Selling the Aircraft-2006.4
Tuesday, August 19th, 2008Conceived in the 1940s, copied and replicated for half a century, general aviation is much the same as it has always been. A single-engine airplane for sale, or twin engine airplane for sale, goes about as fast as and as far today as it did back in 1957. Even with GPS and Weather Data Link, it takes just about as much skill, judgment and hard work to fly today’s Piper Saratoga as it did to operate a 1962 Beech Bonanza. And despite a gallant effort on the part of Learn-To-Fly books, publications and websites, many airports are not very newcomer friendly. Cover up your big watch, tuck your Ray Bans into your pocket and waltz into a strange FBO/Airports from the parking lot side.
A few positives: Glass cockpits are replacing steam gauges in everything from old King Airs to new light sport airplanes. It took nearly 20 years for EFIS to trickle down, but you can’t buy a new Cessna Skyhawk without it, and that’s good. EFIS, coupled with GPS and WX data link, will eventually make flying safer, easier and more accessible. Back to the light sport market, some of these airplanes only burn 5 gph. That means the ‘$100 hamburger’ would only be about $70 in my neighborhood.
Finally, Very Light Jets (VLJ Just as the single engine Cirrus for sale and Columbia have made 1950s technology appear obsolete, VLJs will rob some buyers from the pre-owned turboprop aircraft for sale and Business Jet for sale markets. It might be happening already. If they can get past the ‘size matters’ thing, a lot of cost-conscious buyers are going to take that very light road.
