Operating costs
Helicopter operating costs by model
What a helicopter costs per hour and per year, model by model, from a piston Robinson to a heavy twin.
35 models · median $2,890 a flight hour at 200 hours a year · CRAFT estimates
Helicopters
What sets the cost of helicopters
- Rotor and drive-train parts have fixed lives, so a helicopter reserves money for them every hour it flies, on top of the engine.
- Insurance is a larger share than on an airplane. A broker's published guidance puts hull cover for small helicopters at 4% to 10% of value a year; Robinson's own 2026 examples, for a 200-hour pilot, come to under 2%.
- Piston helicopters are usually flown by their owners; turbine and twin-engine helicopters carry paid pilots, and the medium and heavy twins two of them.
| Class | Models | Median per hour |
|---|---|---|
| Piston helicopterOwner-flown | 2 | $390 |
| Single-engine turbine helicopter1 pilot | 16 | $2,490 |
| Light twin helicopter1 pilot | 6 | $3,920 |
| Medium twin helicopter2 pilots | 8 | $7,150 |
| Heavy twin helicopter2 pilots | 3 | $10,590 |
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Helicopters cost calculator
Helicopters operating cost calculator
$64,395 per year
$20,139 fixed + $221/hr × 200 hrs ($59/hr of it fuel: 8 gal at $7.41). About $322 per flight hour with the fixed costs spread over the hours. Robinson R22 Beta II, CRAFT estimate.
Every line of the Robinson R22 Beta II estimate, with sources
Every model
Operating cost of every helicopter we estimate
35 aircraft. Costs at 200 hours a year, CRAFT estimates.
 Robinson R22 Beta IIOwner-flown | Piston helicopter | $322 | $64,339 | 8 gal/hr100LL | 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Robinson R44 Raven IIOwner-flown | Piston helicopter | $460 | $91,968 | 15 gal/hr100LL | 3 |
 Robinson R661 pilot | Single-engine turbine helicopter | $1,867 | $373,372 | 22 gal/hrJet A | 4 |
 MD 500C1 pilot | Single-engine turbine helicopter | $2,390 | $478,031 | 23 gal/hrJet A | n/a |
 Bell 206B3 JetRanger III1 pilot | Single-engine turbine helicopter | $2,421 | $484,231 | 27 gal/hrJet A | 4 |
 MD 500E1 pilot | Single-engine turbine helicopter | $2,428 | $485,631 | 28 gal/hrJet A | n/a |
 Bell 505 Jet Ranger X1 pilot | Single-engine turbine helicopter | $2,444 | $488,831 | 30 gal/hrJet A | 4 |
 Airbus H1201 pilot | Single-engine turbine helicopter | $2,451 | $490,231 | 31 gal/hrJet A | 4 |
 MD 520N1 pilot | Single-engine turbine helicopter | $2,459 | $491,831 | 32 gal/hrJet A | n/a |
 MD 530F1 pilot | Single-engine turbine helicopter | $2,474 | $494,831 | 34 gal/hrJet A | n/a |
 Bell 206L LongRanger1 pilot | Single-engine turbine helicopter | $2,505 | $501,031 | 38 gal/hrJet A | n/a |
 MD 600N1 pilot | Single-engine turbine helicopter | $2,528 | $505,631 | 41 gal/hrJet A | 7 |
 Bell 4071 pilot | Single-engine turbine helicopter | $2,559 | $511,831 | 45 gal/hrJet A | 6 |
 Eurocopter AS350 BA1 pilot | Single-engine turbine helicopter | $2,559 | $511,831 | 45 gal/hrJet A | n/a |
 Airbus H1251 pilot | Single-engine turbine helicopter | $2,597 | $519,431 | 50 gal/hrJet A | 6 |
 Airbus H1301 pilot | Single-engine turbine helicopter | $2,620 | $524,031 | 53 gal/hrJet A | n/a |
 Leonardo AW119 Koala1 pilot | Single-engine turbine helicopter | $2,635 | $527,031 | 55 gal/hrJet A | 7 |
 Bell 205A-11 pilot | Single-engine turbine helicopter | $2,888 | $577,631 | 88 gal/hrJet A | n/a |
 MBB BO 1051 pilot | Light twin helicopter | $3,774 | $754,801 | 55 gal/hrJet A | 3 |
 Airbus H1351 pilot | Light twin helicopter | $3,843 | $768,601 | 64 gal/hrJet A | 6 |
 MD 902 Explorer1 pilot | Light twin helicopter | $3,882 | $776,401 | 69 gal/hrJet A | 6 |
 Bell 4291 pilot | Light twin helicopter | $3,958 | $791,601 | 79 gal/hrJet A | 7 |
 Airbus H1451 pilot | Light twin helicopter | $3,966 | $793,201 | 80 gal/hrJet A | 9 |
 Bell 222UT1 pilot | Light twin helicopter | $3,989 | $797,801 | 83 gal/hrJet A | n/a |
 Sikorsky S-76D2 pilots | Medium twin helicopter | $7,029 | $1,405,750 | 89.6 gal/hrJet A | 8 |
 Sikorsky S-76C++2 pilots | Medium twin helicopter | $7,032 | $1,406,350 | 90 gal/hrJet A | 12 |
 Airbus H1552 pilots | Medium twin helicopter | $7,071 | $1,414,150 | 95 gal/hrJet A | 13 |
 Bell 2122 pilots | Medium twin helicopter | $7,109 | $1,421,750 | 100 gal/hrJet A | 14 |
 Bell 412EP2 pilots | Medium twin helicopter | $7,186 | $1,437,150 | 110 gal/hrJet A | 13 |
 Sikorsky S-58T2 pilots | Medium twin helicopter | $7,224 | $1,444,750 | 115 gal/hrJet A | n/a |
 Leonardo AW1392 pilots | Medium twin helicopter | $7,331 | $1,466,150 | 129 gal/hrJet A | 15 |
 Bell 214ST2 pilots | Medium twin helicopter | $7,362 | $1,472,350 | 133 gal/hrJet A | 16 |
 Sikorsky S-61N2 pilots | Heavy twin helicopter | $10,526 | $2,105,197 | 170 gal/hrJet A | 25 |
 Sikorsky S-922 pilots | Heavy twin helicopter | $10,587 | $2,117,397 | 178 gal/hrJet A | 19 |
 Airbus H2252 pilots | Heavy twin helicopter | $10,626 | $2,125,197 | 183 gal/hrJet A | 24 |
8 aircraft we cover but don't estimate yet, and why
- Airbus H175: No published fuel burn we could cite: the maker's documents we could reach don't state one and no government rate schedule lists it.
- Bell 230: No published fuel burn we could cite: the maker's documents we could reach don't state one and no government rate schedule lists it.
- Bell 430: No published fuel burn we could cite: the maker's documents we could reach don't state one and no government rate schedule lists it.
- Enstrom 480B: No published fuel burn we could cite: the maker's documents we could reach don't state one and no government rate schedule lists it.
- Enstrom F-28F: No published fuel burn we could cite: the maker's documents we could reach don't state one and no government rate schedule lists it.
- Leonardo AW109: No published fuel burn we could cite: the maker's documents we could reach don't state one and no government rate schedule lists it.
- Leonardo AW169: No published fuel burn we could cite: the maker's documents we could reach don't state one and no government rate schedule lists it.
- Sikorsky S-76B: No published fuel burn we could cite: the maker's documents we could reach don't state one and no government rate schedule lists it.
Other types: piston aircraft operating costs, turboprop operating costs, private jet operating costs, regional airliner operating costs, or every aircraft.
Method
How every estimate is built
The same formula for every aircraft: fixed costs a year (crew, training, hangar, insurance, management, inspections) plus a cost per flight hour (fuel, maintenance, engine and parts reserves, fees). Annual cost is fixed costs plus the hourly cost times the hours flown; the hourly figure we quote spreads the fixed costs over 200 hours.
- Fuel: each model's published fuel burn, times one price for every aircraft that burns that fuel: Jet A at $7.66 a gallon and 100LL avgas at $7.41, the U.S. average FBO prices in our fuel price data. A model without a published fuel burn gets no estimate.
- Crew: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics pay plus employer benefits. Piston airplanes, piston helicopters and the owner-flown turboprop singles assume the owner flies: the crew line is $0 and every page has a switch to add a hired pilot.
- Hangar and insurance: published airport hangar schedules, and an aviation insurance broker's published premiums and hull rates, applied to each model's published price where there is one.
- Maintenance and reserves: engine reserves from the maker's time between overhauls and a published overhaul price where one exists; otherwise, and for maintenance, a stated range for the class, midpoint used and shown on every page.
- Not included: the purchase price, financing, depreciation, taxes, upgrades, and any rental or charter income.
Sources
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (released May 15, 2026)
- BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, June 2026 (released September 9, 2026)
- Published airport hangar and tie-down rates (Concord-Padgett Regional, City of Concord NC; Naples Airport Authority FY2026) (read October 15, 2026)
- Published airport hangar rates (Concord-Padgett Regional, City of Concord NC; Naples Airport Authority FY2026; Pierce County WA; Smith Reynolds, Forsyth County NC) (read October 5, 2026)
- BWI Aviation Insurance, "How much is aircraft insurance? A complete 2026 cost breakdown" (January 4, 2026)
- BWI Aviation Insurance, "Helicopter insurance cost" (January 28, 2020)
- Robinson Helicopter Company, Estimated Operating Cost sheets for the R22, R44 Raven II and R66, 2026
- USDA Forest Service, Helicopter Services Hourly Flight Rates, Fuel Consumption, and Weight Reduction Chart (contracts awarded 2013 to 2017, effective February 16, 2019)
- CRAFT jet fuel price data
- CRAFT fuel price data: AirNav Fuel Price Report, national 100LL average
- FAA task orders for recurrent pilot training with FlightSafety International (USAspending.gov) (orders 2024 to 2026)
- Pilatus CrystalCare example calculations (2026 brochures)
- Fuel burn: the maker's published figure (flight manual, spec sheet or operating-cost sheet) or the USDA Forest Service's helicopter fuel consumption chart; engine overhaul intervals from Lycoming, Continental and the airframe makers. Each is listed on the model's page.
We do not use other cost calculators' or brokers' published budgets. Spot something wrong? Tell us.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a helicopter cost per hour?
In our estimates at 200 hours a year, from $320 an hour (Robinson R22 Beta II) to $10,630 (Airbus H225), median $2,890. That counts the fixed costs spread over the hours as well as fuel, maintenance and reserves.
How much does a helicopter cost a year to own?
The median model costs about $578,000 a year flown 200 hours, before the purchase price, financing and depreciation. Piston helicopter: about $78,000; Single-engine turbine helicopter: about $498,000; Light twin helicopter: about $784,000; Medium twin helicopter: about $1,429,000; Heavy twin helicopter: about $2,117,000.
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