This chart shows the incredible cost of

operating the US Air Force's most

expensive planes
By Jeremy Bender and Mike NudelmanMarch 3, 2016 2:22 PM

The US Air Force's unquestioned aerial dominance does not come cheap.

For the Air Force's 10 most expensive planes, operating costs per hour start at
$58,059, and it only climbs from there.

The following graphic, based upon the Air Force's cost per hour of flight estimations,
lists the 10 most expensive planes to operate in descending order:

(Mike Nudelman/Business Insider)

The E-4 Nightwatch is far and away the most expensive military plane that the Air
Force operates. The Nightwatch operates as a command and control aircraft that is
meant to serve as a flying airbase for the president and members of cabinet in case
of a national disaster.

Designed as a doomsday plane, the Nightwatch is so expensive to operate due to

both its size and its technical abilities. The plane is specially designed to survive
electromagnetic pulses, with additional thermal and nuclear shielding. It also can
refuel aerially and can fit up to 112 passengers.

Surprisingly, the much maligned F-35 is actually only the seventh most expensive
plane per hour that the Air Force flies. The F-35's costs are partially due to the lack
of an efficient supply-chain for the aircraft, something that should be sorted out over
the coming years.

Among the cheapest aircraft that the Air Force operates are Predator Drones and
the A-10. These aircraft cost an estimated $1,500 and $11,500 per hour to operate,
respectively.