AVGAS Prices

planesiscool · April 24th, 2008, 09:51

I was wondering if anyone else is being hit hard by the price of AVGAS. The price for 100LL at our flight school is $4.86/gallon. Thankfully my school charges us a wet right and all they do is tack on a $4.50/hour fuel surcharge; this comes to me paying about $130/hour for a 172 and that includes the instructor fee. I went to another flight school and they charge a dry rate and you will pay around 180-200/hr in a cessna 172.

kellwolf · April 24th, 2008, 10:24

Ranges from $4.46-5.46 in the Memphis area. Just for other locations I've flown, in the DFW area it's $4.94-7.00 ($7 is at Love Field) and in Orlando it's $4.50-6.89.

All things considered, it could be worse. Seems like Avgas has been climbing at a slower rate than the price at the auto pump. Probably b/c if it gets any higher, people will just stop flying altogether.

JulietBravo · April 24th, 2008, 10:48

I just paid $5.60 for SS at an airport in the middle of nowhere, Georgia. It's most likely because they don't sell much fuel, but it just keeps getting worse!

OldTownPilot · April 24th, 2008, 10:53

Retail at the FBO the school gets gas from is $5.69. We get a bit of a discount, but over half the rental cost pays the fuel bill.

It hurts. Last summer, it was a big deal when they broke $4.00 a gallon. Man i'd love to have that back now.

flymo · April 24th, 2008, 11:09

Its amazing how much of an increase the prices how sustained. I remember when I started working line service, less than 5 years ago, we sold Jet A for $1.68/gallon and Avgas for $2.22/gallon pre tax. I think the GA manufacturers are really going to start taking a hit, as fuel and metal prices shoot up, people find that the cost of buying and taking that Skyhawk out on the weekend are just not worth it anymore.

PatrickCPS · April 24th, 2008, 11:59

In the KC Metro area it ranges from $3.85 to $6.54. Unless something gives, the cost of fuel (as well as the cost of metals to the manufacturers) is going to kill GA.

pilot4500 · April 24th, 2008, 12:08

The highest I've seen 100LL fuel so far is $6.32 per gallon at PDK airport in Atlanta. All I can say is, I'm glad I'm not paying the fuel bill when I get my fuel tanks topped off.

mhcasey · April 24th, 2008, 12:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by planesiscool

I was wondering if anyone else is being hit hard by the price of AVGAS. The price for 100LL at our flight school is $4.86/gallon. Thankfully my school charges us a wet right and all they do is tack on a $4.50/hour fuel surcharge; this comes to me paying about $130/hour for a 172 and that includes the instructor fee. I went to another flight school and they charge a dry rate and you will pay around 180-200/hr in a cessna 172.

Does anyone else see the contradiction here? "Wet rate," but then you pay for 93% of the fuel? $130/hr isn't too bad with the instructor though, assuming said instructor gets paid ground time as well (as in, $130/flight hour + you pay ground the rest of the time he's there).

It's nearing $7 at KAUS. My school broke the $100/hr mark for 172's about 2 months ago. When I started flying 2 years ago I started out paying around $50/hr for a C152 and $70/hr for the same 172 that just broke $100. If this continues, I see the future of aviation consisting of:

1) Military pilots
2) Rich kids that didn't want to take over dad's business.

fly4food84 · April 24th, 2008, 12:14

$6.60 in New Orleans

Citationkid · April 24th, 2008, 12:15

I know it's not Avgas, but we, and by we I mean my boss, paid over $8 a gallon for JetA at BWI the other day. Avagas was in the high 7s.

Alex.

Boris Badenov · April 24th, 2008, 12:23

I'm looking at a $1000 bill to top the tip tanks, the tip tanks alone, of an MU-2. Something like $8/gal. Luckily, the Fed picks up the tab when you're flying Fed work. I guess they'll probably just print more money.

I agree that the future of GA is looking...brief. I hate to see it go, but to be quite frank, if the economy has to tank, I'm glad there won't be as many pilots with whom to compete. I know, I'm a *#$&*#.

jrh · April 24th, 2008, 12:28

I know this doesn't apply to everybody, especially those of you flying bigger engines, but I couldn't care less how much avgas costs. It doesn't make a difference to me.

My plane only burns 5 gallons/hour. That means fuel can jump an entire $1.00/gallon and I'll ony see an operating expense increase of $5/hour.

When I'm already paying say, $55/hour to fly my plane, what's the difference between $55/hr and say, $60/hour? It's a small fraction of my expenses in the whole scheme of things. I could fly a couple hours less per year (say, 90 hours instead of 95) and be back to where I started financially.

So yeah, I wish it were cheaper, but I see the big picture and fuel prices don't truly influence what I decide to do or not do with my plane.

Oh, and as for the original question, I'm paying a hair under $5/gallon for my gas nowadays.

Goldmember · April 24th, 2008, 14:32

Looks like the midwest is the place to be: $4.35 at Valparaiso IN., $4.64 at Kankakee IL., $4.64 at Bloomington Normal Il., $4.60 at Paducah, KY. Louisville is up to $5.05.

Anything east of Louisville is over $5.50 it seems like. $5.65 at Wendell Ford, KY., $5.65 at Winston Salem, NC, and $5.50 at Greensboro triad.

$130 looks great in a 172 with an instructor. You'd be paying at least $150 here in Louisville. Anymore, the 152's are making a comeback because of gas.

ljg · April 24th, 2008, 15:43

Here's how you discourage a prop aircraft from landing at TEB, but it's still the by far the highest prices for 100LL I've seen around. $8.44/gal in addition to a handling fee.

http://www.jetaviation.com/index.php/jet/teterboro/fuel

Beech driver · April 24th, 2008, 15:47

Last I checked, there are a couple places at Flying Cloud a bit under $4.25. Not sure about other airports in the MSP area.

FiveO · April 24th, 2008, 15:48

$5.87 right now at FXE.

ComplexHiAv8r · April 24th, 2008, 15:48

Been paying $4.61 here in OH. That and ALOT of people ask me about the operational cost of the plane as I can pull it back to 8.5 gallons an hour and still make 130kts in cruise.

bronco21016 · April 24th, 2008, 16:14

May I suggest...

www.100ll.com

casey · April 24th, 2008, 16:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by mhcasey

Does anyone else see the contradiction here? "Wet rate," but then you pay for 93% of the fuel? $130/hr isn't too bad with the instructor though, assuming said instructor gets paid ground time as well (as in, $130/flight hour + you pay ground the rest of the time he's there).

he said the surcharge was $4.50 per *hour*, not per gallon.

N519AT · April 24th, 2008, 17:39

LL = $5.40
A = $5.59

...at the FBO I work at in TOL.

On a tangent, my FBO that I used in my primary training got rid of their last six pack 172 ("cheap" -> $128/hr) and brought on another G1000 172 (for a total of three). The G1000's run $138/hr. Most of the renter's weren't to happy to learn that the six pack is gone. I don't know why an FBO would do that to themselves.... it's like shooting themselves in a foot and then trying to run a marathon.

Thank goodness I found a 150 for $60/hr wet nearby...

bronco21016 · April 24th, 2008, 17:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by N519AT

On a tangent, my FBO that I used in my primary training got rid of their last six pack 172 ("cheap" -> $128/hr) and brought on another G1000 172 (for a total of three). The G1000's run $138/hr. Most of the renter's weren't to happy to learn that the six pack is gone. I don't know why an FBO would do that to themselves.... it's like shooting themselves in a foot and then trying to run a marathon.

They were given the identifier DUH for a reason.

I saw in your logbook you're flying good 'ol HY. I thought they were only charging $55/hour wet for that plane? That's what they had posted on the board last time I was there about a month ago.

Treat her good! I got my private in that plane and still come home to fly it once in awhile.

BTW.... you might recognize my avatar if you walk around the hangar at TTF at bit.

ScottG · April 24th, 2008, 18:17

I don't THINK it takes much to get the auto gas certificate. Maybe you should ask you flight school about it. If I was correctly informed it is a minor equipment exchange. We are paying 3.50 per gallon at my FBO in Phoenix. I'm all about the auto gas

OneNineHundy · April 24th, 2008, 21:09

We pay $5.12USD per USGAL here in New Zealand.

kellwolf · April 24th, 2008, 21:24

All I gotta say is.....man, am I glad I finished my training back in the summer of 05......

JulietBravo · April 24th, 2008, 21:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by kellwolf

All I gotta say is.....man, am I glad I finished my training back in the summer of 05......

I definitely agree! The last flight I paid for was over a year ago, and since then, my college flight school had to increase their 172 charge twice. I was paying $113/hr wet, and now they are up to $124/hr wet in only a year. And, since I work for them, I know they are trying to get a better deal for fuel, but right now, we are getting a great deal for fuel through our local FBO. Many students here complain about the price for a 172 and say they can rent one back home for $70/hr. (I tell them to go back home and learn how to fly and get a college education at the same time.

) But I can't figure out how so many FBOs can rent out 172s so cheap with the price of avgas!?!?