Why is it more expensive to fly helicopters than aeroplanes?
First of all, helicopters are more expensive to buy than aeroplanes of similar size and capacity. They are also more complex and consequently more expensive to insure and maintain; there are more moving parts (like main and tail rotor gearboxes) to service. On a typical helicopter, however, most major components have a “timed life,” or time-between-overhaul (TBO). For example, the main rotor blades on a helicopter have to be replaced every couple of thousands of hours of flight time. Each new blade can cost thousands of US dollars. It will typically cost about twice as much to fly a small helicopter per hour than a small aeroplane.
