I asked two shops, Martin and Mather about this... they both laughed and said that’s about the cost to open it up and put it back together... they both said pay now or (someone) pays more later and to expect 30-40k for a proper job. Ours is due next year.

I asked two shops, Martin and Mather about this... they both laughed and said that’s about the cost to open it up and put it back together... they both said pay now or (someone) pays more later and to expect 30-40k for a proper job. Ours is due next year.

Yeah doesn’t look like anything was replaced on your invoice. I’ll ask them, but they both said there is a bunch of stuff to replace. I’m just the messenger, would like to pass good info to my client.

Correct, if nothing is needing replacement, don't replace them. Also, if you can grind them to within tolerances, do that too. AG folks like Craig C never spend what retail pt6 owners spend. They just do it so many times that they know the cost.

You will note that to take the thing apart and put it back together IS NOT 30k like the shops would like you to believe.

As Mike C states, you gotta know where to go.

This is nuts. At 200 hours per year avionics maintenance alone is over half, $115, of that $200/hr. 20gph more is another $60 per hour. Those two things alone are almost $200. We haven’t even started on phase maintenance, hangar, insurance, parking, that these “much larger planes cost to own”. I’ve heard $1200 hour for PC12 and I can attest about $600 for a Meridian.

Yep, Mike tuned me into Covington for our HSI. We ended up having to replace all our segments because of some corrosion and cracking but otherwise, it would have been 6500. Our HSI was 28,000 with replacing all the segments and grinding the blades. Other shops were quoting 15k with no issues.

Our all in operating cost are $1,000/hour for 300-400 hours per year. I hand the keys to a Pilatus service center and fix everything. I could probably reduce our maintenance costs by being more involved.

Our second annual on our M600 is quoted at under a thousand dollars this year. We are under piper ultimate, which all new papers are under. Five years of basically free maintenance. Some consumables are not covered like tires and brakes, you do burn up tires, brakes last forever with Beta. We had 95% brakes left at our next annual. We will have a couple of consumables come do as we are over 700 hours now, But it shouldn’t drive the price up that much. There is no new available turbine out there right now can come close to the piper turbines in operating cost. As Joel mentioned, almost everything on a piper is serviced at annual, and on condition. I had to do a gear overhaul on the mains, on one of my prior PA46’s. If I recall it was either 300 or 700. It might be 300 a side and 700 both sides with parts and labor, done at the service center. That is significant downtime and $28,000 in a TBM, When they send them back to Socata for the OH.

As to the comment on fuel burn at 28,000 feet. At ISA+10 which is kind of a normal temperature in the mid US, 36.7 gallons per hour in our plane would typically cruise 265 knots.

Is there any negative to using beta? Extra wear on the engine, prop, etc?

Prop blade erosion sometimes. Also, less air going over an oil cooler, so you may need to keep an eye on oil temps

This is nuts. At 200 hours per year avionics maintenance alone is over half, $115, of that $200/hr. 20gph more is another $60 per hour. Those two things alone are almost $200. We haven’t even started on phase maintenance, hangar, insurance, parking, that these “much larger planes cost to own”. I’ve heard $1200 hour for PC12 and I can attest about $600 for a Meridian.

Still costs you $23k per year for HAPP/MAPP. Cheapest PC12 I’ve ever heard of to operate. I’d love to believe it. Only $100/hr more than my Meridian costs. How many hours per year? What does insurance and maintenance cost? I’m intrigued.

There is a carbon “beta block” that wears each time beta is used. Compared to a brake job, it is relatively cheap to replace.

There is a carbon “beta block” that wears each time beta is used. Compared to a brake job, it is relatively cheap to replace.

I asked two shops, Martin and Mather about this... they both laughed and said that’s about the cost to open it up and put it back together... they both said pay now or (someone) pays more later and to expect 30-40k for a proper job. Ours is due next year.

These shops don't do the HSI, they send to Pratt or Dallas. Clearly there is a difference here other than markup. Nothing was done on Pennman's invoice other than the inspection.