Oil is a “variable direct” operating cost. The expense accumulates proportionate with the hours of engine operation.
There are at least two items we include in oil expense for operating a Cirrus SR22: Regular oil changes every fifty hours and an estimated hourly oil consumption by the engine during normal use.
What is the oil expense for operating a Cirrus SR22 aircraft?
Oil expense is one of several cost components included in the hourly billable member rate for using the plane. We budget $6.89 per hobbs hour for oil changes and hourly oil consumption. Here’s a summary.
Summary Oil Expense Cirrus SR22
| Description | 50 Hours | Per Hour |
| Regular Oil Change (every 50 hours) | 300.00 | 6.00 |
| Oil Consumption | 44.29 | 0.89 |
| Total | $344.29 | $6.89 |
Our Authorized Service Center charges $265 for a Cirrus SR22TN oil change, which includes inspection of the filter and sending out an oil sample to Aviation Oil Analysis (AOA). It also includes a check of the turbo wastegate pins and replacement of worn pins as necessary (wastegate cotter pin part qty 3 x 0.45 cents ea. = $1.35).
We round-up the fifty hour oil change expense to $300, which helps to off-set a short shuttle flight to the service center.
Cirrus Service Center Oil Change & Analysis
| AOA oil sample analysis | 23.25 |
| Oil Filter | 31.76 |
| AeroShell oil w100 8 quarts | 55.20 |
| Oil disposal | 2.00 |
| Engine wash Varsol | 8.25 |
| Labor 1.5 hours | 135.00 |
| Tax | 9.77 |
| Total | $265.23 |
Hourly Oil Consumption
For every flight hour the engine will burn some oil. Currently, we budget oil consumption at a rate of one (1) quart every seven (7) hours. The amount you include depends on your particular engine, its condition and how you fly the plane.
We purchase Aeroshell W100 aviation oil for about $74.00 per case at Sam’s Wholesale Club, which gives us a per quart expense of about $6.17. We keep a couple of quarts and a funnel in the luggage compartment sealed in a small plastic container.
Purchasing oil on-the-road at FBO’s can run more than twice the above amount per quart.
In a shared ownership arrangement, you need to calculate your oil expense and match it with member use of the aircraft.
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