Aircraft operating cost calculator

It depends mostly on the type and on how many hours it flies. In our estimates at 200 hours a year, the median piston airplane costs about $300 a flight hour, helicopter $2,890, turboprop $2,590, private jet $7,750, with the fixed costs spread over the hours. Flying fewer hours raises the hourly figure, because hangar, insurance and crew cost the same either way.

From about $320 an hour for the Robinson R22 Beta II to $10,630 for the Airbus H225, at 200 hours a year in our estimates. Piston helicopters are usually owner-flown; turbine and twin-engine helicopters carry paid pilots, larger reserves for rotor and drive-train parts, and higher insurance.

A piston airplane costs about $220 to $690 a flight hour in our estimates (200 hours a year, owner-flown), median $300. Fuel, the engine overhaul reserve, hangar and insurance are most of it.

Pick an aircraft, set the hours you expect to fly and the fuel price you pay. It adds the model's fixed costs a year to its hourly cost (fuel at your price plus maintenance, reserves and fees) times your hours, and divides by the hours for a cost per flight hour. For owner-flown types it can add a hired pilot. Every line behind the numbers is on the model's page with its source.

Each one makes different assumptions about crew, hangar, insurance and reserves, and many don't say what they are. Ours are stated line by line on every model's page, with the source for each input and the range behind every estimate, so you can change what doesn't fit your situation.