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Unread 12-31-15, 09:32 AM
edasmus edasmus is offline
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Your estimate might be OK some years. Likely not the first several years though. Frankly in my opinion it is almost impossible to predict what it will cost annually to own a 50 year old complex airplane. Obviously the fixed costs are easy but maintenance is such a huge wild card. Your $8500 annual maintenance budget (unless you're an AP/IA doing the work yourself) is likely too low most years in my experience operating a 1973 337G since 2002. My annual maintenance range has been $8000 (best year) to $21,000 (first and worst year). I consider anything under $10,000 in annual maintenance an excellent year. I don't start feeling sad until the maintenance expenses start to exceed $15,000 but I still pay them with ease. I can't stress enough the importance of being able to routinely pay maintenance expenses much higher than planned. Parking the airplane in the Wx will increase your maintenance costs also.

SkyMasters are awesome airplanes. They really are, however you gotta have the money and be OK with spending it or they, as any airplane will eat you alive.

Good Luck!

Ed Asmus
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