In a message dated 12/13/2003 5:12:50 PM Central Standard Time,=20 VTAILJEFF@aol.com writes:

<= FONT=20 face=3DArial size=3D2>I can't remember all the details but he had a formul= a that=20 took gallons per hour (Rich of Peak) times price per gallon times a=20 constant and voila you had a pretty close estimate of your cost per flight= =20 hour. I think for a retract single the constant was 2.5 to 3.0. For a= =20 fixed gear single it was about 2.0 and for a light twin it was better than= =20 3.0.

Jeff,

You are right, It worked for my Skymaster clt twin when gas was ab= out=20 $2.20/gal, 20 gph times 3 equaled $132/hr - very close. However,=20 experimentals require carefully calculated adjustments.

Take a retractable single (please) -- Adjust the constant 2.= 5 as=20 follows:

subtract .5314466667 if the builder/repairman maintains the airplane an= d=20 more than one motorcycle,

only subtract .000122257 if the builder/repairman likes=20 "gadgets"

add .100067 if you live in Texas or Oklahoma and only do intrastate tra= vel=20 utilizing cheap avgas.

add 3.666667 if your airplane is based in an OPEC country not yet invad= ed=20 by the coalition (cheap gas again) and you actually fly.

add .5 if the owner bought the plane and uses a "certified" mechanic (l= ater=20 tool/parts purchases are not yet added in).

add 0 if the builder/owner is a "certified" A & P (general praction= er,=20 fabric speciality, prior boat owner, has his own roll of safety wire)

add 1.5 if the builder/owner did not do the firewall forward work = and=20 had the panel built by some cad/cam shop with professional termina= l=20 crimpers (ya still gotta drill your own holes later).

add 2.0 if the builder/owner is a certified jet mechanic and only knows= =20 what "vane" means (no, no, not vein - thats for doctor/pilots).

add another 1.0 for those "owners" that have had 3 or more=20 "incidents"

There are other positive adjustments (especially for those that=20 have executed their first high key without changing their voc= al=20 pitch, use mach numbers for all speed indications, only use straight in=20 approaches, can't remember where the "pitot heat" sw is, etc.).

Prop costs must be calculated separately.

Note: if I have failed to offend any specific group, please let me know= so=20 I can correct that in the future and become more compassionately=20 inclusive.

Scott=20 Krueger
Sky2high@aol.com
II-P N92EX IO320 Aurora, IL (KARR)

"..= .as=20 we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also k= now=20 there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do= not=20 know. But there are also unknown unknowns - the ones we don't know we don't=20 know." D. Rumsfeld