Two out of three pilots don’t even own an airplane; they rent airplanes from their local community airports. Unlike a rental car, pilots are charged only for the time that they operate the engine.

Real-world operating costs for the private pilot and the airplane typically run between $2,000 and $8,000 per year, depending upon the amount of flying done and the complexity of the aircraft.

These annual costs include fuel, oil, insurance, maintenance, repairs, inspections, tiedown fee (parking), up-to-date aeronautical maps, a couple of aviation magazine subscriptions, membership in one or two national aviation organizations, refresher training, and mandatory flight reviews with a flight instructor certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

You can drive your car down any almost any road in America without paying anyone a separate fee to do so. You can park your car in most locations for free. That’s because America’s roads are paid for with a gasoline tax shared by all users.

The same is true of pilots and airplanes. Pilots are not charged a separate fee when they fly their airplanes, or in most cases when they park them while on a daytrip. That’s because everything about our National Airspace System (NAS) is paid for with a simple tax on all aviation fuels that is shared by all users.

At some airports, overnight tiedown parking might be about $8, and overnight hangar parking about $25. A handful of coastal or island resort airports at vacation destination like Cape Cod or Martha’s Vineyard charge $5 to $10 to park for the day, but that usually includes the use of a nearby beach and showers. They’ll often waive that small fee if you buy fuel or eat at the airport restaurant.