Folks have a lot of interest in discovering what the operating costs are of a Cessna 172. Most commonly people want to know the operating costs of a Cessna 172R. I would recommend checking out a web site called PlaneQuest which provides in their sidebar menu a database of the operating costs of all airplanes in production.

PlaneQuest.com is a site that has been around since 1999. The site has always been well ahead of its times and has always provided a huge resource of information for aircraft owners and pilots. PlaneQuest.com provides pilots and owners with aircraft value comparisons, a way to advertise or list their Cessna 172 for sale and there is even a section where you can ask the experts.

Cessna 172 Pilot’s Point of View

The big unanswered question is, what do you do with the capital costs. Easiest thing is to ignore them. The aircraft will appreciate in value, at about the rate of inflation. One estimate is, what you rent one for is about what it will cost to own. Cash flow wise, once you buy it, will be just the hourly costs.

Over the long term, you cannot avoid the rebuild costs. Also, consider that you have to be able to sink 1/4 of the value of the airplane for repairs at any time. Also, things tend to cost more than you think. If you are thinking of lease back add 100 hour inspections and LOTS more for insurance.

Cessna 172 Repair Costs

The bottom line is this, no one can tell you what it will cost without knowing what your local airport charges for space. It will also depend on the amount of maintenance you do, what your local A&P/IA charges, how well you care for the airplane, etc. Figure that you will need to plan for something between $50-75/hour to own and fly it - you may get lucky and have it cost less. For sure, you need to be able to plop up to $15-20K down on short notice if you suddenly need a new engine or avionics.

Together with the Cessna Pilots Association, this event is set to take place the Saturday before the EAA AirVenture event. All Cessna pilots will meet in Juneau Wisconsin the day before, and will begin to coordinate this amazing event. Cessnas2Oshkosh has created a training package that all pilots must complete in order to participate. There will be 2 very strict requirements that each pilot must comply with, one being to take a training clinic, which Cessnas2Oshkosh have set up all across the United States.

This is the third year in a row that the Cessnas2Oshkosh creators have brought this amazing event to their fellow Cessna pilots. However, this is the first time they have been partnered with the Cessna Pilots Association. The creators of this event are hoping to see at least 75 Cessna pilots this year, and are pleased to announce that a group of Skywagon pilots will be joining in the fun.

If you’d like more information on the Cessnas2Oshkosh event, check out their website. It is filled with tons of information and has links to the training guides and clinics each pilot will need in order to be part of the high flying crowd. So get your Cessna geared up and come join in the fun.