THE MORE YOU FLY THE MORE YOU SAVE: F-35 Hourly Flying Costs Plunge $12K. “Winters told a group of defense reporters that the costs of operating the F-35 fleet dropped by $1.1 million ‘per tail per year across the fleet’ and cited ‘a reduction of $12,000 per flight hour across the fleet.’ The head of Pentagon acquisition, Ellen Lord, has pressed hard for F-35 operating and sustainment costs to come down, as have key allies such as Britain.”