+Free tool
Fleet, buy versus lease, setup costs, and runway in - total startup capital, monthly burn, and a break-even timeline out. Built for people pricing a school, club, or rental operation on the back of a napkin.
Once you are flying
Rules of thumb, not a business plan. Financing, taxes, and Part 61 versus Part 141 structure will move these numbers.
+Before you sign anything
Buying puts the capital up front and keeps the hourly economics lean; leasing (or leaseback) keeps startup costs low but hands part of every flying hour to the owner. This tool models both so you can see the crossover for your numbers.
Certification and legal work, initial insurance deposits, avionics or interior refreshes, tooling, a website, and the first round of marketing. Groups routinely underestimate this line - when in doubt, round up.
Utilization ramps slower than anyone plans. Two to six months of fixed costs in the bank is the difference between a slow first quarter and a fire sale. The estimator counts that runway as part of your startup capital on purpose.
From day one it is the scheduling, billing, and maintenance layer, so the operation you are pricing here runs without spreadsheets. Software is a rounding error in this budget; the leakage it prevents is not.
Add your aircraft and your rates, then see the schedule, the squawks, and the ledger all work off one record. No card required.
