I’m using this video as inspiration to buy a plane once I am done with my lessons/ratings. My wife is going to be so pissed when I send her a selfie with a plane I purchased! Thanks for giving us an idea of the costs behind owning a cub. Huge fan of these planes and I love watching your flight videos early in the morning while drinking some coffee!

In 1963 four of us put in $250 apiece to buy a $1000. 1946, wood spar, J3 with an A75 and metal climb prop. It had fresh fabric and a recent top overhaul. We kept it at Moorestown tied down for about $20/month. We flew it for $3/hr. Sigh ! It behaved like a STOL but only cruised about 70 mph. I spent the next 25 years at Eastern mostly in DC 9s. I used to fly a 170A into Aeroflex Andover at night to visit a girl friend. Young and confident in the Continental C145. Never had an engine failure in 30 years of flying including 2 1/2 years behind P&W R2800s on a Convair 440. In the '60's there was a mechanic at Burlington Co/SJR named Louis Costanza.

I quit thinking about how much I've spent on my Champ. Its been in my family since 1961. I live in Indiana and fly out of a private strip. My costs are a little less than some of yours but I think its a regional thing. Hangar rent in some areas is crazy compared to where I choose to live. Bottom line is we want these airplanes and we will pay for them.

I've owned a 1946 J3-65 now for over 14 years. It truly is a blast to fly. Operating costs are well below that of the 150's and similar. The Cub is just about as iconic as you'll find. Go to a number of fly-in's, big and small town airports. It is an eye-catcher on the static display ramp. It is extremely fun to fly and you are not going to go anywhere fast in it. Just a 10 MPH headwind puts you 60 MPH +/- a little. Because of that you do need to properly flight plan fuel if you do want to go more than 100 miles away. Early on I had some issues with it (but I bought it right). Since, I've done lower end rebuild, then a few years later, just got tired of the worn out cylinders and went with Millenium cylinders and doesn't burn anything but maybe 1/2 qt in 25 hours. When I got it, it was based in the N.E. and after 9/11 the owner had no option but to put a wind driven alternator and transponder. I am based w/in a Mode C vail so, as the mandate for ADSB came around, I put ADSB in (even though I was aware I could be exempt), but it makes it nice not to have to call anybody and can operate anywhere I want. Use a tablet for ADSB-IN and couple that with my Navigation EFB. Total added weight was < 10 lbs. What amazes me is the engineering of simplicity on a nearly 80 year old airplane that has never failed to start each and every time. Highly recommend one.

Roughly the same costs as my Champ. All good and accurate points about ownership. Thanks for sharing.

When I was a kid there were two types of planes; a Cub and the Songbird.

In 1966 I was in the Navy and a group of us pilots formed a club and bought a Cub for $4,000 and a C-140 for $6,000. We charged members $4.00 and $6.00 per hour wet.

Thanks for the breakdown. Always love watching your content especially when you fly to Andover!

Viewed with interest. I own an L-4 here in Norway. Surprised to hear that prices are fairly similar to here, I would expect things to be cheaper stateside since aviation is so much more common over there. Fuel here is crazy: 12 USD/gallon. However, hangar rental is less (I rent out a spot for 300/month, which is on the high side here). Other expenses are fairly similar. But what the hell, it's a Cub and it's legendary. Love your videos man, wish you could do one where you talk about filming, operation with drone/aircraft etc. Thanks and hope you have a great 2023 season, bro!

Excellent video! Wish I had this before I bought the first plane. Selfie…solid move!!! Beautiful family, can’t wait for the next vid 🇺🇸🤣

😮Always loved the Cub ,that yellow is beautiful

Great info Joe. I was just thinking about buying one. Keep the videos coming. 👍🏼

Thanks for the video Joe! Been following you on instagram for a while now, love the content. After finishing A&P school, I plan on buying a cub myself so the video was very insightful.

Great video. Please do more. I'm all in for this long form content. Followed you here from your Insta.

Pretty accurate assessment of costs, I would take a fabric class, I think you would enjoy the process when it comes time to recover the wings and fuselage

Great video and summary of cost. One thing I learned...I think I'm way overpaying on insurance! But gas here is half (FL)!!!

I really appreciate this video, cub ownership is something I’m really striving towards so this breakdown is very helpful. Thanks!

Thank you for this informative video! I love cubs so this was very interesting for me

Thank you for this. I’m thinking of adding a Cub as a second airplane. This is really helpful.

Love it! Keep the Cub videos coming!

More long form content, this is great stuff!

Love your content. Very much enjoyed this longer video.

Great Video Joe. Miss ya'll back home at the W

Looking forward to the KZfaq vids!

$8/gallon!!!!! Awesome video Joe. I’m looking forward to seeing more.

Great video my brother! 😁🤙🏼 I have found out that a Cub is about the cheapest certified aircraft that you could own. 😁

Great job!!!

Great video, nice work!

Great info 🤙🏻

Great video, thanks.

Just a selfie huh? Risking it for the biscuit. 🤣 Glad it worked out in the end. Not sure I'd be so lucky but maybe I'll give it a shot. Guess I'll get to practicing my selfie skills.

Great common sense points---nicely done!

Hey Joe, love work work been following for awhile…..I have a question though as you’re an airline pilot and cub owner…..I’m a PPL holder as well as instrument rated and planning on commercial next…..I work for the airlines as an A&P and make a good wage but airlines are expensive as we know, I have been looking into Aeronca and Cub style aircraft mainly for the price tag…..if I ever wanted to fly for an airline how would a company view my 1500 hours assuming maybe a good chunk, but not all of it was in something like a tail wheel and simple VFR flying…..thanks

Thanks for the objective info on cost. No thanks for the counseling on borrowing money. This is a sickness in society.

Yes.

Show 👏👏👏👏👏👏

you say $8 gallon is expensive and here I am wishing I had fuel that cheap... where I am in canada I have to buy it a drum at a time, and the price to buy it local 2 weeks ago was $875 which is $15.90 a gallon! getting to the point I wish I did have a 65HP J3 instead of a 150HP PA12 haha

❤

An annual with nothing major? After 40 years of cub ownership I'm still waiting for that nothing major annual. Would I give up my plane? Only when I get too old, which is fast approaching.

My wife got rid of me now I own a Carbon Cub. Best thing she ever did to me., I sure love flying my Carbon Cub SS

Seeing a few clip wing cubs on the market right now - thoughts on those?

Sorry if I missed it, but how many hrs per month of flying are you doing?

Cub ownership starts with paying twice what a simple tube&fabric airplane should cost.

$1200 for our 15AC Aeronca annual. Totally worth it.

Gotta know the numbers, to "not" want to know the numbers.... :)

Hey Joe and everyone here, total noob question, can you accumulate your 1500 hours in a cub? Is that not welcomed?

50k budget. Divorced. Cash in hand lol. My worry is insurance. 52. Have 65 hours, but never finished my license. No current medical. So, going light sport, sport license. Mainly, just want to fly around 50 mile radius. Hoping this is going to be doable.

I heard cross keys? NJ? I’m in DE and got my PPL at ILG.

Dude ...have you taught her the magic...? Flying isn't. Everything.. it's the only THING... .. ...!

Are cubs here a kdyl is 1945 and 1943 and everything is about the same as u said

The “you’re an airplane owner so it doesn’t matter” is the dumbest statement ever. We are only watching the video because the prices DO matter and people are trying to figure out what they can afford. If it’s too high then a guy might just not buy one. But they won’t know what the cost is unless someone tells them.

This is my dream acft. Too bad I cant afford one with my A/P mechanics savings; less with my 100% V.A. disability pay check.

So the bank owns ur plane 😂

Thanks man! I really appreciate this video. A lot of great info for someone like myself who is trying to navigate the weeds entering aviation! Keep it up! 🫡🇺🇸