How’d you like to rent a Cessna 182 for $110 per hour? Or a Cessna 172 for $67.80 per hour or a Cessna 150 for $51.76 per your? Oh, and those rates include fuel. Did that grab your attention?
Ohio reader Thomas Root recently sent me a flyer from Galion, Ohio’s Galion Air that promotes its aircraft rental.
I called member Glenn Diebler to confirm what I was seeing.
“Yes, those are the current rates,” Glenn noted. “And we are currently selling a share of Galion Air, Inc., for $4,000.”
There are no monthly dues or annual costs so you only pay when you fly.
Galion Air has the stated goal of, “creating the lowest possible cost for flying in safe and well-maintained aircraft.” The corporation has 35 shares total, with “four to five available for sale.”
Of the 30-31 current members, “only eight to 10 members currently fly and that’s why were trying to get the word out,” continued Glenn.
The 182 only logged about 50 hours in the last 12 months, while the 172 and 150 were flown about double that each.
Do you live in the area? Give Glenn a call at 419-569-9254 or check it out online at GalionAir.com.
It doesn’t sound too far off. At KEAU, we have a C172M with 7 members. Shares sell for $7000 when one comes up for sale. Hourly $65/hr wet, monthly dues $85 (hangar, insurance, annual inspection). We split any mainenance costs 7 ways. I flew just over 100 hours last year and did the math… $75/hr for each hour logged.
Its a great idea, the new members are effectively being subsidised by the old inactive members. I hope they can keep growing
Hi Ben Sclair,
Here in Rio de Janeiro we are paying R$400 an hour for the C172. That is US$169.
Sounds like a good opportunity to get into flying at a reasonable cost.
The common wisdom is that aircraft have to be inordinately expensive to operate. The reality is somewhat different. As this piece illustrates so well, there are creative business people who have seen the future and are moving to fill a void in the marketplace. Yes, Virginia, it is possible to operate a flight school, flying club, or partnership using classic aircraft that are reasonably affordable to fly.
I’m encouraged to see this trend taking hold and getting more exposure. It’s not common yet, but it’s coming. And if you’re lucky enough to become friendly with another pilot who would like to fly with you, it’s possible for the two of you to fly for as little as $34.00 per hour each – even if you bring a date along for the ride. Now that’s getting interesting and has the potential for bringing new students into the mix, and bring old pilots back to the table.
Great piece. Thanks for the insight, GAN.
“Let’s do the math” sounds a lot like “let’s look at the statistics” which everyone knows can be manipulated to make anything look great. Let’s continue with the analysis. $68/hr wet rate – 5 gph * $5/gal = $43/hr to the company. Every 100 hrs there’s a check. Every year there’s a check. Every so often something breaks, tires go bald, more oil is needed, insurance has to be paid, …. Someone with some actual operating cost experience please provide the numbers, and let’s see if the company can stay in business before the 100 hr breakeven point is reached. We don’t fly because it is affordable or cost-effective.
Uh oh. Want to invest $ 4000 in a company that’s losing money on aircraft rentals? I don’t think so. You do the math………………………
What’s your plan ? Math teacher. It’s good to read someone is thinking out of the box , rather than some people blowing smoke out of their A _ _ ………..
Yes, lets do the math. The $4000 is an asset, it can be turned back to cash by selling it. There is no interest or dividend paid, so that is a lost income compared to other investments, say $300 per year. The rental on a 172 is $68, compared to $110 at my local airfield. That’s a savings of $42 per hour. If you fly 8 hours per year, the savings more than makes up for the lost interest. If you fly 100 hours, you have recovered your initial investment.
The point of the article, of course, was that it isn’t as expensive to fly as everyone thinks. Not if your willing to just break even. If they had an A&P willing to maintain the airplanes in exchange for a share, the rate could be even cheaper. There are ways.