If flying were so hard it wouldn't be one of the lowest paying jobs.

A new Phenom is easier to fly and more automated than a 10 year old CJ. The trend will continue and the only folks complaining are the ones suffering from Old Timey Pilot Think. ha

I think you can run a CJ2/3 for that cost.

Flying 300 hours/year:

Fuel @120 GPH @$2.50 = $300
Engines @ $150 * 2 = $300
Maintenance $25,000/yr = $83
Insurance $15,000/yr = $50
Hangar $30,000/yr = $100
Navdata - $5,000/yr = $17
P&I Reserve - $7,500 = $25

Hourly cost for 300 hours/yr = $875

Cost/NM @ 350kts = $2.70

Anything material I am missing in mine that you have in your $1,000/hr? At 250kts block speed it is costing you $4/nm.

This is exactly the sort of false comfort that leads to high accident rates.

Complexity of aircraft systems hardly ever factors into GA accidents. Lack of pilot judgment, particularly continuing into riskier situations, is a major factor, and you can't automate that away in the design of the machine. Telling Cirrus pilots they can be lesser trained is a recipe for disaster, and the early SR series accident rate showed that. What fix it? More training.

You can be darn sure the FSB (Flight Standards Board, the people who set the standards for type ratings) is not going to give SF50 pilots a pass on the type rating. I think we are going to find a bunch of soft SR22 pilots who can't cut the mustard when it comes to a jet type rating, even on a slow limited jet. It would not surprise me if half the pilots showing up for the SF50 course have deficient hand flown instrument skills.

Mike C.

That's the first time Ive ever heard anyone claim a CJ3 costs $1k an hour to operate.

Unless you upgrade it to a G1000....

Jet-A at $2.50 helps alot. At $5.00 it would add $300/hour.

Insurance has dropped almost in half over the last 5 years.

The fixed costs makes low utilization expensive. Fly it 100 hours and it would cost $1425/hour with my numbers.

Jet-A at $2.50 helps alot. At $5.00 it would add $300/hour.

Insurance has dropped almost in half over the last 5 years.

The fixed costs makes low utilization expensive. Fly it 100 hours and it would cost $1425/hour with my numbers.

Cheap gas definitely puts a dent in jet operating expenses.

My insurance payment is a lot higher than yours. I wonder what $25mm in a CJ3 would be for me?

Also, my FBO fees are considerably less than a jet. I wonder how they would play in?

Cirrus also has reasonable conformity across their aircraft fleet.

You have a wide range of Bonanzas and Barons on BT with varying engines and avionics and model differences.

Cirrus brought down to the piston SE practices the turbine fleet has been doing for years.

Why is there no similar program for Avgas? Just not enough demand?

Yup

My insurance was a lot higher a few years ago. I don't know how much of the drop was based on increased experience versus market competition. You have to work with a really good experienced broker. I am sure you will pay more then me, I have a really good deal.

I try to avoid the high fee FBOs. Rarely go to Signature, Atlantic, or Landmark.

Do you carry $25MM or more on insurance? Mine would be a lot lower if I would agree to $5MM.

I avoid high fee FBO's too but many of the places I fly it isn't really an option.

The reason I didn't buy a CJ3 when I bought my PC12 in 2013 was because the CJ3 was $5MM and the PC12 was in the low 3's. Operating expenses aren't my issue. Now that I have a PC12 I'm just holding off because jet prices keep dropping with all the new ones coming out. And, believe it or not, the PC12 does have several advantages over the CJ3 and Phenom that I will miss if and when I make the switch.

Allen,

Your 2+ is thrifty. I burn a bunch more in the boss' CJ4. Usually close to 1600 first hour 1200 after at 40/41. Maybe 900 at 450. A little faster, not so much difference on a short trip though. Company policy is to use go fast mode so we sit pretty close to MMO.