Peter wrote:
I have heard of it with jets; apparently computerised management is universal there.
It starts to get difficult to do even piston maintenance without a computer that tracks lifetimes of individual components. Even my 3 people maintenance shop now uses such a system, generating work orders etc.
NBAA assumes a 100nm distance to alternate for a turboprop and a 200nm distance for a jet. It is very detailed and includes a loiter to get your clearance to an alternate at 5000ft and assumes landing at alternate with 30 minutes 5000ft loiter fuel.
I’ve footed the bill for a year already to get the TP up to speed. Nothing has so far suggested the actual labor or parts cost more. Just overhauled both starter/generators at $4200. What would two starters and two alternators on a piston have cost? Probably the same. Fuel manifold lines and nozzle overhaul, $5800 – what would a complete injection system and ignition system cost on a piston? Probably more.
They break less, the engine reserves are on par with a high end legacy piston. Here is a comparison:
421C
GTSIO-520 overhaul: $70K/1600 hours
Exhaust: $10K/1600 hours
Oil changes: $250/50 hours
Magneto work: $1500/500 hours
Top overhaul: $15K/1600 hours (one per TBO)
Fuel: 22 GPH block/hr, $5.50/gal
Total works out to $68/hour without fuel, $188/hour with fuel.
MU-2/Turbo Commander/Conquest/B100:
TPE331-10 overhaul: $225K/5000/5400 hours
Exhaust: none
Oil changes: $400/900 hours
Fuel nozzles: $800/400 hours
HSI: $40K/5000 hours (one per TBO)
Fuel: 37 GPH block, $3.50/gal
Total works out to $55/hour without fuel, $185/hour with fuel.
Can someone post likely costs for a TBM, on say 150hrs/year?
Note that 150hrs/year is equivalent to 300hrs/year in a SEP, because you are going twice as fast. Very few private/pleasure pilots will be doing 150hrs/year in a TBM. I have known some 300-500hr ones but most of those cases are business travel. Leisure TBM owners do 25-50hrs/year; I have known a few of those too and they usually have an instructor sitting in the RHS, on every flight.
But there’s also the case when you step up to more capable plane that it can now be used for trips where you’d take the airlines when you had a spam can. With a TBM you can eliminate airline travel, more or less. At least in Europe, perhaps not longer intercontinental trips. So they also become more useful.
Yes, with a TBM I could do my standard airline trip for €25,000 instead of €400. That’s what I’m still struggling with 
Achim. You won’t save money but you can add a lot of convenience. What range do you actually need for 80% of your flying?
Sometimes you can save money straight up, but I’ll admit it’s rare. But if you bill yourself out for X amount per hour, then count the hours you lose by going to some godforsaken hub or stand in some godforsaken easyJet line or all the time you waste – add that to your airline price, and you will come out ahead.
Also, private aviation will almost always be on par with a business class ticket. So if you’re “expected”, or “used” to that as part of all your travel DNA, GA is cheaper. It’s all about perspective. 
AdamFrisch wrote:
I’ve footed the bill for a year already to get the TP up to speed. Nothing has so far suggested the actual labor or parts cost more.
I sincerely hope that you are right and I am wrong.
I can only go by my own experience. Some years ago I remember a radar unit at $25,000 exchange, windshields at $35,000 and a big check at around $20,000 all cropping up within one quarter of the year.
AdamFrisch wrote:
Also, private aviation will almost always be on par with a business class ticket.
I seriously doubt that a business class ticket to egypt will cost anywhere near 25k€, not even including the black limousine that picks you up from your home
