low priced skymaster....

[JLemons]

Some really good advice on this thread. I believe the "general rule" regarding the amount of flight time you need to fly in a given year is 100 hrs to make owning an airplane worthwhile. So, that's what I used to determine a monthly expense. Roughly, that's 8 hours a month. If the Skymaster burns about 20gph then I could expect to spend at least $420/month on fuel. I realize insurance will be through the roof my first year so, I didn't factor it as part of the "norm". Instead, I used $3000/yr for insurance in hopes I would be that lucky. That brings another $250/month. My total now is $670 and will probably incur another $100 for the tie-down fee (my guess). So, even if I paid cash down for a Skymaster that is $29,500, I'm still looking at $770/month in operational expenses alone for 8 hours of flying. And what happens when an engine with over 2200 hours goes bad? Now I have to shop for a loan and spend another $400-$500/month in paying for an engine for a number of years. My current budget can't handle that risk at the moment. Sadly enough to say, I'm probably going to have to walk away from this particular purchase. Lastly, even with a close relative for maintenance support, he is very meticulous. I can see having to spend even more when the annual comes due. Perhaps now is not the time for me. For now, my income just doesn't measure up to the price tag of owning and operating a Skymaster.

James