What is the cost of owning a Cessna 172?
A lot of people may be concerned or curious with the the cost if of owning a Cessna 172. This brief article will help provide you with an overview of how to make this determination and also provide you with some references that will allow you to learn more.
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.
