cessna 172?

Question

From experience what is the average hourly rate of operating one.
Not including hanger rent, purchase, or insurance. Strictly maintence and fuel. I plan to fly from my little dirt strip about 200 hours a year.

Thanks for the answers so far. I think after further research I will pave the strip and make it 800 ft. As far as weight I mainly need the plane to close the 300 mile gap between me and my children every other weekend plus school plays, etc. They are 6 and 8 I should be able to make the weight requiremet. Oh and the nearest obstacle of any height is more than a mile away. These are all great points to take into consideration. I trained in a cub so I just wanted some real world facts
thanks

Thanks for the answers so far. I think after further research I will pave the strip and make it 800 ft. As far as weight I mainly need the plane to close the 300 mile gap between me and my children every other weekend plus school plays, etc. They are 6 and 8 I should be able to make the weight requiremet. Oh and the nearest obstacle of any height is more than a mile away. These are all great points to take into consideration. I trained in a cub so I just wanted some real world facts
thanks

Answer 1

What you are after are your per hour variable costs:
Fuel : 6gph @ $3.00 per gallon = $18.00
Oil: 1/2 qt per hour @ $5.00 per quart = $2.50
Inspection Reserve: $12.50
Airframe Maintenance Reserve: $23.00
Engine Overhaul/Replacement Reserve: $10.00
Propellor Overhaul/Replacement Reserve: $2.00

Total variable costs per flight hour: $68.00

If you are flying 200 hours a year, you should set aside $2,500 a year to cover your annual inspection, 4 oil and filter changes, 2 50 hour inspections and 1 100 hour inspection.
You should be setting aside $4,600 a year for parts and labor for tires, brakes, batteries and any unexpected maintenance items that will inevitably crop up.
Your engine/propellor reserve for the year should total up to about $2,400.
At the end of the year your operating costs will be about $13,600.

Your fixed costs are going to be things like insurance, hanger costs, ect.

Answer 2

The main cost is going to be fuel at about $4 a gallon, but fuel prices vary greatly, going up to $6 at some airports.
Im not sure what kind of 172 you are looking at, but mine gets about 120mph from 7 gallons per hour, and up to 140mph from 10gph.
The maintanence is about $3500 a year, and the annual was $1200. There is no 100hr inspection unless you are running a commercial operation, or a flight school.

If you really want a plane to fly out of a dirt strip, the cessna 172 is not your plane.
First thing, You will never be able to operate out of a short runway with more than yourself onboard. The distance required to take off and miss a 50ft object can exceed 1400ft very easily, especially if you arent pretty good at soft field takeoffs.
Second thing, with full tanks, the 172 can only carry three 175lb people, or two 260lb people. That means that the back seat is just about useless.

You should look at a piper cub, or supercub, which is a 150-180hp version of the cub, and can take off in as little as 200ft.

Answer 3

Strictly maintenance and fuel leaves out many very real costs of ownership, but that being said...

Plan on a fuel burn rate of ~9 gph. The link below should give you a decent idea of what your avgas prices are in your area. (Assuming you're in the US.) You should assume a minimum hourly maintenance reserve of $25 for an aircraft such as the C172 with a 160 to 180 hp engine and fixed gear. This is needed to cover the simple stuff, like oil changes (although that's one of the few things you could do yourself with an FAA Airframe/Powerplant mechanic's license), and 100 hour and annual inspections. If you really do fly 200 hours per year, the second 100 hr and the annual inspection will be one and the same, saving a bit o' maintenance cost.

So, for 9 gph at an average $4 per gallon for 100LL right now, plus the $25, a reasonable guess is around $60. Strictly maintenance and fuel.

Answer 4

You better be really good to operate the 172 out of an 800 ft strip.