Metrics to Compare Aircraft Operating and Support Costs in the Department of Defense

This report examines several issues associated with the cost-per-flying-hour (CPFH) metric used in the Department of Defense (DoD), including its use to compare operating and support costs of different aircraft. The report recommends a definition of CPFH when comparing aircraft, several ways the cost and usage data should be normalized, and a cost-per-aircraft metric as an alternative metric for comparing the O&S costs of aircraft.