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LettersDear Dave:Great article in the latest editionof your magazine (Aug/Sept 2012),but Senator Miller is sadly mistakenwhen he states that aviation is a nonpartisanissue. The lunk-headed andself-serving politicians that chastisedthe auto executives for having thetemerity to actually fly corporate jetsto Washington, DC for their publicbrowbeating, still has me incensed.How much damage this actually didto our industry can be debated, but itkilled at least one corporate hangar dealfor my firm. In this economy, that dealwas a precious commodity to lose. TheDemocrats led this charge and Sen.Miller has a D after his name.I, too, will be interested to hear ifthe Hon. Mark Miller made that flightto EAA with a true patriot, GovernorScott Walker. Unfortunately, I suspect Iknow the answer.Thanks, and keep up the good workat Midwest Flyer Magazine.Dan Watring, Jr., Project ManagerVJS Lincoln, Inc.Pewaukee, WisconsinDear Dan:A number of key issues came up theweek of EAA AirVenture this year, andI am certain as majority senate leaderthat Sen. Miller was consumed withthose issues and could not attend whenthe governor attended. The idea forSen. Miller to join the governor to theworld’s greatest aviation event was alsoa last-minute suggestion on our part,so hopefully it is something they willconsider for 2013. It certainly would bebeneficial for all concerned.Dave WeimanEditor/PublisherMidwest Flyer MagazineDear Dave:I am a student pilot and I live inthe Quad Cities. I read a Midwest FlyerMagazine I got at Oshkosh and fell inlove with it. I can't wait to get my nextissue!Andrew Poppy(New Subscriber)Port Byron, Illinois8 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2012 MIDWEST FLYER MAGAZINEDear Dave:After several hours of flying withan instructor, I successfully completedmy flight review, 25 years after my lastset of touch and goes. The thrill is backand it is better now because I’m notconstrained by having to work 40 hoursper week, and I’m in a much betterfinancial situation.I currently rent planes, but oftenwhen I want to fly, the planes I fly aretaken. I expect I would have the sameproblem with a flying club.I think I would like to fly to visitrelatives and friends in neighboringstates with the intention of staying 2or 3 days, partially depending on theweather. So renting a plane for this isawkward.So I have thought about purchasinga used plane. I have found many used172s for a wide variety of prices. I canfind hangar prices and insurance. Thetwo costs I can’t get an estimate on areAsk Pete!by Pete SchoeningerEmail your questions toPete.Harriet@gmail.comDear Ken:You have twoitems to consider:“direct hourlyoperating costs,”which are primarilya function of hoursflown; and “fixedyearly costs,” whichare recurring annualexpenses.Direct hourly operating costs perhour might be as follows: fuel and oil,Pete Schoeninger$50; engine depreciation $10; airframemaintenance, $10. So let’s say roughly,$70 per hour in direct hourly operatingcosts.Fixed annual costs are hangar rentalaveraging $2,000; annual inspection,$1,500; and insurance, $1,500, totaling$5,000.In other words, our sample airplanemight cost you $5,000 to own it for athe annuals and the major overhauls.Do you have any idea what those couldrun? I’m thinking I can get a fair 172for under $50,000.I probably wouldn’t put on a lot ofhours per year and could change the oilmyself.Is there any source for finding outthe real cost of airplane ownership? Ineed some kind of figure to convincemy wife that it is feasible.Thanks, Dave.Ken LandersOregon, WisconsinHi Ken!I forwarded your question on toaviation expert, Pete Schoeninger, toanswer your question in his “Ask Pete”column immediately following thismemo.Thank you for your interest inMidwest Flyer Magazine.Dave WeimanEditor/Publisheryear, plus $70 per hour to operate it.If you fly it 100 hours per year, yourexpenses are $7,000 (100 hours X$70) for operating costs, plus $5,000for fixed costs, or $12,000 in total,or $120 per hour. Note, these areestimates only and your actual figuresmay be a lot more or less dependingon the condition of the airplane whenyou buy it, local fuel costs, hangarcosts, the amount of insurance you arecomfortable carrying, how much youfly, how much maintenance you doyourself, etc. Remember, the more youfly, the less the fixed cost rate will be perhour.Justifying aircraft ownership caninvolve the tax savings for legitimatebusiness uses, transportation safety,reducing travel time, a comparisonbetween the cost of aircraftmaintenance compared with automaintenance, and choosing flying overother forms of recreation. An airplanestands a chance of increasing in value,while most cars will decrease in value.Right now is an excellent time to buyan airplane with interest rates low, andthe used market somewhat flat. q