Piper PA 31 operating costs

[dstechnical]

Looking for current information on the costs of operating a navajo with a panther conversion. Also current tariff rates. Hourly and by the mile. Thanks

[Dash.Trash]

500.

[goingnowherefast]

500.

Probably pretty close to that...per hour.
140L/hr of avgas, so do the math on the airport price
Overhauls aren't cheap on those engines, and every 1800-2000hrs for each engine. Somewhere I heard that a small PT-6 is actually cheaper in terms of overhaul cost per flight hour. I'm talking King Air 90 size PT-6. Gravel will chew up props and damage flaps/gear. $500-$600/hr is probably pretty realistic. Of course it depends on operating environment, experience and care taken by the pilots, power settings used, flight length, etc. Heavy loads, short flights flown in the mountains by inexperienced pilots playing "throttle-yoyo", you'll have a high operating cost. Long legs, flown around flat land, more experienced pilots treating the engines nicely, and you'll have lower operating costs.

[Big Pistons Forever]

Canadian Transportation Agency has sample tariffs on their website+

[rigpiggy]

one of the guys I work for figures just under 900/hr for a C414. Can't see a navajo being much cheaper

[co-joe]

310, 325, or 350 horse variant?

[bigredone]

Here is a rough guide I heard ages ago and seems to hold water. $1/horsepower. Again, that was some 20 years ago and a rough guide but if you tack on inflation of 2%/yr and call it $1.25/hr direct operating cost. PA31-350 being 700HP then about $850/hr? Seems right.

[porcsord]

If it is in fact 850 an hour to operate a Navajo, you might as well go with a King Air. I suspect the direct operating costs are in the 1000-1200 range, and I'm not talking about a C90, that's for a 350. Of course this doesn't factor in lease or purchase payments. I'm sure you could pick up 10 Panthers for the price of a single 350. But it is 1/10th the airplane.

PS