tie-down and hangar charges

S

secretapproach

New Member
I was thinking (very preliminarily) about buying myself an old Cessna 150 or 152 to fly for fun on the weekends and was wondering if anyone knew how much tie-down or hangar fees tend to run. I live in South Florida (Fort Lauderdale) but am interested in example numbers from anywhere around the country.

I keep thinking about flying and wonder if maybe it's cheaper to own my own aircraft than to rent. Then I could do things like fly to Key West or Tampa for the weekend and actually stay overnight. I'd love to talk with someone who has done this and can give me some insight into costs and especially pitfalls.

Thanks!
 
secretapproach said:
I was thinking (very preliminarily) about buying myself an old Cessna 150 or 152 to fly for fun on the weekends and was wondering if anyone knew how much tie-down or hangar fees tend to run. I live in South Florida (Fort Lauderdale) but am interested in example numbers from anywhere around the country.

I keep thinking about flying and wonder if maybe it's cheaper to own my own aircraft than to rent. Then I could do things like fly to Key West or Tampa for the weekend and actually stay overnight. I'd love to talk with someone who has done this and can give me some insight into costs and especially pitfalls.

Thanks!
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Tie downs at most of the airports out here that I have prices for are about $50/month. Just call up the airport(s) you would want to be based at.
 
Hangar at 2m8 just north of Memphis = $250/mo
Tiedown at 2m8= I think its around 30 or 40/mo
I keep my plane in a hangar at 2m8..The best part about a hangar is if you just want to "hang out" at the airport, well you have a place to sit and BS with some friends. Aside the social part of it, you are also protecting you investment by keeping it sheltered.
 
At my airport (KUZA) the charges were about $50/month outside tiedown, $130/month "shadeport" (roof but no walls), and I think about $200+/month for a hangar. The paint, plastics, etc. will age a lot faster outside, so you have to think about whether resale is a big issue for you.

Owning is usually not cheaper on a per-hour basis unless you fly a lot (typical breakeven is 75-100 hours per year). However, there are many other benefits. For example, if you want to take one of those long weekend trips, you know the plane is available and you don't have to pay a minimum fee if you keep it on "non-flying" days during the trip. Also, 150s and 152s are getting to where they can be had for "reasonable" prices instead of the jacked-up numbers you see for anything else aviation related.

Also, you don't have students and careless renters beating up the plane, and you don't have to deal with the typcial shoestring FBO MX budget where at least one radio is always broken, etc. Especially if you plan on long trips or IFR it give you a chance to get to know the plane thoroughly and build confidence in it.

Finally, 150s are eligible for an STC to operate on auto fuel. FBOs aren't going to allow this but if you own the plane it will drastically reduce your fuel costs.

Be sure to check out the Cessna 150-152 club online. Lots of good information and helpful owners there.
 
"FBOs aren't going to allow this but if you own the plane it will drastically reduce your fuel costs."

I used to run what loosely could be called a flying club at KBFI. I ran autogas in all my airplanes. I know the school in KPUW has autogas on the airport and I think they run it in their 152's.

Anyhow, I think airplane ownership is a great option for those starting out in the career. Very few do it, though. Do some searching around the forum, as it's been talked about quite a bit. Also, one of our members here just got a Cessna 140 after asking all these same questions about six months ago.
 
Also remember living in South Florida you have Hurricane season. Unless you are sure you can fly the plane out and leave your house/family behind you may want to hook up with a flight school or private individuals and develop a EVAC plan for your airplane.
 
Thanks for all the great info. I checked out the club website: http://www.cessna150-152club.com/ and there is a lot of good stuff on there. They have a cost-of-ownership calculator in spreadsheet format that is very enlightening.

I appreciate everyone's help!


JHines said:
At my airport (KUZA) the charges were about $50/month outside tiedown, $130/month "shadeport" (roof but no walls), and I think about $200+/month for a hangar. The paint, plastics, etc. will age a lot faster outside, so you have to think about whether resale is a big issue for you.

...

Be sure to check out the Cessna 150-152 club online. Lots of good information and helpful owners there.
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You should also take the advice of the 150-152 club and get a "buying buddy" - someone familiar with the type who will look at the plane you are drooling over with a hard, cold, objective eye.

There are a ton of 150-152s out there, pick one free of major problems and you won't be sorry.

If you're used to working on your house or car, you'll find that parts for certified aircraft are the closest thing there is to legalized rape, and repairs can be a close second. Be sure to get a thorough prebuy inspection.
 
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