Young pilot reveals jaw-dropping costs of maintaining his small plane
Published on Oct 22, 2023 at 2:42 PM (UTC+4)
by Kate Bain
Last updated on Oct 22, 2023 at 2:42 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
A young pilot has found out exactly what it costs to maintain his small plane, and now he’s sharing the jaw-dropping figures with the rest of us.
When Drew got his pilot’s license, he bought his first aircraft, a 1968 Cessna 150.
Since then, he and his girlfriend Lanie have been flying their Cessna across the US and on to holiday destinations in the Caribbean.
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The couple posts videos of their luxury lifestyle to TikTok and YouTube, but they also reveal the not-so-glamorous costs that come with it.
To buy a plane like the Cessna 150, it will cost you about $34,000 depending on the year and condition of the vessel.
But that’s just the beginning.
Lanie said it costs about $2,000 for the annual inspection alone.
“Last year we ended up needing a new cylinder… which brought our total to $2,840,” Lanie said.
The couple said there were a few other parts that often needed changing too, including the oil filter, $30, spark plug $40, battery, $400, and new tires, $200 each.
Those prices might not have you gawking just yet, but brace yourself because now they’re moving on to the engine.
You can watch the video here!
Drew explained just how often a small aircraft owner needed to overhaul their engine, and what it cost.
“Every engine’s different, but for mine, it’s every 2000 hours or 12 years, whichever comes first,” he said.
When Drew took his Cessna 150 in for an engine service last year, they “took everything apart, cleaned it, and replaced a bunch of different parts”.
The service took a long six weeks and cost the young pilot, wait for it, $23,000.
That’s almost the same cost of the plane.
Despite the crazy maintenance costs, Drew and Lanie said they wouldn’t change a thing.
In fact, they want to inspire others to get their pilot’s licenses too.
They gave three tips for people who were considering it.
“1 – You don’t have to be that good at math, we have enough apps now that take care of that,” Drew said.
“2 – If you’re afraid of heights… it honestly doesn’t really feel like you’re high up in a plane weirdly enough.
“3 – Go do a discovery flight, google a flight school in your town… and usually they’ll let you fly.”
The list continued in the comments, with one viewer adding a fourth.
4 – You should have money because flying is “wildly expensive”.
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Kate is Lead Editor, overseeing coverage across automotive, tech, and lifestyle content on the site. She has more than 10 years’ experience as a journalist and news editor, having worked across a range of major publications including News Corp, Daily Mail Australia, and Sky News. Kate holds a Bachelor of Business Management from University of Queensland and a Postgraduate Diploma in Journalism from Queensland University of Technology. She has been with Supercar Blondie since 2020 and played a key role in establishing supercarblondie.com as a leading automotive news destination.
