Grumman AA-5A Cheetah Cost of Ownership: A Budget Four-Seater by the Numbers
The AA-5A Cheetah is a 150 hp, fixed-gear, four-seat Grumman built from 1976 to 1979. It is one of the cheaper ways into four-seat ownership, and this page is its annual budget: fixed and hourly costs, cost per mile, how a partnership changes the math, and what the small loan looks like.
What is the Cheetah, in cost terms?
The Cheetah pairs the later AA-5 airframe (shared with the Tiger) with the 150 hp Lycoming O-320-E2G from the original Traveler. About 900 were built by Grumman American and then Gulfstream American. It has fixed tricycle gear with fiberglass main legs, a free-castering nosewheel, a sliding canopy and a fixed-pitch propeller. For budgeting, that means:
- No gear actuators, no propeller governor and no complex or high-performance endorsement.
- A four-cylinder engine with a 2,000-hour TBO listed in Lycoming's Service Instruction 1009 (12-year calendar recommendation).
- Our aircraft database lists 130 knots of book cruise on 8 gph, with 38 gallons of fuel capacity.
- Typical asking prices of $32,000–$68,000 in our database; verify with Vref or Aircraft Bluebook.
For how the Cheetah compares with the Traveler and Tiger across the series, see Grumman AA-5 series cost of ownership.
Cheetah annual budget at 50, 100 and 200 hours
Fixed costs
| Item | Per year | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Insurance (hull + liability) | $1,400 | Assumption for an experienced private pilot; fixed gear, low hull value |
| Hangar | $4,800 | Assumption ($400/month); a tie-down may cost a third of this |
| Routine annual inspection | $1,800 | Assumption before squawks; shop familiar with bonded Grummans |
| Databases, subscriptions, misc. | $600 | EFB, charts, small parts |
| Total fixed | $8,600 |
Hourly operating costs
| Item | Per flight hour | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel | $57.92 | 8 gph × $7.24/gal 100LL |
| Oil and filters | $2.00 | Four-cylinder oil changes and top-ups |
| Engine reserve | $17.50 | Assumed $35,000 O-320 overhaul ÷ 2,000 hr |
| Propeller reserve | $1.00 | Fixed-pitch prop: occasional reconditioning |
| Unscheduled maintenance reserve | $15.00 | Brakes, tires, canopy seals, magnetos, avionics |
| Total hourly | $93.42 |
Total by utilization
| Hours / yr | Operating cost | Per hour | With loan | Per hour with loan | Per nautical mile with loan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | $13,271 | $265 | $17,879 | $358 | $2.75 |
| 100 | $17,942 | $179 | $22,550 | $226 | $1.73 |
| 200 | $27,284 | $136 | $31,892 | $159 | $1.23 |
The hangar assumption is the single largest fixed cost. A tie-down can cut it sharply, but the sliding canopy is prone to leaks, and water in the cabin and radios costs money too. See hangar vs tie-down costs before you decide.
Budget four-seat economics: cost per mile
The Cheetah's case is simple: four seats, a fixed-gear airframe and a four-cylinder engine at a used price below most comparable Cessnas and Pipers in our database. On fuel per mile it holds its own:
| Aircraft | Cruise | Fuel burn | Fuel per 100 nm | Typical price range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grumman AA-5A Cheetah | 130 kt | 8 gph | $45 | $32,000–$68,000 |
| Grumman AA-5B Tiger | 139 kt | 9 gph | $47 | $45,000–$105,000 |
| Cessna 172 | 122 kt | 8.5 gph | $50 | $45,000–$250,000 |
| Piper Warrior | 115 kt | 8 gph | $50 | $35,000–$120,000 |
| Piper Archer | 128 kt | 9 gph | $51 | $45,000–$200,000 |
Book figures from our aircraft database. Real-world numbers depend on the individual airplane, altitude and power setting.
Seats are not the same as payload. Like most 150 hp four-seaters, a Cheetah with full fuel usually cannot carry four adults and bags; check the airplane's actual empty weight and weight-and-balance records. If you regularly fly four people, the Tiger's extra 30 hp may be the better value.
Cheetah or Tiger for the extra money?
On a 300 nm trip at book cruise, the Cheetah takes about 2.31 hours and the Tiger about 2.16 hours. The Tiger burns about 1 gallon more per hour ($7 at the September 2026 national average price) and costs about $22,000 more to buy at database mid prices. If you mostly fly one or two people within a few hundred miles, the Cheetah is the cheaper tool. The Tiger budget page runs the same numbers for the 180 hp model.
Want numbers for your specific aircraft?
Share the aircraft and timeline — a financing specialist will come back with rate, term and down-payment options.
Sharing a Cheetah: partnership math
A low-cost airplane with high fixed costs relative to its hourly cost is a good partnership candidate. In the table, partners share the fixed costs and the loan payment equally, and each pays the hourly cost of their own 50 hours a year.
| Owners | Cost per owner per year | Per hour flown |
|---|---|---|
| Sole owner | $17,879 | $358 |
| 2-way partnership | $11,275 | $226 |
| 3-way partnership | $9,074 | $181 |
Put the arrangement in writing: scheduling, how reserves are held, who approves maintenance and how a partner exits. See partnership vs sole ownership and financing a partnership share.
Cheetah items to reserve for
- Bonded structure: the AA-5 airframe is adhesive-bonded aluminum with honeycomb panels. Have a mechanic who knows bonded Grummans inspect for skin separation and check AD status for the serial. The series page explains the inspection.
- Castering nosewheel: steering by differential braking wears brakes and main tires faster; the unscheduled reserve covers them. Inspect the nose fork, bearings and gear tube at each annual.
- Canopy seals and tracks: routine to replace, expensive to ignore once water reaches the panel.
- Fuel tanks: look for sealant seeps and stains.
- Engine: the O-320 is one of the most widely supported engines in general aviation, which helps overhaul pricing and parts availability. At 50 hours a year the 12-year calendar recommendation arrives at only 600 hours; see understanding SMOH and TBO.
Financing a Cheetah
Every Cheetah was built after 1960, so lenders typically ask about 15% down rather than the 20% for pre-1960 aircraft. At the database mid price of $48,000, the loan is $40,800. That is below the $75,000 level at which 20-year terms usually become available, and some lenders have minimum loan sizes, so the table shows 7- to 15-year terms. As of September 2026, piston loan rates generally start around 7% for well-qualified borrowers and run to roughly 10%.
| Term | 6.99% APR | 7.75% APR | 8.50% APR | 9.99% APR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 years (84 mo) | $616/mo $10,909 interest | $631/mo $12,191 interest | $646/mo $13,475 interest | $677/mo $16,078 interest |
| 10 years (120 mo) | $474/mo $16,021 interest | $490/mo $17,957 interest | $506/mo $19,903 interest | $539/mo $23,874 interest |
| 15 years (180 mo) | $366/mo $25,169 interest | $384/mo $28,327 interest | $402/mo $31,519 interest | $438/mo $38,074 interest |
Loan amount $40,800. Principal and interest only; excludes insurance, taxes and fees. Illustrative, not a quote.
A shorter term raises the payment but cuts total interest sharply, which suits a low-priced airplane you may keep for years. See aircraft loan requirements for what lenders will ask for.
How this page differs from related Grumman pages
This page is the Cheetah's annual budget. For the Traveler, Cheetah and Tiger compared, see Grumman AA-5 series cost of ownership. For the buying decision (what to inspect, variants, first-owner advice), see the Grumman AA-5 buyer's guide. Specs and generated payment examples are on the AA-5A Cheetah model page; the 180 hp sibling is covered on the AA-5B Tiger model page and the Tiger buyer's guide.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to own a Grumman Cheetah per year?
On this page's planning assumptions, about $17,942 a year to operate at 100 hours before financing, or $179 per hour. With a loan on a $48,000 example (15% down, 7.75%, 15 years) the total is about $22,550. Hangar and insurance quotes in your area can move these figures by a few thousand dollars.
Does the Grumman Cheetah have retractable gear?
No. The AA-5A Cheetah has fixed tricycle gear with fiberglass main legs, a free-castering nosewheel and a fixed-pitch propeller. It needs no complex or high-performance endorsement, so there are no gear actuators or propeller governor to maintain and no retractable-gear risk for insurers to price, which keeps both maintenance and insurance simpler than on a retractable.
What engine does the Cheetah have and what is its TBO?
A 150 hp Lycoming O-320-E2G, the same engine as the earlier AA-5 Traveler. Lycoming's Service Instruction 1009 lists a 2,000-hour TBO for the O-320 with a 12-year calendar recommendation. Part 91 owners are generally not required to overhaul at TBO, but engine time strongly affects resale value.
Is a Cheetah cheaper to run than a Cessna 172?
On fuel per mile, usually yes: at book figures from our aircraft database, the Cheetah spends about $45 in fuel per 100 nautical miles versus about $50 for a Cessna 172 at $7.24 per gallon. The 172 has a larger parts and maintenance network, and actual costs depend more on the individual airplane than on the type.
Can I carry four adults in a Cheetah?
Sometimes, but rarely with full fuel. Like most 150 hp four-seaters, the Cheetah trades fuel for payload. Check the specific airplane's empty weight and weight-and-balance records, since added equipment reduces useful load. Many owners treat it as a two-adults-plus-bags traveler with occasional rear-seat passengers.
Can I finance a Grumman Cheetah?
Yes, though the loan is small. A $48,000 Cheetah with 15% down leaves a $40,800 loan, which is below the $75,000 level at which 20-year terms usually become available. At 7.75% over 15 years the payment is about $384 a month. Ask early whether a lender handles loans of this size.