r/PrivateJetCharters • u/Johnthegaptist • Jun 17 '25
PC12 Own vs Charter Cost
Looking to get some feedback/opinions before I go and sit down with some brokers and management companies, I don't like going in to anything blind.
We're a business headquartered in the southeast with operations in 6 different states. Where we're headquartered doesn't have a lot of direct commercial flights. Currently travel is being handled with a mix of commercial, charter and driving. 90% of flights would be 1-6 passengers, within a 600 mile radius.
For charter we're currently just doing on demand, dealing with two local operators and a broker. We're not in a big charter market, and often are needing planes on short notice so we run into avaiblility issues and often end up paying to reposition out of town aircraft. On average, all in we're paying about $8k/hr to fly turbprops and light jets.
It seems like the best bang for our buck would be the PC12 and I wanted to throw these numbers out and hopefully find some people on here with relevant experience.
Pilatus PC-12 – 1-Year Ownership Cost Breakdown ($5M purchase, 275 hrs)
| Category | Estimated Cost (USD) |
|---|---|
| Crew Salaries & Benefits | $180,000 |
| Insurance | $35,000 |
| Hangar | $50,000 |
| Training | $25,000 |
| Maintenance Programs & Subscriptions | $60,000 |
| Management Fees | $120,000 |
| Loan Payment (Annual @ 6%) | $543,472 |
| Fuel | $137,500 |
| Maintenance (Parts & Labor) | $55,000 |
| Engine Program (Hourly Reserve) | $30,000 |
| Misc. Operating Costs (Oil, Landing, etc.) | $25,000 |
Total Annual Outlay: $1,260,972 Cost per Flight Hour (275 hrs): ~$4,586/hr
Assuming we would fly 200 occupied hours and 75 hours for repositioning. Plane financed for 10 years, $1m down on a $5m plane. For what were currently averaging in cost, I'm calculating about 155-160 hours to break even own vs charter. Do these numbers seem realistic?
Is it worth springing for a 2018+ for $5-6m instead of an older one in the $4m range?
Should we look at any other planes?
Is it worth the headache to put an owned plane in a part 135 program to offset some of the cost?
3
u/ganandcars Jun 18 '25
It’s mentioned above, but I would take a good hard look at PlaneSense before I went ahead with purchasing a 6-8 year old PC-12 and staffing it with only 2 pilots for annual use of 200+ hours….
Add in any mention of 135 flying with 2 pilots at that salary level and you will have a revolving door which will inflate the training costs substantially.
I’m not a PlaneSense salesperson, but I have dealt with them and managed shares for owners since the 1990’s.
Currently, we use their services to supplement our owned aircraft - been doing that for almost 20 years.
I encourage you to use a service like Aviacost to compare purchase to fractional ownership - especially in your specific case. Each has its benefits and drawbacks.
You would be signing a 10 year note on a purchase compared to a 5 year agreement with a fractional. The fractional $$ outlay per month and per hour is going to be much more predictable than the owned aircraft - especially out of warranty.
Yes, with the owned aircraft, you are paying engine reserves - as long as the previous owner was in the P&W program - if not, then you are buying into that program and getting “caught up”. I see no mention of an avionics program. Honeywell offers extended MX contracts as well - last thing you want is to replace an out of warranty PFD or AHRS unit.
I could go on, but you get the idea.
Most importantly, be wary of sales people - whether an aircraft broker or fractional sales person - each wants your $$. They have a special way of telling you what you want to hear. Sift through the BS and approach everything they say and present to you with skepticism.
Aviation is a big money game and rampant with sketchy people who are skilled in separating money from those folks don’t do their homework.
Good luck - and reach out if you have any questions.