Helicopter Ownership: What are the Operating Costs?

from AvBuyer Magazine August 2021

Privacy Considerations for Aircraft Owners (Part 2

Occasionally, helicopter buyers can find two or more rotorcraft equally capable of performing the required operations. To help decide between them, what are the less obvious operating cost considerations? Dave Higdon explores…

There is no doubting that factoring the differences in operating costs will undoubtedly play a big role in the selection of the right helicopter to operate. Inevitably, the turbine helicopter will cost more to operate than a piston option.

But while there will be significant variables between fuel, maintenance, training, regulatory compliance, and more when comparing the piston and turbine operations, exploring and really understanding the differences should provide answers to operating cost questions not even asked.

Regulatory Differences

First, it’ s important to consider the different regulations that are applicable to helicopters in private and commercial use. Part 91, for example, applies to General Aviation and some corporate commercial operations. It is the bread-and-butter for many corporate operators.

Part 91 does not mean commercial vs noncommercial, or hire vs non-hire, however. You can get paid for some flights operating under Part 91 (see below). Some commercial operators fly under Part 91 rules, choosing to remain under Part 91 instead of Part 135, because it saves them money.

While Part 135 imposes stricter training and maintenance requirements, Part 91 is the least restrictive, and a pilot may choose to initiate an instrument approach when the weather is below the minimums published on the approach plates (for example), whereas they couldn ’t do so under Part 135.

If a Part 91 operator wants to fly passengers for hire, then the FAA requires them to step up its game. The commercial flying allowed under Part 91 is more limited than under Part 135. For example, under Part 91 the passengers are incidental to the flight' s mission (such as an observer delivering traffic reports). While they are not a paying passenger, they are passengers nonetheless.

Without a Part 135 certificate, the operator can 't advertise offering scheduled or on-demand

passenger services, but they can advertise utility missions in which an observer or trained operator is required.

Meanwhile, “Operation Specifications ” (Ops Specs) is an official document approved by the FAA establishing a company as a Part 135 operator (or as a Part 121, 141 or 142 operator).

While restrictive in some ways, Ops Specs also provide a measure of flexibility, allowing companies to deviate from certain CFRs. For example, a Part 91 pilot must have an alternate when the weather within one hour of the filed ETA is less than 2,000 feet and three miles visibility. FAA-approved Ops Specs will allow carriers to go lower than that.

Ops Specs are great until you try to change them. Changes must be approved by the FAA in writing, including checklists – and for this reason many small corporate operators avoid becoming Part 135 operators.

For example, 49 U.S.C 44730 requires that Part 135 certificate holders providing air ambulance services comply with Part 135 regulations pertaining to weather minimums, and flight and duty time when medical personnel are onboard the aircraft. The statute also directed the FAA to conduct rulemaking on helicopter air ambulance operations to address:

1. Flight request and dispatch procedures; 2. Pilot training standards for preventing controlled flight into terrain and recovery from IIMC; and 3. Safety-enhancing technology and equipment, including, HTAWS, radio altimeters, and, to the extent feasible, devices that perform the function of flight data recorders and cockpit voice recorders.

Further, section 44730 requires the rulemaking to address:

1. Flight risk evaluation programs; and 2. Operational control centers for helicopter air ambulance services with 10 or more helicopters.

Part 135 applies to commuter and on-demand operations flown for hire. And, to be clear, for helicopter pilots Part 135 (and Part 133 rules governing external load operations for helicopters) almost always apply to you.

And don 't forget about the Safety Management Systems (SMS) which the FAA requires of commercial operators.

Finally, on the regulatory front, Part 27 contains airworthiness standards for rotorcraft in the normal category, including rotorcraft up to 7,000lbs Maximum Takeoff Weight (MTOW) and nine or fewer passengers. Examples include Robinson ' s R44 and Schweizer 300 piston helicopter models, and Bell’ s 429 turbine helicopter.

If all of the above sounds complex and expensive, in reality it is, and must be understood and factored into any operating cost analysis for helicopter ownership.

Direct Operating Costs

The area of Direct Operating Costs (DOCs) most Part 91 operators look to when weighing up the piston-versus-turbine helicopter ownership question – assuming the candidate rotorcraft provide similar capabilities – is the fuel consumption and engine maintenance costs.

Generally, turbine helicopters will provide more power for their weight – but at the cost of a higher hourly fuel consumption rate and, as a result, higher fuel costs when comparing an equal number of hours flown.

Anyone moving from operating fixed-wing aircraft to helicopters should be aware that helicopters use more rotating parts, many with their own detailed maintenance requirements. Rotor blades, rotor hubs, and the anti-torque blades spinning back at the end of the tail boom cover just a few examples of the many parts.

Expect the per-hour maintenance costs of the helicopter to run higher than a fixed-wing aircraft – even when both are piston powered or both turbine powered.

Under Part 91, operators face enginemaintenance guidelines, in particular the Time Between Overhauls (TBO) recommendation of the engine and airframe OEMs. TBO is a recommendation operators use as a guide to overhauling or replacing the powerplant(s).

TBO is a guideline for non-commercial operations, allowing them to overhaul or replace their powerplants on an on-condition basis. If, for example, engine-oil lab tests find no contaminants warranting a tear down; and if borescope inspections of the cylinders reveal no problems (i.e. cracks around spark plugs or valves) and the engine passes its compression tests, the engine may be run for many hours beyond the TBO time.

Similarly, turbine-powered helicopters ’ engine and airframe OEMs set time periods between hotsection inspections and overhauls. On-condition is the watchword – unless the engine OEM imposes other limitations.

For commercial operations, however, TBO is a 