ 40 hours I think.

HTML: 
Annual/Repairs     $2,467.13
Hangar Rent        $2,430.96
Fuel               $1,042.97
Headsets/Repair    $909.00
Insurance          $695.00
Airplane Parts     $639.65
Apps/Data          $299.37
Mags/Mbrs          $84.00
FAA                $5.00
Total:             $8,573.08
Click to expand...
And if you had flown another 40 hours, you would have almost halved your $/hour cost.
 
Thanks for sharing this. Puts the costs into perspective for us non-owners.
 
Ryanb said:
Thanks for sharing this. Puts the costs into perspective for us non-owners.
Click to expand...
Remember,
That doesn't take in the cost of capital (or opportunity cost) for the original purchase, or the depreciation expense for engine, airframe etc...
 
you spent as much on a headset as you did on fuel? that's either WAAYYY too much headset, or not nearly enough fuel.
 
eman1200 said:
you spent as much on a headset as you did on fuel? that's either WAAYYY too much headset, or not nearly enough fuel.
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It's a very fuel efficient plane. Sheesh... we don't all fly fancy **** like you do!
 
eman1200 said:
you spent as much on a headset as you did on fuel? that's either WAAYYY too much headset, or not nearly enough fuel.
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I agree, not enough on fuel. :blueplane:

But an accountant would probably say you are mixing fixed costs with variable costs, and the headset is a capital account item with depreciation and a residual value that must be considered, in contrast to consumables, like 100LL, blah, blah...:fingerwag:
 
Mine was almost double yours, but I do 95% of my own wrench turning.
(Edit: that includes reserves for engine, paint, interior, avionics.)
But I flew more than double yours.
Got some great long xc's in too.
Let's stop all this coin counting though. Where did you go? What experiences did your flying provide you?
 
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I bought an airplane primarily to fly my wife (and now son) to see her family. I really do not enjoy traveling at all (but I enjoy seeing other places, if that makes sense), so owning a plane makes travel interesting and fun for me. It's only a 50 minute flight, but I look forward to it every time we can use the plane for that trip to see her family.

In the past, we've used our plane to go to the beaches in Florida, the mountains of Georgia and to see friends and family in Texas; airplane ownership has really been a joy and I'm sorry I didn't start flying sooner. I'm hoping to use it next week to go to 2 family Christmas gatherings in one day, if the weather cooperates. As JohnH said, it's hard to put a price on those kind of experiences.
 
I'd love your cheap hangar. Mine look like:

Fixed: $8,350 (Hangar @ 487/mo + county tax and insurance)
Fuel: $3,921 (85 hours)
Maint: $4,847 (annual + needed a new altimeter)

Worth every penny
 
40 hours a year? You need a partner.

No AOPA dues? Shame!
 
Challenged said:
... I really do not enjoy traveling at all (but I enjoy seeing other places, if that makes sense), so owning a plane makes travel interesting and fun for me. It's only a 50 minute flight, but I look forward to it every time we can use the plane for that trip to see her family...
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Makes perfect sense. I feel exactly the same...I enjoy exploring different places but hate the process of getting to & from, except when I am flying my own plane.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
Mine was almost double yours, but I do 95% of my own wrench turning. But I flew more than double yours. Got some great long xc's in too.
Let's stop all this coin counting though. Where did you go? What experiences did your flying provide you?
Click to expand...

I am envious of his fuel bill. The same number of hours would have run me something closer to $4000, and in the event my actual fuel for 2017 was more than $14k (pause here for expressions of appreciation from the frackers and the Saudis :()

Half a dozen trips over the Divide to the west coast (Seattle Renton, Victoria, Boundary Bay, Bellingham, Arlington, Abbotsford), 3rd trip in the Aztruck to OSH (the plane to camp with comfortably, as we leave nothing behind ;) ), Reno for the annual Sept trek to the races at Stead, KGPI (always a favourite) and a dozen or more day trips/overnighters to see current or prospective customers from Dickinson, ND to Dawson Creek, BC.

After owning the Aztec for five years, 2017 was the year I flew it with enough frequency that it really felt comfortable to pull it out of the hangar and go in any direction. One regret...I really wanted to fly the Alaska Highway, but simply wasn't able to set aside the time needed to do it the way I want to (leisurely, with no particular schedule). Maybe in 2018.
 
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If you have to count every penny ,associated with your plane and flying,you can’t afford to own.
 
frfly172 said:
If you have to count every penny ,associated with your plane and flying,you can’t afford to own.
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There’s always one.

Nowhere in this thread did anyone say they “had”to count each penny. Some just do it for the sake of doing it. Or they actually have a budget and want to know how far over/under they are. We get it. You have enough discretionary income to not worry about how much owning costs you. If people needed to know if they could or could not afford to own, they would seek your advice, I’m sure.
 
frfly172 said:
If you have to count every penny ,associated with your plane and flying,you can’t afford to own.
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So how would that be different from say your family home? "Can't afford it" if you have to track exactly what it costs?
Just askin'
 
frfly172 said:
If you have to count every penny ,associated with your plane and flying,you can’t afford to own.
Click to expand...
Or you're a neurotic accountant like me....

I spent $17,328.27. Half of that was doing my G5 and PSE audio panel. About $1850 in fuel for 5 months of flying. Most of it was PnP flights. Also did an AI overhaul. Only covered 5 months of hangar rent because I now have someone covering rent and keeping the engine running while I live in Germany. Annual ran less than $1200 since nothing was broken.

Merry Christmas
 
I generally don’t keep track of what I spend annually. A rough estimate would be about 15K per year. This year would be about 25K due to some upgrades.
 
I've got a rough idea of what my airplane(s) cost per year, but god help me if I ever actually add it up and reduce it to a real number.
 
Ours:
Annual was lower.
Hangar was lower but not by much and we own it. (Ground lease)
Fuel was higher.
Headsets was zero. Haven’t bought s headset in a long time.
Insurance was slightly higher.
Parts was about the same.
Apps/Data - we’ll get to start that “fun” next year.
Memberships? Our airplane doesn’t have those.

:)
 
denverpilot said:
...Headsets was zero. Haven’t bought s headset in a long time.

...
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You are as bad as the PoAer who made his son a guitar amp using Cracker Jack prizes for parts.
How ya expect the economy to survive this sort of behaviour?

It's not too late to reform your ways...Boxing Day starts soon. Get a jump on your New Years resolutions, vow to be a better citizen, get out there, elbow your way in and consume dammit.
 
GRG55 said:
Get a jump on your New Years resolutions, vow to be a better citizen, get out there, elbow your way in and consume dammit.
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I’m busy making some silly GPS company in Kansas rich right now. :)

Then I’ll go back to consuming Avgas in large quantities. :)
 
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