Piper Cherokee 180 Cost of Ownership: Annual Budget at 100 and 200 Hours
A line-by-line annual budget for the PA-28-180 Cherokee: what it costs at 50, 100 and 200 hours a year, and how the loan fits on top.
The airplane behind the budget
The PA-28-180 was built for the 1963 through 1975 model years with a carbureted 180-hp Lycoming O-360-A, fixed gear, a fixed-pitch prop on most airplanes and the constant-chord "Hershey-bar" wing. Maximum gross weight is 2,400 lb and standard fuel is 50 gallons. The 1973 Challenger stretched the fuselage, and the name changed to Archer for 1974–1975 before the tapered-wing PA-28-181 Archer II arrived in 1976. Some older write-ups call the Archer a retractable. It isn't; the retractable PA-28 is the Arrow.
With fixed gear and under 200 hp, the Cherokee 180 needs no complex or high-performance endorsement. That keeps insurance and the annual simple, and it is why the budget below is low for a four-seat airplane.
Cherokee 180 annual budget at 50, 100 and 200 hours
| Line item | 50 hr/yr | 100 hr/yr | 200 hr/yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Insurance (assumption: private owner with 250+ hours; hull about $80,000) | $1,700 | $1,700 | $1,700 |
| Hangar (assumption: $400/mo) | $4,800 | $4,800 | $4,800 |
| Annual inspection, routine findings (assumption) | $1,900 | $1,900 | $1,900 |
| Fixed-pitch prop reserve (dress, reseal, eventual overhaul) | $300 | $300 | $300 |
| Databases, subscriptions, registration, misc. | $700 | $700 | $700 |
| Fuel: 9.5 gal/hr × $7.24 ($68.78/hr) | $3,439 | $6,878 | $13,756 |
| Engine reserve: $38,000 planning O-360 overhaul ÷ 2,000 hr ($19.00/hr) | $950 | $1,900 | $3,800 |
| Unscheduled maintenance reserve (assumption) ($19.00/hr) | $950 | $1,900 | $3,800 |
| Oil and filters ($2.50/hr) | $125 | $250 | $500 |
| Total per year (hangar) | $14,864 | $20,328 | $31,256 |
| Per flight hour (hangar) | $297 | $203 | $156 |
| Total per year with a tie-down ($1,500/yr) | $11,564 | $17,028 | $27,956 |
| Per flight hour (tie-down) | $231 | $170 | $140 |
| Loan payment ($68,000, 15 yr, 7.75%) | $7,681 | $7,681 | $7,681 |
| Total with hangar and loan | $22,545 | $28,009 | $38,937 |
| Per month, all-in | $1,879 | $2,334 | $3,245 |
What changes between 100 and 200 hours a year
- Per-hour cost falls. Fixed costs of $9,400 spread over twice the hours, so the hangar budget drops from $203 to $156 per hour. The total bill still rises by $10,928, almost all of it fuel and reserves.
- The engine reaches overhaul sooner. From a mid-time engine at 1,000 hours since overhaul, TBO is about 10 years away at 100 hours a year and 5 years away at 200. The reserve per hour is the same, but you need the cash sooner. At 50 hours a year, calendar age and corrosion usually decide instead; see SMOH vs TBO.
- Maintenance shifts. At 200 hours you will see more oil changes, tires, brakes and cylinder work between annuals. A 100-hour inspection is required only if the airplane carries people for hire or you provide it for flight instruction for hire (14 CFR 91.409(b)).
- Insurance barely moves. Premiums follow hull value, pilot experience and use, not hours flown, so higher utilization makes insurance cheaper per hour.
Turning the budget into a monthly plan
Owners who treat reserves as real bills are the ones who aren't surprised by an overhaul. At 100 hours a year, before the loan, the budget breaks into these monthly amounts:
| Monthly amount at 100 hr/yr | Amount | How to handle it |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed costs (insurance, hangar, annual, prop, subscriptions) | $783 | Insurance and the annual come as lump sums, so save monthly toward them |
| Fuel | $573 | Paid as you fly |
| Engine reserve | $158 | Move to a separate savings account every month |
| Maintenance and oil reserve | $179 | Draws down at the annual and for squawks |
| Total before loan | $1,694 | Add the loan payment on top |
At a 122-knot planning cruise, the 100-hour budget works out to about $1.67 per nautical mile, or about $0.42 per seat-mile with four aboard (payload permitting). Also keep a separate contingency, often a few thousand dollars, for the first annual on a newly purchased airplane, when deferred items tend to surface.
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Financing a Cherokee 180: the $75,000 line
Most lenders will finance a 1960s or 1970s Cherokee. AOPA Aviation Finance lists no age limit for piston singles and a 15% minimum down payment for post-1960 aircraft. The detail that matters for Cherokee 180 buyers is loan size: 20-year terms are available only on single-engine loans of $75,000 or more.
| Illustrative price | Loan (15% down) | Term | Payment at 7.75% | Total interest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $80,000 | $68,000 | 15 years | $640/mo | $47,212 |
| $90,000 | $76,500 | 20 years | $628/mo | $74,226 |
The more expensive airplane has the lower monthly payment ($628 vs $640) because its loan qualifies for 20 years, but it costs $27,014 more in total interest. Choose on total cost as well as monthly comfort. Prices are illustrative, not market values; check Vref or Aircraft Bluebook and current listings.
| Term | 7.00% APR | 7.75% APR | 8.75% APR | 10.00% APR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 years (120 mo) | $790/mo | $816/mo | $852/mo | $899/mo |
| 15 years (180 mo) | $611/mo | $640/mo | $680/mo | $731/mo |
Loan amount $68,000. Principal and interest only; excludes insurance, taxes and fees. Illustrative, not a quote.
As of September 2026, piston loan rates quoted by major aviation lenders generally run from about 7% to 10%, depending on credit, aircraft age, loan size and down payment.
Budget risks specific to a Cherokee 180
- Wing-spar AD scope. AD 2020-26-16 does not list the PA-28-180, but the FAA's 2024 proposal would add it. Budget an eddy-current inspection (FAA 2021 estimate: about $960), especially on an ex-trainer.
- Ex-trainer history. Hard landings (nose gear, firewall), high factored hours and tired interiors.
- Fuel tanks and selector. Seam leaks and sealant, a common Cherokee repair.
- Engine calendar age. A low-time engine that sat for years can need a cylinder or cam work early. Ask for borescope images and oil analysis.
- Avionics. A panel upgrade can cost a large share of the airplane's value, so price it before you buy, not after.
How this page differs from related pages
This page is the Cherokee 180's annual budget. For whether a Cherokee 180 is the right first airplane and what to inspect, read the Cherokee 180 beginner's guide. To compare the 140, 150, 160, 180 and 235, see the Cherokee family cost page. Entry-model specs and payment examples are on the PA-28-140 model page. For the tapered-wing successor, see the Archer cost page, and for a retractable with the same engine family, the Comanche 180 cost page.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost per year to own a Piper Cherokee 180?
On our planning assumptions, about $20,328 at 100 hours and $31,256 at 200 hours before any loan payment, which is $203 and $156 per hour. With a tie-down instead of a hangar, subtract about $3,300. Fuel is priced at $7.24/gal for 100LL.
How much fuel does a Cherokee 180 burn?
We budget 9.5 gallons per hour as a blend of climb and cruise for the 180-hp O-360. At $7.24 per gallon that is about $69 per hour, the largest single line in the budget. Leaning carefully in cruise and flying at lower power settings can bring the average down.
Is the Cherokee 180 the same as the Archer?
They are related. The PA-28-180 Cherokee 180 was built from the 1963 to 1975 model years. It became the stretched Cherokee Challenger in 1973 and was renamed Archer for 1974–1975. The PA-28-181 Archer II that followed in 1976 has the tapered wing. All of them are fixed-gear airplanes with 180-hp Lycoming O-360 engines.
What is the loan payment on a Cherokee 180?
It depends on whether the loan reaches $75,000, the minimum AOPA Aviation Finance cites for 20-year single-engine terms. With 15% down at 7.75%, an $80,000 airplane is a $68,000 loan over 15 years at about $640 a month; a $90,000 airplane is $76,500 over 20 years at about $628.
Does the wing spar AD affect the Cherokee 180?
AD 2020-26-16 does not list the Hershey-bar PA-28-180, but the FAA proposed in 2024 to add it to the eddy-current inspection requirement. The FAA’s 2021 estimate for the inspection was about $960. Ex-trainers with many 100-hour inspections accumulate factored hours fastest. Ask your mechanic for the current status.
How much does Cherokee 180 insurance cost?
As a benchmark, BWI reported 2026 premiums of $1,200 to $2,500 a year for a privately owned Cessna 172 with an $80,000 to $150,000 hull and a pilot with 250 or more hours. A Cherokee 180 is often in a similar range. Low-time pilots pay more; BWI cites $2,000 to $3,500 or more for a Cessna 172 flown by a pilot under 150 hours.
Last reviewed September 27, 2026. Rates and rules change; see our editorial standards.