Predicting the Cost Per Flying Hour for the F-16 Using Programmatic and Operational Variables

<p>This research analyzes operational and programmatic data from all Air National Guard and 13 of 14 active duty F-16C/D Fighter Wings (FW) from 1998 to 2004 in search of explanatory variables that influence a wing's Cost Per Flying Hour (CPFH). Using data from both the Air Force Total Ownership Cost database and from the Air Force Knowledge Systems database this research evaluates the predictive ability of the following nine explanatory variables: aircraft age average sortie duration MajCOM base location utilization rate percent engine type percent block percent deployed and previous year's CPFH the last four of which were previously untested. Additionally this research builds regression models that accurately predict the CPFH of an F-16C/D FW using these operational and programmatic variables. This research concludes that the following variables are highly predictive and quantifies the relative influence of each of these variables: utilization rate base location percent block percent engine type average age of aircraft and the previous year's CPFH. Finally this research identifies a lurking variable and proposes two possible explanations.</p><p>This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore you will see the original copyright references library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world) and other notations in the work.</p><p>This work is in the public domain in the United States of America and possibly other nations. Within the United States you may freely copy and distribute this work as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.</p><p>As a reproduction of a historical artifact this work may contain missing or blurred pages poor pictures errant marks etc. Scholars believe and we concur that this work is important enough to be preserved reproduced and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.</p>