Rent or buy: the break-even calculator
Owning has a fixed cost every year; renting charges only for the hours you fly. This shows where the two lines cross.
| Renting per year | |
| Owning per year | |
| Break-even |
What this leaves out
Owning ties up cash and the airplane may gain or lose value, neither of which is counted here. Renting brings scheduling limits and sometimes minimum-hour rules. Some clubs bill by tach time, which runs lower than Hobbs time, so convert before comparing.