Single-engine turbine helicopter · operating costs
Robinson R66 Operating Costs and Cost per Hour
A Robinson R66 costs about $1,870 an hour to operate at 200 hours a year: $268,000 a year fixed plus $529 per flight hour, itemised with sources.
CRAFT estimate, fuel priced October 4, 2026
At a glance
- Per flight hour at 200 hrs a year
- $1,867
- Per year at 200 hrs
- $373,372
- Fixed costs / year
- $267,572
- Variable / flight hour
- $529
- Jet A, $169/hr today
- Fuel burn
- 22 gal/hr
- 1 pilot, paid
- Crew assumed
- 1 crew
CRAFT estimates in USD for a U.S.-based aircraft. How we estimate them is below; every line has its source.
What a Robinson R66 costs per hour
The Robinson R66 is a single-engine turbine helicopter with 4 seats, burning 22 gallons of Jet A an hour. In our estimate it costs $529 for every hour it flies and $267,572 a year whether it flies or not. Spread over 200 hours a year, that is about $1,867 a flight hour; over 100 hours, $3,205; over 400, $1,198.
The estimate assumes a paid crew: 1 pilot. The largest single cost at 200 hours is crew salary, at $176,081 a year.
Robinson R66 cost calculator
Robinson R66 annual cost
$373,276 per year
$267,572 fixed + $529/hr × 200 hrs ($169/hr of it fuel: 22 gal at $7.66). About $1,866 per flight hour with the fixed costs spread over the hours. Robinson R66, CRAFT estimate.
Fixed costs
What the Robinson R66 costs a year before it flies an hour.
| Fixed costs | Per year | How it is worked out |
|---|---|---|
| Crew Salary | $176,081 | 1 captain at $123,220 (BLS median, commercial pilots), plus 43% for benefits and payroll costs (BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026).Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (released May 15, 2026); BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, June 2026 (released September 9, 2026) |
| Crew TrainingEstimate, $6,000 to $12,000 | $9,000 | Recurrent training each year for 1 pilot, at $6,000 to $12,000 per pilot for a single-engine turbine helicopter. CRAFT estimate. |
| HangarEstimate, $5,400 to $32,400 | $18,900 | From Concord-Padgett's helicopter hangar rate ($450 a month) to a Bell 407 footprint (42 ft long, 35 ft rotor) at Naples' $1.85 a square foot ($2,700): $450 to $2,700 a month. Big-city airports cost more, a tie-down much less.Source: Published airport hangar and tie-down rates (Concord-Padgett Regional, City of Concord NC; Naples Airport Authority FY2026) (read October 15, 2026) |
| Insurance | $34,091 | The maker's published insurance example: $34,091 a year, liability $3,072 and hull $31,019 for a pilot with 200 hours of helicopter time, 40 of them in an R66, and the Robinson safety course. A newer pilot pays more.Source: Robinson Helicopter Company, R66 NxG Riviera Estimated Operating Cost, 2026 |
| ManagementEstimate, $12,000 to $30,000 | $21,000 | A management company's fee of $1,000 to $2,500 a month for a single-engine turbine helicopter (crew, maintenance tracking, compliance and billing). CRAFT estimate.Source: Business Jet Traveler, "Is a management company right for you?" |
| Miscellaneous FixedEstimate, $5,000 to $12,000 | $8,500 | Navigation databases and charts, weather, maintenance tracking and office costs: $5,000 to $12,000 a year for a single-engine turbine helicopter. CRAFT estimate. |
| Total | $267,572 |
Variable costs
What each flight hour adds. Fuel is priced at $7.66 a gallon; every dollar a gallon moves the hourly cost by $22.
| Variable costs | Per flight hour | How it is worked out |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel Cost | $169 | 22 gallons of Jet A an hour (Robinson Helicopter Company, R66 NxG Riviera Estimated Operating Cost - 2026, '22.0 gph for average use' in the manufacturer's operating-cost estimate (priced at $6.27/gal); manufacturer estimate, not a POH table) at $7.66 a gallon, our estimated U.S. average FBO price for Jet A on 2026-10-04.Source: Robinson Helicopter Company, R66 NxG Riviera Estimated Operating Cost - 2026; CRAFT jet fuel price data |
| Maintenance | $49 | The maker's published estimate: $49 a flight hour, periodic inspections ($35.10) and unscheduled maintenance ($14.35), labor at $130 an hour.Source: Robinson Helicopter Company, R66 NxG Riviera Estimated Operating Cost, 2026 |
| Engine Overhaul | $112 | The maker's published engine reserve: $112 a flight hour (Robinson Helicopter Company), for the Rolls-Royce RR300's 2,000 and 4,000-hour maintenance intervals.Source: Robinson Helicopter Company, R66 NxG Riviera Estimated Operating Cost, 2026 |
| Rotor and Drive Components | $114 | The maker's required overhauls, reserved by the hour: 2,000-hour aircraft overhaul parts kit $125,000 over 2,000 hours ($63 an hour); 4,000-hour components $146,482 over 4,000 hours ($37 an hour); overhaul labor (225 hours at $130) $29,250 over 2,000 hours ($15 an hour). Prices from Robinson Helicopter Company.Source: Robinson Helicopter Company, R66 NxG Riviera Estimated Operating Cost, 2026 |
| Crew/Landing/Handling FeesEstimate, $30 to $100 | $65 | Landing and ramp fees and pilot travel: $30 to $100 a flight hour for a single-engine turbine helicopter. CRAFT estimate. |
| Miscellaneous VariableEstimate, $10 to $30 | $20 | Oil, cleaning and cabin supplies: $10 to $30 a flight hour. CRAFT estimate. |
| Total | $529 |
Annual cost at 100, 200 and 400 hours
| Hours a year | 100 hours | 200 hours | 400 hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed costs | $267,572 | $267,572 | $267,572 |
| Variable costs | $52,900 | $105,800 | $211,600 |
| Total a year | $320,472 | $373,372 | $479,172 |
| Per flight hour | $3,205 | $1,867 | $1,198 |
Robinson R66 specs
- Class
- Single-engine turbine helicopter
- Engines
- 1 × Rolls-Royce RR300
- Fuel
- Jet A
- Fuel burn
- 22 gal/hr
- Seats
- 4
- Cruise
- 110 kts
- Range
- 350 nm
- Max takeoff weight
- 2,700 lb
- Engine TBO
- 2,000 hours
- Price
- $1,777,500
Specs: Wikipedia, Wikipedia (Robinson R66). Price: the maker's list price new with standard equipment, Robinson Helicopter Company.
The Robinson R66 compared with similar aircraft
Same method, same fuel prices, at 200 hours a year.
| Aircraft | Per hour | Per year | Fuel burn |
|---|---|---|---|
Robinson R66Single-engine turbine helicopter | $1,867 | $373,372 | 22 gal/hr |
 MD 500CSingle-engine turbine helicopter | $2,390 | $478,031 | 23 gal/hr |
 Bell 206B3 JetRanger IIISingle-engine turbine helicopter | $2,421 | $484,231 | 27 gal/hr |
 MD 500ESingle-engine turbine helicopter | $2,428 | $485,631 | 28 gal/hr |
 Bell 505 Jet Ranger XSingle-engine turbine helicopter | $2,444 | $488,831 | 30 gal/hr |
 Airbus H120Single-engine turbine helicopter | $2,451 | $490,231 | 31 gal/hr |
How we estimate these costs
Every aircraft on our operating cost calculator is costed the same way: fixed costs a year plus a cost per flight hour, from public inputs. Crew pay comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, hangar rates from published airport schedules, insurance from a broker's published guidance, fuel from our fuel price data, and the fuel burn, engine overhaul interval and price from Robinson Helicopter Company. Lines marked “estimate” are the midpoint of a stated range for single-engine turbine helicopters, not a quote. Nothing here comes from another cost calculator or a broker's budgets.
- Not included: the purchase price, financing, depreciation, sales tax, upgrades and paint or interior work, and any rental or charter income.
- What moves it most: hours flown (fixed costs spread thinner), the fuel price, where it is hangared, the pilot's experience (insurance) and the aircraft's age (maintenance).
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Frequently asked questions
How much does a Robinson R66 cost per hour?
About $1,870 a flight hour flown 200 hours a year, in CRAFT's estimate: $529 an hour in direct costs (fuel, maintenance, engine and parts reserves, fees) plus $267,572 a year in fixed costs spread over the hours. Flown 100 hours it is about $3,200 an hour; flown 400, about $1,200.
How much does it cost to own a Robinson R66 for a year?
About $373,000 a year flown 200 hours: $267,572 in fixed costs (crew salary, crew training, hangar, insurance, management, miscellaneous fixed) and $105,800 in hourly costs. The purchase price, financing and depreciation are not included.
How much does a Robinson R66 cost to buy?
The maker's list price new with standard equipment: $1,777,500 (Robinson Helicopter Company). Used aircraft sell for less, depending on age, hours, engine time and equipment.
How much fuel does a Robinson R66 burn?
22 gallons of Jet A an hour (Robinson Helicopter Company, R66 NxG Riviera Estimated Operating Cost - 2026). At $7.66 a gallon, the estimated U.S. average FBO price for Jet A on October 4, 2026, that is $169 a flight hour. Every dollar a gallon moves it by $22.
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