Wing Tips
Aircraft Rental - Hobbs, Wet, Insured?
When you shop to rent aircraft, be careful to compare apple to apples.
Hourly rental is usually charged by ‘Hobbs’ or ‘Tach’ time. A ‘Hobbs’ meter is an hour meter that runs anytime the propeller is spinning. If you are at idle power, or cruise power, the ‘Hobbs’ meter is recording 1 hour, every hour. With ‘Tach’ time hours are charged by the motor tachometer. When the motor is running at cruise power for 1 hour, the ‘Tach’ time is 1 hour. If the motor were to run at idle power for 1 hour, the ‘Tach’ time might be only ½ hour. So, holding short while waiting for landing traffic will cost you less if you’re being charged by ‘Tach’ instead of ‘Hobbs’. If you are flying at low power settings, such as low and slow sight seeing, ‘Tach’ time is your best deal. ‘Tach’ time is the most accurate representation of engine wear and is used for maintenance logs. ‘Hobbs’ is the most common for aircraft rental.
Often aircraft are rented ‘wet’. This means aviation fuel (avgas) and oil are included in the rental price. Due to widely fluctuating fuel prices, some rentals are priced ‘dry’. This means you pay a base rental price, plus the surcharge cost of fuel. Fuel charges are usually based on a given rate of fuel burn and not what you actually used. You don’t save any money by going slow. In a typical Cessna 172, you will burn approximately 8 gallons per hour. If fuel is $4.50 per gallon, that is $36/ hour, in addition to the ‘dry’ rental price. $94 wet or $70 dry, which is the best deal? $94 wet, of course.
Normally, if you refuel away from your aircraft’s home airport, you should expect to be reimbursed for fuel at the home field rate. This agreement is usually spelled out in the rental agreement made between you and the facility that is renting you the aircraft.
The state of Minnesota requires aircraft rental facilities to clearly tell you if you have insurance coverage. Read your rental agreement closely. You should plan to purchase ‘renters’ or ‘non-owned’ aircraft insurance for yourself. This insurance will cover much of the cost of an accident and the ensuing liability of your actions. Renter insurance will likely cost $400 - $500 per year, based on the coverage you select. Ask your flight school how much the hull value of your usual aircraft is. Then, purchase renters insurance according to your risk comfort level. A nice thing about renters insurance is that it follows you. If you go somewhere on vacation, and rent an aircraft there, your coverage provides protection for you there as well. Many renters have found coverage offered to AOPA members to be the most reasonable. Renter insurance can often be purchased immediately online with a credit card. A flight school usually carries insurance on the aircraft for the flight school, but none of that coverage is extended to the renter, his things or his people. The flight school is likely to paying 5 times the premium to insure the aircraft, compared to what it would cost you to insure it, if it were your personal aircraft.
Forest Lake Airport 2008 Airshow
This years airshow will be on Saturday August 16th, 2008. Watch this website for more updates and information.
