Demo school. A sample flight school with four aircraft and two years of invented flights and bills (September 2024–August 2026). Sign in to see your own school's numbers.
It went from $155,396 to $117,281; the largest part was fewer hours flown.
Ideas schools in this spot often explore
What changed in demand: student starts, renters, weather, or aircraft availability.
The bills behind the cost line that moved most, and whether they're one-off.
Which months in the period drove the change, and whether it repeats each year.
Ideas, not recommendations. Your situation may differ.
Show the numbers
The fleet's operating margin was $117,281, down $38,115 from $155,396 in the previous period (2025-03-14 to 2025-12-31); N4521K accounts for $16,771 of that change.
Operating margin: $117,281
Previous period: $155,396
N4521K change: -$16,771
Operating margin: $117,281
Previous period: $155,396
N4521K change: -$16,771
Facts from your data, not a diagnosis.
Flew 203.7 fewer hours (780.6 vs 984.3), costing $18,172. main factor
Hours flown: 780.6 h
Hours flown, previous period: 984.3 h
Hours effect: -$18,172
Fuel cost per hour fell from $62.93 to $57.82, adding $3,993. smaller factor
Fuel per hour: $57.82/hr
Fuel per hour, previous period: $62.93/hr
Fuel effect: $3,993
Other changes: −$2,592. smaller factor
Other changes: -$2,592
Total change: -$16,771
Cancellations are costing N4521K real flying time.
N4521K$19,585 est Scheduled value of cancelled hours
9% of bookings were cancelled or no-shows, 106.0 scheduled hours worth about $19,585 at the usual rate.
Ideas schools in this spot often explore
How the cancellation and no-show policy is set: notice period, fees, and whether it's applied consistently.
Reminders before each booking, and how easy it is for a student to move a booking instead of dropping it.
A standby list that fills cancelled slots at short notice.
Ideas, not recommendations. Your situation may differ.
Show the numbers
N4521K had 53 cancelled or no-show bookings (9% of its 617 bookings) covering 106.0 scheduled hours; its revenue per hour was $184.76.
Cancelled or no-show bookings: 53
Cancellation rate: 9%
Scheduled hours: 106.0 h
Revenue per hour: $184.76/hr
Cancelled or no-show bookings: 53
Cancellation rate: 9%
Scheduled hours: 106.0 h
Revenue per hour: $184.76/hr
Facts from your data, not a diagnosis.
47 of the 53 cancelled or no-show bookings that name a customer were booked again by the same customer within 7 days. main factor
Booked again: 47
Naming a customer: 53
Rebooked share: 89%
est Includes estimated values: inferred bills, placeholder fixed costs or allocated fuel. Figures for cancellations, downtime and unbilled ground sessions are estimates by design.
Informational only, based on your data. Not financial, legal, or aviation-maintenance advice.
Utilization by month
May–Oct, by calendar month; Oct to the range's end. Based on your weekly schedule.
Flights, newest first
Date
Kind
Hobbs start
Hobbs end
Tach start
Tach end
Source
2026-08-31
rental
7483.5
7484.7
6350.2
6351.2
gsheets
2026-08-31
dual
7481.8
7483.5
6348.8
6350.2
gsheets
2026-08-31
dual
7480.0
7481.8
6347.3
6348.8
gsheets
2026-08-30
dual
7478.9
7480.0
6346.4
6347.3
gsheets
2026-08-30
rental
7477.9
7478.9
6345.6
6346.4
gsheets
2026-08-29
solo
7476.9
7477.9
6344.8
6345.6
gsheets
2026-08-29
solo
7475.4
7476.9
6343.5
6344.8
gsheets
2026-08-29
cancelled
—
—
—
—
gsheets
2026-08-29
dual
7473.5
7475.4
6341.9
6343.5
gsheets
2026-08-28
dual
7472.1
7473.5
6340.7
6341.9
gsheets
2026-08-28
solo
7470.8
7472.1
6339.6
6340.7
gsheets
2026-08-28
rental
7469.8
7470.8
6338.8
6339.6
gsheets
2026-08-28
rental
7468.7
7469.8
6337.9
6338.8
gsheets
2026-08-27
rental
7467.7
7468.7
6337.1
6337.9
gsheets
2026-08-27
solo
7466.8
7467.7
6336.3
6337.1
gsheets
2026-08-27
dual
7465.5
7466.8
6335.2
6336.3
gsheets
2026-08-26
dual
7463.8
7465.5
6333.8
6335.2
gsheets
2026-08-26
rental
7462.5
7463.8
6332.7
6333.8
gsheets
2026-08-26
solo
7461.4
7462.5
6331.8
6332.7
gsheets
2026-08-25
solo
7459.8
7461.4
6330.5
6331.8
gsheets
2026-08-25
rental
7458.3
7459.8
6329.2
6330.5
gsheets
2026-08-25
rental
7456.8
7458.3
6327.9
6329.2
gsheets
2026-08-23
maintenance
—
—
—
—
gsheets
2026-08-22
dual
7455.7
7456.8
6327.0
6327.9
gsheets
2026-08-22
no show
—
—
—
—
gsheets
Maintenance
Maintenance/hr (12-month)
$26/hr
Hourly (100-hour inspections, oil, other flying wear)
$23/hr
Calendar (annual and other date-driven items)
$238/month
Unscheduled repairs in this range
$0
Engine reserve per hour (overhaul cost ÷ TBO)
$21/hr
Maintenance booked in this range
$19,617
Per-hour and per-month figures cover 2025-10-21 to 2026-10-20 (934.7 Hobbs hours), so one month's annual or a month with few hours doesn't swing them. The operating break-even uses them too. Operating cost and margin stay as booked.
Largest in this range
Date
Category
Amount
Memo
2026-03-11
Hourly
$2,449
100-hour inspection N4521K
2026-01-30
Hourly
$2,403
100-hour inspection N4521K
2026-08-23
Hourly
$2,365
100-hour inspection N4521K
Coming up
Next 100-hour
About Dec 16, 2026 (at tach 6,427.9)
23% of the way
est
Next annual
Due by Dec 31, 2026
81% of the way
Overhaul
About May 2028
61% of the way
est
Reserve per hour
$21.00 needed
Dates marked est are estimates: the 100-hour from this aircraft's upcoming bookings and its last 90 days of hours (hover it for how), the overhaul projected at about 43.6 tach hours a month, month by month as it flew from 2025-10-21 to 2026-10-20, × 0.67 for its recent trend.
Maintenance downtime
Maintenance2026-01-30 08:00
Back in service2026-01-30 17:00
Maintenance2026-03-11 08:00
Back in service2026-03-11 17:00
Maintenance2026-04-13 08:00
Back in service2026-04-13 17:00
Maintenance2026-05-11 08:00
Back in service2026-05-11 17:00
Maintenance2026-06-07 08:00
Back in service2026-06-07 17:00
Maintenance2026-07-02 08:00
Back in service2026-07-02 17:00
Maintenance2026-07-27 08:00
Back in service2026-07-27 17:00
Maintenance2026-08-23 08:00
Back in service2026-08-23 17:00
Downtime counted against utilization in this range: 72.0 h (times in America/Chicago).
Summary
Hours flown
Utilization
Based on your weekly schedule.
Revenue
Operating cost
Operating margin
Loan payments
After loan payments
Cash view: includes loan principal
Cost/hr
Cost/hr (12-month)
780.6
27.3%
$144,226
−$73,191est
$71,035est
−$11,092est
$59,943est
$94est
$97est
Operating cost by category
Fuel
−$45,134est
62%
Maintenance
−$19,617
27%
Insurance
−$4,099est
6%
Hangar
−$4,340est
6%
Lease payment
$0
0%
Instructor pay
$0
0%
Other
$0
0%
Operating cost
−$73,191est
100%
Loan payments (after the operating margin, not in cost)
−$11,092est
est Includes estimated values: inferred bills, placeholder fixed costs or allocated fuel.
Bars are drawn against the largest category; striped bars include estimates. The percent is each category's share of the operating cost.
Fuel includes $15,199 allocated to this aircraft from fuel with no tail number, split by Hobbs hours each month (an estimate).
Fixed-cost placeholders (no bill booked that month, so the aircraft's monthly field is used): 2026-09 Insurance $4252026-09 Hangar $4502026-10 Insurance $274 (20/31 days)2026-10 Hangar $290 (20/31 days)
Loan-payment placeholders (no bill booked that month, so the aircraft's monthly field is used): 2026-09 Loan payment $1,1502026-10 Loan payment $742 (20/31 days)
By month
Month
Hours flown
Utilization
Based on your weekly schedule.
Revenue
Operating cost
Operating margin
After loan payments
Cash view: includes loan principal
January 2026
56.0
18.6%
$10,360
−$6,316est
$4,044est
$2,894est
February 2026
52.3
18.7%
$9,676
−$4,711est
$4,964est
$3,814est
March 2026
92.9
30.9%
$17,187
−$10,112est
$7,075est
$5,925est
April 2026
103.3
35.5%
$19,111
−$8,828est
$10,282est
$9,132est
May 2026
111.1
36.9%
$20,369
−$11,075est
$9,294est
$8,144est
June 2026
125.6
43.2%
$23,236
−$9,550est
$13,686est
$12,536est
July 2026
124.1
42.5%
$22,959
−$11,272est
$11,686est
$10,536est
August 2026
115.3
38.3%
$21,331
−$9,887est
$11,444est
$10,294est
September 2026
0.0
0.0%
$0
−$875est
−$875est
−$2,025est
October 2026 (2026-10-01 to 2026-10-20)
0.0
0.0%
$0
−$565est
−$565est
−$1,306est
Range total
780.6
27.3%
$144,226
−$73,191est
$71,035est
$59,943est
Cost per hour, month by month
Month
Hours
Fuel
Maintenance
Nov 2025
61.1
$71/hr
$3/hr
Dec 2025
63.2
$46/hr
$45/hr
Jan 2026
56
$50/hr
$47/hr
Feb 2026
52.3
$69/hr
$4/hr
Mar 2026
92.9
$68/hr
$31/hr
Apr 2026
103.3
$58/hr
$19/hr
May 2026
111.1
$71/hr
$21/hr
Jun 2026
125.6
$51/hr
$18/hr
Jul 2026
124.1
$47/hr
$36/hr
Aug 2026
115.3
$54/hr
$24/hr
Sep 2026
0
—
—
Oct 2026 (part)
0
—
—
Calendar maintenance (annual inspections and other dated items): 2024 (part) $3,086 · 2025 $2,862 · 2026 (part) $0
Maintenance per hour is lumpy month to month (an annual lands in one month); the 12-month rate above smooths it.
Break-even and cancellations
Break-even: 10.8 hours a month to cover $1,115 of fixed costs; it flew 81.1 a month. est
Cancelled or no-show: 9% of 617 bookings (32 cancelled, 21 no-shows).