Renting out an RV 12 (SLSA) to avoid sitting for half a year?

[Duncannon]

When it comes to buying a certified Skyhawk or Cherokee, etc. and renting it, most agree that it’s a bad idea. The insurance rates will multiply several times, and the airplane will require 100 hr inspections. But the primary reason is the wear and abuse that will occur from newbie students. Unless the airplane is already an old beater, everyone says not to do it unless the airplane will get flown very frequently AND there is a huge discount on maintenance from the FBO/flight school. However, I’ve read where an RV 12 can be a good airplane to rent or lease out. Someone once said “99% of leasebacks don’t make money, the other 1% are RV 12’s”. So is a 12 tough enough to take on student pilots but more affordable than a Cessna/Piper?

I’m contemplating taking a job where I would work up north for 6 to 7 months each year and get laid off during winter (but draw seasonal unemployment). So if I bought a plane it would sit for over half a year (and no, taking the plane with me up north would NOT be an option). I could hire someone to fly it periodically, but perhaps renting it out would not only insure my airplane gets flown (during the summer in this case), but maybe even turn a profit. So does anyone have any success or horror stories from renting or leasing an RV 12?

 

[gasman]

I would take on a partner first.

 

[peredavi]

When it comes to buying a certified Skyhawk or Cherokee, etc. and renting it, most agree that it’s a bad idea. The insurance rates will multiply several times, and the airplane will require 100 hr inspections. But the primary reason is the wear and abuse that will occur from newbie students. Unless the airplane is already an old beater, everyone says not to do it unless the airplane will get flown very frequently AND there is a huge discount on maintenance from the FBO/flight school. However, I’ve read where an RV 12 can be a good airplane to rent or lease out. Someone once said “99% of leasebacks don’t make money, the other 1% are RV 12’s”. So is a 12 tough enough to take on student pilots but more affordable than a Cessna/Piper?

I’m contemplating taking a job where I would work up north for 6 to 7 months each year and get laid off during winter (but draw seasonal unemployment). So if I bought a plane it would sit for over half a year (and no, taking the plane with me up north would NOT be an option). I could hire someone to fly it periodically, but perhaps renting it out would not only insure my airplane gets flown (during the summer in this case), but maybe even turn a profit. So does anyone have any success or horror stories from renting or leasing an RV 12?

Look into pickling engine. Take one Spark plug out, spray storage oil in. Put desiccant plug in it’s place. There is also heavy lubricating oil, I believe Phillips Aviation that can also be flown with a bit.
Thisis just a basic outline. You need to look it up.
No one takes care of a rental like the owner. In the history of the world, no one has ever washed a rental car.

 

[Martyrv6a]

Maybe get a “buddy” to fly it every several weeks while you are gone.

 

[AeroEngineer]

Why not start a flying club? Before you leave, you basically vet a small number of people who can fly your airplane (small enough that the probability of someone dinging up the airplane is low, but large enough for the airplane to get some hours and recoup most of your costs). You can work out with them the details of whether and how much they pay for fuel, maintenance, etc.

 

[rvbuilder2002]

A rented SLSA RV-12 will also have to have 100 hr inspections.

 

[gasman]

A rented SLSA RV-12 will also have to have 100 hr inspections.

That could easily be every 30 to 60 days....$$$

 

[planenutz]

A guy I knew and shared a common interest with (aviation!), built an RV-6. I visited him a handful of times while he was building it and helped him get it certified. I started building my own RV-6 and had a lot of questions so would call him from time to time and ask him how he had solved a particular issue. One day, after his RV-6 had been flying for a couple of years, he called me up and said he was going overseas for a month and suggested I head down to his place and bring the aeroplane back to my local airport so I could fly it while he was away. It was a very generous offer and I took him up on it. An hourly rate was set and I looked after the aeroplane better than if it were my own while I had it. Over the years I continued to look after the aircraft while he was away on holiday and there was a stretch in there where he moved to Australia for 3 years and only visited a couple of times, giving me exclusive use of the aircraft. I flew it and maintained it and kept it polished and looking smart.

Fast forward 28 years and today I have my own RV-6, but I am eternally grateful to Sam for sharing his machine with me for all these years. Without this access I doubt I would have retained my license. I always wondered why he had made these arrangements and even today do not have any real idea why he reached out like he did back in 1998. What did make sense was he never let anyone else fly his RV-6... it has always been just the two of us who fly it. The rules have always been - "if it's in the hangar when you turn up to fly it, go fly it. If you turn up and its not there, then you know I've got it. If I turn up and its not there, I know you've got it. If you want to take it away somewhere for a week, call and we'll sort it out." If you have three people with access to the plane then you can never be sure who broke something - but if there are only two people with access then you know that if you didn't break it then the other guy did.

So what's my point? My point is this - don't be afraid to find somebody you trust and give them your aeroplane while you're away overseas on a working contract, or even just on holiday. Find a young person who needs to build some hours or maybe somebody who would love to build a RV-12 but just can't afford it. At worst they don't work out but at best you might find yourself a friend for life. It might lead to a long term relationship that will help you keep your aeroplane during hard times, or at least help reduce your operating costs. Most private aircraft don't fly often enough so having somebody who can do 20-odd hours a year on top of the 20-odd hours you do yourself, helps keep the engine warm.

Sam and I remain good friends to this day and I still maintain his aeroplane. I do it for free and will always do it for free, such is my gratitude. His RV-6 has over 1,100 hours on it and 40% of those hours are mine. Now that my own RV-6 is flying I've not gone looking for somebody else to fly it but both my children fly so they have first option... however if they didn't fly then I would most certainly go looking for a like-minded person and offer them the same deal I've enjoyed.

There will be horror stories out there, I'm sure, but hopefully this provides some balance.

 

[Amadeus]

I could hire someone to fly it periodically

The -12 is a popular platform and if you check around you will likely find a fellow -12 owner nearby who would likely fly yours an hour every couple weeks. No rentals, no shared ownership, just your plane with another lots of time in a -12 pilot flying it occasionally. Insurance wouldn't be higher, or at least as much higher as if renting out, with a second pilot listed. Do your condition inspection before departing (or at least the oil maintenance) and one hour every two weeks would be less than 15 hours accumulated before you return.

 

[climberrn]

Several years ago a friend was going to be out of town for several months. He left his -6A in my care and an envelope with money for gas. Was a great deal for both of us. I wouldn’t consider renting one of mine out but a partnership or a friend or two would be an ideal situation. I doubt any rental fees collected would offset the additional costs and wear and tear on your plane.

 

[Source41]

Sorry if I am missing something, but why would this situation require a 100hr inspection? Renting out an airplane (regardless of if it's a Skyhawk or SLSA) is not considered For Hire when it comes to a 100hr inspection.

 

[rvbuilder2002]

Renting an airplane is for compensation or higher. For that type of operation the Aircraft must be inspected every hundred hours and or 12 months which ever came first.

You are somewhat correct in that if an aircraft is rented for less than 100 hours, then technically that inspection interval wouldn’t be met as long as the period of time that the owner was receiving compensation was less than 12 months from when the previous condition inspection was done and it does not get flown for more than 100 hours.

Once either of those thresholds is passed, another inspection would be required.

 

[Source41]

Renting an airplane is for compensation or higher. For that type of operation the Aircraft must be inspected every hundred hours and or 12 months which ever came first.

You are somewhat correct in that if an aircraft is rented for less than 100 hours, then technically that inspection interval wouldn’t be met as long as the period of time that the owner was receiving compensation was less than 12 months from when the previous condition inspection was done and it does not get flown for more than 100 hours.

Once either of those thresholds is passed, another inspection would be required.

FAR 91.409 Specifically mentions rented aircraft that carry Passengers for Hire or Flight Instruction. Renting itself is not the cause of the inspection but paying passengers/flight instruction if the instructor is part of the rental. This letter of interpretation Specifically Scenerio 1 and 6 seems to confirm that even for a plane that is used for both rent and hire (in terms of flight instruction) which is more complicated.

 

[rvbuilder2002]

FAR 91.409 Specifically mentions rented aircraft that carry Passengers for Hire or Flight Instruction. Renting itself is not the cause of the inspection but paying passengers/flight instruction if the instructor is part of the rental. This letter of interpretation Specifically Scenerio 1 and 6 seems to confirm that even for a plane that is used for both rent and hire (in terms of flight instruction) which is more complicated.

Thanks for the correction.

In my association with a flight school in the past, I was told that there was no differentiation, if money was changing hands for the aircraft use, and that was the reason for flying club’s corporation bylaws set up in such a way that all members have some level of ownership in all the aircraft. That way, any money changing hands is just sharing expenses.