On Mon, 4 Aug 2003 22:01:26 -0500, "Jim Fisher"
wrote:

Long story but some financial doldrums I've experienced for the past year
look to be coming to an end. I sold my way-too-big house and am getting
into something less insane. Business is recovering and, I dare say,
rocking. My purdy wife still loves me. Life is good.

Glad to hear it.

More importantly, soaring into the wild-ass yonder is again in my future.

I've got a buddy who has the same model Cherokee 180 I once owned. We've
been going up every now and then and sharing wet costs. He's offered to put
me on his insurance as long as I'll pay the difference between what he and
his brother are paying now and whatever it will be when I am named on the
policy.

So what is that cost difference likely to be?

It depends on the company. Maybe a couple hundred, maybe nothing.
Part depends on how many hours and what ratings you have.

Second question: He doesn't fly much at all. Perhaps one a month or so.
Taking into account that I will be selflessly devoting time to keeping his
bird well-oiled and used to flying, what's a fair price to pay him per Hobbs
hour?

You said "fair price" so it gets down to how much it costs to operate
a Cherokee 180 per hour. Not the cost a lot of guys rationalize, but
"all costs", fixed and variable.

With 5 of us in a Cherokee 180 and all of us flying it worked out to
an average of just about a 100 hours per year each. Flying a lot
makes the per hour cost quite a bit cheaper and we came out at $37 per
hour. They still have five members, but aren't flying quite as much
so I believe they now figure around $42 per hour. Flying a plane 20
or 30 hours per year makes it *expensive* per hour. When I was flying
the Deb 130 hours per year it was costing me less than several of the
single owner 172s on the field.

Certainly there are those costs per hours such as engine overhaul
where you just divide the cost of a major by the hours to TBO and hope
the engine makes it all the way.

At any rate, there is no set figure, but for a plane that doesn't fly
much, the $42 figure would be ultra conservative. In reality it
probably costs 20 to 30% more to fly that plane than renting. So work
it out with your friend on a realistic basis and let your conscience
by your guide

Roger Halstead (K8RI EN73 & ARRL Life Member)
www.rogerhalstead.com
N833R World's oldest Debonair? (S# CD-2)