Free tool

Wet vs Dry Rate Calculator

Plug in your dry rate, wet rate, fuel burn, fuel price, and annual hours. See the effective hourly cost and which billing model wins at your utilization.

Rates

Aircraft only. You buy fuel separately.

Aircraft + fuel included.

Fuel & utilization

Estimated annual flight hours at this rate.

Result

Wet is cheaper by $1,080.00 per year.

Dry — effective hourly

$178.50

Dry rate + fuel ($58.50/hr)

Wet — hourly

$165.00

All-in, no fuel surprises

Annual cost

Dry: $14,280.00

Wet: $13,200.00

Note: This is the bare-economics comparison. Wet rates can also reduce your billing-side risk (no member disputes about how much fuel was burned) and simplify accounting. Dry rates can give heavy users meaningful savings if they can lock in cheaper fuel at home base.

Aviation operations newsletter

Pricing strategy posts, billing model breakdowns, and occasional product updates. No spam.

Configure both in Aloft360

Per-aircraft wet OR dry rates, automatic invoicing.

Set wet for trainers, dry for the leaseback Bonanza, separate instructor billing. Aloft360 handles all three rate models in the same workflow with no spreadsheet hand-offs.

30-day free trial · No credit card · Cancel anytime

Wet vs dry — quick reference

Wet rate: Aircraft + fuel in one hourly number. The operator buys all the fuel, marks it up to cover price volatility, and charges the renter a flat per-Hobbs rate. Simpler billing. Cheaper for low-utilization members. More expensive for heavy users who could otherwise buy cheaper fuel at home.

Dry rate: Aircraft only. The renter pays a lower per-hour rate and is responsible for fuel — either by paying the FBO directly or reimbursing the operator for what was burned. More billing complexity (fuel receipts, reconciliation), but heavy users who can fly home full save real money.

Mixed strategies: Many clubs run wet on trainers (where simplicity matters and most students fly few hours) and dry on leaseback aircraft (where the owner controls fuel buys and wants to capture savings). Aloft360 supports per-aircraft rate configuration so you do not have to pick one model for the whole fleet.

When wet usually wins

  • Low-utilization renters who fly < 50 hrs/year
  • Operators with no FBO discount on fuel
  • Schools with high student turnover where billing simplicity matters

When dry usually wins

  • High-utilization members (75+ hrs/year)
  • Aircraft based at airports with cheap self-serve fuel
  • Leaseback owners who want fuel savings to flow through to them

Configure both models in Aloft360

Per-aircraft hourly rates, separate instructor billing, automatic invoicing from Hobbs or tach time, and member self-service billing portal — all in the +$29/mo Billing add-on.

Start your free trial →

Wet vs dry FAQ

What is the difference between wet and dry rate?
A wet rate is an all-in hourly rate that includes fuel — the renter pays one price per Hobbs hour and never touches the fuel pump. A dry rate is the aircraft-only rate; the renter buys fuel separately, either at the home base or by reimbursing the operator for fuel burned.
Should a flying club bill wet or dry?
Wet rates simplify member billing — there is no per-flight fuel reconciliation, and members cannot dispute how many gallons they burned. Dry rates can save heavy users money if they can buy cheaper fuel at home base, but require more accounting work. Most clubs simplify with wet billing on trainers and dry on member-owned leasebacks.
How is the effective dry rate calculated?
Effective dry rate = dry rate + (fuel burn rate × fuel price per gallon). For a Cessna 172 at $120/hr dry, burning 9 gallons per hour at $6.50/gal, the effective hourly cost is $120 + (9 × $6.50) = $178.50/hr.
Why might wet billing be more expensive than dry?
Operators set wet rates to cover average fuel cost plus a buffer for fuel-price volatility and refueling overhead. If you fly fewer hours than expected, or fuel is cheaper than the operator assumed when setting the rate, the wet rate ends up higher than dry plus your actual fuel.