No competition at GJT

B

buraian

Filing Flight Plan
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Buraian
Several years ago, I was privileged to get to live in Grand Junction, Colorado. While there, I started training for my PPL at Strand Flying School. When the school closed, I followed my CFI to the only remaining school at GJT, Colorado Flight Center. I got as far as my first solo (+ a few more dual hours), then I made a dumb choice and moved back to Dallas.

Long story short, although I found a new instructor at Dallas Executive Airport, some unexpected expenses came up that clipped my wings before I got my license.

But now, I might have a chance to get back to GJ, and I'd like to get back into the air.

Unfortunately, CFC is still the only flight school there. And, of course, the cost has gone up. The cheapest rental is $155/hr wet (although "fuel surcharge may apply) for a Cessna 172S. In fairness, it is a very nice 172. $45/hr for the instructor. So $200 plus tax and a potential fuel surcharge PER HOUR. It's depressing. And there don't even seem to be any flying clubs, so that's not even an option.

GJT is a decent-sized airport with all kinds of traffic. GA, airlines, military. I loved flying there. But it's sad that there's no competition to help keep the cost down. :^(
 
Those rates are similar for 172s and CFI here in Alabama, and there is competition here. A lot of places are even higher.
 
buraian said:
Several years ago, I was privileged to get to live in Grand Junction, Colorado. While there, I started training for my PPL at Strand Flying School. When the school closed, I followed my CFI to the only remaining school at GJT, Colorado Flight Center. I got as far as my first solo (+ a few more dual hours), then I made a dumb choice and moved back to Dallas.

Long story short, although I found a new instructor at Dallas Executive Airport, some unexpected expenses came up that clipped my wings before I got my license.

But now, I might have a chance to get back to GJ, and I'd like to get back into the air.

Unfortunately, CFC is still the only flight school there. And, of course, the cost has gone up. The cheapest rental is $155/hr wet (although "fuel surcharge may apply) for a Cessna 172S. In fairness, it is a very nice 172. $45/hr for the instructor. So $200 plus tax and a potential fuel surcharge PER HOUR. It's depressing. And there don't even seem to be any flying clubs, so that's not even an option.

GJT is a decent-sized airport with all kinds of traffic. GA, airlines, military. I loved flying there. But it's sad that there's no competition to help keep the cost down. :^(
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Denver is similar and we have plenty of clubs and commercial competition. Hate to tell ya, but prices have simply risen with inflation (and held up by a decent economy and the “airline hiring bonanza”) while you were gone. Not to mention that a new 172 is pushing the underside of half a million bucks.

It’s eye opening to run the numbers for ownership, to see what it takes to operate a training/rental facility these days. Just the commercial insurance alone will make your eyeballs pop out of your head, once you know how many hours the aircraft will have to rent out to cover that.
 
The cost you are quoting,seem to be in line,for the market.
 
I'm in DC Metro area, in a club/partnership, paying $83 per hour tach, wet. 172M, autopilot, Garmin 530, bluetooth from tablet-to-Garmin equipped, ADS-B in and out, Powerflow, a few other niceties.

Non-profit, of course. . .a 172 costs about $80-90 per hour to operate, to include direct costs, engine overhaul, the whole deal. A club or partnership doesn't have to make a profit, or carry as heavy an insurance burden, or rent office space, or pay off the local gov't or airport authority.

You might find a partnership you can buy into for an upfront fee, or a club with the same kind of entry cost.
 
I own a flight school in Poplar Bluff, MO. My rates are a lot less than that, but I am also an A&P IA. So I can maintain my air art and not pay someone else to do it. Also, I am not in a metropolitan area. My 172 rents for $110 or $1000 for ten hours and my 150 rents for $75 or $700 for ten hours. So coming from me I think those prices are a bit high, though they are probably in line with most markets. Here is a link to my aircraft
http://www.semoaviationservices.com/aircraft-rental/
My instructor rates are similar, we are $40 for our aircraft and $50 for customer aircraft.
 
Ouch.... I remember when $45 an hour was hurting me for a 172. But then it was IFR capable with 2 VORs, one with glide slope, 2 radios and 1 ADF.

And the instructor was 20 bucks extra.

There was a 152 that could be had for 28 bucks an hour, VFR only and limited to under 150 miles from home. (No idea why)
 
Yeah- I pay 189$ an hour with (or without) instructor. It's painful. Unfortunately, there is not a whole lot you can do about it other than take your business elsewhere. There are always more CFIs around than you think though- maybe start asking around if there is a CFI who just doesn't advertise their services. Or be ready to drive 45 min + for other options.
 
buraian said:
Several years ago, I was privileged to get to live in Grand Junction, Colorado. While there, I started training for my PPL at Strand Flying School. When the school closed, I followed my CFI to the only remaining school at GJT, Colorado Flight Center. I got as far as my first solo (+ a few more dual hours), then I made a dumb choice and moved back to Dallas.

Long story short, although I found a new instructor at Dallas Executive Airport, some unexpected expenses came up that clipped my wings before I got my license.

But now, I might have a chance to get back to GJ, and I'd like to get back into the air.

Unfortunately, CFC is still the only flight school there. And, of course, the cost has gone up. The cheapest rental is $155/hr wet (although "fuel surcharge may apply) for a Cessna 172S. In fairness, it is a very nice 172. $45/hr for the instructor. So $200 plus tax and a potential fuel surcharge PER HOUR. It's depressing. And there don't even seem to be any flying clubs, so that's not even an option.

GJT is a decent-sized airport with all kinds of traffic. GA, airlines, military. I loved flying there. But it's sad that there's no competition to help keep the cost down. :^(
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That fuel surcharge sounds shady. How do you add a fuel surcharge to a wet rate? Other than that seems typical. (ridiculously unaffordable is typical now)
 
Thanks for the reality check, everyone. I'm still hopeful that I'll find some kind of unadvertised partnership opportunity. I had given up on flying for years, but a ride in a CAF Stinson AT-19 reminded me how important it once was to me.
 
exncsurfer said:
That fuel surcharge sounds shady. How do you add a fuel surcharge to a wet rate? Other than that seems typical. (ridiculously unaffordable is typical now)
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The fuel surcharge clauses in many club and FBO rules came about during the $6+/gal AvGas “crisis” years a few years back. Most places have the clause now but don’t exercise it.

Same thing as the shipping carriers all doing it back then.

Now it’s just there for when oil goes sky high again someday due to some silly political “unrest”.

(Translation: Some dumb ass oligarch decides to go to war again and get a bunch of American service men and women killed to fix some problem the CIA created a decade ago. Wash rinse repeat, rah rah ‘Merica.)

It’s worth asking what price fuel has to hit to exercise the fuel surcharge. If it’s like last time so few people will be flying, you’ll have the airplane and instructor all to yourself along with the entire airport.
 
I was in Grand Junction when regular unleaded gasoline went over $4/gal. (2008?) That was one time I was grateful to live in a relatively compact community.
 
buraian said:
I was in Grand Junction when regular unleaded gasoline went over $4/gal. (2008?) That was one time I was grateful to live in a relatively compact community.
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Ugh.. if unleaded heads close to $5 again, I don't want to see what avgas does. Good luck finding a reasonable flying option.. kind of crazy to have so few options near GJT.
 
F01LA said:
Ugh.. if unleaded heads close to $5 again, I don't want to see what avgas does. Good luck finding a reasonable flying option.. kind of crazy to have so few options near GJT.
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GJT is small-ish, and like much of the West, a long way from the next big town... so it’s kinda “normal” demographically. In the Midwest, the towns may be small but the next one the same size is only 30 miles up the road...

Denver has the same problem on a bigger scale... it’s isolated from big cities for a long way around it. Lots of Aviation here, but only a few places big enough to have much Aviation surrounding it, so it limits our airports big enough to have a good lunch at AWAY from Denver. ;)
 
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