Flaming Foliage Sky Tours is a small sightseeing tour company in New Hampshire. The firm specializes in aerial tours of the New England countryside during September and October, when the fall color is at its peak. Until recently, the company had not had an accounting department. Routine bookkeeping tasks, such as billing, had been handled by an individual who had little formal training in accounting. As the business began to grow, however, the owner recognized the need for more formal accounting procedures. Jacqueline Frost has recently been hired as the new controller, and she will have the authority to hire an assistant.

During her first week on the job, Frost was given the following performance report. The report was prepared by Red Leif, the company's manager of aircraft operations, who was planning to present it to the owner the next morning. "Look at these favorable variances for fuel and so forth," Leif pointed out, as he showed the report to Frost. "My operations people are really doing a great job." Later that day, Frost looked at the performance report more carefully. She immediately realized that it was improperly prepared and would be misleading to the company's owner.

FLAMING FOLIAGE SKY TOURS

Performance Report

For the Month of September

Formula Flexible Budget (per air mile)

Actual (32,000 air miles)

Static Budget (35,000 air miles)

Variance

Passenger revenue

$

3.50

$

112,000

$

122,500

$

10,500

U

Less: Variable expenses:

Fuel

.50

17,000

17,500

500

F

Aircraft maintenance

.75

23,500

26,250

2,750

F

Flight crew salaries

.40

13,100

14,000

900

F

Selling and administrative

.80

24,900

28,000

3,100

F

Total variable expenses

$

2.45

$

78,500

$

85,750

$

7,250

F

Contribution margin

$

1.05

$

33,500

$

36,750

$

3,250

U

Less: Fixed expenses:

Per Month

Depreciation on aircraft

$

2,900

$

2,900

$

2,900

$

0

Landing fees

900

1,000

900

100

U

Supervisory salaries

9,000

8,600

9,000

400

F

Selling and administrative

11,000

12,400

11,000

1,400

U

Total fixed expenses

$

23,800

$

24,900

$

23,800

$

1,100

U

Net income

$

8,600

$

12,950

$

4,350

U

1. Prepare a columnar flexible budget for Flaming Foliage Sky Tours' expenses, based on the following activity levels: 32,000 air miles, 35,000 air miles, and 38,000 air miles.

2.

Prepare a revised expense variance report for September, which is based on the flexible budget prepared in part (1).