How the fleet commonality actually works ?

[Kastor]

Sorry if it has been brought up in this sense.
I would like to know how much aircraft type affects the commonality.
I mean if this is by make, I mean if I have All Boeing aircraft, or Boeing 737 aircraft, or it must be make, model and series like the Boeing 737-300 aircraft ?

I have one BAC one-eleven 500 now and if I would like to have a mixed fleet of BAC one-eleven 300/400/475/500, will I benefit of fleet common. by having a number of them like 12 or 15, or do I have to have all of them BAC one-eleven 500 ?

[jmi]

First, go to look aircraft details page, where you can see descripotion, range, motors and so on.

Second from top there is "Fleet group". When to planes belongs to same fleet group, they share expences. For example i have on my companyt DC9-30, DC9-40 and DC9-50 planes. These all belongs to Fleet group "DC-9". So they share their expenses.

Looks like all BAC One-Eleven planes (300, 400, 475, 500) belongs to smae fleet group, so it is safe to have different submodels of One-Eleven. But it is always good practice to check it every time when leasing/buying aircraft.

Other thing what matters is engines. For example if you get Airbus A320 with RR-engines. Then get another one with CFM engines, these won't be in same engine group, so expenses will be much more than if all your planes has same engines.

Hope this opens it up.

- J

[Kastor]

Thanks a lot, jmi, you have hit my point - the fleet group - that is the answer for my question, but I had no way to check it cuz' I have no different models as of yet. I know about the engines and I always check the type of engines. They also have their groups, don't they ?

[jmi]

Go to used market and select a plane in there. Look top of the screen, second row from top: "Fleet group". Same thing can be found from new planes too.

So, you Can check it even if you do not own that plane type yet.

And yes, engines has their own groups too.

- J

[Sami]

or check at 'compare aircraft' page

[Kastor]

Thanks again for clarification. Compare aircraft doesn't work in demo but I will remember that hint when I attempt the full game. 

[charger27]

In my struggle to keep commonality (reason for my restart), but expand via the used aircraft lease (my only option at the moment) - how big a deal are the different engines?

I am buying all 757-200's currently, but lack of availability for that aircraft type (much less the same engines) makes it nearly impossible to grow.
I am finding that the used list seems to alternate between Rolls Royce and Pratt Whitney... and different types by the same manufacturer as well.

Currently - I am watching the age and maintenance checklist, but snapping up what I can... realizing there are differences in the engines, but sacrificing that simply to get planes in the air.

Am I killing myself... again? 

[Shimo]

Engine commonality isn't quite as big a deal as fleet commonality. I have 5 engine groups (4 fleet groups) and the fixed costs range from 211k to 370k, which is considerably less than fleet commonality costs.

That being said, it's always prudent to cut costs whenever possible, and I am looking for a way to get rid of that extra engine group. But so far having the aircrafts is more important, and leases are easy to terminate when the time comes

[charger27]

Engine commonality isn't quite as big a deal as fleet commonality. I have 5 engine groups (4 fleet groups) and the fixed costs range from 211k to 370k, which is considerably less than fleet commonality costs.
That being said, it's always prudent to cut costs whenever possible, and I am looking for a way to get rid of that extra engine group. But so far having the aircrafts is more important, and leases are easy to terminate when the time comes

ok - thanks

That was the theory I was going on, but I wanted to check with others.
RR's are my larger group, but I have bought PW's to get the birds in the air.
Even among my Rolls Royce engines - there are different types... some Cadillac's mixed in with the Chevy's in other words.

I will fly the minority group until C-check, then terminate the leases. 

[Dazwalsh]

yeah i think the trick is to keep it under 5 types and you will be ok, i find the cfm engines on the 737's good, 56 engines only costs me 300,000 a month in maintenance.

the more you have the more you save

[charger27]

yeah i think the trick is to keep it under 5 types and you will be ok, i find the cfm engines on the 737's good, 56 engines only costs me 300,000 a month in maintenance.
the more you have the more you save

Further to this... I am paying as much for maintenance on one plane with Pratt & Whitney engines as I am for 3 of the same type of aircraft with Rolls Royce power.
No doubt engines are a rather large factor as well, within the commonality parameters.

I'm going to have to suck it up and dump this plane shortly, instead of waiting until C-check time.
There's a 2.3 million dollar lesson in life.

[pharmy]

Great example, my two different airlines (on with 49 MD-80s, the other with five) Check out the total costs:

McDonnell Douglas      
McDonnell Douglas MD-80
Number of aircraft in fleet    49
Administrative costs / month    90 746 USD
Fixed maintenance costs / month    1 024 053 USD
Crew training / month    1 501 392 USD
Total    2 616 191 USD

McDonnell Douglas MD-80
Number of aircraft in fleet    5
Administrative costs / month    177 998 USD
Fixed maintenance costs / month    803 045 USD
Crew training / month    548 001 USD
Total    1 529 044 USD

[sergio]

Great example, my two different airlines (on with 49 MD-80s, the other with five) Check out the total costs:

McDonnell Douglas      
McDonnell Douglas MD-80
Number of aircraft in fleet    49
Administrative costs / month    90 746 USD
Fixed maintenance costs / month    1 024 053 USD
Crew training / month    1 501 392 USD
Total    2 616 191 USD

McDonnell Douglas MD-80
Number of aircraft in fleet    5
Administrative costs / month    177 998 USD
Fixed maintenance costs / month    803 045 USD
Crew training / month    548 001 USD
Total    1 529 044 USD

how many engine types in each variant?

[pharmy]

two:)

Engine types
Pratt & Whitney    
JT8D series engines
JT8D-219
Number of aircraft in fleet    173
Number of engines in fleet    346
Models using engines    McDonnell Douglas MD-80
Fixed maintenance costs / month / JT8D    3 211 095 USD
173 aircraft are using Pratt & Whitney engines.

Pratt & Whitney Canada    
PW120 series engines
PW124B
Number of aircraft in fleet    4
Number of engines in fleet    8
Models using engines    ATR 42/72
PW127
Number of aircraft in fleet    7
Number of engines in fleet    14
Models using engines    ATR 42/72
PW127E
Number of aircraft in fleet    5
Number of engines in fleet    10
Models using engines    ATR 42/72
PW127F
Number of aircraft in fleet    12
Number of engines in fleet    24
Models using engines    ATR 42/72
Fixed maintenance costs / month / PW120    391 204 USD
28 aircraft are using Pratt & Whitney Canada engines.



by the way my fleet size has since risen but as the costs below show my crew training costs are still very low

McDonnell Douglas      
McDonnell Douglas MD-80
Number of aircraft in fleet    173
Administrative costs / month    108 956 USD
Fixed maintenance costs / month    3 205 937 USD
Crew training / month    5 323 732 USD
Total    8 638 625 USD
173 aircraft made by McDonnell Douglas.

[wahughesjr]

Within each engine group, there are subgroups -- does having more than one of these increase costs? For example, having a plane with CFM56-3B1 engines and a plane with CFM56-3B2 engines -- they are both CFM56 type engines. Do these count as one engine type or two?

[Sami]

B1 and B2 are almost identical, they are the same engine commonality-wise.

[wahughesjr]

Thought so. Thanks.