Mowing 75 degree slope mower

[Dargo]

$125 Per hour training rate for a 172 in Ca. $250 to $1000 per hour for Robinson to Jet Ranger... Saddly unless I am renting them for work I cannot afford the stick time in a helicopter...

I was wondering if someone would note this major difference.

Back on the remote mower, I thought of it as a joke until I read that it has 22 hp. It ought to have plenty of power to mowing width ratio. The R/C stuff I've flown with a good 4 channel Futaba had a pretty good range. My guess would be that you'd be limited more by your ability to see the mower than the range of the controller...or it could easily be made that way. Maybe you just need a set of headset binoculars.

 

[ray66v]

I was wondering if someone would note this major difference.

What major difference are you referring to?

 

[Dargo]

What major difference are you referring to?

The cost difference between rental time on a 172 and on any rotary wing aircraft.

 

[MossRoad]

$125 Per hour training rate for a 172 in Ca. $250 to $1000 per hour for Robinson to Jet Ranger... Saddly unless I am renting them for work I cannot afford the stick time in a helicopter...

Back in 1986 when I last worked at an FBO 172 time was around $30 and Jet Ranger was $500. 100LL was under two bucks and jet fuel was about $2.10, I believe.

 

[ray66v]

Back in 1986 when I last worked at an FBO 172 time was around $30 and Jet Ranger was $500. 100LL was under two bucks and jet fuel was about $2.10, I believe.

As Archie and Edith said: Those were the days. When I started flying in 1976, 100LL was .60.


Difference, (in price), between flying fixed wing and a heli: The guy that owns/flies a heli for pleasure, probably has an income about $200k/year more than the guy who owns/flies a fixed wing. And, if they are both at the low end of that pay scale, they are both equally broke at the end of the month..

 

[woodlandfarms]

The cost difference between rental time on a 172 and on any rotary wing aircraft.

Demand is the biggest, with tons of 172's avail for rent and not a lot of Robinsons, or jet rangers. Jet rangers ( use this term generically for all jet helicopters) are jets so you pay a ton for that. Finally, there are more things that need looking at on a Rotary... Different level of experienced mechanic. Considering speed and operating efficency, not really worth it to have one ( I know 3 guys who own there own eurocopters and the owner of a major operation in LA with over 100 and these guys make 7 figures easy). But the fun factor in a rotary is only surpassed by a jet / fast prop / aerobatic plane...

 

[ray66v]

Demand is the biggest, with tons of 172's avail for rent and not a lot of Robinsons, or jet rangers. Jet rangers ( use this term generically for all jet helicopters) are jets so you pay a ton for that. Finally, there are more things that need looking at on a Rotary... Different level of experienced mechanic. Considering speed and operating efficency, not really worth it to have one ( I know 3 guys who own there own eurocopters and the owner of a major operation in LA with over 100 and these guys make 7 figures easy). But the fun factor in a rotary is only surpassed by a jet / fast prop / aerobatic plane...

Biggest reasons for cost difference between fixed wing and heli.:
1. Fuel burn, (helis need rich air fuel mixtures to keep cool, use lots more fuel).
2. Insurance costs, approximately 10x more to insure a heli. (much more likely to be damaged & much more likely to be a total loss when damaged ).
3. Life limited parts, helis have lots of very expensive parts that you have to replace at set intervals. (fixed wing a/c generally do not have any).
4. Heli's require much more preventative maintenance. (Many joke, fly for 1 hour, work on it for 2).

 

[Charlie_Iliff]

Back in 1986 when I last worked at an FBO 172 time was around $30 and Jet Ranger was $500. 100LL was under two bucks and jet fuel was about $2.10, I believe.

When I soloed, the J-3 was $8.00 per hour wet. Instructor was additional $5.00.
That was too expensive, so three of us bought a Cessna 140. $2,500.
There was a Bell 47 in the area but we never bothered to price it. Way out of our league.

 

[Bob999]

When I soloed, the J-3 was $8.00 per hour wet. Instructor was additional $5.00.
That was too expensive, so three of us bought a Cessna 140. $2,500.
There was a Bell 47 in the area but we never bothered to price it. Way out of our league.

I think the J-3 (magneto only--no electical system) was $7 per hour wet when I soloed and the Tripacer (with a radio and lights for night flying along with electric start) was $10 wet.

 

[KentT]

Here in the NE, my wife is paying $125 an hour for a 172N with the IP, or $95 an hour solo -- and that's considered a bargain, both for the IP and the 172 consuming LL-100 at 8GPH...

These kinds of costs are what's driving the LSA and ELSA market...