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RV ownership costs


Danny88

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G'day all.

 

Apologies if this has been discussed previously. I'm debating ownership of an rv7a. Outside of the initial cost of the aircraft, what are some estimated ongoing fees. Rego, insurance, hangar fees etc... Essentially what does cost yourselves each year to keep em flying?

 

Cheers in advance,

 

Dan.

 

 

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I have a RV-9A (for now, selling it soon to get a 4-seater ?) and it is $6,000 in fixed costs before I spin the prop.

 

$3,600/yr hangarage and airport usage fees at a private airstrip.

 

$2,300/yr Insurance for $100K hull coverage

 

$200 RAAus registration - cant remember exact $$ figure, but not that much.

 

After that, I fly for the cost of fuel and oil, which works out to around $50/hour. I don't put $$ aside for the engine or avionics, the engine was brand new and I have a Dynon EFIS. If I need to upgrade, I'll redraw the extra $$ from my mortgage, the money works harder there for us at present...

 

 

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Danny88,

 

hangar will depend on where you live as the cost is variable & you will see a considerable difference including hangar keeps liability if it is required.

 

Insurance will vary depending on your experience on type, where it is hangared and how much you wish to insure for.

 

If it is an RAUS registered aircraft you can do most maintenance yourself but, VH registered may be a little different which could add costs depending on who your LAME is. The cost of a LAME can be high until they get to know your aircraft, that is your first annual I would expect to cost a little more.

 

Landing fees are another consideration if you have to pay them as they can add up also.

 

At the end of the day if you are flying an RV you will have a big enough grin so don't let a few dollars bother you.

 

I have owned a 7A for 5 years and it is a great aircraft very slick and is a great cross country plane. I have flown some long legs in it from Albany to the Kimberlys and out into the middle of Australia (Birdsville Races) and return. It has pace endurance and comfort, your bladder will let you know when it is time to come down so you won't forget ?.

 

A lot of variables but if you are going into aircraft ownership you are better to cover all costs rather than get a plane and find out that you are limited to flying it because of costs.

 

Good luck with you shopping I hope you find a plane that meets your needs and is within your budget.

 

Cheers 

 

 

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Registration if it is GA is nothing per year. I am not sure if a 7A would be registerable with RAAus

 

It can be done. But you have make a concious effort to keep your MTOW legal if you're on the portly side.

 

My -9A was 445Kg empty (probably 450 now with the autopilot & 2nd seat cushions), which leaves juuust under full tanks + me, or half tanks + me and Mini-Me. Unless that suits your mission, RAAus isn't ideal for a two seat RV - though it has been adequate for me for 3 years, but to be able to take 2 adults, I'm going to have another go at putting it on VH next month.

 

 

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RAAus isn't ideal for a two seat RV - though it has been adequate for me for 3 years, but to be able to take 2 adults, I'm going to have another go at putting it on VH next month.

 

KR you must feel the RV will sell better with a VH on the side, interesting. I can't imagine what four seater will measure up to the RV, why not just rent when the extra seats are needed ? 

 

 

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I owned a 180HP + CSU RV6 for about 8 years, and my current 180HP + FP RV9A for 12 years. Both in VH rego. Both hangared fully from day 1. Both kept clean & polished.  Both only ever on Avgas. Both maintained by LAME but I do all the unskilled stuff, eg, remove all cowls, inspection plates, fairings, spats, drop the oil, etc. 

 

In round figures, this is what you can expect it to cost in a shared hangar on a full security airport.

 

FIXED

 

Insurance.......................................... $2400 pa.#

 

Annual Inspection......................... $1500

 

Hangarage........................................ $1500

 

Landing Fees...................................  $  200

 

Avionics Checks ............................  $  300

 

# it doesn't matter too much if you have thousands of hours and same on type - insurers just look at the accident/claims rates for the type of aircraft.

 

OPERATING

 

Fuel   33+ LPH  @  $2.45/L*.............  $ 81 / hr

 

Oil.........................................................    $   1

 

Tyres....................................................    $   4

 

Misc & unforeseens......................    $   5

 

TOTAL.................................................    $90/hr

 

*  you will probably pay much more than this once inland.

 

+ on higher altitude long trips, it is more like 30LPH, even 28LPH if light. I have fuel injection + electronic ignition.   I flight plan on 140 KTAS for loaded flights, 150 for lighter.

 

100 hrs pa will cost you  approx. $60/hr fixed  +  $90 vbl    =   $150/hr

 

200 hrs                                         $30               +    90          =   $120

 

If you manage to fly an RV more than 200 hrs pa, then you must be a traveller extraordinary.

 

Our local Aero Club owns an RV9A and it hires out, (wet), for $195/hr.  Unless you are intending to fly quite a lot, and need the aircraft to stayover with you for many days at a time  - renting may be better.

 

Happy days,

 

 

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I own a RV6A nosedragger. 

 

The basic dollars stated prior seem to be very similar to my experience over the last 12 years. 

 

Consider a share in an RV to make it much more cost effective over a short term say 1 to 5 years.

 

A 50% share will save minimum $4000 per annum. A 4 share mu h better Work on flying about an average 70 hours per year (after the first exciting year or two maybe 50 hours )

 

If you are a solo owner  and a weekend warrior put aside in your aircraft bank savings account an allowance of $140 per hour (on top of a healthy deposit) to cover the very basic fuel, ins, mtce costs.

 

Allow about $2000 extra during the year for SAAA or other memberships  avionic upgrades, mechanical upgrades, tweaking, and Avionic biannual.

 

I am sure you will enjoy owning and flying an RV

 

PS you can still fly economically by cruising at 110kts using 22 litres per hour if you want but hey the speed buzz is rather seductive. 

 

Renting is probably better depending on how many years and hours per year you intend to fly. I would guess the cut off to be about 6 years for buying a second hand RV at 60 hours per year but there are an infinitesimal RV's out there for rent so sharing is the better option, again not a lot of shares available out there especially at airports and lose to you

 

 

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The mighty RV12. 

 

Great machine. 

 

If the new 760kg limit comes in my RV6 will fit that category. 749Kgs MTOW

 

Stall speed is good with the 40 degree wing flaps. CASA will likely find a way to exclude them like too fast. 

 

 

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KR you must feel the RV will sell better with a VH on the side, interesting. I can't imagine what four seater will measure up to the RV, why not just rent when the extra seats are needed ? 

 

IF I had someone interested in the -9A while it is on the RAAus register, I'd sell it tomorrow with the numbers on the side, but it is a very niche mission (ie, high-speed single seat, or medium-range 1+1) that I think it makes more sense to swap it to VH-, particularly now the RPL is here to capture a broader market.

 

As for renting, I have flown an EFIS/ADS-B/Autopilot equipped aircraft that gets along at 145KTAS, whereas the closest 4 seater available to hire is the CCAC's Arrow, which will match the speed, but has an antiquated cockpit - for $335 an hour. Assuming similar costs for a certified aircraft as my RV, plus $3,000 for a 100-hourly, it makes more sense to buy a 4 seater than hire one, and I can retrofit Electronic ignition and the Garmin G3X or Dynon Skyview to it, fly it when I want, and know how well it is maintained.

 

To that end, I'd love a 177RG, but I'm concerned about a couple of aspects, it's carry-through spar issue, reported gear issues and primarily, how well it would cope at Somersby, where my -9 is based. Even a 182P would be on the good side of suitable as you can get a gross weight STC, and a Mogas STC, even if I'd be lucky to see 130KTAS from one of them, but if it has the LR tanks, that more than offsets the lower speed - and the Dynon Autopilot is already certified for it!

 

… unless it's an RV-12.

 

I'd forgotten about the poor -12! An almost unforgivable sin overlooking that one!

 

 

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My only advice.... 

 

Don't buy the aircraft you can't afford to fly... 

 

Surprisingly many do.... 

 

My aircraft is slow and simple compared to many others, but I CAN afford to do 100 hrs a year... 

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I had someone interested in the -9A while it is on the RAAus register, I'd sell it tomorrow with the numbers on the side, but it is a very niche mission (ie, high-speed single seat, or medium-range 1+1) that I think it makes more sense to swap it to VH-, particularly now the RPL is here to capture a broader market

There is still quite a demand for -9A s as they are the easiest RV to fly. Probably 50% of the WA built 9As are fitted with 180HP engines. You will only get 5-7 kts higher speed with them, but climb is quite a deal improved, and it makes 10,000 ft ops more attractive.

 

Even a 182P would be on the good side of suitable as you can get a gross weight STC, and a Mogas STC, even if I'd be lucky to see 130KTAS from one of them, but if it has the LR tanks, that more than offsets the lower speed - and the Dynon Autopilot is already certified for it!

 

You'd be very lucky to get a P model to do 130, without feeding it a wallet withering amount of fuel. Mine needed 48-50 LPH, avgas or mogas, and only then got close to 130. It had the 0-470-R Continental. The Q model, (77-80), has the U engine, and those I've flown were generally faster than the P models - one actually did 138KTAS!! I'm unsure of the existence of a Mogas STC for the Q models. R models are few & far between, and far more expensive to buy. You really need a good reason to own a 182 - like 200+ hrs pa, and heavy loads.

 

Don't buy the aircraft you can't afford to fly...

Affirm! To that I'd add - ' or an aircraft with 4-6 seats, which you will rarely ever fill'

 

happy days,

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Guest Machtuk

My 8 (proper 8) works out at approx $220 Hr flown around 50 hrs a year. 180 kts means you cover those miles quickly? That old saying applies.....if you need to know the MPG on a RR then you can't afford it?

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I have an Rv7a

 

Latest annual cost me $2900 due to being the 1st one with this LAME and also had to pull the mags off and replace the sprockets (AD). the one before that cost me $1700

 

Hangarage at Caboolture is $330 ish per month

 

insurance is around $1400 / half year with a no claims bonus, $95000 insured hull value

 

Fuel, anywhere from 27 to 40 litres / hour, depending on what I'm doing. Tooling around or actually going somewhere at a great rate of knots. at whatever the going rate is (I dont even look at the bowser ?) its definitely the cheapest part of flying

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FIXED

 

Insurance.......................................... $2400 pa.#

 

Annual Inspection......................... $1500

 

Hangarage........................................ $1500

 

Landing Fees................................... $ 200

 

Avionics Checks ............................ $ 300

 

Only significant difference for us to these figures would be if its somewhere like Moorabbin or even Tyabb the hangarage would be at least $500 per month so $6,000 per annum for one aircraft. Moorabbin also has an access fee in excess of $2,000 per annum for an RV.

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Only significant difference for us to these figures would be if its somewhere like Moorabbin or even Tyabb the hangarage would be at least $500 per month so $6,000 per annum for one aircraft. Moorabbin also has an access fee in excess of $2,000 per annum for an RV.

 

Time to 'Escape from the City'

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Guest Machtuk

It's too blury to read but my machine based on 50 PA is around $220 HR. If you need to question the costs of owning a plane then that's a sign?

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