cost tracking

[davevramp]

Does any have a good excel program for keeping track of costs
Thanks for the help in advance
Dave

[lowNslow]

Believe me, you don't want to know.

[N170BP]

That was going to be my response.

It's an old joke/saying, but here goes anyway:

How much money will it take to own & operate an [insert type of
aircraft here]?

Answer: Why, all of it of course!

[zero.one.victor]

I have a little notebook in which I keep track of all the money I spend on the airplane, as well as the fuel purchases. In the 7 years I have owned my 170, I have flown it 1,217 tach hours for an average of 173 hours a year,burned 9,494 gallons of gas for an average of 7.8 gph, and spent $53,935 (including a major overhaul) for an average of $44.30 per hour total costs. If and when I sell it, I will take the difference between purchase price back in 1997 & the sale price, and apply it to operating costs. For example, if I sell it tomorrow for 10K more than what I bought it for, I'd deduct 10K from the operating costs, which would then average out to 36.10 per hour.
The little notebook is pretty low-tech, but we're not talking about cost analysis for the Sopace Shuttle program here.
Looking at the total money spent, though,I have to go along with Bela & Low-n-slow's comments! Man, that's a lot of cabbage! Better not to even think about it.

Eric

[Dave Clark]

The thing is, if the checkbook has a positive balance you're not flying enough.

My first aircraft was an Aeronca Chief 65hp back in 1974. It was said that if you stuck your hand in your pocket and the change rattled you had enough to go flying. Things have changed a bit.

I have learned to shred my receipts immediately.

[170C]

I don't want my wife seeing this kind of stuff. She would probably tell me it cost too much to do. I doubt the above cost figures included hangar rent or insurance. Someone once told me "If you have to ask what it costs to own/operate an airplane, you can't afford it" and I have to agree.

[N1478D]

Didn't someone on here once say that if you haven't spent any money on your airplane recently to grab a handfull of dollars and throw it at either the airplane or hangar just to keep things right!

[zero.one.victor]

I don't want my wife seeing this kind of stuff. She would probably tell me it cost too much to do. I doubt the above cost figures included hangar rent or insurance. Someone once told me "If you have to ask what it costs to own/operate an airplane, you can't afford it" and I have to agree.

The costs I quoted include everything I spent operating my 170, and I do mean everything-- gas, oil, parts,repairs, annual inspections, insurance, hangar condo fees, property tax on my hangar, airplane registration fees,etc.
The per-hour figure really looked good before I had to major the engine. Even now, it's way cheaper than if I was to have rented even a lesser plane such as a 150/152. A lot of the costs such as hangar, insurance,annual etc need to be paid even if you don't fly, so it's easy to rationalize flying a lot--keeps the per-hour costs reasonable! ("at that rate, honey, I can't afford NOT to fly my own!")

Eric

Eric

[mrpibb]

The little notebook is pretty low-tech, but we're not talking about cost analysis for the Sopace Shuttle program here.

Some of us call that a PPA ( personal paper assistant) much easier to operate than those PDA's
Vic

[Curtis Brown]

I have been keeping a spread sheet in microsoft works of all (and I do mean all) expenses. Fuel, repairs, engine overhaul, modifications, annuals, insurance, hangar and it goes on and on. I began this a few years ago when I took over full ownership and begin my restoration of the ole bird. I have done a little bit along as I continued to fly her. I now have about 280 hrs on the fresh engine. If I were try to figure and hourly cost at this time it would be very high. I have spent $65,147.11 on Delta's restoration. She came out of the paint shop last spring and she looks like a new bird. She really needs nothing at all now and the project is complete. Next, I hope to buy into IFR equipment and that could be 10 to 15 K more. I will never be able to sell her for what I have invested. But I really believe it will be my beneficiaries that will be selling or flyer her. I love her that much but not as much as I love my new wife who is a boat lover. Thankfully my wife loves to fly as well. One day we hope to have a hole in the water to throw money into as well as a hole in the sky.
Operating cost at the time is about $232 per hour. Well I must go flying now and work on getting that average cost down a bit.

[Curtis Brown]

If anyone what like to see that spreadsheet I can send it to you. I would guess that I could export it out of msworks. Maybe just cut and paste to email.