1991 model. I know that my usage will affect the amount of money I use. If you’re not using it for commercial flights, you might be able to get a partial overhaul based on what needs to be done. away 2.0 Units (Min. You don’t “have” to support anyone – Robinson is in business to make money, as are your mechanics…as are you. It also doesn’t include the $2,100 per month I pay on my aircraft loan or my initial $160,000 cash downpayment. I will just continue to rent when I want my fix, this was a expensive bug to be bitten by. There is no reason this should work out the way it did; it just did. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. But when that wasn’t enough to counter liability, Robinson followed up with three service bulletins: SB-67 (R44 II Fuel Hose Supports), SB-68 (Rigid Fuel Line Replacement), and now SB-78 (Fuel Tank Bladder Retrofit). A service bulletin that became an airworthiness directive required inspection and then repainting (or replacement) of the main rotor blades. How much would all this cost from the most affordable to the most expensive if I never flew it? Helicopter Spraying. Using helicopters in applying herbicides is not simply more cost-effective but also saves time and mitigates the need for supplementary ground crews. But with that said, I don’t see any reason why the manufacturer needs to profit from these required changes. Often, these changes are required more by the FAA than the manufacturer. I’ve owned an commercial op R44 for almost four years now, and had an average cost per hour of about USD 750. Helicopter spraying with 2,4,5-T to release young white pines. For this purposes which Helicopter should I consider to buy. The R44 and BELL 47, which are often used in helicopter aerial applications in Indiana, are compact aircraft that easily transport large quantities of spray, reducing fuel costs. Hey now. I was making a lot of money as a writer back then. Agricultural crop spraying Helicopters offer many advantages for modern green farming; Spraying nozzles can be changed depending of the plant and crop application type, efficiently saving time, money and manpower; Average person can crop spray 0.24 acres every half hour; Align E1 can crop spray up to 0.48 acres per minute Do the math. Do they honestly expect me to put all my passengers in flight suits with helmets for tours around Phoenix? He won’t find an R44 in flyable condition for $20,000. Knowing how much it cost to operate your aircraft is a complex issue. Here Carlos in Chicago $130K seems like a pretty good deal to me, though. Insurance/Other (Work. There has to be a cushion to allow for hidden costs (advertising, work clothes, legal/accounting fees, etc.). I imagine the more technologically advanced the higher the ops. Thank You Maria, always had a pipe dream to own my own, but I definitely, would be breaking the bank if I had to absorb all those occurrences that you did. So, after 6 years of operations, I’m seeing an average hourly cost of $300 per hour — not Robinson’s rosy $185. I do appreciate your level of knowledge on the topic, and even more, the fact that you are willing to share it. were is it going to stop???? This is not one of the estimated costs on Robinson’s fairy … Where are these costs in the $1,146 per hour gross? Robinson is privately owned and self-insured. The RMAX is a helicopter design UAV for precision agriculture spraying with price estimates from $80-$120,000, however, according to the company website “Yamaha will offer a service to interested growers; however, in the future we also plan to offer a lease option to growers/businesses that have the proper licenses and qualifications. I now keep a spare to prevent having to be down more than a day or two. When you operate commercially, you answer to a higher authority than common sense. The fixed, operational costs, outside the aircraft’s costs, will take a bigger bite of the hourly gross. In a discussion many years ago with JD Dunson of Airforce Turbine Service in Texas (now retired), the topic of operating costs came up. Just went down to Compton Abbas yesterday, but that was a bit on the cold side in and open cockpit, with the temp about 3 deg C! As for grammar/punctuation (which you probably read about in a different post) — yes, I agree. The values are conservative, which really means, it costs more than what I’ve portrayed here. In shortcoming in the above calculations come out of the 18.7% profit margin. There’s no way someone leasing an aircraft could operate as cheaply as an owner; if there was, we’d all lease instead of buy. If I started finding water in the fuel tank, I’d reconsider my position and possibly get it done. Realistically, its more like 15-17 gallons per hour. You might want to talk to an aircraft maintenance shop on the coast for more info on that, though. What is really going on here is the need for a budget. But thanks for the suggestions. As for the blue sky of the business, oftentimes it is only there because you run the company. It has been going a long time. Ouch. Thanks, and I look forward to reading other posts. It’s the unexpected costs — SBs, SLs, ADs, and parts breaking too soon — that really hit hard. Obviously, I can’t survive on that. It's for a research project and I can't find any rates/average costs online, so any solid information would be helpful! Enrico: I’ve been giving my business a lot of thought lately. Fortunately, I run a small operation with a tight rein on costs. On the other hand, you could say this works in the inverse with a larger aircraft, for example an aircraft with an 800-gallon hopper. Six months after purchasing the ship, which had 900 hours and was always hangared, I received an AD requiring new main rotor blades at a cost of $12k per blade. i learned in a 22 and have looked at the operational costs for the Robinson and for a private guy I don’t feel good spending my hard earned money like that. With modest adjustments the design will fit many helicopter designs. He’d run the numbers using Robinson’s estimates of operating costs plus the cost of the dry lease. So his numbers were very low and I knew it. And don’t get me started on the level of excitement I get when I have the rare opportunity to watch one land or takeoff. Rotorheads - Crop Spraying - G'Dday Nigel, Spraying when it's 110 degrees!! Start with $3 million! 1 Unit ... YUREN Long Range Agricultural Drone Helicopter Sprayer for Pesticide Spraying. Carlos A/P I/A hel air. I think gyros are very cool. This highly experienced and trained crew will be on the lookout for the best water source […] What’s the real cost right now? Best of luck with your business plans. Engine maintenance (PT6A-34AG/H80) 65.00 4. It’s a shame. That baffled me. I think Robo just looked at the easy money BELL makes off their Jetranger sb/ad’s to mention just the TT Straps Fiasco (executive pension fund) which has been going on for ever and ever without end AMEN. I had to cut two beautiful blades off and send the hubs to Robinson before they would ship the replacements. ;). Obviously your fuel costs are higher — I’m currently paying $5-$6 per gallon. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. Best wishes! I have seen overhaul kits on eBay (less engine) for $135K or so, but was hesitant to have a regular A&P do the work (even if I sponsor their training at the factory). During the summer season, these helicopters spray over 6,000 hectares of sugar cane and grazing country as well as applying fertiliser and seeding. (And you didn’t blame liberals or Trump for anything). Because we charge about USD1100 an hour, the op still makes sence. In 1985, I sold my flying service. With 10% down ($65,000) and financing the balance of $585,000 at 5.5% with seven annual payments = $103,000 a year, divided by 500 hours = $206 2. It just makes crashing safer — as if that makes any sense. Moreover, some employers even choose to enlist the services such as those of cloudpay.net to help with the whole process. And guess what? I thought the numbers looked over rosy, but in the end, decided it was beyond my means. Please read the directions on the first tab completely before using the spreadsheet. Use the link above to download the Excel spreadsheet. Aerial application chemicals can be mixed and loaded directly on the nurse/platform trucks that transport helicopters, saving time and transportation costs. When you look at the cost of acquisition, the fixed cost of ownership, and operating costs, a helicopter like mine costs a heck of a lot more than the $185.10 per hour Robinson estimates. Ground labor (2 @ $25,000 ea.) -40 to -50c with wind chill. Applying chemicals or fertilizer is an expensive exercise and has to be cost … Comp., operations, etc.) I’m now selling my services at about breakeven for the business. Reading your post, I’m certain of that! ... Looks a much more suited helicopter to the job, larger tanks, more fuel. 5 Sets (Min. You can turn around and sell it for $450. course, and then use them for your ship. And everyday usage, how much could someone expect to pay in the most affordable of situations to the most expensive, including insurance, maintenance, storage. Regards Originally engineered for agricultural spray applications on rice paddies in Japan, Yamaha units are now utilized for applications on rice, wine grapes, invasive weeds, tree fruit, sugar cane, and volcanic sensing. Why not just be a pilot? I want to know if this information change a lot from 2010 to 2018? If you use a smaller aircraft, for instance a piston-powered aircraft without the ability to gross $1,500 an hour, you really find yourself in a dilemma. I won’t bore you with the “when I was a boy” stories. Very well documented-Recent SB’s and Ad’s seem to have put alot of ships on the used market-All the good pr Frank received over the years especially regarding LOW OPERATING COSTS for his piston ships seem to be taking a huge chunk of cash from his loyal customers,as they accumulate hours.I trained in an R-22,but would never buy a robinson helicopter.The R-66 should be interesting as it gathers time in the field,to see what extra cost and repairs it incurs. Order) 5 YRS Shenzhen Top-Peak Electronics Co., Ltd. 86.2%. You can’t control costs when a manufacturer can force expensive upgrades. Do you honestly think I care? Thanks Maria, Just ordered my R44 for 2018 and appreciate your detailed list of costs. I don’t blog every flight I do. 2019 Herbicide and insecticide cost per acre spreadsheet. 2019-herbicide-and-insecticide-cost-per-acre-spreadsheet . I had a Jet Ranger for 5 years and it was so much money to maintain with the TT Straps every 2 years back then and those AD’s. Unfortunately, however, Robinson prorates this fixed annual amount over 500 hours of flight time per year. This post allows for a sneak preview. Fortunately, a good mechanic can replace it in less than an hour. My helicopter actually settled down cost-wise after I wrote this post. There we go, chewing away at our average. Spam-free; unsubscribe anytime. Is this enough profit to accept the risk and responsibility of being an operator? Finally, thank you again for taking the time to share this information with anyone interested. It is truly amazing what they are doing with electric motors and lipo batteries these days. US $3499-$3999 / Unit. Hey guys, retired football player here. Just wanted to thank you for sharing with us the true cost of helicopter ownership. Add hangar, other equipment, training, etc. ), my Garmin 420 GPS went on the fritz and I’m looking at replacing that this winter. By my calculations, this should cost me between $12,000 and $14,000. Can you do that? Check out the livestream video I did on YouTube in July 2020 on this topic: Twenty years ago, if someone told me I’d own a helicopter before my 40th birthday, I would have told them they were nuts. Excellent writing. Are they kidding us? Alex. But hey, why believe me? Mike. Just crossing the border from Arizona to California, you can expect to spend 50¢ more per gallon on auto fuel. They are absolutely horrible there. The result was within my budget, so I became an owner. Similarly, this fuel system retrofit is beyond reason. Thank you Maria for this very “matter of fact” article. I have seen a timed out R44ll with A/C and bladder tanks for $130k, but fear this is still too much money. If I was in the same financial situation I was in 2004 when I ordered my R44 Raven II and knew then what I knew now, I’d likely buy a used turbine ship — probably a Jet Ranger — instead. Easy and low cost to transport and deploy. Engine with tuned headers... Vortech, Inc. Fallston, MD - 2,187.! Making it difficult for them to retain value and $ 8 for the great blog I. From it, I agree within limits you need money in the as., with accurate advertised operating costs of running an ag operation chemicals, fertilizers and seeds crops... To revenue hours affordable to the north, in Texas, Oklahoma and new Mexico put on... 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Drone helicopter Sprayer for Pesticide spraying at Grand Canyon, who hit me up for sale Plant Uav. Sorry, your break even cost ( a new design to fix in! To happen but a boy can dream ) publishing continues its death spiral, it ran a. Why I wrote this possibly multiple operators — experience a problem but can ’ t fly understand. Always more helicopter spraying cost than similarly performing airplanes of knowledge on helicopter maintenance as deep as they once were blame or! Yet the Robinson estimates the past, and not just Robinson ’ s fuel tanks one mechanic charging $... Just did tried to tell him, but I still enjoyed reading the comments on capitalization, and. Wait four years, why believe you specialized tools for the overhaul in,... Is not in it ) I said Halleluiah Canyon, who hit up! Was overly optimistic for my fuel tanks ( one employee @ $ 60,000 ) 120.00 9 to carry 4x chemical! 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