Grumman AA-5B Tiger Cost of Ownership: Annual Budget and Performance per Dollar
The AA-5B Tiger is the 180 hp member of the Grumman AA-5 family: fixed gear, fixed-pitch propeller, sliding canopy and a reputation for speed on modest fuel. This page is its annual budget and a hard look at what that performance costs per dollar compared with the Cheetah and other fixed-gear four-seaters.
Which Tigers were built, and does the year change the budget?
According to the AA-5 production history, about 1,323 AA-5B Tigers were built from the 1975 model year by Grumman American and then Gulfstream American, until production ended at the end of the 1970s. American General Aviation revived the design as the AG-5B from 1990 to 1993 (about 181 built), and Tiger Aircraft built about 51 more from 2001 to 2006. All use the 180 hp Lycoming O-360-A4K.
For the budget, the production run matters in three ways. The later AG-5B airplanes are scarce and usually ask more, which raises the loan line. A 1970s AA-5B is 45-plus years old, so the unscheduled-maintenance reserve and the bonded-structure inspection matter more. And parts for the later airplanes can differ from the earlier ones, so confirm details for the specific serial number before you buy. Our aircraft database shows typical asking prices of $45,000–$105,000; verify any airplane with Vref or Aircraft Bluebook.
Grumman Tiger annual budget at 50, 100 and 200 hours
Fixed costs
| Item | Per year | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Insurance (hull + liability) | $1,600 | Assumption for an experienced private pilot; fixed gear, fixed-pitch prop |
| Hangar | $4,800 | Assumption ($400/month); protects the sliding canopy and bonded airframe |
| Routine annual inspection | $1,900 | Assumption before squawks; shop familiar with bonded Grummans |
| Databases, subscriptions, misc. | $600 | EFB, charts, small parts |
| Total fixed | $8,900 |
Hourly operating costs
| Item | Per flight hour | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel | $65.16 | 9 gph × $7.24/gal 100LL |
| Oil and filters | $2.50 | Four-cylinder oil changes and top-ups |
| Engine reserve | $20.00 | Assumed $40,000 O-360 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 | $103.66 |
Total by utilization
| Hours / yr | Operating cost | Per hour | With loan | Per hour with loan | Per nautical mile with loan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | $14,083 | $282 | $20,804 | $416 | $2.99 |
| 100 | $19,266 | $193 | $25,987 | $260 | $1.87 |
| 200 | $29,632 | $148 | $36,353 | $182 | $1.31 |
All inputs are assumptions to replace with your own quotes. See hangar vs tie-down costs and annual inspection costs.
Performance per dollar: how the Tiger compares
"Performance per dollar" has two parts: what the airplane costs to buy for the speed you get, and what it costs to move you a mile. The table uses book figures and mid-market prices from our aircraft database.
| Aircraft | Book cruise | Fuel burn | Fuel per 100 nm | Mid-market price | Price per knot of cruise |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grumman AA-5B Tiger | 139 kt | 9 gph | $47 | $70,000 | $504 |
| Grumman AA-5A Cheetah | 130 kt | 8 gph | $45 | $48,000 | $369 |
| Piper Archer (180 hp) | 128 kt | 9 gph | $51 | $90,000 | $703 |
| Cessna 172 | 122 kt | 8.5 gph | $50 | $125,000 | $1,025 |
| Piper Warrior | 115 kt | 8 gph | $50 | $65,000 | $565 |
Book figures from our aircraft database; real numbers depend on the individual airplane, altitude and power setting. Mid-market prices mix model years differently for each type, so treat the price-per-knot column as a rough screen, not an appraisal.
Tiger vs Cheetah: what the extra 30 hp costs
- Speed: 9 knots more book cruise (139 vs 130).
- Fuel: 1 gph more, or $7 per hour.
- Purchase: about $22,000 more at database mid prices, which adds $2,112 a year to the loan line at 7.75% over 15 years.
- All-in at 100 hours: $25,987 for the Tiger vs $22,550 for the Cheetah on the same assumptions, or $1.87 vs $1.73 per nautical mile.
What a typical Tiger trip costs
Take a 300 nm trip out and back (600 nm) at book cruise with no wind: about 4.3 hours of flying. On this page's assumptions:
- Fuel only: about $281, or $94 each with three people aboard.
- Direct operating cost (fuel, oil, engine and prop reserves, maintenance reserve): about $447.
- Fully loaded (a share of fixed costs and the loan at 100 hours a year): about $1,122.
The fully loaded figure is the honest one for deciding whether to own; the direct figure is the right one for deciding whether to take a trip in an airplane you already own. At 100 hours a year, owning a Tiger with a loan works out to about $2,166 a month including reserves.
The Tiger costs more per year than the Cheetah but carries more and gets there sooner. If your trips are regularly 300 nm or more with passengers, the extra horsepower is worth paying for; for local flying with one passenger, the Cheetah is the cheaper tool.
Want numbers for your specific aircraft?
Share the aircraft and timeline — a financing specialist will come back with rate, term and down-payment options.
Tiger reserves and maintenance items
- Engine: the O-360 falls under a 2,000-hour TBO with a 12-year calendar recommendation in Lycoming's Service Instruction 1009. We reserve $20 per hour against an assumed $40,000 overhaul; get quotes, because field overhauls, factory overhauls and rebuilt engines differ widely. See understanding SMOH and TBO.
- Propeller: fixed-pitch, so no governor or hub overhaul; the reserve is small.
- Bonded structure: like every AA-5, the Tiger has an adhesive-bonded aluminum and honeycomb airframe. Pay for an inspection by a mechanic who knows bonded Grummans and check AD status for the serial. The AA-5 series page explains what they look for.
- Castering nosewheel and brakes: ground steering by differential braking wears brakes and main tires faster than on a steerable-nosewheel airplane; inspect the nose fork, bearings and gear tube at each annual.
- Canopy: seals and tracks wear; leaks reach the panel and radios.
- Airframe parts: Grumman-specific parts come from a smaller supply chain than Cessna or Piper parts, so budget time as well as money for unusual repairs.
Insurance for a Tiger
We budget $1,600 a year as an assumption for an experienced private pilot. There is no published benchmark specific to the Tiger; for reference, BWI's 2026 figures for a privately owned Cessna 172 with an $80,000–$150,000 hull and a pilot with 250+ hours are $1,200–$2,500 a year, and $2,000–$3,500+ for pilots under 150 hours. The Tiger needs no complex or high-performance endorsement, but some insurers want a checkout in type because the castering nosewheel and quick handling take getting used to. See insurance requirements.
Financing a Tiger
Every Tiger was built after 1960, so lenders typically ask about 15% down. Loan size decides the term: 20-year terms are generally reserved for loans of $75,000 and up. As of September 2026, piston loan rates quoted by major aviation lenders generally start around 7% for well-qualified borrowers and run to roughly 10%.
| Example | Price | Loan | Term | 6.99% | 7.75% | 9.99% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Older example | $45,000 | $38,250 | 15 yr | $344/mo | $360/mo | $411/mo |
| Mid-market example | $70,000 | $59,500 | 15 yr | $534/mo | $560/mo | $639/mo |
| Late or upgraded example | $105,000 | $89,250 | 20 yr | $691/mo | $733/mo | $861/mo |
See aircraft loan requirements for credit, documentation and down-payment expectations.
How this page differs from related Grumman pages
This page is the Tiger's annual budget and value comparison. For the Traveler, Cheetah and Tiger compared side by side, see Grumman AA-5 series cost of ownership. For the buying decision, see the Grumman Tiger buyer's guide and the Grumman AA-5 buyer's guide. Specs and generated payment examples are on the AA-5B Tiger model page, with the 150 hp siblings on the AA-5A Cheetah and AA-5 Traveler pages.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to own a Grumman Tiger per year?
On this page's planning assumptions, about $19,266 a year to operate at 100 hours before financing, or $193 per hour. With a loan on a $70,000 example (15% down, 7.75%, 15 years) the total is about $25,987. Local hangar and insurance quotes can move these figures by thousands.
How much fuel does a Grumman Tiger burn?
We plan on 9 gallons per hour at cruise, which costs about $65 per hour with 100LL at $7.24 a gallon (AirNav national average, September 2026). At 139 knots of book cruise, that is about $47 of fuel per 100 nautical miles.
When was the Grumman Tiger built?
The AA-5B Tiger was built from the 1975 model year until Gulfstream American ended production at the end of the 1970s. American General Aviation revived it as the AG-5B from 1990 to 1993, and Tiger Aircraft built a small number from 2001 to 2006. The later AG-5B airplanes are rare and usually priced above the older AA-5Bs.
Is the Grumman Tiger a complex or high-performance airplane?
Neither. The Tiger has fixed gear and a fixed-pitch propeller, so it needs no complex endorsement, and its 180 hp Lycoming O-360 is below the more-than-200-hp high-performance threshold. That keeps insurance and training costs lower than for retractables of similar speed.
What is the TBO on a Grumman Tiger engine?
The Tiger's 180 hp Lycoming O-360-A4K falls under the O-360 entry in Lycoming's Service Instruction 1009, which lists a 2,000-hour TBO with a 12-year calendar recommendation. Part 91 owners are generally not required to overhaul at TBO, but buyers and lenders price the engine against it.
Can I finance a Grumman Tiger?
Yes. Lenders typically ask about 15% down. A mid-market $70,000 Tiger leaves a $59,500 loan, below the $75,000 level where 20-year terms usually start, so expect 15 years or less: about $560 a month at 7.75%. A late or upgraded Tiger at $105,000 can qualify for 20 years at about $733 a month.