How much does a US aircraft cost per flight hour?

Okay, so you’re wondering how much it costs to fly an American airplane for an hour, huh? Well, let me tell you, it’s not cheap!

The truth is, the cost can be all over the place depending on the plane. I mean, think about it – a tiny Cessna is gonna cost way less than a massive Boeing, right? I remember once looking into chartering a small private jet for a trip, and even that was eye-wateringly expensive!

Anyway, from what I’ve read, a Boeing 747, that big jumbo jet we all know, can rack up costs of around $25,000 per hour of flight. Just think about that for a second… That’s like, more than some people make in a year!

Now, here’s where it gets a little interesting, especially when you look at military aircraft. You might think the newest, fanciest fighter jets would be less expensive to fly because of all the technology. But sometimes, that advanced tech actually increases the price.

Take the F-35, for instance. I saw somewhere that it costs roughly $35,000 per hour to operate. Ouch! But get this – apparently, because they’re building so many F-35s, that cost is actually lower than the older F-22 Raptor, which I’ve heard can cost around $70,000 per flight hour. Can you even imagine? $70,000! What are they doing up there?! I mean, I guess it makes sense that mass production brings prices down, even for incredibly complex machines like fighter jets. Still, it’s a whole lot of money to just keep a plane in the air for an hour.