Most ridiculously expensive aviation-related item

jpower

jpower

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James
The title pretty much says it all. Inspired by a couple of threads going on right now, I'm curious to see what the most ridiculously expensive aviation item you've ever bought or seen for sale is. You can break it up into categories too. For example, highest price to size ratio. Or however you like, really.

Go!

Oops, meant to post this in hangar talk...sorry! If the powers that be would like to move it, feel free.
 
jpower said:
The title pretty much says it all. Inspired by a couple of threads going on right now, I'm curious to see what the most ridiculously expensive aviation item you've ever bought or seen for sale is. You can break it up into categories too. For example, highest price to size ratio. Or however you like, really.

Go!

Oops, meant to post this in hangar talk...sorry! If the powers that be would like to move it, feel free.
Click to expand...

The airplane.
 
One of the engines for my learjet cost a couple $million. JK, im dreaming.
 
I bought an aviation app for my iPhone that cost me $75 and at the time it was considered to be one of the most expensive apps ever on iTunes.
The app was sold as a single lifetime charge to the consumer and when the company realized they made a mistake in offering it as a lifetime app they quickly came out with a newer version and stated that they would no longer support the old version.
This company is still in business but it will never get another cent from me for any of their products.

I know that $75 is not really that much money in the world of aviation but it is in the world of apps and it's not the proper way to treat your customers that took a chance with your product when it was first introduced to the masses.
 
Any part for a certified plane.

A buddy extended the exhaust on his Cessna 206 12" to get the heat signature away from his camera equipment. Cost? $5,200. :eek: That is $430 an inch. :rolleyes2:

Really? :mad2:
 
900$ ear muffs with a microphone.

Lol but they are worth every penny.
 
Geico266 said:
Any part for a certified plane.

A buddy extended the exhaust on his Cessna 206 12" to get the heat signature away from his camera equipment. Cost? $5,200. :eek: That is $430 an inch. :rolleyes2:

Really? :mad2:
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And the holder of the STC probably went to Burns Stainless and bought it for 20 bucks too..:mad:
 
Gates green stripe alternator belt.
From anywhere but Piper, $17
Exact same belt, in Gates factory packaging, with Piper part number written on it in Sharpie: $75
 
There's always infinitely desired aviation timer: $59.99
Wallyworld exact duplicate identical timer without the word "aviation" printed on the packaging: $1.00
Or go to the dollar store and pick them up in slightly different packaging: 2 for $1.00
 
jpower said:
The title pretty much says it all. Inspired by a couple of threads going on right now, I'm curious to see what the most ridiculously expensive aviation item you've ever bought or seen for sale is. You can break it up into categories too. For example, highest price to size ratio. Or however you like, really.

Go!

Oops, meant to post this in hangar talk...sorry! If the powers that be would like to move it, feel free.
Click to expand...


The flap-handle bolt for a cherokee AD was a complete waste. But the most egregious price vs cost vs value were the rubber grommets required for compliance was that old landing light seal AD.

Not the highest dollar amount, I know.
 
Any $1.50 piece of extruded plastic that can break on a certified aircraft.
 
jpower said:
I'm curious to see what the most ridiculously expensive aviation item you've ever bought or seen for sale is..
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Well, the sky is the limit.

I work on SOFIA. That's a $300 million 747 mod.

Just one of the reman engines (P&W JT9D-7J) is over $1 million, and there are four of them. The telescope is around $50 million, though it's probably not replaceable at all, being made of now-obsolete custom hardware, some of which is export controlled.
 
MAKG1 said:
Well, the sky is the limit.

I work on SOFIA. That's a $300 million 747 mod.

Just one of the reman engines (P&W JT9D-7J) is over $1 million, and there are four of them. The telescope is around $50 million, though it's probably not replaceable at all, being made of now-obsolete custom hardware, some of which is export controlled.
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Must be a government contract that will cost the taxpayers untold amount of dollars...... No wonder we are 16.4 TRILLION in debt..:sad::sad::mad:
 
Most annoying thing I've seen is the equivalent of a $4 SD card that you can buy from Jeppesen for about $200 if you want a spare data card for your Garmin GPS.
Jon
 
N801BH said:
Must be a government contract that will cost the taxpayers untold amount of dollars...... No wonder we are 16.4 TRILLION in debt..:sad::sad::mad:
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No, not untold. $300 million. About $1 from every American, over 30+ years. To figure out how the universe works. You would rather spend it on a bridge to nowhere? That would cost quite a bit more.

It takes a lot of hundred-million-dollar things to get anywhere near tens of trillions.
 
Any avionics or updates from Garmin. I do like the ones I have though.

1 gallon of 100LL.
 
23 grand for an engine overhaul. You can buy a new car for that price.
 
This exhaust brace for a C-150L. It was found broken at the last annual. I've seen them cost as much as $1130.00. I got mine for "only" $680.00. It's just a cheaply made hollow iron tube with a couple of brackets welded to it. Dollar bill for scale.
 

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I work on Allison 501-D13 engines. They have a fuel control correlator that has an indicator needle for rigging and calibration purposes. The needle is a bit of steel about two inches long and has a splined clamp that holds it to the correlator shaft. I am told that it costs $3000.

Dan
 
MAKG1 said:
No, not untold. $300 million. About $1 from every American, over 30+ years. To figure out how the universe works. You would rather spend it on a bridge to nowhere? That would cost quite a bit more.

It takes a lot of hundred-million-dollar things to get anywhere near tens of trillions.
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Hmmmmmm

Apparently you have drank some the government BS Kool-Aid.. Everyone knows a guvmint project will run over budget.......

Started out costing 185 million... Was up to 330 million in 2006... God only know what the true cost is today.:hairraise::eek:......

I hope you go back and correct your 300 million figure...

here is an article from 2006.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

NASA leaves jumbo-jet telescope on the runway

Mission managers on the SOFIA project to fly an infrared telescope aboard a 747 aircraft, are fighting to prevent the project's abandonment under NASA's budget cuts.
Despite SOFIA being behind schedule and over budget, they say it makes no sense to stop work on the mission now, so near completion.
SOFIA's telescope is already installed in the 747, says David Black, president of the Universities Space Research Association (USRA), which developed the project.
Checks of its wiring and structure are expected to take several more months, but "then it's ready to go to flight tests", Black told New Scientist. "It is late and it's over the original budget," Black acknowledges. "But we're there now. After all this, it is a bit baffling as to why this particular decision was taken."
SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy) is a Boeing 747 aircraft fitted with a 23-tonne, 2.5-metre infrared telescope. The plane was designed to be flown at altitudes of 13 kilometres - above 99% of the water vapour in Earth's atmosphere, which absorbs infrared radiation.
Increased safety

The project began in 1996, when NASA selected the USRA, an international consortium of research institutes devoted to space exploration, to develop SOFIA. The project was meant to cost $185 million and fly in 2002.
But costs have now spiralled to $330 million -
 
Geico266 said:
Any part for a certified plane.

A buddy extended the exhaust on his Cessna 206 12" to get the heat signature away from his camera equipment. Cost? $5,200. :eek: That is $430 an inch. :rolleyes2:

Really? :mad2:
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That's what I charge!!! :lol:

Couldn't resist!
 
Geico266 said:
Any part for a certified plane.

A buddy extended the exhaust on his Cessna 206 12" to get the heat signature away from his camera equipment. Cost? $5,200. :eek: That is $430 an inch. :rolleyes2:

Really? :mad2:
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That strikes me as odd, because if it has camera equipment I'm assuming it was reclassified as experimental for that?

Either way "It came that way. I didn't know they came any differently."
 
N801BH said:
Must be a government contract that will cost the taxpayers untold amount of dollars...... No wonder we are 16.4 TRILLION in debt..:sad::sad::mad:
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$16.7 . . thats Trillion. And it seems to go up faster than I can post on the forums - they require 30 seconds per post . .
 
comanchepilot said:
$16.7 . . thats Trillion. And it seems to go up faster than I can post on the forums - they require 30 seconds per post . .
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:rofl::rofl::eek:...

Too bad it's true...:yes::rolleyes2:..

Us old guys might get out of this mess without witnessing the collapse of the USA......

You young people are TOAST....:sad::sad::sad::sad::sad:
 
N801BH said:
:rofl::rofl::eek:...

Too bad it's true...:yes::rolleyes2:..

Us old guys might get out of this mess without witnessing the collapse of the USA......

You young people are TOAST....:sad::sad::sad::sad::sad:
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I had a reply to this all typed up, then realized this is not the SZ and had to delete it.

I thought the most ridiculous price was $50 was for a little plastic bug to fit on the altimeter. So I didn't buy it. As others have said, it is not much money, but it was about 100 times overpriced.
 
It's an interesting topic (the cost of the items), and a good thread. I'm glad it came up, I've been thinking about this for a while now.

From what I have gathered so far, I am under the impression and suspecting that the pricing issue is like this for a few reasons:

1. A limited amount of parties will go through the initial process, red-tape, and upkeep needed in order to provide certified/approved items. So those that do have the certification/approval have a pretty good corner on the market, able to charge high rates. Unless of course you risk it and buy the non-approved item. (Also a partial reason why some government tenders foreign and domestic go to astronomical rates, as so few companies will actually complete the process)

2. For some items that are approved, demand is so low that the cost is driven up. For example, I can get 1,000 pieces of "x" at a fairly decent cost. But if the demand is low and I only need 100 to keep stock for the next five years, they're going to be significantly more expensive, plus a premium because of the long carry over time in stock.

I really believe that for a properly motivated company or individual, it wouldn't take much to be able to get approval/certification and get some items out there at a reasonable cost to the pilots/mechanics, while still turning a decent profit. I know for a fact that some of these items out there right now are selling at a 1000%+ profit because I've seen companies that manufacture some of these items at trade shows. Amazing.

I'm going to keep looking at this a little more in-depth, as I'm curious exactly how difficult it would be. Another member (thank you for your feedback and input!) provided me with some pretty good information to get me going further. I'm no stranger to red-tape and bureaucracy, so if that's the only hurdle, it's really not a big concern of mine. The only difficulty is the actual items, and knowing what everyone needs. In other words, what is going to move quickly?

Having a list of the most expensive items out there is a big help, I can look into some of these...but a list of the most demanded items in the field would be a huge plus.

If anyone has looked into this, has any interest, tell me that it's impossible and I'm an idiot, or just wants to give me a heads up on anything, please feel free to PM me.
 
Isn't this thread about the cost of airplane parts, not the national debt? Go start your own thread somewhere else for that.

$350 and up for the yoke-mounted thumb switch for the Piper electric trim system.
 
flav8r said:
I bought an aviation app for my iPhone that cost me $75 and at the time it was considered to be one of the most expensive apps ever on iTunes.
The app was sold as a single lifetime charge to the consumer and when the company realized they made a mistake in offering it as a lifetime app they quickly came out with a newer version and stated that they would no longer support the old version.
This company is still in business but it will never get another cent from me for any of their products.

I know that $75 is not really that much money in the world of aviation but it is in the world of apps and it's not the proper way to treat your customers that took a chance with your product when it was first introduced to the masses.
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FOREFLIGHT? WINGX? say it. dont be timid. on the other hand, theres this GPS company that sells extremely expensive subcriptions in order for the vfr only gps to be useful. GARMIN:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:
 
wickedsprint said:
One fan blade for a GE90...over $100K
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Seems reasonable to me considering the material, process control and manufacturing required. Not to mention the original engine sales price is usually near or below cost.

OTOH, that's one reason power by the hour is sometimes a better deal.

Cheers
 
flav8r said:
I bought an aviation app for my iPhone that cost me $75 and at the time it was considered to be one of the most expensive apps ever on iTunes.
The app was sold as a single lifetime charge to the consumer and when the company realized they made a mistake in offering it as a lifetime app they quickly came out with a newer version and stated that they would no longer support the old version.
Click to expand...

They charged $75 one-time when they did because Apple had not yet come up with in-app purchase capability.

Would you rather have kept the $75 one-time deal and then lost support because the company went out of business trying to sustain it? I believe that at $75/year, if you download all the available charts on the number of devices you're allowed that they actually lose money on you due to bandwidth cost. It's also still cheaper than paper charts.

:dunno:
 
Repeatedly I have learned that since I'm not an A&P with my own shop, installation usually costs as much as the part.
 
flyingcheesehead said:
They charged $75 one-time when they did because Apple had not yet come up with in-app purchase capability.

Would you rather have kept the $75 one-time deal and then lost support because the company went out of business trying to sustain it? I believe that at $75/year, if you download all the available charts on the number of devices you're allowed that they actually lose money on you due to bandwidth cost. It's also still cheaper than paper charts.

:dunno:
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Whatever the case may be, they have lost me as a customer for LIFE.
 
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